The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-10-19
From tho n. Y. Evening Post.
THE NEW VERSION OF THE BIBLE.

The American Bible Union, which closed its
annual session in this city yesterday, has once
more attracted public attention to what il e.
teems the crying necessity for q new version
of the Bible. This Union was organized IN
1850. to procure and circulate the most faith
fol version of the Sacred Scriptures in all Ian
guages throughout the world, They subse-
quently adopted resolution;
THAT appropriations made by the Un,cn
shall in no case be employed for the clrcuis-
ton of q version which Is not made on the fol-
lowing principles, viz: the exact meaning OF
the inspired text as that text expressed 1t to
those who understood the original SCRIPTURES
at the time they were first written, must be
trapslated by corresponding words and phrases,
so far az they can be found, in the vernacular
tongue of those for whom the version is de-
signed, with the least possible obscurity or in
defnitcnessn
By the report which was made on Friday,
it appears that tho Society, during the past
year, have received and expended over forty
thousand dollars towards q new translation
of the Sacred Scriptures, and In circulating
the most correct versions in different langus-
ges. Drs Cone and Maclay, of this city, are
the most prominent and active members OF the
Bible Union, assisted by q large number OF the
clergy and laity of the country, mostly, how
ever, of the Baptist persuasion. They say that
the received version Of the Bible which Yves
published by King James contains many and
serious errors, which q learned committee OF
the American Bible Society estimated at twen-
ty-four thousand in number.
We will enumerate some OF the errors which
are deemed most serious, and which are relied
upon as the justification for the proposed revl-
sion. In Matt XIV 27, Christ is made to say,
81 should have received my own with usury -
where, instead of usury," it should be inter
est. Speaking Of Peter, it is said, When he
was como into the house, Jesus prevented him,
saying,n &C., meaning originally, anticipated J;
Matt xvii, 25. ave took up our carriages
and went up to jerusalem" Acts xxi, Is;
where carriages" stands for baggage. He
that eateth and drinketh unworthiiy eateth
aud drinketh damnation to himself Cor. xi,
%. Where "damnation stands for condenl
nation.
In Isciah Xxx, "a, it is said, "The oxen that
ear the ground shall cat clean provender."
The word Gear being used In the Hense of
ploughing sense now obsolete, and to people
in general unknown. In Psalms y, s. it ID said,
T" Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing"
The word aleasing" is now wholly obsolete,
and few know that lying is meant. 10 two
places-AetS vii, AS, aud Heb. iv, 8, "Jesus" is
put for g joshua aIf thy right eye offend
thoe,o in Matt v, %, should read, off thine
eye make thee stumble"
A popularity of the English version which
is specially complained Of, is the want Of uni
formity in rendering the Same words or phra-
ses. For example:
Under the Hebrew term shaker" VIC have
the following rcnderings: Hire, price, reward,
a0ages, north.
Under rinnah,n wo have cry, gtadness, joy,
proclamation, rejoicing, singing, shouting, and
triumph.
Uader g shakal," VIC have discretion, policy,
knowledge, prudence, sense, understanding, acis-
DOM
But perhaps the most remarkable specimen
of numerous variety of renderings occurs in
regard to "nephish," the Hebrew word for
soul.
This word in the course Of the English BIZ
l. Al. C>ll