I've been thinking about chapter and verse divisions in the Bible a lot lately. I'm finding them really disrupting. I know that I shouldn't get distracted by those nastly little numbers, but it's so easy. Beyond that, they make you lose the paragraph feel of it. It become every line for itself.
I've been searching for a Bible without any chapter/verse divisions. It's not very easy to come by. I've had a few people tell me about the Phillip's translation. Two problems for me. 1. It still has the chapter/verse markings, they are just in the margin. I don't care where they are. If they are on the page, I'm going to be in a chapter/verse mentality. And many of us are familiar enough with the the text anyway, that we know where the chapter/verse begins and ends. Having it on the page will only make it easier in our minds to place it where it has always been. 2. I'm not looking for a translation. I'm not becoming some NASB Only guy or something. It's just I'm very familiar and pleased with the NASB Updated ("The most literal just became more readable!" Sorry.;-). I want to have the NASB with no chapt/verse divisions.
So, in reaction to this, I've begun Project Context. I'm removing all chapt/verse markings and putting it in paragraph form (with the help of my NASB's paragraph markings). The result so far is a number free Romans, Ephesians, 1 John and Ruth. My goal is all 66 books. I'm a bit nervous about Psalms. I know that there's a different form for that. Does anyone have some good information about that for me?
What I've read of it so far has been awesome. It's like reading a text. I'm seeing the context clearer than ever before. I'm finding it easier to follow the though flow of the author. I'm also finding easier to read more. It's easy to feel like I've read a lot because I've read a few chapters, when in reality, I haven't even got the author's full thought. We wouldn't ever dream of putting a book down halfway through a chapter because we want to finish the thought. But we wouldn't think twice about putting the Bible down after just a taste of what he is saying.
I've gotten good reactions from others who have seen it so far. Most think and feel the same when when it's brought to their attention.
What are your thoughts? Also, does anyone have some good information about copyright laws? I'm not out to be a criminal because of the Bible. That would be really ironic, huh?
4 comments:
Hey Wetz, that's sweet. I have no idea what the copyright laws say about that, but I promise to visit you in the slammer.
Are you marking off paragraphs at all? Or is this simply one long run-on paragraph? I agree that the verse numbers can be a real impediment to following the argument. I'd love to see that in a real translation like the NIV. Just joking!
There are paragraph seperations. I can bring it with on Sunday and show you in the "most literal" which is now "more readable" NASB. I've tried to call the Lockman Foundation, but haven't been able to reach the right person yet. I'm not into breaking any laws though. I'm willing to pay for copyright fees if it's reasonable.
I doubt they have any problem as long as you don't start printing it and handing it out to everyone. However, they have been pretty protective of their translation. They've only just allowed Nelson to print it with MacArthur's notes.
P.S. A brief note on my translation philosophy - I'm just as interested in what a translation sounds like in the receptor language as I am in it's faithfulness to the source language - not more, not less, but the equally. I think that how well a translation communicates in the receptor language is one of the many gauges of it's quality. I could translate a passage more literally than the NASB does, but it really wouldn't make sense in English. The syntax and even grammar would be confusing. Now which translation has struck the perfect balance? Don't think there's any such thing, which is why we are blessed to have many quality translations to help us understand the biblical authors' languages in our own.
Post a Comment