translations and impact

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Ihave long thought that the NAB (official bible translation in the USA) is a little bit dumbed down. Take the epistle from a few weeks ago. The NAB reads
Colossians Chapter 3:1-11
If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Think of what is above, not of what is on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ your life appears, then you too will appear with him in glory.
Put to death, then, the parts of you that are earthly: immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry.
Because of these the wrath of God is coming (upon the disobedient).
By these you too once conducted yourselves, when you lived in that way.
But now you must put them all away: anger, fury, malice, slander, and obscene language out of your mouths.
Stop lying to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices
and have put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator.
Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all and in all.

Here is the New Jerusalem translation.
Colossians 3:1 - 11
Since you have been brought back to true life with Christ, you must look for the things that are in heaven, where Christ is, sitting at God’s right hand. Let your thoughts be on heavenly things, not on the things that are on the earth, because you have died, and now the life you have is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ is revealed – and he is your life – you too will be revealed in all your glory with him.
That is why you must kill everything in you that belongs only to earthly life: fornication, impurity, guilty passion, evil desires and especially greed, which is the same thing as worshipping a false god; and never tell each other lies. You have stripped off your old behaviour with your old self, and you have put on a new self which will progress towards true knowledge the more it is renewed in the image of its creator; and in that image there is no room for distinction between Greek and Jew, between the circumcised or the uncircumcised, or between barbarian and Scythian, slave and free man. There is only Christ: he is everything and he is in everything.

the New Revised Standard edition
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your* life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.

Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient.* These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life.* But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive* language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. In that renewal* there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
The Vulgate
# igitur si conresurrexistis Christo quae sursum sunt quaerite ubi Christus est in dextera Dei sedens
# quae sursum sunt sapite non quae supra terram
# mortui enim estis et vita vestra abscondita est cum Christo in Deo
# cum Christus apparuerit vita vestra tunc et vos apparebitis cum ipso in gloria
# mortificate ergo membra vestra quae sunt super terram fornicationem inmunditiam libidinem concupiscentiam malam et avaritiam quae est simulacrorum servitus
# propter quae venit ira Dei super filios incredulitatis
# in quibus et vos ambulastis aliquando cum viveretis in illis
# nunc autem deponite et vos omnia iram indignationem malitiam blasphemiam turpem sermonem de ore vestro
# nolite mentiri invicem expoliantes vos veterem hominem cum actibus eius
# et induentes novum eum qui renovatur in agnitionem secundum imaginem eius qui creavit eum
# ubi non est gentilis et Iudaeus circumcisio et praeputium barbarus et Scytha servus et liber sed omnia et in omnibus Christus


Of interest is that one word is translated "fornication" In every translation EXCEPT the NAB. I wonder why? Is it that the word no longer means anything to the average English speaking american?

1 Comments

While it escapes me at the moment, one passage in the NAB NT actually shocked me in its apparent violation of Catholic doctrine/tradition. I resolved to use the RSV-CE thenceforward. Found the Navarre to be an excellent study bible. +JMJ+ John

P.S. Oh, yes - in fact I agree with you - our culture wants to dismiss sin and focus on Love and forgiveness. Dangerously primrose path that one.

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This page contains a single entry by alicia published on August 25, 2007 10:45 PM.

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