In Understanding Bible Translation, William Barrick surveys the fascinating work of Bible translation worldwide. Drawing on decades of experience translating the Bible, Barrick explains best practices for Bible translation and walks the reader through the translation process. In addition, he provides insight for evaluating English translations and highlights resources for understanding difficult passages of Scripture.

This book offers a broad-based, contemporary perspective on Bible translation in terms of academic areas foundational to the endeavor: translation studies, communication theory, linguistics, cultural studies, biblical studies and literary and rhetorical studies. The discussion of each area is geared towards non-specialists, to introduce them to notions, trends and tools that can contribute to their understanding of translation. The Bible translator is encouraged to appreciate various approaches to translation in view of the wide variety of communicative, organizational and sociocultural situations in which translation occurs. However, literary representation of the Scriptures receives special attention since it has been neglected in earlier, influential works on Bible translation. In addition to useful introductory and concluding sections, the book consists of six chapters: Scripture Translation in the Era of Translation Studies; Translation and Communication; The Role of Culture in Communication; Advances in Linguistic Theory and their Relavance to Translation; Biblical Studies and Bible Translation; and A Lterary Approach to Biblical Text Analysis and Translation. The authors are translation consultants for the United Bible Societies. They have worked with translation projects in various media and in languages ranging from ones of a few hundred speakers to international ones, in Africa, the Americas and Asia.

Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles continues to provide crucial, practical training for those preparing to translate the Bible or contribute to Bible translation in other ways. The fourth edition of this classic textbook is a leading voice in addressing the following developments in the Bible translation world: The priority of oral communication and its value in drafting, testing, and polishing draft translations. The availability of software and online resources specifically designed for Bible translation; exercises and assignments include practice in the use of these resources. The increase in Old Testament translation projects worldwide; more examples and exercises from the Old Testament are included. The value of partnership and teamwork in translation projects, recognizing the different gifts, skills, and roles of those involved, helping each team member to serve effectively as a member of a team. The involvement of local churches and community in the translation process; planning for local responsibility, ownership and sustainability as fully as possible in each translation project. The importance of ongoing training for translators, including training translators to train others and preparing capable translators to serve as translation consultants in due time. The materials are designed for the classroom but are also suitable for self-study, for example, by those who are already qualified in biblical languages and exegetical skills and are training as translation consultants. A companion Teacher's Manual is also available. Documents, references, and links to videos and other published works can be found online at: publications.sil.org/bibletranslation_additionalmaterials. Bible Translation: An Introductory Course in Translation Principles has previously been translated in whole or in part into French, Hindi, Indonesian, Kannada, Malagasy, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, Swahili, Tamil, and Telugu. For information on translation or repbublishing, contact: sil.org/resources/publications/about/contact.

Dave Brunn has been an international Bible translator for many years. Here he divulges the inner workings of translation practice to help us sort out the many competing claims for superiority among English Bible translations. His professional assessments and conclusions will be a great help to all seeking truth in translation.

Harry Freedman recounts the fascinating and bloody history of the Bible. In 1535, William Tyndale, the first man to produce an English version of the Bible in print, was captured and imprisoned in Belgium. A year later he was strangled and then burned at the stake. His co-translator was also burned. In that same year the translator of the first Dutch Bible was arrested and beheaded. These were not the first, nor were they the last instances of extreme violence against Bible translators. The Murderous History of Bible Translations tells the remarkable, and bloody, story of those who dared translate the word of God. The Bible has been translated far more than any other book. To our minds it is self-evident that believers can read their sacred literature in a language they understand. But the history of Bible translations is far more contentious than reason would suggest. Bible translations underlie an astonishing number of religious conflicts that have plagued the world. Harry Freedman, author of The Talmud: A Biography describes brilliantly the passions and strong emotions that arise when deeply held religious convictions are threatened or undermined. He tells of the struggle for authority and orthodoxy in a world where temporal power was always subjugated to the divine. A world in which the idea of a Bible for all was so important that many were willing to give up their time, their security and often their lives.

The King James Version has shaped the church, our worship, and our mother tongue for over 400 years. But what should we do with it today? The KJV beautifully rendered the Scriptures into the language of turn-of-the-seventeenth-century England. Even today the King James is the most widely read Bible in the United States. The rich cadence of its Elizabethan English is recognized even by non-Christians. But English has changed a great deal over the last 400 years—and in subtle ways that very few modern readers will recognize. In Authorized Mark L. Ward, Jr. shows what exclusive readers of the KJV are missing as they read God's word.#In their introduction to the King James Bible, the translators tell us that Christians must "heare CHRIST speaking unto them in their mother tongue." In Authorized Mark Ward builds a case for the KJV translators' view that English Bible translations should be readable by what they called "the very vulgar"—and what we would call "the man on the street."

The purpose of this book is to demonstrate how discourse, sociolinguistic and exegetical issues become integrated in the field of Bible translation. Philip C. Stine, Editor. Paperback. viii, 296 pages. 5 5/8 x 8 1/4 inches.