Different Translations of the Bible...

Okay, I know what some of you are thinking, and I promise this blog is not going to become the Lisa version of "God Chat". Some of you don't believe in God at all, some are more religious than me and every combination in between. I also know some of you don't like Catholics. It's not my purpose to promote my faith or try to convert any of you, one of the great things about being an American is recognizing we all have the freedom to choose and practice our own faith, or no faith at all.

That clarified....how this topic started for me. I was given the book "Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life". I've been reading it for a few days now, yesterday was day three, I noticed the different translations of the Bible that are used in it, so far none of the versions I read (my Bible of Choice is the American Standard Version) but it is interesting.

Then I started thinking....I realize the purpose behind some of the newer more "verbage" friendly Bibles is to make it easier for people to understand and absorb what is written. But......do some of these newer translations give a different message than what the older ones do?

So I set out with one passage from "Purpose Driven Life" and went to my favorite online Bible site and started reading the different translations. The passage was Phillipians 3:13, however to get the context of the one passage fully you really have to include 3:11 and 3:12.

First the translation used in the book, the New Living Translation:

11 so that, somehow, I can experience the resurrection from the dead!

12 I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be

13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be,but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,


Then from my favorite translation, the American Standard Version:

11 if by any means I may attain unto the resurrection from the dead.

12 Not that I have already obtained, or am already made perfect: but I press on, if so be that I may lay hold on that for which also I was laid hold on by Christ Jesus.

13 Brethren, I count not myself yet to have laid hold: but one thing I do, forgetting the things which are behind, and stretching forward to the things which are before,

Now Wycliffe:

11 if on any manner I come to the resurrection that is from death. [if on any manner I shall come to the resurrection that is of dead men.]

12 Not that now I have taken, or now am perfect; but I follow, if in any manner I catch, in which thing also I am caught of Christ Jesus. [Not that now I have taken, or now am perfect; forsooth I follow, if on any manner I shall comprehend, in which thing also I am comprehended of Christ Jesus.]

13 Brethren, I deem me not that I have caught; but one thing, I forget those things that be behind, and stretching forth myself to those things that be before, [Brethren, I deem me not to have comprehended; one thing, forsooth, I forgetting soothly those things that be behind, stretching myself forsooth to those things that be the former,]

Then The Message:

11 If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it.

12 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me.

13 Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward--to Jesus.

You can see just in this one demonstration there are some differences. So while I realize that the bible isn't supposed to be used as an exact document, it's more of a road map than a schematic drawing....The tone of some of these translations is interesting.

I plan to look at Leviticus later, to see how the different versions address the homosexuality issue and even the don't eat the shrimp part....I'll let you know later if my suspicions concerning this end up being true or if I'm wrong.