The twentieth century has produced more Bible translations than any other. This includes English as well as foreign language translations. "GOD'S WORD", produced at the end of this century by "GOD'S WORD" to the Nations Bible Society, fills a need that has remained unmet by English Bibles: to communicate clearly to contemporary Americans without compromising the Bible's message. This new translation consciously combines scholarly fidelity with natural English.
Traditionally, the Scriptures have been translated into English by teams of Bible scholars serving part-time. This translation employed full-time Bible scholars and full-time English editorial reviewers. "GOD'S WORD" is the first English Bible in which English reviewers have been actively involved with scholars at every stage.
Because of the involvement of English reviewers, "GOD'S WORD" looks and reads like contemporary American literature. It uses natural grammar, follows standard punctuation and capitalization rules, and is printed in a single column. Because of the involvement of scholars, "GOD'S WORD" is an accurate, trustworthy translation.
"GOD'S WORD" IS FOR EVERYONE
One of the goals of "GOD'S WORD" is to communicate the saving, life-changing Good News about Jesus. "GOD'S WORD" is intended to be read by those who are well-versed in Scripture as well as first-time Bible readers, Christians as well as non-Christians, adults as well as children.
"GOD'S WORD" IS A TRANSLATION
Of course, the Word of God didn't originally come to us in the English language. Since many people have wanted to read the Scriptures in their own language, scholars have found it necessary to translate the Bible from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Like many Bibles published before it, "GOD'S WORD" has been translated directly from those original languages. Unlike Bibles before it, however, the translation theory used to produce "GOD'S WORD" is different because the theory and practice of translation has advanced through the years.
The oldest theory of translation is form-equivalent translation (often inaccurately called literal translation). In this type of translation, the translator chooses one of a limited number of meanings assigned to each Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek word. The translator fills in the words that belong in the sentence but follows the word arrangement and grammar that is characteristic of the original language. Such a translation is often viewed as accurate. However, it can result in awkward, misleading, incomprehensible, or even amusing sentences. For instance, a form-equivalent translation of 1 Samuel 9:2 could read: "From his shoulders upward Saul was taller than any of the people." In English this implies that Saul had a misshapen head and neck. Translations using this theory have made the Bible more difficult to read and understand in English than it was in the original languages.
A newer theory of translation is function-equivalent translation (often inaccurately called paraphrasing). In this type of translation, the translator tries to make the English function the same way the original language functioned for the original readers. However, in trying to make the translation easy to read, the translator can omit concepts from the original text that don't seem to have corresponding modern English equivalents. Such a translation can produce a readable text, but that text can convey the wrong meaning or not enough meaning. Furthermore, function-equivalent translations attempt to make some books readable on levels at which they were not intended. For instance, Song of Songs was not written for children. Paul's letter to the Ephesians is very sophisticated and not intended for novices.
The theory followed by the Bible Society's translators is closest natural equivalent translation. The first consideration for the translators of "GOD'S WORD" was to find equivalent English ways of expressing the meaning of the original text. This procedure ensures that the translation is faithful to the meaning intended by the original writer. The next consideration was readability. The meaning is expressed in natural American English by using common English punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and word choice. The third consideration was to choose the natural equivalent that most closely reflects the style of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek text. This translation theory is designed to avoid the awkwardness and inaccuracy associated with form-equivalent translation, and it avoids the loss of meaning and oversimplification associated with function-equivalent translation.
FEATURES OF "GOD'S WORD"
Layout
The features that distinguish "GOD'S WORD" from other Bible translations are designed to aid readers. The most obvious of these is the open, single-column format. This invites readers into the page. The single column takes the Bible out of the reference book category and presents it as the literary work that God intended it to be.
In prose "GOD'S WORD" looks like other works of literature. It contains frequent paragraphing. Whenever a different speaker's words are quoted, a new paragraph begins. Lists, genealogies, and long prayers are formatted to help readers recognize the thought pattern of the text. The prose style of "GOD'S WORD" favors concise, clear sentences. While avoiding very long, complicated sentences, which characterize many English Bible translations, "GOD'S WORD" strives to vary the word arrangement in a natural way. Doing this brings the Scriptures to life.
Poetry in "GOD'S WORD" is instantly recognized by its format. The single-column format enables readers to recognize parallel thoughts in parallel lines of poetry. In a single-column, across-the-page layout, a variety of indentations are possible. The Bible Society's translators have used indentation to indicate the relationship of one line to others in the same context. This enables a person reading the Bible in English to appreciate the Bible's poetry in much the same way a person reading the Bible in the original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek would appreciate it.
Punctuation, Capitalization
In English, meaning is conveyed not only by words but also by punctuation. However, no punctuation existed in ancient Hebrew and Greek writing, and words were used where English grammar would prefer punctuation marks. "GOD'S WORD" strives to use standard English punctuation wherever possible. At times this means that a punctuation mark or paragraph break represents the meaning that could only be expressed in words in Hebrew or Greek.
Italics are also used as they would be in other printed English texts: for foreign words or to indicate that a word is used as a word. ("GOD'S WORD" never uses italics to indicate emphasis.)
Wherever possible, "GOD'S WORD" has supplied information in headings or half-brackets to identify the speaker in quoted material. To minimize the confusion produced by quotations within quotations, quotation marks are used sparingly. For instance, they are not used after formulaic statements such as "This is what the LORD says: . . . "
Contractions can fit comfortably into many English sentences. Certainly, "Don't you care that we're going to die" is less stiff than, "Do you not care that we are going to die?" "GOD'S WORD" achieves a warmer style by using contractions where appropriate. However, uncontracted words are used in contexts that require special emphasis.
"GOD'S WORD" capitalizes the first letter in proper nouns and sentences and all the letters in the word LORD when it represents Yahweh, the name of God in the Old Testament. Some religious literature chooses to capitalize pronouns that refer to the deity. As in the original languages, "GOD'S WORD" does not capitalize any pronouns (unless they begin sentences). In some cases scholars are uncertain whether pronouns in the original texts refer to God or someone else. In these cases the presence of capitalized pronouns would be misleading. However, when the Hebrew or Greek pronouns are not ambiguous, but an English pronoun would be, "GOD'S WORD" uses the appropriate proper noun in its place.
Gender References
The Scriptures contain many passages that apply to all people. Therefore, "GOD'S WORD" strives to use gender-neutral language in these passages so that all readers will apply these passages to themselves. For example, traditionally, Psalm 1:1 has been translated, "Blessed is the man who does not follow the advice of the wicked . . . ." As a result, many readers will understand this verse to mean that only adult males, not women or children, can receive a blessing. However, in "GOD'S WORD" the first Psalm begins "Blessed is the person who does not follow the advice of the wicked . . . ."
However, if a passage focuses upon an individual, "GOD'S WORD" does not use plural nouns and pronouns to avoid the gender-specific pronouns he, him, and his. In these cases the translators considered the text's focus upon an individual more important than an artificial use of plural pronouns. In addition, gender-specific language is preserved in passages that apply specifically to men or specifically to women.
Word Choice
Many Bible translations contain theological terms that have little, if any, meaning for most nontheologically-trained readers. "GOD'S WORD" avoids using these terms and substitutes words that carry the same meaning in common English. In some cases traditional theological words are contained in footnotes the first time they occur in a chapter. Examples of these theological terms include covenant, grace, justify, repent, and righteousness.
While all these features make "GOD'S WORD" a uniquely readable and understandable Bible, the ultimate goal of the Bible Society has been to bring the readers of "GOD'S WORD" into a new or closer relationship with Jesus Christ. The translation team and support staff of the Bible Society pray that your reading of "GOD'S WORD" makes the words of Christ-as revealed through his prophets and his apostles-come to life for you.
For more details on the translation process and the unique features that enable "GOD'S WORD" to accurately and clearly communicate God's saving, life-changing, message contact-
"GOD'S WORD" to the Nations Bible Society
22050 Mastick Road
Cleveland, Ohio 44126
NOTES ON THE TEXT OF "GOD'S WORD"
Brackets
Proper names or foreign words whose meaning is significant for understanding a particular Bible passage are translated in brackets ( [ ] ) following the name or phrase. When reading aloud a bracketed word may be treated as "that is."
Half-brackets ( { } ) enclose words that the translation team supplied because the context contains meaning that is not explicitly stated in the original language.
Footnotes
Five types of footnotes are used in "GOD'S WORD":
1. Explanatory footnotes clarify historical, cultural, and geographical details from the ancient world to make the text more understandable to modern readers. These footnotes also identify word play in Hebrew or Greek that would otherwise be lost to the English reader.
2. Alternate translation footnotes offer other plausible translations. They are introduced by the word "or".
3. Footnotes that state "English equivalent difficult" mark passages where a Hebrew or Greek expression cannot be adequately translated into modern English without resorting to a long, inappropriate paraphrase.
4. Footnotes that state "Hebrew meaning uncertain" or "Greek meaning uncertain" mark passages where scholars are not sure what a Hebrew or Greek expression means.
5. Textual footnotes are included wherever "GOD'S WORD" translates the meaning of some text other than the Masoretic Text printed in "Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia" or its footnotes (Old Testament) or the Greek text printed in the twenty-seventh edition of "Novum Testamentum Graece" (New Testament).
TERMS USED IN FOOTNOTES
Aramaic: one of the languages of the Old Testament, related to Hebrew
Dead Sea Scrolls: one or more of the Qumran manuscripts
Egyptian: one or more of the ancient translations of the Bible into the ancient Egyptian or Ethiopic languages
Greek:
in the Old Testament: one or more of the ancient Greek translations of the Old Testament
in the New Testament: the Greek language, the language of the New Testament
Hebrew: the primary language of the Old Testament
Latin: one or more of the ancient Latin translations of the Bible
Masoretic Text: the traditional Hebrew text of the Old Testament
manuscript: an ancient, handwritten copy of a text
Samaritan Pentateuch: Samaritan Hebrew version of the first five books of the Bible
Syriac: the ancient Syriac translation of the Bible
Targum: one of the ancient Aramaic translations of the Old Testament
