Proverbs 30:5,6 “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.”
Proverbs 7:22-23 KJB – Speaking of a young man void of understanding who is deceived by a strange woman:
“He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as A FOOL TO THE CORRECTION OF THE STOCKS; till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life.”
This is the meaning found in such versions as Coverdale, Bishops’ Bible, the Geneva Bible, Webster’s, the NKJV, RV, ASV, NASB, Young’s, Spanish Reina Valera, Darby, Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible, and the Jewish translations of 1917, 1936 and 1998.
However, the NIV says: – “like an ox going to the slaughter, LIKE A DEER STEPPING INTO A NOOSE.” Then the NIV footnotes: Syriac; Hebrew – a fool. (It comes right out and tells us that the Hebrew says “a FOOL”, NOT “a deer”).
Then the NIV says to see the LXX. However the LXX is little help because it says: “as a DOG to bonds or a hart shot in the liver with an arrow.”
Likewise the Syriac is of no help either. Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac says here: “as an ox to the slaugher, or A DOG TO BE MUZZLED.”
The NIV reading is most like the Catholic St. Joseph New American bible of 1970 that reads: “like an ox is led to the slaughter; LIKE A STAG THAT MINCES TOWARD THE NET.”
But the Catholic New Jerusalem of 1985 has: “ox to the slaughterhouse, LIKE A MADMAN ON HIS WAY TO THE STOCKS.”
The NKJV gives the same translation to this verse as do the King James Bible and many others, but then footnotes that the Greek Septuagint, Syriac and Targum read “as A DOG to bonds” and that the Vulgate reads: “as A LAMB…to bonds”.
The Catholic Douay version is of interest in that it does follow the Vulgate to a degree, but then agrees with the KJB and others in the remainder of the verse. It says: “Immediately he followeth her as an ox led to be a victim, and AS A LAMB PLAYING THE WANTON, and not knowing that he is drawn LIKE A FOOL TO BONDS.”
Other corrupted versions are the RSV, NRSV, ESV and the Holman Standard. The ESV reads: “as an ox to the slaughter, or AS A STAG IS CAUGHT FAST.” Then it footnotes: “Probable reading; See Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate.”
But as we have seen, neither the Septuagint nor the Syriac read anything like what is found in the NIV or the ESV. The Holman also joins this mess and says: “like a deer bounding towards a trap”, then footnotes – “TEXT EMENDED – Hebrew obscure – “like shackles for the discipline of a fool”.
Daniel Wallace, of Dallas Theological Seminary, does his usual goofball translation and commentary on this verse in his NET version. He has: “Suddenly he went after her like an ox that goes to the slaughter, like A STAG PRANCING INTO A TRAPPER’S SNARE.”
Then he footnotes: “The translation is Scott’s. This third colon of the verse would usually be rendered, “fetters to the chastening of a fool.” But there is no support that (’ekhes) means “fetters.” It appears in Isaiah 3:16 as anklets. The parallelism here suggests that some animal imagery is required. Thus the versions have “as a dog to the bonds.”
Aren’t scholars funny? Dr. Wallace neglects the clear fact that all Hebrew texts here read “fool” and not “stag”, but then goes into some length to give us his personal opinion that the other Hebrew word has no support for being rendered as “stocks” or “fetters”, even though scores of other Bible translators, with just as much learning as he has, have done this very thing. It looks like the faculties of most modern seminaries have lost their faculties.
Folks, the Hebrew reading is not obscure at all. The phrases “as an ox to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks” simply means that the fool is doing something that will lead to his being punished. It is not that hard to figure out.
Proverbs 8:16 KJB – “By me judges rule, and nobles, even all the judges OF THE EARTH.”
This is an interesting case in that the Hebrew manuscripts differ from each other. Even the NIV, RV, ASV, Geneva, Young’s, Darby and the RSV read as does the KJB.
However the NASB follows a different text and reads as the NRSV and says: “all who judge RIGHTLY” instead of “all the judges OF THE EARTH.”
The Catholic versions are likewise is total disarray. The Douay has: “By me princes rule, and THE MIGHTY DECREE JUSTICE.” But then the St. Joseph NAB 1970 goes back to the Hebrew of the KJB and says: “…all the rulers OF THE EARTH.”, but then the 1985 New Jerusalem changes their texts once again and now reads: “by me rulers govern, so do nobles, THE LAWFUL AUTHORITIES.”
Ecclesiastes 2:8 “I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, AND THAT OF ALL SORTS.”
This is the reading of the KJB, NKJV, RV, ASV, World English Bible, Hebrew Names Version, Webster’s 1833 translation, Third Millennium Bible, KJV 21, Spanish Reina Valera, and the Italian Diodati.
However the NIV says: “AND A HAREM AS WELL”, while the NASB and Holman have “and many concubines”; and the LXX says: “A BUTLER AND FEMALE CUPBEARERS.”
The NIV tells us in a footnote that the meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain. Instead of “musical instruments” (KJB and others) the Douay 1950 has “CUPS AND VESSELS TO SERVE TO POUR OUT WINE”, while the St. Joseph has “all human luxuries” and the New Jerusalem bible has “every human luxury, chest upon chest of it.”
Ecclesiastes 2:25 “For who can eat, or who else can hasten hereunto, MORE THAN I?”
So read the Hebrew texts as well as Wycliffe 1395, Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible, the RV, ASV, Darby, Youngs, the Jewish translations JPS 1917, Hebrew Publishing Company translation 1936, Judaica Press Tanach, the Hebrew Names Version, Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible 1902, the NKJV, Greens, Douay, Spanish Reina Valers, Italian Diodadi 1998, the French and the Portuguese Bibles to name but a few.
However the NIV, NASB, RSV, NRSV, ESV and NET versions reject the majority Hebrew reading and have instead: “For who can eat and who can have enjoyment WITHOUT HIM?”
Then versions like the RSV footnote that the reading “WITHOUT HIM” comes from the Greek and Syriac, but that the Hebrew reads “more than I”
Daniel Wallace footnotes: “The MT reads מִמֶּנִּי (mimmenni, “more than I”). However, an alternate textual tradition of מִמֶּנּוּ (mimmennu,“apart from him [= God]”) is preserved in several medieval Hebrew mss, and is reflected in most of the versions (LXX, Syriac, Syro-Hexapla, and Jerome).”
Here the older Catholic Douay followed the Hebrew reading found in the KJB, but the more modern Catholic versions like St. Joseph and the New Jerusalem read like the NIV, NASB, ESV and NET versions.
Ecclesiastes 8:10 KJB – “AND THEY WERE FORGOTTEN in the city where they had so done: this also is vanity.” So read the RV, ASV, NASB, NKJV, but the NIV, ESV, and Catholic Douay and St. Joseph say: “AND RECEIVE PRAISE in the city where they did this” with a footnote telling us some Hebrew manuscripts and the LXX so read but that most Hebrew mss. read “and are forgotten”. Dan Wallace’s NET version says “THEY BOASTED” and then footnotes that the Hebrew Masoretic text reads “and they were forgotten”.
The NIV adds “and the bad” to Eccl. 9:2 from the LXX, Vulgate and Syriac but admits it is not in the Hebrew nor in the NASB.
Song of Solomon 4:12 “A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; A SPRING SHUT UP, a fountain sealed.” The Hebrew text as well as the RV, ASV, NKJV, NIV, ESV and the Jewish translations all agree with the King James reading of “a spring shut up”. However the NASB along with the RSV follows the Greek Septuagint reading here and says: “A garden locked is my sister, my bride A ROCK GARDEN LOCKED, a spring sealed up.”
Song of Solomon 7:9 KJB ( NKJV, NASB, RV, ASV) “And the roof of thy mouth like the best wine for my beloved, that goeth down sweetly, CAUSING THE LIPS OF THOSE THAT ARE ASLEEP TO SPEAK.”
NIV – “flowing gently OVER LIPS AND TEETH.”
The NIV Footnote says this comes from the LXX, Vulgate and Syriac, but the Hebrew says “lips of sleepers”. The ESV also reads as does the NIV but it footnotes that the Hebrew literally reads: “causing the lips of sleepers to speak”, just as the KJB has it!
Guess which other bible reads like the ESV. The Catholic St. Joseph NAB says: “spreading over the lips and the teeth.” The New Jerusalem bible notes that this reading of “lips and teeth” comes from the Greek Septuagint.
Dan Wallace’s NET version reads: “gliding gently over our lips as we sleep together.” And then he footnotes -“The MT reads שִׁפְתֵי יְשֵׁנִים (shifte yÿshenim, “lips of those who sleep”). However, an alternate Hebrew reading of שְׂפָתַי וְשִׁנָּי (sÿfata vÿsinna, “my lips and my teeth”) is suggested by the Greek tradition (LXX, Aquila, Symmachus): χείλεσίν μου καὶ ὀδοῦσιν (ceilesin mou kai odousin, “my lips and teeth”). This alternate reading, with minor variations, is followed by NAB, NIV, NRSV, TEV, NLT.
Isaiah 5:17 KJB (NASB, NKJV) – “Then shall the lambs feed after their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones SHALL STRANGERS EAT.”
Agreeing with the Hebrew texts and the King James Bible are the following Bible versions: The Revised Version 1881, American Standard Version 1901, Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, Judaica Press Tanach, Hebrew Names Bible, the Geneva Bible, Bishops’ Bible, Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible, Young, Darby, Douay, the Spanish Reina Valera 1909 – 1995, the Modern Greek translation (not to be confused with the so called LXX) the NASB, Holman Standard, and the NKJV.
However the NIV reads “The sheep will graze as in their own pasture, LAMBS WILL FEED among the ruins of the rich.” – instead of “and the waste places of the fat ones shall STRANGERS eat.” Then in a footnote the NIV tells us that “LAMBS” comes from LXX but the Hebrew says “strangers will eat”. So too do the liberal RSV, the NRSV, NET, The Message (“KIDS AND CALVES right at home in the ruins”) and the new revision of the old NIV called Today’s NIV.
The older RSV, NRSV follow the alleged Greek Septuagint here, but now the new revision of the revision called the ESV has now gone back to the Hebrew reading (more or less) and says “and NOMADS shall eat among the ruins of the rich.”
The older Douay version followed the Hebrew text and says “shall strangers eat” but the the newer Catholic versions like the New Jerusalem follow the Septuagint reading just like the NIV. The Catholic St. Joseph, on the other hand, completely omits all of verse 5:17!
Why didn’t the NIV go with the Syriac as it frequently does? Well, maybe because Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac reads differently than them all saying: “and the waste places THAT SHALL BE REBUILT SHALL BE THE PROPERTY OF THE RIGHTFUL OWNERS.”!!
Hey, “strangers eat”, “Lambs eat” “fatlings and kids shall eat” (RSV, NRSV), or “shall be the property of the rightful owners”, it all means the same thing, right? The message hasn’t been changed. Don’t worry. Be happy. (sarcasm intended).
Isaiah 21:8 KJB ( NKJV, Geneva, Darby, Young’s, Jewish translations and many others)- “And he cried, A LION: My lord…”
The NIV says: “And THE LOOKOUT shouted” then tells us “lookout” comes from the Syriac and Dead Sea Scrolls, but the Hebrew says “a lion”. The NASB of 1977 says: “then the SENTRY called like a LION”, combining both the Syriac and the Hebrew, but the 1995 NASB omits “lion” altogether and says: “Then the lookout called, O Lord…” One NASB is not the same as the next NASB. There are literally thousands of changes between the 1977 edition and the 1995 update edition. Agreeing with the NIV once again is the Catholic New Jerusalem bible and the St. Joseph NAB. The older Douay had “lion”.
The NIV also changes Isaiah 23:10 from “PASS THROUGH” to “TILL YOUR LAND” from Syriac and DSS. Here the St. Joseph sticks with the Hebrew reading like the KJB but the New Jerusalem bible goes along with the NIV reading of “cultivate your country”.
Isaiah 33:6 – Isaiah 33:6 “the fear of the LORD is HIS treasure.” So reads the Hebrew text as well as the NKJV and NASB, but the ASV says “THY treasure”, then footnotes that the Hebrew reads HIS, and the RSV, ESV and Holman say: “the fear of the LORD is ZION’S treasure”, then footnote that the Hebrew reads HIS treasure, and the NIV says: “the fear of the LORD IS THE KEY TO THIS treasure”, apparently having just made it up out of thin air. By the way, the DSS says “YOUR treasure”, but nobody followed this reading so far.
Daniel Wallace’s NET version changes this to: “he gives all this to those who fear him.” and then footnotes – “Heb “the fear of the Lord, it is his treasure.” Hope this clears everything up for you all 😉
Isaiah 33:8 “he hath despised THE CITIES”.
So read the Hebrew Masoretic texts and the Jewish translations, Geneva, Darby, NASB and the ESV and Holman, but the RSV, NRSV, NET and the NIV change this to “ITS WITNESSES are despised” from DSS. But wait! The Dead Sea Scrolls also change verse 33:3 which reads “AT THE LIFTING UP OF THYSELF the nations were scattered” (found in the RV, ASV, RSV, NRSV, NET, NIV, NASB and NKJV) to “AT YOUR SILENCE nations scattered.”
Why don’t any of these conflicting modern versions follow the DSS reading here? They just willy-nilly pick and choose at random among the various readings whenever some spirit leads them to do so and not one of them agrees all the way through with the others. By the way, the New Jerusalem bible follows the reading found in the NIV “witnesses” and then footnotes that the Hebrew reads “towns (cities)” like the KJB has it.
Isaiah 37:25 – here the NIV adds the words “in foreign lands” taken from the DSS but not found in Masoretic nor the NASB, RSV, NRSV; and the NIV departs from the Hebrew in 45:2; 49:12; 51:19; 52:5, 14; and 66:19.
Isaiah 48:1 “waters”, “loins” or “seed”?
Isaiah 48:1 KJB – “Here ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are ome forth out of the WATERS of Judah…”
The word here in the Hebrew Masoretic text is cleary WATERS of Judah, and is so rendered by the KJB, Wycliffe 1395, the Geneva Bible – “Heare yee this, O house of Iaakob, which are called by the name of Israel, and are come out of THE WATERS of Iudah“, the Douay-Rheims of 1610, The Family Jewish Bible 1864, the Revised Version 1881, ASV 1901, Rotherham’s Emphasized bible 1902, Young’s, Webster’s 1833, Douay of 1950, the New Berkeley Version in Modern English 1969, The New Jewish Version 1985, The Word of Yah 1993, Green’s literal 2005, the Judaica Press Tanach 2004 – “and who emanated from THE WATERS of Judah“, the Apostolic Bible Polyglot 2003, the Context Group Version 2007, the Concordant Literal Version 2009, the New Heart English Bible 2010, the Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011, Lexham Bible 2012, the Third Millennium Bible 1998, The Koster Scriptures 1998, The Hebraic Transliteration Scripture 2010 – “are come forth out of the WATERS of Yehudah”, The New European Version 2010 – “the WATERS of Judah”, The Online Interlinear 2010 (André de Mol), The Work of God’s Children Illustrated Bible 2011, The Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011 – “the WATERS of Yisroel”, the English Standard Version 2011, the Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2012 (Mebust), The Hebraic Roots Bible 2012, The Biblos Bible 2013 and The Modern English Version 2014.
The NKJV needlessly alters this to the WELLSPRINGS of Judah, but at least retains the idea of water.
BUT the NASB 1995, RSV, NRSV and ISV 2014 say ‘the LOINS of Judah” with a footnote in the RSV and the ISV telling us this is a correction to the text and that the Hebrew reads ‘waters’. The reading or interpretation of ‘loins’ comes from some Targum commentators but it is not what the Hebrew actually says.
John Gill says the ‘seed of Judah’ is a Targum interpretation.
The NIV likewise says “from the LINE of Judah.”
The Holman Standard of 2003 is a bit weird in that it just omits the phrase altogether and reads: “who are called by the name Israel and have DESCENDED FROM [1] Judah”, but then in their Footnote they tell us “Literally ‘have come from the WATERS of Judah”. Perhaps the Holman is following the so called Greek Septuagint here because the LXX likewise omits the phrase altogether and simply says “are come from Judah”.
Dan Wallace and company’s NET version likewise omits the phrase and has “and are descended from Judah.” He then footnotes “The Hebrew text reads literally “and from THE WATERS of Judah came out.”
The Latin Vulgate of 405 A.D. follows the Hebrew text in this place and says -“et de AQUIS Juda existis” = “waters of Judah”.
Once again we see the purification process in the previous English Bibles. Wycliffe 1395 correctly has “the waters of Judah” but Coverdale 1535 and the Bishops’ Bible 1568 erroneously have “the STOCK of Judah”.
The Geneva Bible the went back to the Hebrew reading of “the WATERS of Judah”.
The Catholic Connection
Among the Catholic versions we see the usual confusion. The older Douay-Rheims 1610 and the Douay of 1950 both followed the Hebrew text and say “the WATERS of Judah”.
But then the 1969 Jerusalem bible and the 1970 St. Joseph New American Bible both changed this to “the STOCK of Judah”. Oh, but wait! Now the 1985 New Jerusalem bible and the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version have gone back to the Hebrew reading of “the WATERS of Judah”. Nothing like consistent inconsistency, is there.
Foreign Language Bibles
Foreign language Bibles that also read “the WATERS of Judah” are Luther’s German bible 1545 and the 2000 Schlacher Bible – “aus dem Wasser Juda’s“, the Spanish Reina Valers 1960 – 1995 – “los que salieron de LAS AGUAS de Judá“, the Portuguese A Biblia Sagrada em Portugués and the Almeida Corrigida E Fiel – “e saístesDAS AGUAS de Judá“, the Italian Diodati of 1649 – “e siete usciti DELLE ACQUE acque di Giuda“, and the Dutch Staten Vertaling Bible – “en uit DE WATEREN van Juda“. The Modern Greek Bible reads “the fountain of Judah” – “και εξελθοντες εκ της πηγης του Ιουδα·”
Isaiah 49:17 “children” or “builders”?
King James Bible (NIV, NET, NKJV)- “Thy CHILDREN shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.”
ESV, NASB – “Your BUILDERS make haste; your destroyers and those who laid you waste go out from you.”
In this verse the NASB and ESV depart from the Hebrew Masoretic text and this time the NIV doesn’t go along with them. The modern version “scholars” have really got their act together, don’t they?
In the KJB we read: “Thy CHILDREN shall make haste: thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee.” ‘Children’ is the reading of the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the KJB, NKJV 1982, Revised Version of 1881, Darby, the ASV of 1901 – “Thy CHILDREN make haste”, Rotherham’s Emphasized bible 1902, the Jewish translations of JPS 1917, Hebrew Publishing Company version 1936 and the 2004 Judaica Press Tanach, Hebrew Names Version 2014, World English Version, Webster’s 1833, Amplified Bible 1987, Lexham English Bible 2012, Green’s literal of 2000 and the Third Millennium Bible 1998.
Even the NIV 1984 edition says “Your SONS hasten back” and the 2011 NIV now says: “Your CHILDREN hasten back.” This time even Daniel Wallace and company’s NET version sticks with the Hebrew text and says: “Your CHILDREN hurry back”.
The Hebrew word is # 1121 Ben, which means “sons” or “children” and the context of Isaiah 49 is God bring children taken from among the Gentile nations and bringing them to Israel. See verses 6, 12, 20-22.
Among foreign language Bibles that follow the Hebrew Masoretic text and say “Thy CHILDREN make haste” are the Modern Greek translation – “Τα τεκνα σου θελουσιν ελθει μετα σπουδης·”, the French Martin 1744 and French Ostervald 1996 and the French Louis Segond of 2007 – “Tes enfants viendront à grande hâte”, the Italian Diodati 1649, La Nuova Diodati of 1991 and the 2006 Nuova Riveduta – “I tuoi figli accorrono”, the German Schlachter of 2000 – “Deine Söhne eilen herbei”, and the Portuguese A Biblia Sagrada em Portugués and the Almeida Actualizada -(modern Portuguese version) as well as the NIV 1999 Nova Versão Internacional – “Os teus filhospressurosamente virão”
However the NASB, RSV, NRSV, ESV 2001 (English Standard Version), Holman Standard 2003 and The Message say “Your BUILDERS make haste” instead of ‘children’. Young’s “literal” has this time rejected the Hebrew for some strange reason and reads: “Hastened have THOSE BUILDING THEE.”
The NASB never tells you when they depart from the Hebrew Masoretic text, but the ESV tells us in a footnote that the word “BUILDERS” comes from a Dead Sea Scroll manuscript, but that the Hebrew reads ‘children’.
The Holman Standard footnotes that the word “builders” comes from one DSS manuscript and the Latin Vulgate, but that both the Hebrew and the Syriac reads “sons” or “children”. Yet there are NUMEROUS readings found in the Dead Sea Scrolls copies of the book of Isaiah that NONE of these modern versions have adopted. There IS no method to their madness; it’s just random madness.
Even these versions are confused among themselves. The RSV has- “Your builders outstrip your destroyers”; the NRSV says – “Your BUILDERS outdo your destoyers” and the ESV has – “Your BUILDERS make haste.” The Douay-Rheims and Douay say – “Thy BUILDERS ARE COME.” but the newer Catholic versions like the St. Joseph and New Jerusalem read: “Your REBUILDERS are hurrying.”
The NIV presents us with contradiction and confusion when they translate it into other languages. In English NIV and the NIV Portuguese version of 1999 they correctly read “Your CHILDREN hasten back” – “Os teus filhospressurosamente virão”, but the Spanish NIV of 1999 has rejected the Hebrew Masoretic text and says “Your BUILDERS make haste” – “Tus CONSTRUCTORES se apresuran.”
The Spanish versions have not done very well with this verse. The early Sagradas Escrituras of 1569 and the Reina Valera of 1909, 1960 and 1995 and even the R.V. Gómez of 2010 have followed the Latin Vulgate instead of the Hebrew and read – “Tus edificadores vendrán aprisa;”= “Your BUILDERS WILL COME QUICKLY”. However the 2010 paraphrase called Nueva Traducción Viviente is pretty close with “Dentro de poco tus descendientes regresarán” = “Within a little while your DESCENDANTS will return.” and the 2012 Palabra de Dios para Todos (The Word of God For Everybody) is a lot better with: “Tus hijos se apresuran a regresar a ti” = “Your CHILDREN will hurry up to return to you.”
The Catholic versions have followed the Latin Vulgate here instead of the Hebrew and also read “your BUILDERS”. These are the Douay-Rheims, Douay 1950, St. Joseph NAB 1970 and the New Jerusalem bible 1985. The Latin Vulgate of 405 A.D. itself reads: ” venerunt structores tui” = “your BUILDERS are come”.
The so called Greek Septuagint (Benton’s translation) is a bit confused in that it reads – “Thou shalt soon be built by whom thou wast destroyed.”!! Not at all the same as any modern version.
Once again we can see the gradual purification process of the words of God in the English translations. Wycliffe 1395 followed the Latin Vulgate and his translation said “The BUILDERS are come”. Both Coverdale’s translation of 1535 and the Bishops’ Bible of 1568 likewise did not follow the Hebrew text but said: “They that haue broken the downe, shal make haist to buylde the vp agayne.” Not even the Geneva Bible of 1587 got it right, but also followed the Latin Vulgate and says: “Thy BUILDERS make haste.”
It wasn’t till God finally finished the purification process that we get perfection and infallibility in the King James Bible that reads: “Thy CHILDREN shall make haste, thy destroyers, and they that made thee waste, shall go forth of thee.”
Get yourself the true “book of the LORD”, the King James Holy Bible. It is always right and you will never go wrong.
Isaiah 49:24 KJB (RV, ASV and others) “Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or THE LAWFUL CAPTIVE delivered?”
Both the NIV, NASB say: “captives rescued FROM THE FIERCE” which the NIV footnote tells us comes from the DSS, Vulgate and Syriac. The Catholic New Jerusalem bible also follows this reading like the NIV.
Isaiah 53:11 KJB (RV, ASV, RSV, NKJV) “He shall see THE TRAVAIL OF HIS SOUL, and shall be satisfied.”
NIV – “After the suffering of his soul, he will see THE LIGHT OF LIFE and be satisfied.” Footnote tells us this comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls but the Masoretic text does not have “light of life”. The Catholic versions like the St. Joseph and New Jerusalem also follow this reading like the NIV does. The NIV does not always follow the DSS either for sometimes they mention the DSS reading in the footnotes but do not use it in their text. There is no pattern to when they choose to follow the DSS, LXX, Syriac, Vulgate or whatever. It is all a willy – nilly process, totally at random.
Jeremiah 9:3 “And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: BUT THEY ARE NOT VALIANT FOR THE TRUTH UPON THE EARTH; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the LORD.”
“But they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth” is the reading of the NKJV 1982, Webster’s 1833, Green’s literal, the 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company, New York Jewish translation,
The meaning in the KJB is pretty straight forward – they do not stand for and defend the truth. Adam Clarke comments: “They are not valiant for the truth They are bold in sin, and courageous to support their lies; but the truth they neither patronize nor support.”
John Gill remarks: “but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth;which a man should do everything for, and nothing against; and which he should earnestly contend for, and not part with or give up at any rate.”
The Geneva Bible of 1587 is like the King James Bible in that it says: “And they bende their tongues like their bowes for lyes: BUT THEY HAVE NO COURAGE FOR THE TRUETH UPON THE EARTH: for they proceede from euill to worse, and they haue not knowen mee, sayth the Lord.”
Lamsa’s 1936 translation of the Syriac is very much like the KJB with – “And they bend their tongues like their bow;in falsehood and not in truth they are valiant upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the LORD.”
The French Ostervald 1996 reads exactly like the KJB with – “ce n’est pas pour la vérité qu’ils sont vaillants”, as does the Italian Diodati – e non si fortificano in verità, the Portuguese Almeida, and the Spanish Reina Valera – “y no se fortalecieron por verdad en la tierra.”
However several modern versions reject the Hebrew reading and instead follow the so called Greek Septuagint (LXX), which reads: “FALSEHOOD AND NOT FAITHFULNESS HAS PREVAILED UPON THE EARTH.”
The RSV reads: “They bend their tongue like a bow; FALSEHOOD AND NOT TRUTH HAS GROWN STRONG IN THE LAND; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they do not know me, says the LORD.” Then it footnotes that this reading comes from the Greek, but that the Hebrew reads: “and not for truth they have grown strong”. The Catholic New Jerusalem has also followed this Septuagint reading and rejected the Hebrew texts. It reads: “not truth but falsehood holds sway in the land.” Then it footnotes that this reading comes from the Greek but the Hebrew reads “but they are not strong for the truth” as the KJB has it.
The NASB is very much like the RSV and reads: “They bend their tongue like their bow; LIES AND NOT TRUTH PREVAIL IN THE LAND; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” declares the LORD. This is the Greek reading; not the Hebrew text.
The Holman Standard is much like the NASB/LXX reading: “lies and not faithfulness prevail in the land, for they proceed from one evil to another”
NET has – “They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means.”
The NIV changes the meaning from both the KJB and the NASB with – “They make ready their tongue like a bow, to shoot lies; IT IS NOT BY TRUTH THAT THEY TRIUMPH IN THE LAND. They go from one sin to another; they do not acknowledge me,” declares the LORD. “ Then they footnote : “Or, they are not valiant for the truth”., which would be the meaning found in the KJB.
Darby is a little skewed but still more like the KJB with – “and not for fidelity are they valiant in the land”
Jeremiah 27:1 “In the beginning of the reign of JEHOIAKIM the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying…”. Here versions like the NASB, NIV, RSV, ESV, NET version and Holman all reject the Hebrew text as being “corrupt” and follow the Syriac version which reads ZEDEKIAH instead of JEHOIAKIM. Dan Wallace of the NET version says the Hebrew text has been corrupted here. The Catholic versions are interesting in that the earlier Douay and even the St. Joseph NAB 1970 stick with the Hebrew reading of Jehoikim, but the New Jerusalem bible of 1985 goes with “ZEDEKIAH” and then footnotes that the Hebrew reads “Jehoiakim”. For a further discussion of this verse and the integrity of the King James Bible and its underlying Hebrew text, see my article here:
http://brandplucked.webs.com/jer2712sam218.htm
Jeremiah 31:3 “unto ME”, “unto HIM”, “unto THEM”, “unto US” or “to ISRAEL”? (Hey, it’s all the same meaning, right?)
Jeremiah 31:3 – “The LORD hath appeared of old UNTO ME, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.“
The Lord hath appeared of old UNTO ME, is the Hebrew text reading and is found in Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Douay-Rheims 1610, the KJB 1611, the NKJV, the Revised Version 1881, the 1901 ASV – “Jehovah appeared of old untome, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”, the 1917 Jewish Publication Society version, the 1936 Jewish translation, the Judaica Press Tanach of 2004, the Hebrew Names Bible, Rotherham’s Emphasized bible 1902, Darby, Youngs – “From afar Jehovah hath appeared TO ME, With love age-during I have loved thee, Therefore I have drawn thee with kindness.” Douay 1950, New Berkeley Version in Modern Speech 1969, World English Bible, Green’s interlinear 2000, Third Millenium Bible 1998.
The word “thee” seen twice in this verse, is the SINGULAR you, as opposed to the plural English “you” found in the KJB, Geneva Bible, RV, ASV and JPS 1917 – “the LORD appeared unto ME, Yea, I have loved THEE with an everlasting love; Therefore with affection have I drawn THEE.”, and the only reading that grammatically makes sense is the Hebrew reading found in the KJB – the Lord appeared to ME, saying, I have loved THEE…
Foreign language translations that follow the Hebrew text and read like the KJB are Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac Peshitta – “The LORD has appeared TO ME from afar, saying, Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love;therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn you.”, the Portuguese Almeida Actualizada – “De longe o SenhorME apareceu, dizendo: Pois que com amor eterno te amei, também com benignidade te atraí.” = “to ME…therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.”, the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1569 and Reina Valera 1909 – “El SEÑOR se manifestó a mí hace ya mucho tiempo, diciendo : Con amor eterno te he amado , the Italian Nuova Diodati of 1991 – “Molto tempo fa l’Eterno MI è apparso, dicendo: «Sí, ti ho amata di un amore eterno; per questo ti ho attirata con benevolenza.” = “appeared TO ME…I have drawn thee with lovingkindness.”, the French Martin 1744 and Ostervald 1996 – “De loin l’Éternel m’est apparu, et m’a dit: Je t’ai aimée d’un amour éternel”, Luther’s German Bible 1545 and the Modern Greek Bible – “Ο Κυριος εφανη παλαιοθεν εις εμε, λεγων, Ναι, σε ηγαπησα αγαπησιν η αιωνιον· δια τουτο σε ειλκυσα με ελεος” = “The Lord appeared to me of old, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore with mercy (lovingkindnes) HAVE I DRAWN THEE to me.”
However the NASB says: “The LORD appeared TO HIM from afar, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness.”
The RSV, NRSV, ESV and Holman Standard read the same as the NASB (to HIM), but they all have a footnote that says Greek -to him; Hebrew – to me. The NASB, RSV, NRSV, ESV have all followed the LXX and rejected the clear Hebrew text.
Even the Dead Sea Scrolls agrees with the traditional Hebrew Masoretic text and says: “The LORD appeared TO ME long ago, saying: I have loved you with an everlasting love, so I have drawn you…”
The ESV has not only rejected the Hebrew reading of “to ME” and changed it to “to HIM” but has changed the meaning of the verse. The ESV reads ” the Lord appeared to HIM [1] from far away. I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have CONTINUED MY FAITHUFLNESS TO YOU.”instead of “I HAVE DRAWN THEE.” The Hebrew word is “to draw” (as even the RV, ASV, NASB, NIV have it) and is used in “heifer which hath not DRAWN in the yoke” (Deut. 21:3); “a certain man DREW a bow” (1 Kings 22:34); “when he DRAWETH him into his net” (Psalm 10:9), “DRAW me, we will run after thee” (Song of Solomon 1:4); “and they DREW Joseph out of the pit” (Genesis 37:28); “Canst thou DRAW OUT Leviathan with an hook?” (Job 41:1), “So they DREW up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon.” (Jeremiah 38:13) etc.
Furthermore, the ESV says they got their reading of “TO HIM” instead of “TO ME” from the so called Greek Septuagint, but they don’t mention the fact that the LXX has chapter 31 not in 31 but in chapter 38 of Jeremiah, AND even the Greek LXX reads “I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore I HAVE DRAWN THEE”!!! This is how modern “scholarship” works, folks.
The Catholic bible versions present us with their typical ever-changing textual changes. The older Douay-Rheims of 1610 and the Douay of 1950 both agree with the Hebrew text and the KJB saying “to ME”, but the St. Joseph New American bible of 1970 and the Jerusalem bible of 1968 say “to HIM”, but then the New Jerusalem bible of 1985 has now gone back to reading “to ME”.
Dan Wallace’s NET version is so messed up it is unrecognizable. It says: “In a far-off land the Lord will manifest himself TO THEM. He will say to them, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love. That is why I have continued to be faithful to you.” This goofy version is much like the ESV and changes the Hebrew “to thee” to “to them” and has altered so many things in the Hebrew text that it is beyond recognition. Also reading “to THEM” is the New English Version 1970 and the Revised English Version of 1989.
The NIV has something even different with its “The LORD appeared to US in the past, saying, “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.” the NIV has “TO US” instead of the Hebrew “to me” or the Greek “to him”, and just makes up their own text as they go along. However, the NIV Spanish edition follows the Hebrew and says “to ME” – La Nueva Versión Internacional 1999 – “Hace mucho tiempo se ME apareció el Señor y ME dijo…”
The 2007 New Living Translation now has: “Long ago the LORD said TO ISRAEL: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.”
Let’s see – to me, to him, to us, to them or to Israel...Yep, pretty much the same thing, right?
Lamentations 3:22 KJB – “It is of the LORD’S mercies THAT WE ARE NOT CONSUMED, because his compassions fail not.”
ESV 2001 (printed edition hard copy ) – “The steadfast love of the Lord NEVER CEASES; [2] his mercies never come to an end.” Footnote: “Syriac, Targum; Hebrew – Because of the steadfast love of the LORD, we are not cut off.”
To see much more about this verse and how several modern versions reject the Hebrew reading in favor of something found in the Syriac see my article here –
http://brandplucked.webs.com/lam322arenotconsumed.htm
The Selective Silliness of the “Science” of Textual Criticism in Action
Ezekiel 8:2 “Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance OF FIRE: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire.”
So read Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Revised Version 1885, ASV 1901, the NKJV, the Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, Douay-Rheims, Darby, Young’s and Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac Peshitta. You can also cross reference this verse to Ezekiel 1:27 where the prophet sees a vision “as it were the appearance of fire”.
However beginning with the liberal RSV, and now in the NASB, NIV, ESV, Holman Standard, and NET version, these modern versions reject the Hebrew reading and follow the Greek Septuagint saying: “Then I looked and behold, the likeness as the appearance OF A MAN.”
The NASB and NIV don’t give any footnotes, but the RSV, ESV and Holman and NET do list a footnote telling us the reading of “a man” comes from the LXX, but the Hebrew Masoretic text reads “of fire”. Likewise among the Catholic bible versions, the older Douay-Rheims and the Douay of 1950 read “a likeness as the appearance of FIRE” but the more modern Catholic bibles like the Jerusalem bible 1968 and the New Jerusalem of 1985 read like the NASB, ESV, NIV and say “the appearance of a HUMAN BEING” (or MAN), and then footnote that this reading comes from the Greek but that the Hebrew reads “fire”.
But How consistent are they? Let’s take a closer look at this so called Greek Septuagint and other verses in this same chapter of Ezekiel 8.
In the very first verse the Hebrew text and the King James Bible says: “And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the SIXTH month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand the Lord GOD fell there upon me.”
However the Greek LXX says “in the FIFTH month” instead of “in the SIXTH month”. Even Dan Wallace’s NET version follows the Hebrew reading here, but he footnotes: “The LXX reads “In the sixth year, in the FIFTH month, on the fifth of the month.” Do any of these modern versions like the NASB, NIV, ESV or NET follow this reading here? No, they do not.
In Ezekiel 8:7 we read in the Hebrew text and the KJB: “And he brought me to the door of the court; AND WHEN I LOOKED, BEHOLD, A HOLE IN THE WALL.” However the LXX OMITS all of the capitalized words “and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.” And again we see that all these modern versions followed the Hebrew text and NOT the so called Greek Septuagint here.
In Ezekiel 8:16 we read in the Hebrew and the KJB – “And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’s house, and behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about FIVE AND TWENTY men, with their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.”
However the LXX actually says: “were about TWENTY men”. Again, Dan Wallace’s NET version notes: “The LXX reads “twenty” instead of twenty-five, perhaps because of the association of the number twenty with the Mesopotamian sun god Shamash.” But do any of these modern versions that rejected the Hebrew reading “of fire” in verse two and opted for the LXX reading “of a man” now chose to follow the LXX? Of course not. They all go with 25 men instead of 20 men.
Then again in Ezekiel 8:17 the last part of the verse reads: “…for they have filled the land with violence AND HAVE RETURNED TO PROVOKE ME TO ANGER; AND, LO, THEY PUT THE BRANCH TO THE NOSE.” However the so called Greek Septuagint completely rejects the Hebrew reading here and instead reads: “…for they have filled the land with iniquity: AND, BEHOLD, THESE ARE AS SCORNERS.”
Even Dan Wallace footnotes: “The LXX glosses the expression as “Behold, they are like mockers.” But do any of these modern versions adopt the LXX reading here? Of course not. They just pick out a word here and there from among the THOUSANDS of differences that are found in the various SeptuagintS (there are several of them, and they do not agree with each other) and put them in their “bibles”. This is the true nature of what they like to refer to as their “science” of textual criticism.
NASB rejects the Hebrew texts.
Ezekiel 11:15 “Son of man, thy brethren, even THY BRETHREN, the MEN OF THY KINDRED, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession.”
The phrase “even THY BRETHREN, THE MEN OF THY KINDRED” is the reading of all Hebrew texts, and that of the Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, the Geneva Bible, Young’s, the Revised Version, the American Standard Version of 1901, and the Third Millenium Bible. Even the ESV follows this reading saying “even your brothers, your kinsmen”.
The NKJV is different by still fairly close with: “Son of man, your brethren, YOUR RELATIVES, YOUR KINSMEN…” They changed the second “brethren” to “your relatives” and omitted the Hebrew word for “men”, but it still basically has the same meaning.
The NASB rejects the Hebrew reading, along with the RSV and NRSV and says: “Son of man, your brothers, your relatives, YOUR FELLOW EXILES, and the whole house of Israel…”
The NASB doesn’t tell you when they reject the Hebrew texts (which it does scores of times), but if you look at the RSV, NRSV, and Holman Standard footnotes, they tell us that the reading of “your fellow exiles” comes from the Greek Septuagint and the Syriac, but that the Hebrew reads “the men of thy kindred”.
The NIV gives us a made up paraphrase saying: “Son of man, your brothers – your brothers who ARE YOUR BLOOD RELATIVES and the whole house of Israel…” There is no word for “blood” in any text, but at least it is closer to the Hebrew reading than the NASB.
The Holman Standard puts a different twist on this verse by saying: “Son of man, your own relatives, THOSE WHO HAVE A RIGHT TO REDEEM YOU, and the entire house of Israel…” Then in a footnote tells us the LXX and Syriac read “your fellow exiles” (as the NASB has it).
Actually even the footnote of the RSV, NRSV, and Holman Standard is inaccurate. The NIV footnote tells us to see or compare the LXX and the Syriac, whereas the RSV, Holman say the LXX and Syriac read “your fellow exiles”. This is not true. The LXX actually says: “thy brothers, AND THE MEN OF THY CAPTIVITY”; whereas Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac reads: “your brethren, your KINDRED, WHO ARE IN YOUR CAPTIVITY…”
In any case, the NASB has not followed the Hebrew texts, but reads as do the previous RSV and NRSV and the Catholic St. Joseph by following the so called Greek Septuagint. The Catholic bibles are interesting in that the older Douay read like the KJB and the Hebrew; then the 1970 St. Joseph went with the bogus LXX reading and has “your kinsmen, YOUR FELLOW EXILES”, but then the New Jerusalem of 1985 went back to the Hebrew reading. There’s nothing like true “scholarship” to clear things up for us, right? And this is “nothing like true scholarship”;-)
It should be of interest to see that the 2001 ESV (English Standard Version), which is a revision of the previous RSV, NRSV, has now gone back to the Hebrew reading. It says: “Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, your KINSMEN…”
Ezekiel 11:19 – KJB – “And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within YOU; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give then an heart of flesh.”
The Hebrew Masoretic Text reads “within YOU” and so do the Revised Version 1881, Webster’s 1833 translation, the American Standard Version of 1901, Rotherham’s Emphasized bible of 1902, the JPS (Jewish Publication Society) of 1917, the 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company translation, the Complete Jewish Bible (as seen at Studylight.com), the Hebrew Names Version, Darby, Youngs, the KJV 21st Century version 1994, the Third Millenium Bible 1998 and Green’s “literal” translation of 2000. The Modern Greek (as opposed to the so called LXX) also reads as does the Hebrew texts and the King James Bible.
However the NKJV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV, NASB and Holman Standard all reject the Hebrew reading in this place and change it to read: “Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within THEM” (NKJV). Then the NKJV footnotes: “literally YOU”. The NASB online edition gives more information in that it tells us that YOU comes from the Greek LXX and “many manuscripts” but that the Hebrew reads YOU. Likewise the Catholic versions like the Douay, St. Joseph New American bible 1970 and the New Jerusalem bible of 1985 read “them”, but then footnote that the Hebrew texts read “you” just as the King James Bible has it.
The NET version also rejects the Hebrew reading and says “THEM” but then footnotes “The MT reads “you”; many Hebrew mss along with the LXX and other ancient versions read “within them.”
Several previous English and foreign language versions followed the Latin Vulgate reading here instead of either the Hebrew Masoretic texts or the so called LXX, and they read something like “in their bowels” – Douay-Rheims – instead of “within YOU”.
Wycliffe, Coverdale, the Bishops’ bible and even the Geneva bible, along with the early Douay-Rheims, all followed the Latin Vulgate here and read “within their bowels” (Geneva) or “in the entrails of them” (Wycliffe). So the King James Bible was the first English Bible to follow the God inspired Hebrew reading of “within YOU”.
Most Spanish versions like the Reina Valera and Gomez translation also got it wrong and read “within them” (ellos), though the French Louis Segond got it right as did Luther’s German bible of 1545, reading “within YOU” as do the Hebrew and the King James Bible.
Ezekiel 16:6 – “And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; YEA, I SAID UNTO THEE WHEN THOU WAST IN THY BLOOD, LIVE.”
Another example of the “science” of textual criticism in action –
Ezekiel 16:6 The NIV, along with the TNIV, The Message, the RSV, NRSV, New English Bible 1970, Common English bible 2011, Names of God Bible 2011 and Lexham English Bible omit “YEA, I SAID UNTO THEE WHEN THOU WAST IN THY BLOOD, LIVE”.
Among the Catholic versions we see the usual confusion. The early Douay-Rheims bible of 1610 as well as the Douay of 1950 both included the words. But then the St. Joseph New American Bible of 1970 and the New Jerusalem bible 1985 omitted these words. Oh, but wait! Now the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version has come out and it put the words back in the text!
All these words are found in most Hebrew manuscripts and in the Jewish bibles like the Jewish Publication Society 1917, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Judaica Press Tanach and the Orthodox Jewish Bible of 2011. They are also found in Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535, the Great Bible 1540, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva bible 1587, Darby, Youngs, the Revised Version 1881, ASV 1901, NASB 1995, NKJV 1982, Holman Standard 2003 and the ESV 2001-2011. Notice that the previous RSV and NRSV omitted them, but then they were “scientifically” put back in the ESV.
Even Dan Wallace’s NET version includes the words, but in typical Bible agnostic fashion he footnotes: “The translation reflects the Hebrew text, which repeats the statement, perhaps for emphasis. However, a few medieval Hebrew manuscripts, the Old Greek, and the Syriac do not include the repetition. The statement could have been accidentally repeated or the second occurrence could have been accidentally omitted. Based on the available evidence it is difficult to know which is more likely.“
Among foreign language Bible all these words are found in the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras 1549, the Spanish Reina Valera 1995, R.V. Gómez 2010, the Italian Diodati 1649 and La Nuova Diodati 1991, the French Martin 1744, Louis Segond and the French Ostervald 1996, Luther’s German bible 1545, the German Schlachter Bible 2000, the Portuguese Almeida and A Sagrada Biblia em Portugués, and in the Modern Greek Bible – “Και οτε διεβην απο πλησιον σου και σε ειδον κυλιομενην εν τω αιματι σου, ειπα προς σε ευρισκομενην εν τω αιματι σου, Ζηθι· ναι, ειπα προς σε ευρισκομενην εν τω αιματι σου, Ζηθι.
The NIV footnote informs us that a few Hebrew mss. and the LXX and Syriac omit these words, but they are found in most Hebrew texts. If the NIV wanted to follow the Syriac, then why didn’t they follow it when in the very next verse (Ezekiel 16:7) where the KJB and most translations say something like : “…and thou hast increased and waxen great AND ART COME TO EXCELLENT ORNAMENTS” (Geneva, RV, ASV), but the Syriac says “…and you have increased and grown great;THEN YOU WENT INTO THE CITIES.”?
So, what does the NIV do here? Well, the 1984 NIV says: “You grew up and developed and BECAME THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF JEWELS.” But the 2011 NIV now changed this to – “You grew and developed and ENTERED PUBERTY.” Isn’t modern scholarship a Wonder to behold; you are always Wondering what they will come up with next.
Ezekiel 17:21 “And ALL HIS FUGITIVES with all his bands shall fall by the sword.” So read the King James Bible, Geneva bible, Rotherham’s Emphasized bible, the Revised Version, American Standard Version, NKJV, Youngs, Darby, Douay-Rheims, Latin Vulgate 425 A.D., Green’s MKJV, Italian Diodati, Spanish Reina Valera, the 2003 Holman Standard. The NIV paraphrases this as “all his fleeing troops will fall by the sword”, but still follows most Hebrew manuscripts.
However the NASB, RSV and ESV say: “All HIS CHOICE MEN in all his troops will fall by the sword.” As usual, the printed NASBs don’t tell you when they depart from the traditional reading, (though the online edition footnotes “So many ancient mss and versions; M.T. fugitives “, but the RSV and ESV footnote that this reading comes from “some Hebrew mss. and the Syriac, but that most Hebrew mss. read: “all his fugitives”. The older Catholic versions like the Douay-Rheims and Douay followed the Hebrew texts and have “fugitives” but the newer Catholic versions like St. Joseph and New Jerusalem go with the Syriac reading, just like the NASB, RSV, ESV.
None of these different versions mention the LXX here. Perhaps because the Septuagint reads differently than them all with: “In every battle of his they shall fall by the sword.”
Likewise Daniel Wallace’s NET version with his usual “anything but the KJB” slant on things, reads like the NASB with “All the CHOICE MEN among his troops will die”, but then he footnotes: “Some manuscripts and versions read “choice men,” while most manuscripts read “fugitives”.
Ah, but wait. Even though the NIV stuck with the traditional Hebrew reading of “fugitives” (fleeing troops), now the new TNIV of 2005, put out by many of the same men who gave us the old NIV, has decided to adopt this other variant reading: “all his CHOICE TROOPS will fall by the sword.” And this is now the reading too of the “new” New International Version of 2012 reading: “All HIS CHOICE TROOPS” instead of the Hebrew and the 1984 NIV “fugitives”.
The Jewish translations themselves are in disagreement. The 1917 JPS reads “his MIGHTY MEN”, while the 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company version and the 2004 Judaica Press Tanach both follow the traditional text with “his FUGITIVES shall fall by the sword.” The fugitives were the men who accompanied king Zedekiah when he fled from the city. See Ezekiel 12:12-14; and Jeremiah 52:7-8.
Likewise the Catholic versions are all confused. The earlier Douay-Rheims reads “fugitives”, while the latest Catholic versions like the St. Joseph NAB, the Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem versions have adopted the variant reading of “the choice men.”
This is the fickle nature of modern scholars; none of whom believes in an infallible Bible in any language.
Ezekiel 18:17 KJB ( NASB, NKJV, RV, ASV, Geneva, Young, Darby, Holman, Lamsa’s 1933 translation of the Syriac Peshitta) – “That hath taken off his hand from THE POOR, that hath not received usury nor increase”.
NIV 1978 and 1984 editions – “He withholds his hand from SIN…” Footnote LXX, Hebrew reads “the poor”. The RSV, NRSV and ESV also follow the Greek Septuagint here instead of the Hebrew texts, reading “withholds his hand from INIQUITY”. The ESV then footnotes that this reading comes from the Septuagint, but that the Hebrew text reads “from the poor”. Oh, but wait. Now the “new” NIV of 2012 has come out and it has once again changed its underlying O.T. text. It now says: “He withholds his hand FROM MISTREATING THE POOR”! This time the NIV editors decided to go back to the Hebrew text.
The Catholic versions likewise are in disarray. The older Douay-Rheims and the Douay of 1950 say “the POOR”, but the St. Joseph New American bible of 1970 has “holds off from EVILDOING” and the 1985 New Jerusalem rejects the Hebrew and follows the LXX reading “”abstains FROM EVIL”. BUT, now the latest 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version has come out, and it too goes back to the Hebrew and now reads: “who has averted his hand from injuring THE POOR”.
Daniel Wallace and company’s goofy NET version reads “refrains from WRONGDOING” and then he footnotes: “This translation follows the LXX. The MT reads “restrains his hand from the poor,” which makes no sense here.”. Well, it may not make sense to bible correctors like Daniel Wallace and company, but it seems perfectly obvious that the meaning of the passage is that the righteous man does not oppress or take advantage of the poor.
Ezekiel 19:7 the context is speaking of a lion who “knew their desolate palaces.” The KJB and the Hebrew say: “he KNEW their desolate palaces”. This simply means that the lion whelp was familiar and acquainted with these areas. So too read the Geneva Bible 1599, the Revised Version 1881, the American Standard Version of 1901, the NKJV, Darby, Young, the Jewish translation of 1917, World English Bible, Hebrew Names Version and others.
However the NASB changes this to “he DESTROYED their fortified towers”, while the NIV says “He BROKE DOWN their strongholds.” Then in a footnote the NIV tells us this reading comes from a Targum (a Jewish interpretation) but that the Hebrew reads “he KNEW”. Dan Wallace’s NET version also says: “HE BROKE DOWN their strongholds” and then informs us in a footnote – “rew text reads “knew”” Likewise the Catholic versions like the St. Joseph and New Jerusalem follow this same bogus reading and have “RAVAGED” (St. Joseph) and “TORE DOWN” (New Jerusalem). Now the ESV has come out and it reads differently than them all. The ESV says “he seized THEIR WIDOWS”, while Green’s MKJV says “He knew their widows”, and the new Complete Jewish bible says: “He RAPED their widows”.
The NKJV text reads as does the King James Bible, but the online NKJV tells us in their footnote: “The LXX reads “he stood in insolence” (my copy of the LXX says “he prowled in boldness); the Targum reads: “He destroyed its palaces”; and the Vulgate reads: “He learned to make widows”.
Let’s see, “he knew their desolate palaces”; “he knew their widows”; “he broke down their strongholds”, and “he seized their widows”. Yep, looks pretty much like the same meaning;-)
In Ezekiel 19:10 we read: “Thy mother is like a vine in thy BLOOD”. The inspired prophet is changing metaphors from a lion and her whelps to that of a vine and its branches. The blood merely represents the same life and likeness that comes from the mother. It’s not that hard to understand.
The Geneva Bible notes: “He speaks this in the reproach of this wicked king, in whose blood, that is in the race of his predecessors, Jerusalem would have been blessed according to Gods promise and flourished as a fruitful vine.”
The reading of “blood” is that found in the Hebrew texts, the Vulgate 425 A.D., Wycliffe 1395, the Geneva Bible 1599, Bishops’ bible 1568, Coverdale 1535, the Revised Version 1881, American Standard Version 1901, the Douay-Rheims, Young’s, Green’s MKJV, Lamsa’s 1936 translation of the Syriac, the earlier Spanish Reina Valera of 1602 and 1909. The NKJV says “bloodline”, which is acceptable, but the RSV, ESV, NASB and the NIV change this to “your mother is like a vine in your VINEYARD”. The NIV then footnotes that “vineyard” comes from two mss. but most Hebrew mss. read “blood”. Wallace’s NET version also reads like the NIV but then footnotes: “The Hebrew text reads “in your blood,” but most emend to “in your vineyard.” The Catholic versions follow their typical pattern. The older Catholic translations like the Douay-Rheims, Douay followed the Hebrew texts and say “a vine in thy blood” but the more modern Catholic versions like St. Joseph and New Jerusalem bible omit this phrase, as do the NIV, NASB, ESV, NET, but footnote that the Hebrew does read “in thy blood”.
Why didn’t the modern versions follow the alleged LXX here? Well, perhaps because this fake bible version actually reads: “your mother was as a vine AND AS A BLOSSOM ON A POMEGRANATE TREE…” Now, that’s pretty close, right?
Darby’s fantasy version has: “Thy mother is like a vine IN THY REST…” And then he footnotes that the “reading is uncertain.” No, the reading is not uncertain. The only uncertainty is that these Bible correctors can’t think straight to figure out the simple meaning of the verse.
In Ezekiel 22:24 we read: “Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not CLEANSED nor RAINED UPON in the day of indignation.” So read the KJB, NKJV, NASB, and even the RSV, ESV and Holman Standard. However the NIV ALONE follows the Greek Septuagint and says: “you are a land that HAS NO RAIN OR SHOWERS in the day of wrath.” Then in a footnote tells us this comes from the LXX, but that the Hebrew reads “not cleansed or rained upon”. Again, guess which other versions read the same as the NIV. You got it. The older Catholic Douay-Rheims and Douay read as does the Hebrew and the KJB, but the St. Joseph and the New Jerusalem Catholic versions have likewise adopted the reading from the Greek and rejected the Hebrew texts. The New Jerusalem says “a land that has NOT RECEIVED RAIN OR SHOWER”. Then it footnotes that this reading comes from the Greek but that the Hebrew reads “has not been cleansed”.
Likewise Dan Wallace’s goofy NET version also reads this way saying -“‘You are a land that RECEIVES NO RAIN OR SHOWERS in the day of my anger.” And then he footnotes – “The MT reads “that is not cleansed”; the LXX reads “that is not drenched,” which assumes a different vowel pointing as well as the loss of a מ (mem) due to haplography.”
In Ezekiel 22:25 we read: “There is a conspiracy of her PROPHETS in the midst thereof…” So read the RV, ASV, Geneva, NASB, NKJV and even the newest ESV and Holman Standard. However the NIV went along with the previous RSV, NRSV and says there is a conspiracy among HER PRINCES. Then footnotes that the reading of “princes” comes from the Greek, but that the Hebrew says “prophets”. Again, the train wreck called the NET version by Daniel Wallace and company also reads “HER PRINCES” and then he footnotes – “Heb “a conspiracy of her prophets is in her midst.” The LXX reads “whose princes” rather than “a conspiracy of prophets.” AND as usual, the older Catholic versions like the Douay-Rheims and the Douay followed the Hebrew and read “there is a conspiracy of prophets”, but the newer Catholic St. Joseph and the New Jerusalem read “PRINCES” and then tell us in a footnote that this reading comes from the Greek but that the Hebrew reads “the conspiracy of her prophets”. It’s all there in black and white, folks.
Ezekiel 24:14 “…according to thy ways and according to thy doings, shall THEY judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.” God was going to bring the Babylonians against the land of His rebellious people. As He said in the previous chapter: “For thus saith the Lord GOD: I will bring up a company upon them…And the company shall stone them with stones, and dispatch them with their swords; they shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.” Ezekiel 23:46-47.
In Ezekiel 24:14 the reading of “THEY shall judge thee” is that found in the traditional Hebrew Masoretic texts and in the following translations: the Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Judaica Press Tanach, the Hebrew Names Version, the Revised Version, American Standard Version, Young’s, Darby, the NKJV 1982, Green’s, Third Millenium Bible and the Spanish Reina Valera.
However the Holman Standard, along with the NASB, NET and the RSV change the text and say: “And ‘I’ will judge you”. Then in a footnote the Holman Standard informs us that this different reading comes from “some Hebrew mss., the LXX, Syriac, Targum and the Vulgate, while other Hebrew manuscripts read ‘they’.”
But, the NIV, ESV and TNIV have changed even this to read: “YOU will be judged”. Need it be pointed out that “they”, “I” and “you” are not the same thing? The older Catholic Douay read “I will judge you” (like most Hebrew texts and the KJB) but the St. Joseph and New Jerusalem say “YOU will be judged” just like the NIV.
Ezekiel 32:5 – Here God compares Pharoah king of Egypt to a whale in the seas, whom He will cast forth upon the open field and cause the fowls of heaven to be filled with his flesh. In 32:5 The Hebrew texts as well as the King James Bible say: “I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy HEIGHT.”
The Hebrew word here is “height” and it comes from the verb “to lift up, to be lofty, be exalted, to be high.” So read not only the King James Bible but also Coverdale, Bishops’ Bible, the Geneva Bible, the RV, ASV, Green’s MKJV, Diodati, Spanish Reina Valera 1909, Hebrew Names Bible, World English Bible and the Third Millenium Bible.
However beginning with the RSV and then the NRSV, ESV they changed this verse to read: “I will fill the valleys with YOUR CARCASS.” Then in a footnote, these versions tell us that the word “carcass” supposedly comes from the Syriac and the Vulgate, but that the Hebrew reads “height”. The LXX is not much help to these people who would mould the Bible like they would a piece of putty, because the LXX says “blood” and not “height” nor “carcass”. However this didn’t prevent Rotherham’s Emphasized bible of 1902 from following the LXX reading and his version says “blood”.
The New English Bible says “I will fill the valleys with the WORMS that feed on it.” The Douay and the New Jerusalem say “with your CORRUPTION”, but the St. Joseph NAB has “YOUR CARCASS” and the Holman says “with your GORE”.
But wait! Now the NKJV also joins the old RSV and says “I will fill the valleys with your CARCASS”, while the NASB reads “with your REFUSE”, and the NIV says “with your REMAINS.”
In typical fashion, Daniel Wallace and his NET version reads: “fill the valleys with your MAGGOT-INFESTED CARCASS.” Then he footnotes this revealing comment: “The Hebrew text is difficult here, apparently meaning “your height.” Following Symmachus and the Syriac, it is preferable to emend the text to read “your maggots.” These guys are a hoot, aren’t they.
The NIV rejects the Hebrew readings in Ezekiel 27:15; 29:7; 40:6, 8, and 9. Then in 40: 44 the NIV changes “east” to “south, and in 40: 49 changes “eleven cubits” to “twelve cubits” from LXX; 41:1 NIV, NASB both omit “which was the breadth of the tabernacle” though in most Hebrew mss. and in the RV, ASV, NKJV; 41:22; 42:10; the NIV changes “east” to “south” 42:16; in 43:3 both NIV, NASB change “when I came to destroy the city” to “when HE came to destroy” based on the Vulgate. See Eze. 9:1 for the correct explanation in the Hebrew and the KJB.
Ezekiel 37:23 KJB – Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of all their DWELLINGPLACES, WHEREIN THEY HAVE SINNED, and will cleanse them: so shall they be my people, and I will be their God.”
NIV – They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their SINFUL BACKSLIDING,[a] and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.
Footnotes:
- Ezekiel 37:23 Many Hebrew manuscripts (see also Septuagint); most Hebrew manuscripts all their dwelling places where they sinned
The Catholic Connection
The previous Catholic Douay-Rheims 1610 and the Douay of 1950 both followed the same Hebrew texts as does the KJB saying – “and I will save them out of ALL THE PLACES in which they have sinned, and I will cleanse them”
However now the Catholic St. Joseph New American Bible 1970 and the New Jerusalem Bible 1985 have adopted the other reading and say “I will save them from THE ACTS OF INFIDELITY which they have committed” (New Jerusalem – Footnote “Manuscripts ‘acts of infidelity”, Hebrew – ‘dwellings’ ) or “I will deliver them from ALL THEIR SINS OF APOSTASY, and cleans them” (St. Joseph NAB)
Also adopting this different text are the Holman Standard – “I will save them from ALL THEIR APOSTASIES by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them.”, The ESV, RSV, NRSV – “But I will save them from ALL THE BACKSLIDINGS in which they have sinned” and Dan Wallace’s NET version.
Wallace and company’s NET version says: “I will save them from all THEIR UNFAITHFULNESS (20) by which they sinned.” Then he footnotes – “Heb “their dwellings.” The text as it stands does not make sense. Based on the LXX, a slight emendation of two vowels, including a mater, yields the reading “from their turning,” a reference here to their turning from God and deviating from his commandments. “
So our resident Bible corrector and esteemed “scholar” tells us that the Hebrew text reading just like the KJB and so many others have it – “dwelling” but that to him “It doesn’t make sense.”, in spite of the fact that it makes perfect sense. So, he and his group of highly respected scholars simply change the text.
The Amplified Bible 1987 combines BOTH readings with: “I will save them out of all THEIR DWELLING PLACES andFROM ALL THEIR BACKSLIDINGS in which they have sinned”
Agreeing with the reading found in the King James Bible – “I will save them out of all their DWELLINGPLACES, WHEREIN THEY HAVE SINNED” are Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac Peshitta, the NASB “all their dwelling places in which they have sinned”, the Revised Version 1885, ASV 1901, Darby 1890, Youngs 1898, The Complete Jewish Bible, Coverdale 1535, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587, the Jewish Publication Society O.T. 1917, The Complete Jewish Bible 1998, The Koster Scriptures 1998, The Judaica Press Tanach 2004, The New European Version 2010, The Online Interlinear 2010 (André de Mol), Common English Bible 2011, The Work of God’s Children Illustrated Bible 2011, The Voice 2012, The World English Bible 2012 – “I will save them out of ALL THEIR DWELLINGPLACES wherein they have sinned”,The Interlinear Hebrew-Greek Scriptures 2012 (Mebust), The Hebraic Roots Bible 2012, the Biblos Interlinear Bible 2013, International Standard Version 2014 and the Modern English Bible – “I will save them out of ALL THEIR DWELLING PLACES in which they have sinned”
Ezekiel 40:49 – “The length of the porch was twenty cubits, and the breadth ELEVEN CUBITS”
So read the Hebrew texts as well as Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale, Matthew’s Bible 1549, the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible, the Revised Version 1881, ASV 1901, NASB 1995, the NKJV 1982, the Jewish Publication Society translation of 1917, Darby, Youngs, World English Bible, Orthodox Jewish Bible 2011 and the Catholic Douay-Rheims 1610 and the Douay of 1950.
However the RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV along with the more modern Catholic St. Joseph NAB 1970 and New Jerusalem bible 1985 all reject the clear Hebrew reading of “ELEVEN cubits” and here follow the so called Greek Septuagint and say “the breadth TWELVE CUBITS.” Then they footnote that this reading comes from the LXX but that the Hebrew text reads “ELEVEN cubits.”
The confusion is seen further in Ezekiel 40:49 in that the Holman Standard says: “21 feet deep” and then footnotes “Literally 12 cubits”. But this means the Holman followed the Septuagint reading and not the Hebrew text. This is seen by comparing Dan Wallace’s NET version which says “the width 19 1/4 feet”, and he then footnotes “Hebrew – ELEVEN cubits.” So the Holman paraphrased the LXX and not the Hebrew while Dan Wallace paraphrased the Hebrew and not the LXX. Then the Common English bible of 2011 says: “the porch was EIGHTEEN feet wide”, not 191/4 or much less 21 feet wide.
One would have to ask that if the ESV and NIV liked the so called Septuagint so much here, why they didn’t follow it in Ezekiel 40:7 where the Hebrew texts as well as the ESV, NIV, NASB, NKJV, NET, ISV etc. all say “and between the little chambers were FIVE cubits”, but this same LXX says “SIX cubits”.
Or perhaps we could look at this same chapter of Ezekiel 40:14 where the Hebrew text says: “He made also posts of THREESCORE (SIXTY) cubits” but the LXX says “TWENTY cubits”. Oh wait! The Bishops’ Bible, Geneva Bible, JPS 1917, RV, ASV, NASB, NKJV, NIV and the previous Douay-Rheims and Douay all follow the Hebrew texts and read “THREESCORE (SIXTY) CUBITS” BUT the RSV, NRSV, ESV and the modern Catholic New Jerusalem DO follow the LXX reading here and have “TWENTY cubits”, and the ESV doesn’t even tell you in a footnote that they did this.
And again both the Holman Standard and Dan Wallaces NET version paraphrase the number and say “105 feet high” and then footnote that the Hebrew is literally “60 cubits”, but at least this time the Holman and NET followed the same Hebrew texts whereas in Ezekiel 40:49 they both went their separate ways, with the Holman following the LXX and Wallace the Hebrew. And they like to call these shenanigans the “science” of textual criticism.
Ezekiel 42:4
Here we read: “And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, A WAY OF ONE CUBIT, and their doors toward the north.”
So read all Hebrew texts and the Jewish translations, the Revised Version, American Standard Version, Geneva Bible, and the Spanish Reina Valera.
The walkway of 10 cubits was ONE cubit wide. The NKJV changes the meaning by saying: “a distance of one cubit”.
The NASB says: “a way of 100 cubits”, the NIV has “100 feet” and the Holman Standard says “175 feet long”. The RSV and ESV say “100 cubits long”, but then in a footnote tell us the reading of “100” comes from the Greek Septuagint, but that the Hebrew literally reads “a way of one cubit”. Here the Catholic Douay and even the St. Joseph follow the Hebrew text and say “one cubit” but the New Jerusalem goes with “a hundred cubits long”, and then informs us in a footnote that the Hebrew reads “a cubit”.
Wallaces’s NET version says: “at a distance of one and three-quarter feet”, then he footnotes “Heb “one cubit”. The Septuagint and the Syriac read “one hundred cubits.”
Ezekiel 45:1 “…the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be TEN thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about.”
TEN thousand is the reading of all Hebrew texts and that of Wycliffe 1395, Coverdale 1535, Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible, the RV, ASV, Jewish Publication Society (JPS) 1917, NKJV 1982, the Complete Jewish Bible, the Hebrew Names Version, Lamsa’ translation of the Syriac, the NASB 1972, 1973 and 1977 editions. The Modern Greek Bible reads like the KJB and the Hebrew text with “10,000” – και το πλατος δεκα χιλιαδων
However the NIV, RSV, ESV and now the NASB 1995 edition all say “TWENTY thousand”, then in a footnote tell us the 20,000 comes from the Septuagint, but that the Hebrew reads 10,000. So the NASB has once again changed from a previous Hebrew text to the LXX text in this place. Likewise the earlier Catholic versions (Douay-Rheims, Douay) follow the Hebrew “10,000” but the newer St. Joseph NAB 1970 and the New Jerusalem 1985 both go with the Septuagint reading of “20,000” and reject the Hebrew text.
The Daniel Wallace NET version says: “three and one-third miles”. But wait! The Holman Standard says: “six and two-thirds miles.” Now I’m really confused. No wonder the Muslims mock at the Christians’ “inspired Bible”! Dan Wallace is paraphrasing the Hebrew text, which he footnotes as reading 10,000 cubits and the Holman Standard is paraphrasing the Greek Septuagint. But there is more to this story of the shifting shenanigans of the “science” of textual criticism.
Not only does the so called Greek Septuagint change the Hebrew number of 10,000 cubits into 20,000 cubits in verse one, but it does the same thing in verses three and verse five! All three places have been changed in the LXX from 10,000 to 20,000. But did the ESV, NIV, RSV and now the NASB 1995 edition follow the LXX in verses 3 and 5 and change the 10,000 to the LXX’s 20,000 there? No, they did not; they still read 10,000 cubits in verse 3 and 5. How is that for being consistent?
Not only this, but this same Greek Septuagint also radically changes the number in verse 15. There we read in the Hebrew text – “And one lamb out of the flock, out of TWO HUNDRED”. However the LXX reads “And one sheep out from the flock out of TEN”, not 200. So did any of these modern versions go with the Septuagint reading in that verse? No, they did not. They still read “out of 200”. Such is the fickle nature of the so called “science” of textual criticism. They reject the Hebrew and pick out a LXX reading from verse 1 and do the same thing in part of verse five, but reject the LXX readings in verses 3, part of 5 and 15.
Ezekiel 45:5 “And the five and twenty thousand of length, and the ten thousand of breadth, shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves, for a possession for TWENTY CHAMBERS.“
“for a possession for twenty chambers” is the reading of the Hebrew texts and that of Wycliffe, Coverdale, Bishops’ Bible, the Geneva Bible, the RV, ASV, NKJV, Complete Jewish Bible, Hebrew Names Version and Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac. And once again, the Modern Greek Bible now agrees with the Hebrew text and says “TWENTY CHAMBERS” – μετα εικοσι θαλαμων.
However the NASB, RSV, ESV, NIV, NET and Holman Standard say: “as their possession CITIES TO DWELL IN.” Then the RSV, ESV footnote that “cities to dwell in” comes from the Greek Septuagint, but that the Hebrew reads “twenty chambers.” Again, the older Catholic Douay-Rheims and Douay stuck with the Hebrew and read “twenty chambers” but the newer Catholic versions (St. Joseph and New Jerusalem) go with “CITIES TO DWELL IN”
Daniel Wallace’s NET version reads: “the Levites, who minister at the temple, as the place FOR THE CITIES IN WHICH THEY LIVE.” Then he mentions in his footnote: ” The translation follows the Septuagint here. The MT reads “twenty.”
Folks, these are the modern perversions people are being deceived into using and that NOBODY seriously believes are the true and infallible words of the living God. Get yourself the King James Holy Bible and stick to it.
Hosea 4:7 KJB – (Geneva bible, NASB, NKJV, ASV, RSV, ESV, Holman Standard) – “As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore WILL I CHANGE their glory into shame.”
NIV – follows the Syriac and says “THEY EXCHANGED their Glory for something disgraceful.” So too do the NRSV, the Message and Wallace’s NET version. The NIV footnotes that “they exchanged” comes from the Syriac, but that the Hebrew texts read “I will exchange”. Notice that the RSV stayed with the Hebrew, then the NRSV went with the Syriac, but then the ESV had now gone back to the Hebrew reading once again. And among the Catholic versions the older Douay stayed with the Hebrew and read: “I will change” but the more modern New Jerusalem went with “THEY have bartered their Glory for Shame” and then informs us that the Hebrew reads “I will change their glory for shame”, just as the KJB has it. The modern versionists are nothing but consistently inconsistent.
Hosea 6:5 “Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: AND THY JUDGMENTS ARE AS THE LIGHT THAT GOETH FORTH.”
So read the Hebrew texts, as well as the following Bible translations: Geneva Bible 1599, (“THY” is also the reading of Wycliffe 1395, Bishops’ Bible, and Coverdale); the Revised Version 1881 “and THY judgments are as the light that goeth forth.”, ASV 1901, the 1917 Jewish Publication Society translation, Darby, NKJV, Green’s MKJV, Third Millenium Bible 1998, and the Spanish Reina Valera – “y TUS juicios serán como luz que sale.”
However the NASB says: “And the judgments ON YOU are like the light that goes forth.” The NASB merely omits the Hebrew word THY, or else changes it to “on you” and changes the meaning of the verse. The judgments spoken of were the words of truth, light and doctrine that went forth by the prophets and were given to the nation of Israel. The verse does not refer to “punishments for their sins”, as the NASB implies.
The NIV has changed the Hebrew text and reads: “MY judgments FLASHED LIKE LIGHTNING UPON YOU.” Among the Catholic versions the older Douay follows the Hebrew and reads like the KJB with “thy judgments shall go forth as the light”; the St. Joseph just omits the phrase altogether, and the New Jerusalem adopts the bogus reading of “MY sentence will blaze forth as the dawn”, but then mentions in the footnote that the Hebrew Masoretic text reads as we have it in the King James Bible.
The Holman Standard similarly rejects the Hebrew texts and says: “I have killed them with the words of My mouth. MY judgment strikes like lightning.” However the Holman at least does us the service of noting in their footnote that the reading of MY comes from the LXX and the Syriac, but that the Hebrew reads “YOUR judgments go out as light”. By the way, the Hebrew word means “light” and not “lightning”.
Not even the RSV, NRSV, or the 2001 ESV went as far as the NIV and Holman in perverting the Hebrew texts. They all read: “MY judgment goes forth as the light.” (ESV). Then again they footnote that MY comes from the Greek and Syriac, but the Hebrew reads YOUR.
What is fascinating to watch is how each “scholar” goes about setting up his own mind as the final authority. Daniel Wallace, of Dallas Theological Seminary, is a prime example of today’s “every man for himself bible version” mentality.
Wallace’s NET version reads: “for MY judgment will come forth like the light of the dawn.” . Then the good doctor informs us in his footnotes: “The MT reads “and YOUR judgments are a light which goes forth” which is enigmatic and syntactically awkward (cf. KJV, NASB). The LXX reads “my judgment goes forth like light”. Here Wallace recognizes the Hebrew reads “your” (or thy), yet he thinks it is enigmatic, and so corrects the Hebrew text with the Greek LXX.
But then in the very same verse he now criticizes the NIV reading and says: “The noun “light” is used here in reference to the morning light or dawn rather than lightning (cf. NIV).”
“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25
Hosea 11:2 “As THEY called them, so they went from THEM: they sacrificed unto Baalim, and burned incense to graven images.”
Here, the “they” who called them, and the “them” from whom the children of Israel went, are the prophets God sent to call His people to repentance, and urge them to return to the true worship. Compare 11:7.
The reading of “as THEY called them, so they went from THEM” is found in the KJB, NKJV, RV, NASB, Geneva, Youngs, Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, the Spanish Reina Valera, and even the ESV.
However the NIV, RSV, NET and NRSV say: “The more I called Israel (“Israel” is not in any text), the more they went FROM ME.” Then the NIV, RSV footnote that the “I” and the “ME” come from some Septuagint versions, but that the Hebrew texts read “they” and “them”. Daniel Wallace’s goofy NET bible version also reads like the NIV, thus rejecting the Hebrew readings. The Holman Standard confuses things even further by saying: “The more THEY called them, the more they departed from ME.” Then it footnotes that “ME” comes from the LXX but the Hebrew Masoretic text reads “THEM”. Again, among the Catholic versions we see the same degeneration of the text. The older Catholic versions like the Douay-Rheims and the Douay followed the Hebrew “they/them” but the St. Joseph and New Jerusalem go with the Greek and have “I/me” but then tell us in a footnote their reading comes from the Greek while the Hebrew reads “they called them, so they went away from them.”
Hosea 11:4- This one is almost too much to believe. In the King James Bible we read: “I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as THEY THAT TAKE OFF THE YOKE on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.” This was also the reading of the old Catholic Douay-Rheims -“to them as one that taketh off the yoke on their jaws”. It is also the reading of the Revised Version, the ASV, NASB, RSV, ESV, NKJV, NET and Holman Standard. It WAS the reading of the former NIVs which said – “I LIFTED THE YOKE from their neck” (NIV 1984). However the NRSV and now the NIV 2011 have changed this verse to read -” I was like ONE WHO LIFTS A LITTLE CHILD to the cheek” (NIV 2012). This is also like the Catholic St. Joseph and the New Jerusalem which say “I was like someone LIFTING AN INFANT TO HIS CHEEK.” Then the New Jerusalem informs us in a footnote that the Hebrew text reads “YOKE”.
Hosea 12:4 “Yea, he had power over the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication unto him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spake WITH US.”
“WITH US” is the reading of the Hebrew texts, as well as that of the RV, ASV, NASB, NKJV, Geneva Bible, Young’s, Darby, and the 2001 ESV. However, the RSV, NIV, NET and Holman Standard all follow the Greek Septuagint and Syriac, instead of the Hebrew texts. The NIV and Holman Standard say: “and talked WITH HIM there.” Daniel Wallace and company’s NET version also changes this to “there he spoke WITH HIM.” and then he footnotes – “The Leningrad Codex and the Allepo Codex both read 1st person common plural עִמָּנוּ (’immanu, “with us”). The LXX and Peshitta both reflect an alternate Hebrew Vorlage of 3rd person masculine singular עִמוֹ (’imo, “with him”). The BHS editors suggest emending the MT in favor of the Greek and Syriac.” Well, the Catholic versions do the same thing with the older Catholic versions following the Hebrew and reading “he spoke WITH US.” but the newer Catholic versions like the St. Joseph and New Jerusalem reading “with HIM”
13:10 God says to Israel “I WILL BE YOUR KING” in the KJB, NKJV, Webster’s, Third Millenium Bible, but the NIV, RSV, ESV, Holman, and NASB ask “WHERE IS your king?” The RSV, NRSV, and Holman Standard all have an interesting footnote here. Their footnotes reads ” Greek, Syriac and Vulgate read “Where is your king?”, while the Hebrew Masoretic text says “I will be your king.”
Once again we see the same thing happening with the Catholic versions. The older Catholic versions like the Douay-Rheims and the Douay read “I will be your king” (following the Hebrew texts) but the more recent St. Joseph and New Jerusalem ask “Where is your king?”
Daniel Wallace’s idiotic NET bible version says: “WHERE THEN IS your king, that he may save you in all your cities?” Then he footnotes: “The Masoretic Text reads the enigmatic “I want to be [your king]”… which makes little sense…All the versions (Greek, Syriac, Vulgate) read the interrogative particle “where?” which the BHS editors endorse. The textual corruption was caused by metathesis of the y (yod) and h (hey). Few translations follow the MT: “I will be thy/your king” (KJV, NKJV). Most emend the text: “Where is your king?” (RSV, NASB, NIV, NJPS, CEV).”
There it is, right before your eyes in black and white. This “eminent textual scholar” openly admits that the Hebrew texts say “I will be your king”, but says it makes little sense, and that it is better to “emend” (change) the text, as do many modern versions!!!
Other textual scholars take the opposite view. Jamieson, Faussett and Brown remark: ” I will be thy king;–the Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate, “Where now is thy king?” [MAURER]. English Version is, however, favored both by the Hebrew, by the antithesis between Israel’s self-chosen and perishing kings, and God, Israel’s abiding King (compare Ho 3:4, 5).”
Hosea 13:14.
“O death, I WILL BE thy plagues; O grave, I WILL BE thy DESTRUCTION.”
The reading of “I WILL BE” (found twice in this one verse) is the reading of the Geneva Bible, NKJV, Douay, Webster’s, Hebrew Names Bible, Darby, Young’s, Third Millenium Bible, Spanish Reina Valera.
However the RSV, NRSV, ESV, NASB, NIV, and Holman all unite in saying: “WHERE ARE your plagues? WHERE …”. What is found in both the RSV and NRSV footnotes is that the reading of “WHERE ARE your” comes from the Greek Septuagint and the Syriac, but that the Hebrew reads “I WILL BE your..I WILL BE your…” Likewise the older Catholic versions like the Douay-Rheims read like the Hebrew and the KJB saying – “O death, I will be thy death; O hell, I will be thy bite: comfort is hidden from my eyes.” But the newer Catholic versions like St. Joseph and New Jerusalem change this to “WHERE are your plagues..WHERE is your STING?”
Furthermore, regarding the phrase “O grave, I will be YOUR DESTRUCTION”, we find that the word “DESTRUCTION” is the reading of the Geneva Bible, the NKJV, KJB, RSV, NRSV, Spanish Reina Valera, Darby, Young’s, and even the NIV and TNIV, but that the NASB, ESV, Holman Standard and the newer Catholic versions have all changed this to: “Where IS YOUR STING” instead of “your destruction”. The NKJV footnote informs us that the words “where is your STING” come from the Greek Septuagint. So we see that it is the more recent NASB, ESV, Holman and more modern Catholic versions that have even further departed from the Hebrew Scriptures.
Hosea 14:2 “…so will we render the CALVES of our lips.” The Hebrew word here is calves or bullocks, and is the rendering found in the Geneva Bible, RV, ASV, Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, NET, Darby, Spanish and now the ESV.
However the NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV say: “so will we render the FRUIT of our lips.” The RSV, NRSV footnotes tell us that “fruit” comes from the LXX, but that the Hebrew reads bullocks or calves. Even the new ESV has gone back to the Hebrew reading, but the NASB, NIV are still following the Greek Septuagint.
Joel 3:21 KJB – “For I will CLEANSE their blood that I have not CLEANSED: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.
ESV – “I will AVENGE their blood, blood I have not AVENGED, for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
RSV, NRSV 1989 – “I will AVENGE their blood, and I WILL NOT CLEAR THE GUILTY, for the LORD dwells in Zion.”
Footnote – Greek, Syriac; Hebrew “I will hold innocent their blood that I have not held innocent.”
The RSV and NRSV both tell us that their reading of “I will AVENGE their blood” comes from the Syriac and the so called Greek LXX and not the Hebrew. Then they mislead us by telling us the Hebrew reads “I will HOLD INNOCENT”.
The fact is the Hebrew word has several meanings, none of which is “to avenge”, but it can be translated as “cleanse” as here, or as “CLEANSE thou me from secret faults” (Psalm19:12), or “to be clear” as in “Then thou shalt be CLEAR from this my oath” (Genesis 24:8 and 41), “and by no means CLEARING the guilty” (Num. 14:18) or “to hold guiltless” (Exodus 20:7) and “to be innocent” as in “And I shall be innocent from the great transgression.” Psalm 19:13
You will also notice that the RSV, NRSV do not agree with the ESV. The RSV says: “I will AVENGE their blood, and I WILL NOT CLEAR THE GUILTY, for the LORD dwells in Zion.”
While the revision of the revision of the revision – the ESV – says: “I will AVENGE their blood, BLOOD I HAVE NOT AVENGED, for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Neither are their footnotes totally accurate. The RSV and NRSV tell us that their reading comes from the Greek Septuagint and the Syriac, but there are at least two different Greek translations that are called the Septuagint and the most common one reads“ And I WILL MAKE INQUISITION FOR their blood, and will by no means leave it UNAVENGED”, while another one does read “I will AVENGE their blood”.
The RSV and NRSV have followed the Syriac and not the Hebrew. Lamsa’s translation of the Syriac reads: “For I will AVENGE their blood, and I WILL NOT ABSOLVE THE OFFENDERS; and the LORD will dwell in Zion.” But the ESV follows the Syriac in the first part of the verse and then just makes up the second part saying: ““I will AVENGE their blood, (Syriac) BLOOD I HAVE NOT AVENGED, (Who knows where they got this from) for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Following the Hebrew text and the reading or meaning found in the King James Bible’s – “For I will CLEANSE their blood that I HAVE NOT CLEANSED: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.” are Wycliffe 1395 – “And Y schal CLENSE the blood of hem, which Y hadde not CLENSID; and the Lord schal dwelle in Syon.”, Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1587 – “For I will CLENSE their blood, that I haue not CLENSED”, Webster’s 1833, Youngs, Darby – “And I will purge them from the blood from which I had not purged them”, the Revised Version of 1881 and the ASV of 1901 – “And I will CLEANSE their blood, that I have not CLEANSED”, the Hebrew Names Version – “I will cleanse their blood, That I have not cleansed”, Rotherham’s Emphasized Bible 1902, World English Bible, Complete Jewish Bible and the Orthodox Jewish Bible of 2011 – “I will cleanse them of bloodguilt which I have not yet cleansed”, Updated Bible Version 2004, Knox Bible of 2012, the Third Millenium Bible 1998, Green’s literal translation – “And I will cleanse their blood which I did not cleanse.” and the Lexham English Bible of 2012 – “I will cleanse their bloodguilt that I did not cleanse”
The NKJV basically has the same sense by reading: “ I will ACQUIT them of bloodguilt, whom I had not acquitted; For the LORD dwells in Zion.”
Among the Catholic versions we see the usual confusion. The early Douay-Rheims Bible of 1610 read just like the KJB and so did the Douay of 1950 with: “And I will CLEANSE their blood which I did not CLEANSE.” But then the 1970 St. Joseph New American Bible and the 1985 New Jerusalem bible read like many of the modern Vatican Versions and have: “I WILL AVENGE their blood, and NOT LEAVE IT UNPUNISHED. The LORD dwells in Zion.”
But wait. They are not done yet. Now the 2009 Catholic Public Domain Version has come out and they have once again gone back to the Hebrew text and it says: “And I will CLEANSE their blood, which I had not CLEANSED. And the Lord will remain in Zion.”
Also departing from the Hebrew text is the NASB – “And I will AVENGE their blood which I have not AVENGED.”, even though the previous ASV read exactly like the King James Bible.
The NIV is interesting in that the earlier NIV 1978 and 1984 editions actually made an attempt to follow the Hebrew text, and read: “Their bloodguilt WHICH I HAVE NOT PARDONED, I WILL PARDON. The LORD dwells in Zion!”
However in the recent 2011 NIV edition they went further astray and it now reads: “SHALL I LEAVE THEIR INNOCENT BLOOD UNAVENGED? NO, I WILL NOT.” The Lord dwells in Zion!
The NIV Spanish version, called La Nueva Versión Internacional, of 1999 says the exact opposite of the English NIV of 1984. The 1984 NIV Enlglish versions says “I WILL PARDON.” but the Spanish NIV says “I will NOT pardon.”
NIV Spanish edition – “¿Perdonaré la sangre que derramaron? ¡Claro que no la perdonaré!” = Shall I pardon the blood they have shed? Of course I will NOT pardon it!”
As usual, Dan Wallace and company depart from the Hebrew text and reads: “I will AVENGE (47) their blood which I had not previously ACQUITTED.” Then he footnotes: (47) “The present reading follows “I will avenge” rather than the Masoretic Text “I will acquit”.
The 2003 Holman Standard has made an attempt to stick to the Hebrew reading and has: “I will PARDON their bloodguilt, which I have not PARDONED, for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
The 2012 International Standard Version also made an attempt to follow the Hebrew text and reads: “I will ACQUIT their bloodguilt that has NOT YET BEEN ACQUITTED. For the LORD lives in Zion!”
The goofy Amplified version of 1987, put out by the Lockman Foundation who also bring us the NASB, has put in ALL the readings from the Hebrew AND the Syriac and actually says: “And I will CLEANSE AND HOLD AS INNOCENT their blood AND AVENGE IT, blood which I have not CLEANSED, HELD INNOCENT AND AVENGED, for the Lord dwells in Zion.” I guess they are trying to cover all their bases, but they end up perverting the true words of God in the process.
Foreign language versions that follow the Hebrew text and agree with the King James Bible are the Spanish Sagradas Escrituras of 1569 and the Reina Valera of 1909, 1960 and 1995 – “Yo limpiaré la sangre de los que no había limpiado.” = “I will cleanse the blood of those that I had not cleansed.”, the Portuguese Almeida – “Epurificarei o sangue que eu não tinha purificado; porque o Senhor habita em Sião.”, the French Martin 1744 and Ostervald 1996 – “Et je nettoierai leur sang que je n’avais point nettoyé” = “I will cleanse their blood”, the Italian Diodati – “Ed io netterò il lor sangue, il quale io non avea nettato; e il Signore abiterà in Sion.” = “I will cleanse their blood” and the Modern Greek Bible – “Και θελω καθαρισει το αιμα αυτων, το οποιον δεν εκαθαρισα· διοτι ο Κυριος κατοικει εν Σιων.” = “And I will CLEANSE their blood, which I had not cleansed; for the Lord dwells in Zion.”
Micah 5:6 Different meanings and different Texts. In the King James Bible we read: “And they shall WASTE the land of Assyria with the sword, and the land of Nimrod IN THE ENTRANCES THEREOF.”
According to Strong’s concordance the word for “waste” is # 7489 raw-ah, which means “to waste, to destroy, to break down, to harm, or to hurt.”
To “waste” or destroy, or to break is also the reading of the following Bible versions: Geneva Bible 1599, Bishops’ bible 1568, Coverdale 1535, the Revised Version 1881, American Standard Version 1901, NKJV 1982, Darby 1870, Young’s, New Century Version 1991, Bible in Basic English 1961, KJV 21, the 1917 Jewish translation, 1936 Hebrew Publishing Company version, and the new Judaica Press Complete Tanach translation.
However some modern versions apparently confuse a different Hebrew word here and say: “And they shall SHEPHERD (or Rule) the land of Assyria with the sword…” These include the NASB, NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, Catholic and the NET versions, though both the NIV and the NET version tell us in their footnotes that this word may also be translated as “to crush” or destroy.
Another big problem for the NIV, TNIV, RSV, NRSV and Daniel Wallace’s NET version is that in this same verse they have rejected the Hebrew texts which say: “and the land of Nimrod IN THE ENTRANCES THEREOF” and replaced it with the Latin reading “WITH A DRAWN SWORD”. The Holman and the RSV and NRSV at least give a footnote telling us that this totally different reading comes from the Vulgate, but that the Hebrew masoretic text reads as does the KJB = “at it’s entrances”. In this case, the 2003 ESV at least went back to the Hebrew reading, whereas the NIV, TNIV and Holman still follow the Latin Vulgate instead.
The Catholic versions have perverted this verse too with the New Jerusalem bible 1985 reading much like the NIV saying: “they WILL SHEPHERD Assyria with the sword, the country of Nimrod WITH NAKED BLADE.” Then it footnotes that “with naked blade” comes from the Greek but the Hebrew reads “IN ITS ENTRANCES”. The NIV has “who will RULE the land of Assyria with the sword, the land of Nimrod WITH DRAWN SWORD.”
Following the Hebrew texts and agreeing with the reading found in the King James Bible of : “and the land of Nimrod IN THE ENTRANCES THEREOF” are the following Bible versions: The Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, THE modern Complete Jewish Bible, the Judaica Press Complete Tanach, Hebrew Names Version, the NKJV, RV, ASV, NASB, ESV, Darby, Young’s, and the Third Millenium Bible.
Some question about the previous English Bibles and why God in His sovereignty has placed them on the shelf and now blessed the King James Bible far above any other Bible. There are many other examples of inferiour texts and translations in all previous English bibles, and here is just one of these examples. The Geneva Bible of 1599, Coverdale 1535, Bishops’ Bible of 1568 all followed the reading found in the Latin Vulgate here instead of the preserved Hebrew texts. These earlier English versions read like the modern NIV, RSV, and NET versions with: “…and the land of Nimrod WITH THEIR NAKED WEAPON” (or with a drawn blade), instead of the clear Hebrew reading of “in the entrances thereof”. The King James Bible is the right one – as always.
The NIV changes Micah 6:16 “ye shall bear the reproach of my people” to “the scorn of THE NATIONS”, and admits in their footnote that this reading comes from the Greek Septuagint, but that the Hebrew reads as does the KJB. Here the Catholic Douay reads “the people” but the Catholic St. Joseph has “the NATIONS”
Micah 7:19 – “HE will turn again, HE will have compassion upon us; HE will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all THEIR sins into the depths of the sea.”
The modern bible versions are all over the board on this one willy nilly following different texts of all sorts.
Reading HE three times in this verse are the Hebrew Masoretic texts as well as the RV, ASV, NASB, NKJV, the 1917 JPS, RSV, NRSV, ESV. (But not the NIV nor the NET version)
The reading of “THEIR sins” (not OUR sins) is that of the Hebrew Masoretic texts, as well as the Geneva Bible, Rotherham’s Emphasized bible 1902, the RV, ASV, NASB, JPS 1917, Hebrew Names Version, the Complete Jewish Bible, Darby, Youngs, and the Third Millenium Bible. By the way, the “their sins” refers to the people mentioned in the next verse where it says: “Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.”
However the NIV along with Daniel Wallace’s NET version has changed HE to YOU, and THEIR to OUR and reads: “YOU will again have compassion on us; YOU will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all OUR iniquities into the depths of the sea.” Daniel Wallace even notes in his footnotes that the Hebrew reads “he, he, their” as the KJB has it. The Catholic versions unite in changing the text here too and all have “OUR sins” instead of the Hebrew “THEIR sins”.
The Holman Standard keeps the HE but changes “their” to “our” and says: “HE will again have compassion on us; HE will vanquish our iniquities. YOU will cast all OUR sins into the depths of the sea.”
Other versions that have changed “THEIR sins” to OUR sins based on the LXX and Syriac (while the NRSV, ESV footnote that the Hebrew reads THEIR sins), are the RSV, NRSV, ESV AND the NKJV! Then the NKJV footnotes “literally THEIR” sins.
The NIV gets these changes from the Greek Septuagint, but even then neither the NIV nor the Holman Standard – (which don’t even agree with each other!), nor the RSV, ESV completely follow the so called Septuagint either.
The Septuagint says: “HE will return and have mercy upon us, HE will SINK OUR iniquities, and THEY SHALL BE CAST (Not “You”) into the depths of the sea, (then it adds) even ALL OUR SINS.”
So versions like the RSV, ESV follow the Hebrew texts in the first part of the verse, but then choose ONE of the readings from the so called LXX in the second part, while the NIV and Holman follow different parts of the LXX but not all of it, and not even the same parts. – And they call this “the science” of textual criticism!
If it all sounds very confusing, that’s because it is. Now, whom do you think would want to confuse God’s words like this? Any ideas?
Zephaniah 3:8 KJB – “Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the LORD, until the day THAT I RISE UP TO THE PREY.”
So read the Hebrew texts, as well as the Bishops’ Bible 1568, the Geneva Bible 1599, the Revised Version, the ASV of 1901 – “until the day that I rise up to the prey”, the NASBs from 1972, 73 and 1977, the JPS 1917 (Jewish Publication Society), Darby, Youngs, Hebrew Names Version, the NKJV, the ESV and the Spanish Reina Valera.
However the NIV reads: – “for the day I WILL STAND UP TO TESTIFY”. Then it footnotes that this reading comes from the LXX and Syriac, but the Hebrew reads as the KJB. Both the RSV and the NRSV also read like the NIV, and they also tell us this reading comes from the LXX and Syriac but the Hebrew reads as does the KJB. But now the latest revision of the revision of the revision, the new ESV of 2001, has now gone back to the Hebrew reading – ““for the day when I rise up to seize the prey.”
NET version – “Therefore you must wait patiently for me,” says the Lord “for the day WHEN I ATTACK AND TAKE PLUNDER.” Then he footnotes: “Hebrew “when I arise for plunder.” The present translation takes (’ad) as “plunder.” Some, following the LXX, repoint the term (’ed) and translate, “as a witness” (cf. NASB, NIV, NRSV).
The NASB keeps changing its underlying Hebrew texts. The earlier NASB’s (1971 through 1977) all read as does the King James Bible and the Hebrew texts – “the day I rise up TO THE PREY” BUT the 1995 NASB now reads: “For the day when I rise AS A WITNESS” – thus following the so called Greek Septuagint in changing “for a prey” to “as a witness”. So, were all the previous NASBs and the Hebrew texts wrong, but now they got it right in the late$t NA$B? The modern Catholic versions also follow this false reading and say: “when I rise AS ACCUSER”
Zechariah 5:6 KJB – (NASB, NKJV) – “This is an ephah that goeth forth. He said moreover, This is THEIR RESEMBLANCE through all the earth.”
NIV – “This is THE INIQUITY OF THE PEOPLE throughout the land.” The LXX says “their iniquity”, but not the Hebrew. The NIV once again joins the modern Catholic bibles when they say “this is THEIR GUILT” (St. Joseph and New Jerusalem bible 1985)
These are by no means all the textual omissions of the NIV, NASB, ESV, NKJV nor every example of where they depart from the traditional Hebrew text, but they should give you some serious pause for thought about accepting any of these modern Vatican Versions as a true record of what God has inspired in the words of truth. Each of you can readily get an NIV, NASB, ESV, Holman or NKJV and look up these verses for yourself and read the footnotes. It is all there in black and white.
The Holy Bible tells us there will be a falling away or an apostasy before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. This falling away is happening right now today and few Christians seem to care or even know it’s happening.
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.” Jeremiah 6:16