Bible Translations

"For the Fathers, authority is not only the Bible, but the Bible plus those glorified or divinized as the prophets and apostles. The Bible is not in itself either inspired or infallible. It becomes inspired and infallible within the communion of saints because they have the experience of divine glory described in the Bible."

Professor John Romanides of the University of Thessaloniki

This site is in honor of all the men and women who have labored to bring us language challenged individuals Bible translations. There is a great deal of paper and ink and cyber-space devoted to slamming the work of modern Bible translators, some of the more fanatical stuff calls these versions of the devil.

Below are several versions of the Lord's Prayer in English. Tyndale's version seems to be the Lord's Prayer that is still used. Although debtors made it even into the NET. Somehow the English must have a thing about money!! LOL. Notice the doxology in the KJV is not there in Wycliffe and Tyndale, but in Cranmer but not in any of the newer translations. One can also see how the English language has changed over the years. Wycliffe is a very difficult read for modern English speakers to day. The same fate is coming upon the King James Bible as well. It would be clear that is the case, but revisers have been busy on the KJV by updating spelling and so forth. If that was not going on then the KJV would take its place along side of Wycliffe and Tyndale on the bookshelf.

John Wycliffe's Lord's Prayer 1395	William Tyndale's Lord's Prayer 1526
Oure fadir that art in heuenes,	o oure father which arte in heven
halewid be thi name;	halowed be thy name.
thi kyngdoom come to;	Let thy kyngdomc come.
be thi wille don `in erthe as in heuene;	Thy wyll be fulfilled as well in erth as hit ys in heven.
yyue to vs this dai oure `breed ouer othir substaunce;	Geve vs this daye oure dayly breade
and foryyue to vs oure dettis,	And forgeve vs oure treaspases
as we foryyuen to oure dettouris;	even as we forgeve them which treaspas vs:
and lede vs not in to temptacioun,	Leede vs not into temptacion:
but delyuere vs fro yuel. Amen.	but delyvre vs ffrom yvell.

Archbishop Thomas Cranmer's Lord's Prayer 1539

Oure father which art in heauen,

halowed be thy name.

Let thy kingdom come.

Thy will he fulfilled, as well in erth, as it is in heuen.

Geue vs this daye oure dayly bred.

And forgeue vs oure dettes,

as we forgeue oure detters.

And leade us not into temptation:

but delyuer vs from euyll.

For thyne is the kyngdom and the power, and the glorye for euer. Amen.

King James Version Lord's Prayer 1611

Our father which art in heauen

hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdome come.

Thy will be done, in earth, as it is in heauen.

Giue vs this day our daily bread

And forgiue vs our debts,

as we forgiue our debters.

And lead vs not into temptation,

but deliuer vs from euill

For thine is the kingdome, and the power, and the glory, for euer, Amen.

The New English Bible Lord's Prayer 1970

Our Father in heaven

thy name be hallowed

thy kingdom come

thy will be done, on earth as in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us the wrong we have done,

as we have forgiven those who have wronged us.

And do not bring us to the test

but save us from the evil one.

New International Version Lord's Prayer 1978

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

New English Translation Lord's Prayer 2001

Our Father in heaven,

may your name be honored,

may your kingdom come,

may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread,

and forgive us our debts,

as we ourselves have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

The Jerusalem Bible Lord's Prayer 1966	New American Bible Lord's Prayer 1986
Our Father in heaven,	Our Father in heaven,
may your name be held holy,	hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,	your kingdom come,
your will be done, on earth as in heaven,	your will be done, on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,	Give us today our daily bread;
And forgive us our debts,	and forgive us our debts,
as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us.	as we forgive our debtors;
And do not put us to the test,	and do not subject us to the final test,
but save us from the evil one.	but deliver us from the evil one.

New Revised Standard Version Lord's Prayer 1989	Good News Bible (TEV) Lord's Prayer 1976
Our Father in heaven,	Our Father in heaven:
hallowed be your name.	May your holy name be honored;
Your kingdom come.	may your Kingdom come;
Your will be done,	may your will be done on
on earth as it is in heaven.	earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.	Give us today the food we need.
And for give us our debts,	Forgive us the wrongs we have done,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.	as we forgive the wrongs that others have done to us.
And do not bring us to the time of trial.	Do not bring us to hard testing,
but rescue us from the evil one.	but keep us safe from the Evil One.

English Standard Version Lord's Prayer 2001	Revised Standard Version Lord's Prayer 1977
Our Father in heaven,	Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be your name.	Hallowed be thy name.
Your kingdom come,	Thy kingdom come.
your will be done,	Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.	On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,	Give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our debts,	And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.	As we also have forgiven our debtors;
And lead us not into temptation,	And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.	But deliver us from evil.

Revised English Bible Lord's Prayer 1989	Fr. Lazarus Moore Translation Lord's Prayer unknown date
Our Father in heaven,	Our Father who is in the heavens,
may your name be hallowed;	Your name be sanctified.
your kingdom come,	Your kingdom come,
your will be done,	Your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.	on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread,	Give us today our essential bread.
Forgive us the wrong we have done,	And forgive us our debts
as we have forgiven those who have	as we forgive our debtors.
wronged us.	And do not bring us into temptation,
And do not put us to the test,	but deliver us from the evil one.
but save us from the evil one.	For Yours is the kingdom, the power and the glory
	throughout the ages. Amen.

Erasmus, A Roman Catholic Priest that was the first to have a printed Greek Text. His Greek text is the one that stands behind the King James Version. When you here KJV only types blasting Roman Catholics remind them that Erasmus was a Roman Catholic priest!

The American Standard Version 1901	The King James Bible 1611
The Revised Standard Version 1952	The English Revised Version 1885
The New American Bible 1970	The Jerusalem Bible 1966
The New American Standard Bible 1972	The New English Bible 1970
The New International Version 1978	The Today's English Version 1976
The New Revised Standard Version 1989	The New Jerusalem Bible 1985
New Living Translation 1996	The Revised English Bible 1989
English Standard Version 2001	The New King James Version 1990
The New English Translation 2001
Sir Lancelot C.L. Brenton LXX Translation
Holy Transfiguration Monastery Psalter

Those are just some of the new versions, there are others like Ken Taylor's Living Bible, that is a paraphrase and not a translation as such, and the Moffat Bible and the Goodspeed Bible, along with JB Phillips New Testament, to name a few. Can reading any of these versions bring, you the reader, to an encounter with the Living Christ? Yes, every one of them can bring you to a knowledge of the Gospel. Some of these translations are more word for word and others are meaning for meaning, and most are on a scale using both at various places in the text. Most use the latest critical Greek and Hebrew texts. As you can see there is a great many choices, and the best advise would be to read several of them. I use the NET, ESV, REB, RSV, NKJV, JB, NAB, NEB, and NIV.

I am a fan of The New English Bible, I received a copy of it when I was a junior in high school back in 1970. I remember showing a preacher the Bible and he looked at a couple of passages in it and felt it was no good. The wording did not use the King James Version words. I felt then that the church this fellow represented was somewhat suspect in that how could you base doctrine on the King James Bible. When it is a translation itself. I have used it now for 32 years with much satisfaction.

Without a doubt, the New English Bible is my choice among Bible versions. I love the use of the English language in it.

Other Bibles worth reading are the Revised Standard Version, I received a copy of that translation when I was confirmed into the Lutheran Church in America in 1969. I use now The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha, in the RSV. It is the only complete Orthodox Bible in English. The NRSV does not cut the mustard. It must be said that there are fundamentalists that say that the King James Version is the only Word of God in English. That is just ravings of fanatics, and the King James Bible translators would not have been impressed the KJV only crowd.

Psalm 121 NEW ENGLISH BIBLE

If I lift up my eyes to the hills,

where shall I find help?

Help comes only from the L ORD,

maker of heaven and earth.

How could he let your foot stumble?

How could he, your guardian,

sleep?

The guardian of Israel

never slumbers, never sleeps.

The LORD is your guardian,

your defence at your right hand;

the sun will not strike you by day

nor the moon by night.

The LORD will guard you against

all evil;

he will guard you, body and soul.

The LORD will guard your going

and your coming,

now and for evermore.

Psalm 11 NEW ENGLISH BIBLE

In the LORD I have found my

refuge: why do you say to me,

'Flee to the mountains like a bird;

see how the wicked string their bows

and fit the arrow to the string,

to shoot down honest men out of

the darkness?'

When foundations are undermined,

what can the good man do?

The LORD is in his holy temple,

the LORD'S throne is in heaven.

His eye is upon mankind, he takes

their measure at a glance.

The LORD weighs just and unjust

and hates with all his soul the lover

of violence.

He shall rain down red-hot coals

upon the wicked;

brimstone and scorching winds shall

be the cup they drink.

For the LORD is just and loves just

dealing;

his face is turned towards the

upright man.

Malachi 4:1-3 New English Bible

The day comes, glowing like a furnace; all the arrogant and the evildoers shall be chaff, and that day when it comes shall set them ablaze, says the L ord of Hosts, it shall leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in his wings, and you shall break loose like calves released from the stall. On the day that I act, you shall trample down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, says the Lord of Hosts.

JEFF THE FINN