What is the best translation of the Bible?

In this episode Trent explores the different philosophies behind Bible translations and how faulty translations can lead believers astray.

[richardoyeleke]

I love you Trent. I have been listening to your apologetics audio now for about 10 years from Nigeria. This has given birth to a Catholic podcast which run. Thank you for the work you do

[rosarymanpio]

Trent I'm glad you tackled this topic.. We used to do missionary work work in Mexico and someone used the phrased "she was tickled to death to receive the new clothes" and the translator translated that phrase " the clothes scratched her until she died". Needless to say the crowd was shocked.

[OrthoLou]

That specific copy of the Douay-Rheims is the one I own, and I love it. Not only the translation, but the commentary that it provides.

[iqgustavo]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:

01:43 📚 Different translation philosophies: Formal equivalence (word to word) and dynamic equivalence (idea to idea).
03:02 📖 Translators must balance between literal meaning and readability, adding necessary articles or using idea-for-idea translation when literal meaning might mislead.
06:02 🔍 No single "best" translation of the Bible; it depends on the purpose and preference of the reader.
08:02 📜 Latin Vulgate holds a special place in the Latin rite but is not the official Bible of the Catholic Church; original texts of the sacred books are most important.
10:21 📚 Translation matters as different words can change the interpretation; use approved Catholic translations to avoid biased or erroneous interpretations.
14:04 📕 Various Catholic Bible translations: Dewey Reams, Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE), and New American Bible (NAB) have their strengths and weaknesses.
16:20 🕯️ Caution with NAB study notes, as some may present questionable interpretations; RSVCE preferred for personal study, but the "best" translation is one that you will read and engage with.

Here are some popular translations and their characteristics:

Douay-Rheims Bible: This translation is approved by the Holy Apostolic Catholic Church and is favored for its faithfulness to the original Latin Vulgate. It maintains older English language style but can be more difficult for modern readers.

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSV-CE): This translation is a formal equivalence, word-for-word translation that is favored for study and personal reading. Some prefer RSV-2CE, which eliminates archaic language like "thee" and "thou."

New American Bible (NAB): This is a dynamic equivalence translation that aims to make the text more accessible in modern language. However, it has some questionable study notes, and readers should be cautious about potential biases.

New Jerusalem Bible (NJB): Another dynamic equivalence translation with a more contemporary style, it's popular for liturgical use.

Knox Bible: This translation is a unique blend of formal and dynamic equivalence, making it helpful for both personal study and easy reading.

The best translation depends on individual preferences and needs. Some may prefer more literal translations for study, like RSV-CE, while others may prefer easier-to-read dynamic translations, like GNT or NLT. It's essential to choose a translation approved by the Holy See or local Catholic bishops to ensure fidelity to Catholic teaching.

[DashiellAnthony]

As a Latin student, I got a kick out of the literal translation of John 3:16, almost every sentence turns into that kind of mess when you translate it.

[tlo_oly]

The fact the NAB has modernist notes is concerning.

[vermontmike]

This is by far, THE best explanation of translation differences.

[wasab]

Congrats on the upgraded quality! I’m loving your videos. They are absolutely instrumental in the process of my conversion to Catholicism.

[hanmirz]

I have the Jerusalem Bible, Good News Bible Catholic Edition, and also the Douay-Rheims Holy Bible. The best approved translation by the Holy Apostolic Catholic Church is the Douay-Rheims and it's my favorite currently. Yes, the language is a bit archaic but once you accustomed to it, it will be no problem.

[angelalemos]

I appreciate the break down for those who need it. I myself have Douay Rheims.

[nick.s.c]

Complete accuracy is less important to me because I will never be able to fully understand the Scriptures without deep-diving into the languages. The Douary-Rheims with the Haydock commentary is what I have and I love it.

[christopherfleming]

Interesting video. My favourite is the Douay Rheims. I read it every day, and it has become a part of me.

[forehead]

I have a Mexican friend who says “no pedo” which is an expression meaning “no problem” essentially, but it literally translates to “no fart”. So I joke by saying “no fart” instead of no problem.

[xiomarablanco]

Excellent explanation! Understanding the Bible we understand the Word of God. Thank you Trent!

[MrAlanKendall]

My mother sang in the Greek Catholic Church prior to immigrating to the US. I took 2 years of Greek at my Catholic University so that I could read the New Testament. In the Original Greek in Mark 11:24, Jesus commands His apostles to believe that they already received when they pray. In 2016, six specialists told my mother that she needed a pacemaker. She was so weak that she could only walk 20 feet in 10 minutes, and then had to sit down and rest. I shared Mark 11:24 with my mother. We prayed in the name of Jesus and then my mother praised God that she was already healed. The next day she walked a mile to go get her groceries, completely normal. She never did need a pacemaker. Just days before, she was so weak that she was hospitalized for 10 days.

My neighbor was sent home to die because he was so low on the list for a kidney transplant. He was bedridden. We prayed the same way and he rose up completely normal the next day. He stood out in the front yard and stopped all the neighbors and told them what happened. I could go on and on for hours telling you about several neighbors and several relatives that received this way. God confirms His Word with signs (Mark 16:20), the problem is that too many are using vain repetitions which Jesus said were vain in Matthew 6:7.

James 1:5 says that God want to give you wisdom in abundance.

Martin Luther translated the Bible from the Original Greek and Aramaic. His translation into German was excellent. He translated the scriptures because the Latin Vulgate of the Catholics was a poor translation. Martin Luther's Bible was so good, that the translators of the Bible across Europe used it as a guide to translate the Bible into their respective languages. The Catholic Church required all priests to speak Latin (up until recently) and used the Latin Vulgate as a guide to translate the Bible into their languages. For example, the Catholics switch Spirit and Soul at random even though Hebrew 4:12 says that the can be divided by the word of God (so they are not the same). Soul is the Emotions and is part of the mind and Spirit is the Spirit of Man. What makes it worse is that half the greek scholars interchange Reason and Mind.

I do like the book of Sirach in the Catholic Bible because it is missing in the protestant Bible, although I also read it in Greek.

[IzakD]

15:45 This exact verse is one I have in memory too because I loved the way it was worded in the Knox translation. The Knox translation words it like this: “Accept all that comes to thee, patient in sorrow, humiliation long enduring;
for gold and silver the crucible, it is in the furnace of humiliation men shew themselves worthy of his acceptance.
Trust in him, and he will lift thee to thy feet again; go straight on thy way, and fix in him thy hope; hold fast thy fear of him, and in that fear to old age come thou.”

[MikePasqqsaPekiM]

As a convert, it was mystifying how some of those study notes could be included with Scripture. Not only problematic, but refuted by current apologetics. It begs the question: “why is this the commentary we want to share with the faithful?!”

[gunslinger]

Honestly I really appreciate the way you extrapolate the deeper themes in movies even if they aren’t necessarily the best movies. I’ve watched Superbad a couple times (because it’s hilarious) and you bringing it up kinda hit me like a brick wall.

[ThBigBoy]

"keep us alive with three square meals"

I don't know why but it destroyed my sides.

[noyesharrigan]

Shopping for a pocket Bible as a gift for my son and needed some guidance with translations. This helped a lot. Thanks.