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VERSIONS
COMPARED
[changed
monthly]
The original manuscripts from which
our Bible came were written in Hebrew (Old Testament)
and Greek (New Testament). Translations into English
started piecemeal around the eighth century, with the
first English Bible, translated by John Wycliffe,
appearing in 1384. Around fifty years later the first
printed English New Testament appeared in 1526,
translated by William Tyndale, and followed by Miles
Coverdale's complete Bible in 1535.
The
most famous English Bible is the Authorised Version
of 1611, which was the only translation readily
available for several hundred years. Towards the end
of the nineteenth century the Revised Version
appeared. Then through the twentieth century the
number of revisions and of new translations grew, so
that by the end of the century there was a wide
variety.
The
difference between the versions can be very
interesting. One or two were designed with simple
English in mind - first the New English Bible and
later the Good News Bible. Some were designed to be
as close to the original as possible - the
"literal translation" of the New King James
Version, and especially the English Standard version.
Some were concerned to convey the sense of the
original - the "dynamic equivalence" of the
New International Version.
This
website does not argue the merits or demerits of any
translation, but brings each month a selection of
translations of one single verse. We have tried to
bring you all the best-known versions, plus one or
two "obscure" ones.
We
know the assortment is not complete, but we hope
you'll find it interesting. The compiler of these
collections of Bible verses was taken quite by
surprise at how different some of the versions were.
We will leave it to you to draw your own conclusions.
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1 Samuel 3
v 10
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Authorised Version
King
James' Version 1611
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And
the Lord came, and stood, and called as at other
times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak;
for thy servant heareth.
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Revised Standard Version
1952
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And
the Lord came and stood forth, calling as at other
times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said,
"Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears."
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New King James' Version
1982
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Then
the Lord came and stood and called as at other times,
"Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered,
"Speak; for your servant hears."
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New International Version
1973
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The
Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other
times, "Samuel! Samuel!" Then Samuel said,
"Speak, for your servant is listening."
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Jerusalem Bible
1960
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Yahweh
then came and stood by, calling as he had done
before, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered,
"Speak, Yahweh, your servant is listening."
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New English Bible
Old
Testament 1970
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The
Lord came and stood there, and called, "Samuel,
Samuel," as before. Samuel answered,
"Speak, Lord; thy servant hears thee."
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Good News Bible
Old
Testament 1976
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The
Lord came and stood there, and called as he had
before, "Samuel! Samuel!" Samuel answered,
"Speak; your servant is listening."
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English Standard Version
2002
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And
the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times,
"Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said,
"Speak, for your servant hears."
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The Complete Bible in
Modern English
Ferrar
Fenton 1902
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Then
the Ever-Living conformed it and called as before,
"Samuel, Samuel!" at which Samuel replied,
"Speak, Jehovah, for Your servant listens."
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The Holy Scriptures - a New
Translation
J N
Darby 1890
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And
Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at the other
times, Samuel, Samuel! And Samuel said, Speak, for
thy servant heareth.
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