Parallel New Testaments

Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10:38-42.

Martha and Mary

A homily on Martha and Mary speaks well on the hospitality of Jesus in Bethany.

In contrast plethora of New Testament versions, English Octapia, English Hexapla or more in the vernacular, the parallel NY translations must bemuse and bewilder us.. The Oxford University Press seems to have cornered a special market on parallel NY translations.

Catholic Comparative New Testament-PR-RSV/NRSV/Douay-Rheims/Nab/Gnt/Jb/NJB

By Oxford University Press 2006

The Contemporary Parallel New Testament: King James Version; New American Standard Bible Updated Edition; New Century Version; Contemporary English ... New King James Version; The Message [Hardcover] Oxford University Press, USA 1999

The most powerful argument about the collectable library of translations must be to drive Scripture students to the original languages.

The great incentive to learning Bible Greek is open to vast Internet tutorial systems.

The story of Martha and Mary makes an enjoyable exercise in the Greek analysis. The choice is plentiful in Online resources.

Luk 10:41 [But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha,] you are anxious and troubled about many things; Luk 10:42 one thing is needful. Mary has chosen the good portion, which shall not be taken away from her." RSV

Biblos Lk 10: 41-42

3309 V-PAI-2S μεριμνᾷς merimnas you are anxious	2532 CONJ καὶ kai and	5182 V-PPI-2S θορυβάζῃ thorubazē troubled	4012 PREP περὶ peri about	4183 A-APN πολλά, polla things	42 1520 42 A-GSN 42 ὀλίγων 42 oligōn 42 thing
1161 CONJ δέ de but	2076 V-PAI-3S ἐστιν estin is	5532 N-NSF χρεία chreia necessary	2228 PRT ἡ ē and	1520 A-GSN ἑνὸς· enos thing	3137 N-PRI Μαριὰμ mariam Mary
1063 CONJ γὰρ gar and	3588 T-ASF τὴν tēn the	18 A-ASF ἀγαθὴν agathēn good	3310 N-ASF μερίδα merida part	1586 V-AMI-3S ἐξελέξατο exelexato chosen	3748 R-NSF ἥτις ētis which
3756 PRT-N οὐκ ouk not	851 V-FPI-3S ἀφαιρεθήσεται aphairethēsetai will be taken away	846 P-GSF αὐτῆς. autēs her			Courtesy of Biblos com

Parallel New Testaments:

The Oxford University Press productions conform to a template for the two sets of eight translations, one set called Catholic set and the second set a the Others.

This synopsis of the Catholic Comparative NT is fits the template for both productions.

“The Douay-Rheims, RSVCB, NRSVCB, and NAB are called formal equivalent translations (popularly referred to as "word-for-word" translations). This means that scholars rendered the New Testament's original language into English that is as close as possible to its original wording. The result is a translation that is particularly valuable for careful analysis of the text. Meanwhile, the JB, GNB, NJB, and Christian Community Bible represent the "thought-for-thought" school of Bible translation (technically described as dynamic or functional equivalent). This method places the priority on the intended meaning of the original vocabulary, adapting it to English syntax and grammar. Such a translation tends to be easier to read and understand.”

This review is from: The Contemporary Parallel New Testament: King James Version; New American Standard Bible Updated Edition; New Century Version; Contemporary English ... New King James Version; The Message (Hardcover)

This Parallel New Testament is nothing more than a preface and foreward and the scriptures of eight more popular translations (with their preface and forewards). But that is great! The eight represent a strong cross section of translation styles, from the more literal word-for-word (NAS, NIV) to the more thought-for-thought (The Message, The Living Translation). I believe the variation of translations draws one closer to understanding what God is saying to us; this is the next best thing to reading it in the Greek (and having a Greek expert and 1st century historian available for interpretting those phrases that don't make sense in a word for word translation).

There seems the great divide between the two leagues, “from the more literal word-for-word (NAS, NIV), to the more thought-for-thought”. It seems a neat and useful distinction and hopefully not somewhat facile.