1. Parallel Listing of the Four Translations
Below is the listing
of the four translations, chosen according the to guidelines
for examining James 1:19-27. If possible use the table feature of your
word processing software to set up a side by side comparison as illustrated
below. If your word processing software has trouble setting up tables,
an acceptible alternative is to set up the text of the four translations
in rows. One important guideline: set up the listing of the translations
left to right following the type 1 to type 3 translation types. Note
the examples below.
| New American Standard Version (NASB) | New Revised Standard Version
(NRSV) |
New International Version
(NIV) |
New Living Translation
(NLT) |
|
19This1
you know, my beloved
brethren. But let every
one be quick to hear, slow
to speak and slow
to anger; 20for
the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
21Therefore putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
22But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves, 23for if any one is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.
26If any one thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless.
27This is pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father, to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
19You must understand this, my
beloved:2 let
everyone be quick
to listen, slow
to speak, slow to anger;
20for your
anger does not produce God's righteousness.
21Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. 22But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves.
23For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves3 in a mirror;
24for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
25But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act -- they will be blessed in their doing.
26If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.
27Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world. |
19My dear brothers, take note
of this: Everyone
should be quick to listen,
slow to speak and
slow to become angry, 20for
man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that
God desires.
21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.
22Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
23Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
24and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
25But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it -- he will be blessed in what he does.
26If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. |
19Dear friends4,
be quick to listen,
slow to speak, and slow
to get angry. 20Your anger
can never make things right in God's sight.
21So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
22And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself. 23For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.
24You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law -- the law that sets you free -- and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
27Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. |
2. Coding of Translation Differences (sentence
by sentence in translations)
Following the coding
system (Red = agreement
by all four translations; Blue = agreement
by three of the four translations; Black = agreement by two of the
four translations) identify all points of agreement (and thus difference
by non-marking) in the passage. The above text is so-color coded.
3. Listing of Translation Differences and Questions
arising from them.
The
following is provided only as illustration of the procedure, and does not
include the entire passage of James 1:19-27.
Verses 19-20:
These verses are grouped
into a single sentence by most of the translations, the exceptions being
NASB and NLT. The first three translations contain the word "this" but
the NASB seems to imply that "this" refers to something other than what
follows as do the RSV and NIV. The NLT ignors the "this" completely. Is
this justifiable? Also, what is most correctly meant by "this"?
The first verb expression seems to be different: NASB says "this you know," thus implying that "this" is something the readers already know. But the RSV "you must understand this" and the NIV "take note of this" suggest that the readers either do not already know or else need to be reminded of the "this."
The direct address expression is different among all four translations: "my beloved brethren" (NASB), "my beloved" (RSV), "my dear brothers" (NIV) and "dear friends" (NLT). Is there any real difference in meaning among these translations? Is the difference in wording just a shift to less churchy terms to more natural English expressions?
The three admonitions on listening, speaking, and anger are very similar in wording. One major difference is between the NLT's use of the second person "you be..." and the others use of the third person "let everyone...". Although the NLT makes the admonitions more directly applied to the readers, are the other three translations trying to preserve a more general principlized form of the admonitions by their use of the third person?
Verse
21:
Repeat the same
process as above for each the 8 sentences in the passage.
3. Listing of Questions reflecting key ideas developed in each sentence of the scripture text.
Verse 19-20:
Some questions arise, however, out of careful
observation: (1) Why
do the first three translations use the third person form, "let everyone
be," while the NLT uses the second person form, "(you) be"? The introductory
statement (above) in the first three translations begins in the second
person form, but then shifts to the third person form. Is there a reason
for this? Must check it out in the commentaries!! (2)
The sequence of the expression is quick, slow, slow. Hearing / listening
is something needed quickly; speaking / anger is something to be slow to
do. What is the setting? Does this apply to everyday life? Or, is this
something connected to worship? Again, the commentaries will discuss the
axiomatic nature of this expression, and its close relation to Jewish wisdom
tradition. Many similar expressions occur in Proverbs in the Old Testament,
as well as Sirach in the intertestamental Jewish wisdom literary tradition.
Must look at those commentaries carefully, and especially the serious commentaries
that go into enough depth to explore the historical background of this
type of material. The devotional ones just won't cut the mustard! (3)
Is there any appreciable difference between the first two translations
"slow to anger" and the last two "slow to become angry," "slow to get angry"?
To the commentaries again!!
Verse 20 contains the other half of this sentence. Some issues arise from studying it. (1) What is its connection to the first half of the sentence in verse 19, especially in light of the use of for to introduce it in the first three translations? The conjunction for suggests that verse 20 somehow gives a reason for the preceding statement in verse 19. What does this suggest? (2) How is man's anger and God's righteousness connected here? The Greek verb is handled differently by the translations: NASB, "does not achieve"; NRSV, "does not produce"; NIV, "does not bring about"; NLT, "can never make." Need to check the commentaries for insight here. (3) The expression about righteousness is treated differently: NASB, "the righteousness of God"; NRSV, "God's righteousness"; NIV, "the righteous life that God desires"; NLT, "things right in God's sight." The first two are close to one another, and the second two are close to one another; but, the two sets suggest significantly different ways of translating the Greek text. The commentaries to the rescue!!
4. List the translations used in the Translations subdivision of the SOURCES CITED, using the correct Turabian format.
The Holy Bible: New International Version. New York: International
Bible Society, 1984.
Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale
House
Publishers, Inc., 1996.
The New American Standard Bible. La Habra, CA: Lockman Foundation, 1971.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible: New Testament. 2d
ed. New York:
National Council of Churches, 1971.