While trying to think of something to write for my self directed study, I thought of something I found on my mission. Since we were talking about the translation of the bible, and I’m doing the poem translation exercise for the second paper, I decided this would be appropriate. The translation difference that I found in the bible, between the King James version and a German translation. The differing translations can be found in 1 John 5: 7-8.
The story that I heard about this difference in translation was that when the English bible was being translated the translator was told to add in a passage of scripture that supports the notion of the trinity. However the translator refused to translate anything that wasn’t in the original Latin. So “they” went and added these bits to the scriptures in Latin.
Keep in mind that this really is little more than hear-say and rumor. I have no way of proving this true, but I do know that there is a difference in the translation.
Here, let me show you:
And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.
Der Geist, das Wasser und das Blut, und diese drei sind eins.
The Spirit, the Water and the Blood, and these three are one.
I bring this up because it is quite interesting, how different the translation of the scriptures can be, when compared between languages. From the poetry translation exercise I am learning that there is a great difference in meaning just when the words are changed during translation. I don’t know what it means when entire sentences are added, or removed, depending on which one, the KJV or the German translation, is actually the more faithful translation, but meaning is definitely changed between translations.