Jan 26, 2010 against the theory of dynamic equivalence the debate surrounding how to translate the bible is one that will probably never go away. The new living translation follows a dynamicequivalence translation philosophy. Dynamic equivalence theory, feminist ideology, and three. The new international version is considered a combined translation, placing an emphasis on dynamic equivalence while at the same time consistently seeking formal equivalence. These scholars and stylists went back to the original languages and sought to produce the closest natural equivalent of the message in natural, contemporary english. The new method of bible translation is called by many names.
The new living translation is a dynamic equivalence translation based on the work of 90 bible scholars and a smaller team of english stylists. Because you want the translation to be as close to the original as possible, while still being. Those who want a highly readable translation of the bible in todays language. Comparing versions formal and functional equivalence an explanation of the translation chart in whats in a version. Dynamic and formal equivalence are two methods or styles used to convert source text e. The translation work was done under the auspices of the international bible society and zondervan. Bible finder thought for thought anchor distributors. Dynamic equivalence study bible translations attempt to translate the bible in a thoughtforthought manner.
This dynamic equivalence version began as a project of. The new english translation, christian standard bible, and new century bible are all combinations of formal and dynamic equivalence. A literal wordforword translation would make no sense. Bibles that are heavily shaped by the dynamic equivalence philosophy include the contemporary english version, new living translation, and the new century version. Members of the committee on bible translation explain how accuracy is directly tied to meaning in translation work and offer insig. Dec 05, 2006 the new living translation nlt says, but if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. To make that decision you need to know a little bit about how each version has come about and the philosophies of bible translation. It is based on the american standard version 1 901. The icb is a translation of the bible that was aimed at young readers. A list of english bible translations there are three general methods for translating. This is an excellent work and would benefit anyone who has an interest in bible translation. These translations employ a thoughtforthought approach that conveys the essential meaning of the original authors.
Whether youre a firsttime reader of the word or a lifelong student, the ncv is an ideal resource maintaining the integrity of the biblical text without complex theological vocabulary. The new testaments language was the common greek spoken in the time of christ and his apostles. Worth, texas, a society formed in 1973 by persons associated with the churches of christ. Formal equivalence wordforword dynamic equivalence thoughtforthought paraphrase. Jan 02, 2020 the new international version is considered a combined translation, placing an emphasis on dynamic equivalence while at the same time consistently seeking formal equivalence. Among modern versions it is probably best represented by the new king james version nkjv. But here is a statement from the preface to the new international version. The debate between the formal equivalence and dynamic or functional equivalence translation styles has increased with the introduction of inclusive language versions. The new international version niv attempts to strike a balance between dynamic and formal equivalence. If someone were to ask me if i favor dynamic equivalence or formal equivalence i would have to say on monday, tuesday and wednesday i favor formal equivalence and on thursday, friday and saturday i favor dynamic. Dynamic and formal equivalence wikimili, the best wikipedia. The authorized king james version of 1611 was sporadically altered until 1769, but was not thoroughly updated until the creation of the revised version in 1885. As a result, it differs in style from other modern versions that follow in the venerable tradition of the king james versionnamely, the revised standard version, the new revised standard version, the new king james version, and the english standard version. Mar 01, 2004 among modern versions it is probably best represented by the new king james version nkjv.
Offering simplicity without sacrificing accuracy, this new version for a new century has sold more than 6 million copies since its inception. The dynamic also known as functional method attempts to convey the thought expressed in the source text using equivalent expressions from a contemporary language like english thought for thought. Zondervan publishing house for publishing the 2011 new international version, concluding that we cannot commend the 2011 niv to southern baptists or the. Nkjv new king james version 1982 nrsv new revised standard version 1990 kj21 twentyfirst century king james version 1994 nt 1992 bible translation type. Common language, meaning the translator aims to translate. These formal equivalence or literal translations have been continued with further modifications to the king james and revised versions, including the revised standard version 1952, the new revised standard version 1989, and the. Twentieth century english versions bible research by. On the other end of the spectrum of bible translation philosophy are bibles that follow the formal equivalence literal philosophy, such as the king james version and english. Oct 04, 2007 the issue is whether dynamic equivalence or essentially literal translation is the better approach to bible translation. Todays new international version 7 2005 new english translation 2005 new american bible revised edition 2011 the voice 2012 christian standard bible 2017 evangelical heritage version 2019 extensive use of dynamic equivalence or paraphrase or both. The phrase for literal translation is formal equivalence. Jun 18, 20 translations in this category include king james version kjv, new king james version nkjv, new american standard bible nasb, english standard version esv, and the revised standard version rsv. Translating the thoughts and feel or impact on the audience, sometimes called dynamic equivalence or functional equivalence. The new english translation net, christian standard bible csb, and new century bible ncv are all combinations of formal and dynamic equivalence.
May 27, 2018 the most popular bible in modern english is a dynamic equivalence translation. A revision of the international childrens bible, the new century version ncv bible is clear to read and easily understood. The ncv bible was translated in part using a process called dynamic equivalence. Formal style in modern english but more readable than the king james version.
Deliver us from dynamic equivalence charlotte allen. In other words, instead of translating each word individually, they attempt to translate the original thoughts behind each word and phrase. Bible versions and types word for word literal, thought. In the late 14th century, john wycliffe produced the first complete english language bible often called wycliffes bible. The holy scriptures, the new jps translation according to the traditional hebrew text. An easy to read version written at a third grade level, the new international readers version nirv, was published in 1996. The new living translation nlt says, but if you are doing something wrong, of course you should be afraid, for you will be punished. Nearly all manuscripts of the latin vulgate biblethe fourthcentury text that is baseline scripture for the latinrite churchsome dating to the very early middle. Plus, over 470 real life stories and hundreds of background bible facts that connect with the hearts and minds of teenagers in schools, colleges, universities, home and church. Extensive use of dynamic equivalence or paraphrase or both. The new century version ncv is an english translation of the bible with roots extending to the english version for the deaf evd bible translation by the. Dynamic equivalency, meaning the translation is only dynamically active, energetic equivalent less authoritative and precise than exactness to the original and meaning that literal equivalency is not the objective. Some examples of dynamic equivalence translations are. New king james version nkjv the new king james version nkjv might also be of interest to you, which was a project started in 1975 by bible scholars aiming to update the vocabulary and grammar of the original king james version while preserving the classic style and literary beauty of the original 1611 version.
Revision of international childrens bible aimed at young readers and those with low reading skills. This dynamic equivalence version began as a project of the world bible translation center in ft. Feb 08, 2009 nkjv new king james version 1982 nrsv new revised standard version 1990 kj21 twentyfirst century king james version 1994 nt 1992 bible translation type. Jan 02, 2020 overall, the new century version is an excellent bible translation, with a good balance of dynamic and formal equivalence. The niv is considered one of the most readable bibles printed. It was produced by a team of evangelical scholars, all of whom were committed to the. By basing itself on a translation made for children, the ncv is able to carry over a sense of simplicity within the text. Knox version 1949 jerusalem bible 1966 new life version 1969. The terms dynamic equivalence and formal equivalence, coined by eugene nida, are associated with two dissimilar translation approaches that are employed to achieve different levels of literalness between the source text and the target text, as evidenced in biblical translation the two have been understood basically, with dynamic equivalence as senseforsense translation translating the. The new century version says, he wants each of you to learn to control your own body. Knox version 1949 jerusalem bible 1966 new life version 1969 new english bible 1970 good news bible formerly todays english version 1976 new jerusalem bible 1985 christian community bible 1988 revised english bible 1989 gods word translation 1995. New english translation net1996, 2005 a scholarly translation with 60,932 translators notes including literal translations.
Oct 05, 2004 the new method of bible translation is called by many names. The new century version ncv is a revision of the international childrens bible icb. The first is formal equivalent, which means its closer to a wordforword. Aug 25, 2011 bibles that are heavily shaped by the dynamic equivalence philosophy include the contemporary english version, new living translation, and the new century version. The scriptures were written mainly in two languages. Today the scriptures are translated from those languages into hundreds of other tongues. His new testament was completed in 80 and the old testament a few years later. The new century version english version for the deaf, easytoread version, international childrens bible, everyday bible. New century version 1991 west palm beach church of christ.
Battle for the bible translation christianity today. That dynamic equivalence was employed in the ncv shows. The niv is probably the most conservative and least offensive of the dynamic equivalence translations. According to, this dynamic equivalence version began as a project of the world bible translation center in ft. The terms dynamic equivalence and formal equivalence, coined by eugene nida, are associated with two dissimilar translation approaches that are employed to achieve different levels of literalness between the source text and the target text, as evidenced in biblical translation. A very simple dynamic equivalence version, also published as the international childrens bible. The most popular bible in modern english is a dynamic equivalence translation. The ncv new century version youth bible gives your teens a directly relevant modern english translation bible. Niv new international version njb new jerusalem bible.
Originally published in the 1970s, the niv was updated in 1984 and 2011. The result of this project was the new international version 1978. Jan 27, 2017 members of the committee on bible translation explain how accuracy is directly tied to meaning in translation work and offer insig. New century version ncv new international version niv new international readers version nirv. Living translation, the good news bible also known as todays english version, the contemporary english version and the new century version. This is where the nearest natural word choice to the source is. Dynamic equivalence thoughtforthought acronym name publication date wil williams new testament in the language of the people 1937. Zondervan publishing house for publishing the 2011 new international version, concluding that we cannot commend the 2011 niv to. If you want the best study bible, i recommend getting. Version chart this chart gives brief information on each version and may include links to purchase low cost editions of each bible. However, theres really no such thing as a leteral wordforword translation. Comparing versions formal and functional equivalence.
New international version the new international version niv has become one of the most popular modern translations in history. This version became highly popular in evangelical protestant circles. The issue is whether dynamic equivalence or essentially literal translation is the better approach to bible translation. The first concern of the translators has been the accuracy of the translation and its fidelity to the thought of the biblical writers.
Carson, the limits of dynamic equivalence in bible translation, notes on translation 121 oct 1987 1, hails the triumph of dynamic equivalence in these words. A guide to popular bible translations definitions provided on second page. The bible versions are grouped by the major categories of use. A list of english bible translations solar mythology. Translations in this category include king james version kjv, new king james version nkjv, new american standard bible nasb, english standard version esv, and the revised standard version rsv. A very loose translation, or one where cultural concepts and even geographical references are changed is often called a paraphrase. The niv is the most popular evangelical translation. Modern english bible translations religionwiki fandom. The first is formal equivalent, which means its closer to a word forword.
Hugo mccord, mccords new testament translation of the everlasting gospel. The new living translation nlt is an example of a translation that uses dynamic equivalence. If you want the best study bible, i recommend getting an essentially literal translation. The new testament was first published in 1973 and the complete bible was published in 1978 and revised in 1984. Overall, the new century version is an excellent bible translation, with a good balance of dynamic and formal equivalence. In translation theory, formal equivalence refers to translating by finding reasonably equivalent words and phrases while following the forms of the source languaage as closely as possible. Holman christian standard bible hcsb2000 new translation. It attempts to find an optimal balance between exactness formal equivalence and readability dynamic equivalence.
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