Why is it that there are multiple editions or versions of sacred texts? The answer is rather simple: they were written a long time ago, and/or the original language was not English. When the language is brought up to date or translated from another language there are different ways of interpreting and expressing the concepts in today’s vernacular.
I’ve heard that the Christian Bible is comprised of a mix of Hebrew and Greek texts, and the number of distinct words in the original text is 5,000 – 7,000 words. A single translation of the Bible will have significantly more than 7,000 words. A smartphone app YouVersion Bible https://www.youversion.com shows that it has 46 different English translations.
What’s the benefit?
The positive thing is that if a passage perplexes you – the wording is not natural to you – or it doesn’t make sense – you can look up the same passage in another translation.
Let’s say you want to read from Luke 6:31, which is often referred to as “The Golden Rule”.
In the KJV (King James Version) the text is as follows:
And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.
– Luke 6:31 KJV
I don’t know about you but that is definitely not the way I talk. Let’s look at another version:
Do to others as you would have them do to you.
– Luke 6:31 NIV (New International Version)
That is much closer to modern English. I think it’s still a little clunky, but no where near as clunky as the KJV text.
Other sacred and wise texts
By sacred and wise I mean
- There are Truths contained within the text that are eternal and true
- That many people have read and Applied its wisdom into their lives
- That it has withstood the test of time and has Longevity on its side
Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu on Amazon shows more than 10 translations. The Tao Te Ching is a great short text of 81 separate verses. Each verse is 2 – 20 paragraphs long. From the first verse:
The Tao that can be named is not the eternal Tao.
The Art of War, by Sun Tzu on Amazon shows more than 10 translations. The best fight is to not fight at all. My metaphor for life is not that life is warfare. This book takes a complex topic like warfare and breaks it down into smaller understandable concepts.
Call to action
What are the sacred and wise texts in your life? If it was written a long time ago and in another language I challenge you to read a different translation (not the one you are familiar with) and see what new thoughts it will create. Go out and read those sacred texts.
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