I copied this from page 153 of the Branch Organization Manual, Effective: December 15, 1977, Revised: February 2003
I insist: Page 153, if you're curious. The text in bold is as in the original. I think this speaks for itself.
46. BIBLE TRANSLATION: When there are sufficient
translators and there is the prospect of an adequate cir-
culation of the complete Bible, a request may be made to
the Writing Committee to begin work on the New World
Translation. A regular edition of the Christian Greek
Scriptures without marginal references will be published
first. It is not necessary for Bible translators to know
Hebrew and Greek. They do not necessarily have to be
the translators with the most experience, but they should
be good translators who are both faithful and willing to
follow directions very closely. Both brothers and sisters
may be used.
47. If the New World Translation is not available in the
vernacular, translators do not have to translate every
quoted scripture directly from the New World
Translation when working on magazine articles or other
publications. If a good vernacular translation is available
that brings out the general meaning of the New World
Translation, use it.
48. However, if there is a specific need for the New
World Translation, as when a particular point in question
is made only by it, then the verse may be translated from
it. If just one word or phrase from the New World Trans-
lation is inserted in the text, it should be placed in brack-
ets [], and the New World Translation should be cited in
italics inside the brackets as the source. For example:
“The Lord [“Jehovah,” NW] is my shepherd.” Whenever
passages are translated directly from the New World
Translation, the translators should keep a file of
these scriptures as they have been rendered into the
vernacular. By using this file, such scriptures will be ren-
dered consistently in the future. The file should be ac-
cessible to all the translators, either on cards or elec-
tronically. If duplicate files need to be kept for use by
translators outside Bethel, all of these should be kept up
to date.
50. CONFIDENTIALITY: It is important that transla-
tors keep their work confidential. Apart from the re-
sponsible brothers and those involved in the project, oth-
ers (including marriage mates and other Bethelites) do
not need to know (a) what is being translated and (b)
who is translating a particular item. No publication should
ever be associated with a particular person. This is es-
pecially so in the case of Bible translators. This confiden-
tiality protects both the organization and the translators.
No need to know Hebrew and Greek for Bible Translation, according to the Watchtower's Branch Organization Manual revised 2003
by dgp 48 Replies latest watchtower bible
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dgp
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slimboyfat
50. CONFIDENTIALITY: It is important that transla-
tors keep their work confidential. Apart from the re-
sponsible brothers and those involved in the project, oth-
ers (including marriage mates and other Bethelites) do
not need to know (a) what is being translated and (b)
who is translating a particular item. No publication should
ever be associated with a particular person. This is es-
pecially so in the case of Bible translators. This confiden-
tiality protects both the organization and the translators.I find that comment intetesting. Who do they think they are telling people what they can discuss with their partners? Does anyone pay attention to these sorts of directives?
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Mary
It is not necessary for Bible translators to know Hebrew and Greek.
Ya......because if they did know the Hebrew and Greek language, they would realize that there are several places in the NWT that have been altered by the WTS to try and fit the scriptures with their sometimes bizarre doctrines. Only "worldly" people do such silly things like have qualified translators who actually understand what they're reading..........
They do not necessarily have to be the translators with the most experience, but they should be good translators who are both faithful and willing to follow directions very closely
Translation: When faced with the moral dilema of either translating a passage accurately, or having the Writing Department breathing down your neck (and possibly facing disfellowshipping for not following what 'the Slave' dictates), the non-qualified translator will translate what the latter wants it to say, and not what was written down thousands of years ago, no questions asked.
Both brothers and sisters may be used.
Wow. Miracles never cease. So woman aren't allowed to handle the mikes or pray uncovered in front of a 10-year old male who just got baptized, but they are allowed the monumental task of translating the Holy Scriptures from one language they are not familiar with into the English language? Great to see the assholes on the 6th floor have their priorities in order!
50. CONFIDENTIALITY: It is important that translators keep their work confidential. Apart from the responsible brothers and those involved in the project, others (including marriage mates and other Bethelites) do not need to know (a) what is being translated and (b) who is translating a particular item.
Why on earth would this work have to be kept confidential if they have nothing to hide? The bible is the most well-known book in history which has already been translated for thousands of years. Why exactly are they treating it like a freaking State Secret?
No publication should ever be associated with a particular person.
Please see past embarassing publications that bore the names of Charles Russell, Judge Rutherfraud, Nathan Knorr and Freddie Franz to explain why we don't want anyone's name linked to a particular publication. Plus, if we don't give names, it gives the idea that Jehovah somehow wrote it.......
This is especially so in the case of Bible translators. This confidentiality protects both the organization and the translators.
Uh, protects them from what? Being thrown to the lions? Being burned at the stake? Undergoing the Inquisition? Or it protects them from having someone actually be responsible for what they've written down?
What a bunch of spineless cowards........
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wobble
Well, the original Committee that produced the NWT did not know Hebrew or Greek, and weren't that hot on English in my opinion.
So I suppose they think it is O.K for volunteers who put the NWT in to their own tongue to do so without knowledge of the original languages.
Probably from the W.T point of view this situation is prefereable, those who know bible Heb. Gk. and Aramaic would notice too many of the twists and spins that the W.T has put on what they have "translated" (parenthesis deliberate, the NWT is not a translation, it is a version, a poor one)
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Quendi
These directions shouldn't surprise anybody. While the original New World Translation was rendered from the ancient biblical languages, all editions in different contemporary languages never were. They were simply translations of the English-language NWT into some other language. As such, they are not true translations. They are versions and so cannot and should not be referenced by anyone who wants to know what the original language texts actually say.
When I first started reading WTS publications more than forty years ago, I noticed that they frequently cited and quoted many different Bible translations. The New World Translation was available then, but the WTS encouraged Witnesses to freely read, consult, quote, and reference other Bible translations. I thought that was a wonderful way to introduce people to the Word of God and to keep their interest in it fresh. But as the years went by I saw that other Bible translations were referred to less and less. Nowadays, they are hardly ever referenced.
As others have noted, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society has gotten away from the Bible in many ways. It is a publishing concern. Yes, it has produced the NWT and is the sole distributor of Stephen Byington's The Bilble in Living English and Benjamin Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott. The NWT itself is available in many different languages now. But the Society has had few real scholars assist it in its Bible translating work. Furthermore, it has now decided that other translations should not be read or consulted. Witnesses are to be directed only to the NWT, a translation that is not without its own problems and errors. To me this directive is just one more evidence of the mind-control this cult seeks to exert upon its followers. Thanks, dgb, for sharing this with us.
Quendi
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Band on the Run
It sounds like A CIA/military op to me. Can a Fremch speaker with no knowledge of English translate William Shakespeare. I once said a literal translation of the Bible. I believe it was in wikipedia. It was so spartan. The translators supply much, much more than I ever realized. Yet despite all they add, there is consensus among them on most matters. Not the NWT.
I recall when the full NWT was released at a convention. It was a major event.
I read a lot of historical Jesus and early Christianity books. For some reason, I relish footnotes. Knoiwng the language extraordinarly well and knowing other lit from the same period, helps with subtle shadings of thought as connotations are explored. A Google translator could translate the Bible in their view -- once it is programmed to affrim what the Society wishes the Bible to say.
I don't see where the NWT is very different from the Book of Mormon. Your expectations deliver the result.
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sir82
This confidentiality protects both the organization and the translators.
Hmm, protects the organization.......and the translators......
So, in cases where only of those 2 can be protected, I wonder which one would win?
Gosh, that's a toughie, I'll have to think about that for a while....
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sd-7
Everytime I think I've heard all the secrets, there's a new one to boggle my mind. Having seen enough deviations from the original languages by the NWT during my own research, I decided to stop using it altogether. Now it is quite obvious that this translation was not done with regard for its 'Divine Author' at all, but rather, done to make sure that the organization's doctrine is upheld. Tampering with the scriptures themselves is even worse than just quoting them out of context. It crosses the line, goes from using words in a misleading way to outright lying, claiming that the original text 'translates' into their own ideas.
"THIS......IS.........SEWIOUS!!!"
--sd-7
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RagingBull
Yeah that sounds about right...so if ever questioned they can say..."it could've been any of a number of translators, we didn't do that." The ORGANIZATION shrowded in secrecy. Wonder what the bible says about things like that.
Didn't say "Protects the Publishers who have to preach that crap" ... using "good enough" (if that) translators?? Way to give Jehovah your best GB!
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aristeas
How confidential must all this stuff be if s.o. has the Branch Organization book and puts quotations from it on line????
Is this a joke or what?
