Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-02-22

Congregational Journal-Concord, N.
H.:
NEW TRANSLATION OF THE BIBfE.-
We find the following remarks in one of
our exchanges, which we transfer to
our columns for the purpose of exhibit
ing the weakness, not to say the wick
edness, of the attempts of our times to
improve K&g James version of the
Scriptures. DR.. Cox about to re-tssne-
late the Biblel He is too original for
such work, besides being too old
He had better employ the evening of
his days in some other pursuits that will
be more beneficial to the world.
1t is surprising how ideas move in a
circle in the progress of the world
That which has been is now, and that
(which is to be -Bas already been, and
here is no new thing<under the sum-
"a portion of st6e Baptists have started
with a great flourish Of trumpets to give
a new translation of the Bi6l-Gheir
first instalment. or sample number has
Just been printed, containing some Of
the lesser epistles. Wesfnd the foifow-,
ing text given in one paper, as an. I'M
proved version, and fair specimen of
the light to be shed upon the sacred
scriptures. Second Peter, Chap. I. v. 5.
But for the very reason also do We con-
tributing all diligence, furnish in your
faith, fortitude, ,,aRd in fortitude, knowl
edge, and in knowledge. self-control,
and in self-control, patience, and in pa
tience. godliness, etc. The great i'm
provemert here seems to be, the substi-
tuition Of the proposition 'in,' for the
proposition to- The word rendered
virtue in our translation, is indeed
rendered fortitude, which does not, in
our view, so. well convey the sense of
the original. Now as TO the change of
proposition, it is curious to find that the
one now used as great improvement
upon the common translation was used
by Wickliffe in the very first translation
made of. the New Testament in $780,
This is his version: And brynge We in
all bisynes; and mynstre ye in your
faith, vertu, and in vertu kunnynge, in
kunnynge, abstynence, in abstynence
pacience, paeie1ce, pity, in pity love Of
the brotherhood, and in love of the
brotherhood, charitie' The new dis
covery of the present age turns out to
be 500 years old. Indeed all the trans
lations previous to our verson used the
same proposition -'in,' so that King
James translators must have had good
reason for the change. The excellence
of The present version is unquestionable.
When young or old minister under
takes to improve it, nine chances out of
ten be stumbles and falls. He lights
upon some old rendering given up long
years ago.
We have been told that DR.. Cox has
a project of re-translating the Bible
If so we pity the Hebrew and the Greek,
for they will be put to the torture. The
greater part of his very original inter-
probation, will not stand the test of
sound learning. And even if they were
strictly scrutinized they would be found
to be very old after all; cast off notions
of the crude scholarship of former gene
rations.
The Bible as we have it in our trans
lation is reliable. This is the thought
we would leave upon the reader. The
plain meaning is generally the true one.
Ministers are greatly tempted to hunt
for some other in these peculiar times,
and when they find it, they commonly
lose the truth. People as general
thing will do well, to stick to the obvious
meaning of our present translation.