(no subject)
Today's Take 5 for Faith was about Saint Damasus, a pope who is best known for encouraging Saint Jerome to translate the Bible and changing the Liturgy from Greek to Latin, so ordinary people could "encounter the Word of God in their own language." The reflection encouraged exploring various translations, so I figured I'd pull out the various translations I have hanging out on my bookshelf and share some of my favorite verses, as presented in the different translations :) What I found most interesting is that, though I study and pray with the New American Bible and that's the version we use at Mass here in the States, when I call to mind my favorite verses, quite often they tend to be mash-ups of various translations. I figure it's because a lot of songs draw from the other translations, and we all know how well songs get glued in our brains :)
PS: Does anyone know why the King James Version has seemingly random words italicized?
Deut. 30:19
New American Bible:
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your dependents may live
King James Version:
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live
New International Version:
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Contemporary English Version:
Right now I call the sky and the earth to be witnesses that I am offering you this choice. Will you choose for the Lord to make you prosperous and give you long life? Or will he put you under a curse and kill you? Choose life!
Psalm 95:7-8
NAB
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
as on the day of Massah in the desert.
KJV
To day if ye hear his voice,
harden not your heart, as in the provocation,
and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness
NIV
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the desert.
CEV
Listen to God's voice today!
Don't be stubborn and rebel
as your ancestors did
at Meribah and Massah
out in the desert.
Psalm 139:13-16
NAB
You formed my inmost being:
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I praise you, so wonderfully you made me:
wonderful are your works!
My very self you knew;
my bones were not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned as in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes foresaw my actions:
In your book all are written down;
my days were shaped, before one came to be.
KJV
For thou hast possess my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which as yet there was none of them.
NIV
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
CEV
You are the one
who put me together
inside my mother's body.
and I praise you because of
the wonderful way
you created me.
Everything you do is marvelous!
Of this I have no doubt.
Nothing about me
is hidden from you!
I was secretly woven together
deep in the earth below,
but with your own eyes you saw
my body being formed.
Even before I was born,
you had written in your book
everything I would do.
Isaiah 6:2-3
NAB
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft.
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All the earth is filled with his glory!"
KJV
Above it stood the ser'a-phims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole of earth is full of his glory.
NIV
Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
CEV
Flaming creatures with six wings each were flying over him. They covered their faces with two of their wings and their bodies with two more. They used the other two wings for flying, as they shouted
"Holy, holy, holy,
Lord All-Powerful!
The earth is filled
with your glory."
Isaiah 49: 1-3
NAB
Here me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave
me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow
of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my
glory.
KJV
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; the Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
NIV
Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my birth he has made mention of
my name.
He made my mouth like a sharpened
sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my
splendor."
CEV
Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The Lord chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
The Lord said to me,
"Israel, you are my servant;
and because of you
I will be highly honored."
Colossians 3:12-14
NAB
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.
KJV
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
NIV
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
CEV
God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.
PS: Does anyone know why the King James Version has seemingly random words italicized?
Deut. 30:19
New American Bible:
I call heaven and earth today to witness against you: I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Choose life, then, that you and your dependents may live
King James Version:
I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live
New International Version:
This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live
Contemporary English Version:
Right now I call the sky and the earth to be witnesses that I am offering you this choice. Will you choose for the Lord to make you prosperous and give you long life? Or will he put you under a curse and kill you? Choose life!
Psalm 95:7-8
NAB
Oh, that today you would hear his voice:
Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah,
as on the day of Massah in the desert.
KJV
To day if ye hear his voice,
harden not your heart, as in the provocation,
and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness
NIV
Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,
as you did that day at Massah in the desert.
CEV
Listen to God's voice today!
Don't be stubborn and rebel
as your ancestors did
at Meribah and Massah
out in the desert.
Psalm 139:13-16
NAB
You formed my inmost being:
you knit me in my mother's womb.
I praise you, so wonderfully you made me:
wonderful are your works!
My very self you knew;
my bones were not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned as in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes foresaw my actions:
In your book all are written down;
my days were shaped, before one came to be.
KJV
For thou hast possess my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which as yet there was none of them.
NIV
For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
CEV
You are the one
who put me together
inside my mother's body.
and I praise you because of
the wonderful way
you created me.
Everything you do is marvelous!
Of this I have no doubt.
Nothing about me
is hidden from you!
I was secretly woven together
deep in the earth below,
but with your own eyes you saw
my body being formed.
Even before I was born,
you had written in your book
everything I would do.
Isaiah 6:2-3
NAB
Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they veiled their faces, with two they veiled their feet, and with two they hovered aloft.
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts!" they cried one to the other. "All the earth is filled with his glory!"
KJV
Above it stood the ser'a-phims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.
And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole of earth is full of his glory.
NIV
Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
CEV
Flaming creatures with six wings each were flying over him. They covered their faces with two of their wings and their bodies with two more. They used the other two wings for flying, as they shouted
"Holy, holy, holy,
Lord All-Powerful!
The earth is filled
with your glory."
Isaiah 49: 1-3
NAB
Here me, O coastlands,
listen, O distant peoples.
The Lord called me from birth,
from my mother's womb he gave
me my name.
He made of me a sharp-edged sword
and concealed me in the shadow
of his arm.
He made me a polished arrow,
in his quiver he hid me.
You are my servant, he said to me,
Israel, through whom I show my
glory.
KJV
Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; the Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.
And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand hath he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver hath he hid me;
And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.
NIV
Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the Lord called me;
from my birth he has made mention of
my name.
He made my mouth like a sharpened
sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
He said to me, "You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my
splendor."
CEV
Everyone, listen,
even you foreign nations
across the sea.
The Lord chose me
and gave me a name
before I was born.
He made my words pierce
like a sharp sword
or a pointed arrow;
he kept me safely hidden
in the palm of his hand.
The Lord said to me,
"Israel, you are my servant;
and because of you
I will be highly honored."
Colossians 3:12-14
NAB
Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection.
KJV
Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
NIV
Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
CEV
God loves you and has chosen you as his own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together.