by Imri Rivas

Created on: November 03, 2009   Last Updated: November 05, 2009

The Jehovah's Witnesses are renowned to use the New World Translation. In the recent years, many critics have argued that they posses the most distorted form of the Bible, while others hold the opposite. How accurate is this translation? Do they really try to intently alter the Bible for other purposes? The answer may perhaps surprise you.

The history of the Watch Tower indicates that in the very beginning of this ever more popular faith, the Jehovah's Witnesses used the King James Version, The Empathetic Diaglott, (which contained an interlinear translation of Greek unto English) and many other translations for their purposes (The Newberry Bible, Variorum, among the different types of versions they used). Never did they promote that a specific Bible was superior; All Bibles are similar and almost exactly the same - however, the clarity does differ, though the same message in is the text. It was thanks to many respected and accurate versions of the Bible that the New World Translation came about.

The American Standard Version of 1901 was a major contributor of the Bible, as it had the Tetragrammaton in its text for more than 6, 870 times. One of the most impressive feats the New World Translation has is its conversion from ancient Latin to modern English, though indirectly. In 1942, the Watch Tower acquired the company of A. J. Holman, gaining the clichs of the Authorized Version which would lead nonetheless to the completion of the New World Translation.

In 1946, Nathan H. Knorr, the then president of the Watch Tower, proposed to create a modern translation of the Scriptures, and this project officially began in December 2, 1947.The finalized text was revised by everyone of the Translation Committee, and in September 3, 1949, the New World translation was announced finished and was in for publishing. (It is necessary to say that many other accurate versions were utilized for translation; others include: Wescott and Horts text, Textus Receptus - which King James version is based on - among many others).

The New World Translation is valued upon the common person to the scholar as a portrayal of accuracy of the past to the future. Frederic Kenyon clearly saw the authenticity. As for the arguments of other professors against the allegations that the NWT takes out the original expression in the Bible, the Watch Tower doesn't translate everything literally, as many versions do. It is by adding "expression" and "elegance" that the real message - and original message - is beguiled. This is not to be done and wrong, as the text is ruined, and misinterpreted.

A feature that the NWT has is the usage of God's holy name, which is omitted continuously in the majority of Biblical translations, despite the progress of archaeology and the confirmation of it. The Tetragrammaton is vital for everyone to have in mind. Contrary to many controversies, the Tetragrammaton was pronounced commonly in the Israel's past. As the years passed, a superstition arose that God's name was too holy to be pronounced, and in the fear of losing his favor, the original pronunciation was lost; but not in the written form. (The four letters that make his - His - name can be found if you simply Google it. The four syllables that are equivalent to YHWH or JHVH appear on the original Hebrew and Greek text numerous times).

Numerous credible sources, professors and scholars that the NWT is free from influence of other religions regarding tradition. Taking a mere stroll in the library and doing some investigation on your own on Biblical translation can enforce how wrong the critics are. (And again, I cannot emphasize enough to research credible sources; it makes a huge difference than the ever more common fraudulent ones).

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