« Main Search

Bible Translations Bookshelf:

These books are excellent additions to one's library and are particularly useful for research.


The Original New TestamentThe Original New Testament
This version was edited and translated from the Greek by the Jewish historian of Christian beginnings, Hugh J. Schonfield. The publisher describes it as "a radical translation and reinterpretation." The term "Original" in the title is intended to convey that it aims at giving back the contents of the New Testament documents to the modern world in the meaning intended by the writers and at the same time to represent as closely as possible the original structures. It was felt to be desirable not to use familiar ecclesiastical terms where they could be avoided since in doing so would give the impression that they were particularly Christian. Some examples are as follows: "baptism" (immersion), "church" (community), "apostle" (envoy), "bishop" (supervisor), and "deacon" (administrator). The Old English has been kept only for the language of prayer and occasionally to retain the flavor of an orientalism. As a rule, proper names are in their most familiar form, thus "Isaiah" and "Elijah", not "Esais" and "Elias." What we have been accustomed to reading in the various versions is largely an idealized interpretation created by the various schools of Christian faith and piety. Set beside these hallowed versions the Original New Testament is an Epstein among the Old Masters, which may shock and even antagonize traditionalists before it comes to be understood and appreciated. The translator has sought to approach these records objectively, as if they had recently been recovered from a cave in the Holy Land or beneath the sands in Egypt. Buy from Amazon.com »




The Unvarnished New TestamentThe Unvarnished New Testament
This innovative translation of the New Testament allows the reader to view these important writings as they simply appear in the original Greek. Other translations were made by committees; they interpreted the text through theological doctrines and dogmas that arose centuries after the books were written. This new translation strips away these thick layers of convention to portray an ageless beauty that no earlier translation has captured. Buy from Amazon.com »




The Five Books of MosesThe Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (The Schocken Bible, Volume 1)
Widely acclaimed by Bible scholars and theologians of every denomination, Everett Fox's masterful translation re-creates the echoes, allusions, alliterations, and wordplays of the Hebrew original. Together with its extensive commentary and illuminating notes, this unique translation draws the reader closer to the authentic living voice of the Bible.




Rotherham's Emphasized Bible: A Literal TranslationRotherham's Emphasized Bible: A Literal Translation
The Emphasized Bible by Joseph Rotherham is a unique tool for biblical study that includes features not found in any other English translation. It gives the English reader of the Bible the same advantage as the student of Hebrew and Greek - a knowledge of the exact meaing, proper terminology, and linguistic style of the original language - all readily accessible on each page. Rotherham's analysis of the text utilizes numbered divisions to indicate sentence and paragraph structure and indentations to indicate narrative, biblical speech, and poetry. The emphasis on particular words or phrases within the text is marked by a unique system of symbols and indentations which indicate the emphasis in the original languages as well as mark transitions from narrative to speech, speech within speech, and poetic parallelism. Comments on alternate readings in the original text are included in brief footnotes. Where various readings exist, the author indicates where the readings differ among themselves thereby affording valuable insights into the transmission of the text. The introductory chapters include helpful discussions on the original texts of the Bible and the translation of the name of God in the Old Tetstament. Also included is a selected topical commentary on biblical terms such as covenant, hades, and spirit.




New Jerusalem BibleNew Jerusalem Bible
In 1956, scholars from L'Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem set their minds to translating the Scriptures from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts, hoping they could preserve the most sacred Christian traditions and stories. By 1966, the first English-language Jerusalem Bible was published. Since then it has become a favored text for lay readers and scholars alike. The accessible language and richly recounted stories, poetry, and letters in this edition is consistent with previous versions. However, this latest version stands out because of its clear format--clean double columns with easy-to-read type and quick reference headings.




The Precise Parallel New TestamentThe Precise Parallel New Testament: Greek Text, King James Version, Rheims Bible, Amplified Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, and New American Standard Bible
Why are there so many different translations of the Bible? What distinguishes one from another? These are important questions considering there are dozens of different English language translations currently available to the general reader. The Precise Parallel New Testament provides a useful foundation for answering these questions by presenting seven of the most well-known New Testament translations side by side on each page along with the original Greek text. Comparing these translations verse by verse brings to light important differences in language and interpretation among seven works based on the same original language documents. The translations included in The Precise Parallel New Testament have all at one time been considered the most accurate versions of their eras. This volume reveals how the perception of accuracy has changed over the years. The emergence of new scholarship and the growing importance of issues such as inclusive language have forced revisions of older versions such as the King James and the Rheims. These changes have caused more contemporary translations to emerge including The New American Standard, considered the closest approximation to a word-for-word translation of the original texts, and The Amplified Bible, which reflects word for word accuracy in a different way by providing alternative translations of certain words within the text to make their meaning clearer. The Precise Parallel New Testament includes translations spanning the widest range of Christian perspectives. The Rheims and the more contemporary New American Bible are preferred by Catholics. The New International Version and The New American Standard present a more evangelical view in their interpretation. The New Revised Standard Version is favored by mainline Protestants for its accuracy and sensitivity to issues such as inclusive language. This volume gives remarkable insight into the effects time and different faith orientations have had on translation of this fundamental work. The Precise Parallel New Testament is an invaluable resource for readers with a deep interest in the study of language and the Bible. It is also an excellent reference tool for pastors and language scholars.




The Contemporary Parallel New TestamentThe Contemporary Parallel New Testament: King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New Century Version, Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New Living Translation, New King James Version, and The Message
This exciting new parallel text resource features eight translations of the New Testament which are highly regarded in the evangelical community today. With the exception of the classic King James Version, all of the translations included in this volume have been published - and sometimes even revised - within just the last quarter century by groups which have a strong evangelical outlook. The texts are arranged to permit easy comparison of the word choices made and translation practices employed by the scholarly teams responsible for rendering the Greek New Testament into modern English. Such a parallel text layout is invaluable to those engaged in individual research or who are Bible study group participants. Readers will appreciate the inclusion in this volume of such very recently published translations as The Message and the New Living Translation. Especially noteworthy is the fact that the New International Version and the New King James Version appear together for the very first time in The Contemporary Parallel New Testament.




21st Century New Testament21st Century New Testament
This unique translation has been produced to give students and all lovers of God's word a more accurate literal account of the ancient texts, with an accompanying easy-to-read free rendering in the modern idiom. This enables a study of the literal meanings of the original text to be combined with a reading in modern English.  In the literal translation the aim has been to adhere to the original text as closely as possible, and in particular, to preserve the mood, tense, voice and intensity of verbal forms, as well as conveying shades of meaning of other words that are often lost. Displayed on the left hand column on each page, this features the divine name rendered as [YHVH].  In parallel, the idiomatic, free rendering in the right hand column provides a translation which, while maintaining accuracy as far as possible, has not been inhibited by the fear of straying from the original form and wording - as that is available alongside for the reader to compare. Here ''Jehovah'' is used for occurrences of the divine name.  Includes 41 pages of Translation Notes. Buy from Golden Age Books »


Back to Bookshelf Index »



© 1999 - 2007 Jehovah's Witnesses United. All rights reserved. Terms of Service
home-icon.gif (1K) Home:
About
Congregations
General News
Human Rights
Theocratese
Bookshelf
Study Tools
Site Search
Web Search
Webring
Contact
genexe-icon.gif (1K) EXEGESIS:
General
Greek
Hebrew
Patristic
Translation
Discussion
Study Links
genexe-icon.gif (1K) GENERAL:
Legal
Holocaust
Freedom
resources-icon.gif (1K) Resources:
Official
Defense
Trinity
Bloodless
Businesses


Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament by Jason Beduhn

The Role of Theology and Bias in Bible Translation: With a special look at the New World Translation of Jehovah's Witnesses by Rolf Furuli

Browse the Bookshelf