NKJV vs. NLT

[RipponRedeaux]

Romans 8:37 is especially helpful, I believe.

Yep. The NLT's rendering is better.
The NET has "complete victory." Somewhat like the KNT
The CEB has "a sweeping victory."
The NASB2020 has "we overwhelmingly conquer" Like the REB
NJB : "triumphantly victorious"

Here and there the NIV has some of the same renderings as the NKJV. I'd say about 5% of the time so far in my findings. And Romans 8:37 is one of those places.

 

[alexander284]

I like the NASB20's rendering, as well.

 

[SavedByGrace]

1 Timothy 3:16

NKJV, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory"

NLT, "Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory"

"Christ" is not even in any Greek text! "God" is the Original and has the best textual evidence

1 John 5:7

NKJV, "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one"

NLT, "So we have these three witnesses"

The reading of the NLT and others that read the same, is impossible in the Greek grammar. The NKJV has no grammitical problems, and was in the Greek and Latin as used by Tertullian and Cyprian in the early 3rd century.

 

[RipponRedeaux]

1 Timothy 3:16

NKJV, "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory"

NLT, "Without question, this is the great mystery of our faith: Christ was revealed in a human body and vindicated by the Spirit. He was seen by angels and announced to the nations. He was believed in throughout the world and taken to heaven in glory"

"Christ" is not even in any Greek text! "God" is the Original and has the best textual evidence

Neither Christ or God is in the original. The NET has a very long footnote. At the close : "the text is self-evidently about Christ."

 

[SavedByGrace]

Neither Christ or God is in the original. The NET has a very long footnote. At the close : "the text is self-evidently about Christ."

Yeah I know about the NET notes. The only reading that fits the Greek grammar is God, as does the textual evidence

If Christ is what Paul meant, then he would have written it

 

[RipponRedeaux]

Ro. 11:6
NKJV : no longer of works
NLT : not by their good works

Luke 7:47
NKJV : she loved much
NLT : she has shown me much love

Luke 24:37
NKJV : supposed they had seen a spirit
NLT : thinking they were seeing a ghost

1 Tim. 6:5
NKJV : godliness is a means of gain
NLT : a show of godliness is just a way to become wealthy

Matt. 2:23
NKJV : a city called Nazareth
NLT : a town called Nazareth

Matt. 8:28
NKJV : the country of the Gergesenes
NLT : the region of the Gadarenes

 

[RipponRedeaux]

Yeah I know about the NET notes. The only reading that fits the Greek grammar is God, as does the textual evidence

If Christ is what Paul meant, then he would have written it

Obviously he was referring to Christ.

Are pronouns such as he or who acceptable to you in this passage? A footnote for the NKJV has who. The great majority of English Bible translations have He. But a number have who : NABRE, MOUNCE, LEB and NASB.

 

[SavedByGrace]

Obviously he was referring to Christ.

Are pronouns such as he or who acceptable to you in this passage? A footnote for the NKJV has who. The great majority of English Bible translations have He. But a number have who : NABRE, MOUNCE, LEB and NASB.

Without Controversy...God Was Manifest in The Flesh

 

[Martin Marprelate]

If I require a translation suited to a thirteen year-old with dyslexia, I shall definitely call on the NLT.
Until then I shall carry on with the NKJV, which I find entirely comprehensible.

 

[SavedByGrace]

If I require a translation suited to a thirteen year-old with dyslexia, I shall definitely call on the NLT.
Until then I shall carry on with the NKJV, which I find entirely comprehensible.

That is a bit harsh

 

[RipponRedeaux]

If I require a translation suited to a thirteen year-old with dyslexia, I shall definitely call on the NLT.

Your idiotic opinion is noted.

 

[RipponRedeaux]

Ro. 3:19
NKJV : every mouth may be stopped
NLT : it keeps people from having excuses

Heb. 11:33
NKJV : stopped the mouths of lions
NLT : shut the mouths of lions

1 Cor. 15:58
NKJV : abounding in the work
NLT : work enthusiastically

1 Cor. 6:1
NKJV : go to law
NLT : file a lawsuit

Lk. 12:51
NKJV : give peace on earth
NLT : bring peace to the earth

Ro. 15:13
NKJV : fill you with all joy and peace in believing
NLT : fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him

 

[alexander284]

I for 1 Corinthians 15:58 especially helpful, because we rarely use the word "abounding" in our daily speech or writing.

 

[RipponRedeaux]

I for 1 Corinthians 15:58 especially helpful, because we rarely use the word "abounding" in our daily speech or writing.

Exactly. That's why the NKJV and the ESV are not effective translations for these times. Bible translations should use the language of the people. Isn't that a radical idea? a Bible version can still lean toward the more form-oriented part of the spectrum while using contemporary English. Not street slang; but dignified common speech.

 

[alexander284]

Exactly. That's why the NKJV and the ESV are not effective translations for these times. Bible translations should use the language of the people. Isn't that a radical idea? a Bible version can still lean toward the more form-oriented part of the spectrum while using contemporary English. Not street slang; but dignified common speech.

I have to admit: I'm using the CSB quite a bit now, and I really appreciate it (for the very reasons you've been outlining.)

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Neither Christ or God is in the original. The NET has a very long footnote. At the close : "the text is self-evidently about Christ."

If memory serves, 97% of the extant Greek MSS have 'God.' Of course the text is about Christ, but who does the text say Christ is?
When the Revised Version came up with 'who,' it gave much joy to Unitarians. A few years ago I posted a quote from one of them declaring that they had been vindicated.

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Ro. 3:19
NKJV : every mouth may be stopped
NLT : it keeps people from having excuses

The words 'keeps,' 'having' and 'excuses' are not in the original.

1 Cor. 15:58
NKJV : abounding in the work
NLT : work enthusiastically

The word 'enthusiastically' is not in the original. Do people really not understand what 'abound' means?

1 Cor. 6:1
NKJV : go to law
NLT : file a lawsuit

The words 'file' and 'lawsuit' are not in the original.

Lk. 12:51
NKJV : give peace on earth
NLT : bring peace to the earth

The Greek word means 'give' not 'bring.' (dounai from didomi).

Ro. 15:13
NKJV : fill you with all joy and peace in believing
NLT : fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him

The words 'completely,' 'because' and 'in him' are not in the original.

Thank you for posting these comparisons. They remind me why I prefer formal equivalence translations. The work of the translator is to translate what's there. The work of the preacher or the commentator is to explain what's there.

The NLT is by no means the worst of the paraphrases, but I really can't recommend it. The plethora of such works has not increased the faith or Biblical understanding of the English-speaking nations; quite the reverse!

 

[Martin Marprelate]

Yep. The NLT's rendering is better.
The NET has "complete victory." Somewhat like the KNT
The CEB has "a sweeping victory."
The NASB2020 has "we overwhelmingly conquer" Like the REB
NJB : "triumphantly victorious"

Here and there the NIV has some of the same renderings as the NKJV. I'd say about 5% of the time so far in my findings. And Romans 8:37 is one of those places.

To 'more than conquer' is something other than to have a complete victory. William Hendricksen has quite a long note on this, comparing v.28 with v.37, which ends, "A conqueror is someone who defeats the enemy. One who is more than a conqueror causes the enemy to become a helper."

 

[RipponRedeaux]

The NLT is by no means the worst of the paraphrases, but I really can't recommend it. The plethora of such works has not increased the faith or Biblical understanding of the English-speaking nations; quite the reverse!

You know very well that the NLT is not a paraphrase. So stop with that falsehood.

Are you trying to say that the NKJV has increased the faith of English speaking nations (btw, many speak and read English as a second or third language)? Can you present evidence that the NLT does what you accuse it of? Of course not. So stop with your mendacious ways.

 

[RipponRedeaux]

To 'more than conquer' is something other than to have a complete victory. William Hendricksen has quite a long note on this, comparing v.28 with v.37, which ends, "A conqueror is someone who defeats the enemy. One who is more than a conqueror causes the enemy to become a helper."

The NET note for this says in part :"we are winning a most glorious victory."