Can one rely on translations of biblical books and not read the originals?

Question

Since the jews have the original hebrew version, wouldnt they understand it better thsan the rest of us who cant read it? Hpw can one rely on translations that probably have mistakes?

Answer 1

Looking up the original words is very important (to me) to check modern translations for accuracy.
I had heard that the New World Translation has been accused of adding and twisting Bible texts, yet found the claims unfounded. The worst offender of modern translations in the arena of adding text to twist the scriptures is the New Living Translation. At John 1:18, they literally added the words "who himself is God" to support the trinity doctrine.
This is found at the Blue Letter Bible website, and I will post it here for your evaluation.
Compare these three versions:
KJV - Jhn 1:18 - No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared [him].
King James Version 1611, 1769

NKJV - Jhn 1:18 - No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.
Footnote:
NU-Text reads only begotten God.
New King James Version © 1982 Thomas Nelson

NLT - Jhn 1:18 - No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; he has told us about him.
Footnote:
Some manuscripts read his one and only Son.
New Living Translation © 1996 Tyndale Charitable Trust

See how the translators added the extra phtase?
Shameful.

Answer 2

What originals ? Even "they" have been translated so many times that the word ORIGINAL has no meaning. The only way to FIND truth is to look up and research HISTORY in the various cultures you are examining. One question not many ASK is how it is that the hebrew had a "hebrew" word to translate to begin with when it is said that it was DESTROYED at the Solomon's Temple. By the time the hebrew peoples got around to writing things down they spoke the language of their captors which happened to be the Babylonians who spoke "Aramaic." After the 70 years in captivity not many of them spoke or wrote in hebrew, so where did this "hebrew" word come from in "original" form ? SEE ?

Answer 3

As you say you cannot rely entirely on many translations of the original Hebrew and Greek because they interpret instead of accurately translating. You can get the original Hebrew and Greek in an Interlinear translation where the English meaning is given word for word. However, this can be difficult to understand and that's where the variety of Bibles come in. Many try to give an interpretation of difficult passages, which can vary from Bible to Bible, but thereby lose out on accuracy.

Answer 4

The original texts of the Bible were written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Biblical scholars throughout history have done much to ensure that the original intent and meaning of the texts have been faithfully translated. That being said, I find it helpful to use other resources to clarify certain Scriptures. Meanings of words change over time, so it's important to understand how these words were used and what they meant during the time they were written. A Study Bible or Bible Dictionary are both useful for this. If your heart is seeking the truth, you will pray and you will learn.

Answer 5

What really settled it for me was when they found the scroll of Isaiah in the Quamran caves.It was written 200 B.C. When it was translated it was exactly as we have it today.
Plus we have so many Old Testament texts from early on like Codex Sinaiaticus,Alexandrina,and Vaticanus for example: hand written texts that are just as we have today.The Jews by the way have the Massoretic text and it dates to 250 A.D. That is the oldest text that they made their Torahs from.Later ,archeologists found these older texts and ,of course, they are the same,no changes.Why people think that there has been some radical changes in scripture is beyond me.It has been the most watched over piece of literature for 3000 years all the way back ,at least to the time of David 3000 B.C.

Answer 6

Go to biblegateway.com and check a verse in several translations, there won't be too much of a difference. I like the NIV version best. When you read a verse in "The Message" translation, it will be different though because that isn't a translation as much as it is paraphrasing that lets their interpretation sink in.

If you really care so much, learn Hebrew and Greek. The Old Testament is in Hebrew and the New Testament is in Greek.

Answer 7

what is translating...it .is converting one language to another....the Kings James version was translated in 1611 by king James the 1st.....look how we have grown in knowledge and the way we speak...I don't know of any one other than maybe the Quakers that still speak with the....and thou..I have the New Testament that is translated in 7 translation , translated from the King James. Words have changed it meaning since 1611.....and the Bible is hard to understand even if you are educated and a Bible Scholar...so having the meaning become clearer and it would help anyone....I don't see anything wrong with it if we are more able to understand the word.

Answer 8

I appreciate the NAV Press bible learn books, that are workbooks that take you thru an indepth learn of individual books of the Bible. I additionally appreciate the Aglow bible learn workbooks, that are topical- dealing with significant existence subject concerns. they're the two nondenominational and value around $7 a e book. you will come across then at any CHristian e book place or get them organized on line. i'm going to place up links. As to what Bible to make sure, the KJV is high-quality, in basic terms get one not pass referenced or edited with the aid of the LDS church. NIV is stable too. as long as this is a translation and not a paraphrase it is going to be precise. i take advantage of a KJV with a Hebrew/greek concordance in the back, so I gan certainly get the definitions of the unique phrases.

Answer 9

That's the crux of the problem. Since Hebrew doesn't translate exactly into English, each translator had to decide what each word should be. Unless you can read Hebrew, you have to hope that the translator who worked on your Bible chose the correct words.

The Bible is a divinely inspired work, that was passed down for many centuries as a oral tradition, and wasn't even written down until several centuries after Abraham.

Answer 10

That is in the case that you do not know hebrew but if you have a team of people that know the original hebrew. That is what they did with the Recovery Version of the Bible.