Which Bible Translation Should I Use? edited by Kostenberger
and Croteau
This
book is a comparison of four translations of the Bible in English (NIV, ESV,
NLT, and HCSB). The book begins with "A short history of Bible
translation" by Kostenberger and Croteau which gives a brief survey of how
we got the Bible and how the Bible has been translated into many different
languages throughout the years. I thought this was a great introduction to the
subject and a way to help people see the history of translation.
After
that we have a chapter that lists 16 passages where all four translations are laid
out side by side for a quick comparison.
There aren't any notes or comments in
this chapter, simply the four translations for each of the 16 passages are
presented.
Once the
comparison section is over we have a chapter devoted to each of the four
translations in which they discuss the 16 passages and not only make the case
for that translation, but also raise objections and critiques of the other
translations. The thing that is really nice is that each translation is defended
by someone who was involved with that translation. This is not some person
listing all four translations and then basically giving you their opinion on
which one they prefer. These are the very men who were involved with these
translations.
I found
this book to be a wonderfully exciting to read. I enjoyed being able to see the
issues and think through how and why each translation translates a passage the
way they do. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to understand the
differences between translations and also for those interested in textual
critical issues. For me this book is not simply a one time read, but whenever I
come across one of those 16 passages discussed in this book I will be certain
to take it down and reread what the issues are and how each translation deals
with the text.
One
note: This book has some technical material in it and so isn't recommended
for all people. I would say it is in the intermediate range. Your average
person may not make it through this book, but preachers and teachers of the
Bible should read it and I think it would be helpful for those who are
interested in Bible translation, textual criticism, and gender issues.
You can buy it HERE Or HERE
You can buy it HERE Or HERE
