# The Voice Translation



## Wannabee (Nov 18, 2008)

Have y'all heard of _The Voice _yet? It's put out by Thomas Nelson. You can download John's Gospel here.

Thoughts?


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## nicnap (Nov 18, 2008)

Just from reading John 1:1 my thoughts are,  .


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## fredtgreco (Nov 18, 2008)

I read more than John 1:1. It is horrible.

Ok, so Brian McLaren is the heavy weight on this? Ugh.

I want to smack anyone who says after reading a new translation: "I _finally_ understand now what the Bible says! I never did before!" Umm... you don't now either.

Just do a quick glance and see how much italic text there is. This is more "dynamic" or paraphrase than the Message. I did not find one passage in John 1-3 that I thought was even decent, let alone better. Save your money.


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## toddpedlar (Nov 18, 2008)

nicnap said:


> Just from reading John 1:1 my thoughts are,  .



Um, I wouldn't be so kind.


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## nicnap (Nov 18, 2008)

fredtgreco said:


> I read more than John 1:1. It is horrible.
> 
> Ok, so Brian McLaren is the heavy weight on this? Ugh.
> 
> ...



I went on to read more, and I absolutely agree.


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## nicnap (Nov 18, 2008)

toddpedlar said:


> nicnap said:
> 
> 
> > Just from reading John 1:1 my thoughts are,  .
> ...



'Twas the only available emoticon that could begin to express it...I wish I could convey it more.


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## toddpedlar (Nov 18, 2008)

nicnap said:


> toddpedlar said:
> 
> 
> > nicnap said:
> ...



 also seem appropriate to me


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## nicnap (Nov 18, 2008)

toddpedlar said:


> also seem appropriate to me



Aaah...so true. I concede, sir.


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## Wannabee (Nov 18, 2008)

fredtgreco said:


> I read more than John 1:1. It is horrible.
> 
> Ok, so Brian McLaren is the heavy weight on this? Ugh.
> 
> ...



Wow! I've not seen you this worked up before Fred.  
I thought it weak too, but didn't want to shade anyone's perception before they could see it for themselves. Heh, guess we don't have to worry about that now, do we? I do appreciate the PB discernment on this.


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## fredtgreco (Nov 18, 2008)

Wannabee said:


> fredtgreco said:
> 
> 
> > I read more than John 1:1. It is horrible.
> ...



Thanks for the heads up about this, Joe.

I guess I am just beyond tired of "new translations."


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## Grymir (Nov 18, 2008)

This version is bad.

And arminian. John 1:13 ends "Because we are born of this world, we can only be reborn to God by accepting His call."

And since John the Baptist is now John the Immerser, I guess the baptism debate is over.

I won't even talk about Jesus being called Jesus the Liberator.

John 1:14 ends "evidenced in the perfect balance of grace and truth.", as opposed to "full of grace and truth". This implies a big philosophical difference. Hence a big theological difference.

O.k., I can't take any more. The "dialog" boxed that are supposes to be John speaking interspersed throughout the text are annoying and distracting, not to mention that some may take it for Biblical Text. This version is hard to read and follow.

Sigh. When will people learn that newer isn't better.


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## Grymir (Nov 18, 2008)

This next sentence was taken from the introduction.

Previously most Bibles and biblical reference works were produced by
professional scholars writing in academic settings. The Voice uniquely represents
collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and
other artists. 

Musicians, poets and other artists? Like professional scholars writing in academic settings is bad? Let's get Led Zepplin involved on a 'Stairway to Heaven' translation.


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## SolaScriptura (Nov 18, 2008)

I guess I'm not cool enough to appreciate The Voice.

I will say one thing, though... I do think that its rendition of John 3:16 is more accurate than is the "traditional" rendering. The point of "For God so loved" isn't the "God loved us SO much..." that we often get from reading the English, but rather, John was saying that this is how God loved us. John 3:16 is (in my opinion) conveying a sentiment almost identical to Rom 5:8. 

Of course, the NET and the HCSB get it right (in my opinion) as well, and either of those Bibles would be vastly, VASTLY, better than The Voice.

Perhaps if I sip a vanilla latte while reading it then the profundity of it may hit me.


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## Ivan (Nov 18, 2008)

fredtgreco said:


> I guess I am just beyond tired of "new translations."



Amen!


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## Wannabee (Nov 18, 2008)

SolaScriptura said:


> Perhaps if I sip a vanilla latte while reading it then the profundity of it may hit me.



Doesn't work; at least not for me. I was sipping my very own home made vanilla latte while reading this for the first time. It escaped me. Perhaps I have to buy a $5 vanilla latte in order to truly grasp it...


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## SolaScriptura (Nov 18, 2008)

Wannabee said:


> SolaScriptura said:
> 
> 
> > Perhaps if I sip a vanilla latte while reading it then the profundity of it may hit me.
> ...



Perhaps I need Birkenstocks too... maybe?


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## Prufrock (Nov 18, 2008)

> Perhaps I need Birkenstocks too... maybe?



Ha, yep. I was just about to say that. I slipped a pair on and it almost started to make sense. I think if I were reading it on an iBook, that would a been enough (with the brikenstocks and latte, of course)


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## Ivan (Nov 18, 2008)

...and the glasses...and a certain amount of facial hair...


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## Wannabee (Nov 18, 2008)

SolaScriptura said:


> Perhaps I need Birkenstocks too... maybe?



Nope, that doesn't work either. 







Kidding - I wouldn't know Birken-whatever if someone slapped me across the face with 'em.


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## toddpedlar (Nov 18, 2008)

Prufrock said:


> > Perhaps I need Birkenstocks too... maybe?
> 
> 
> 
> Ha, yep. I was just about to say that. I slipped a pair on and it almost started to make sense. I think if I were reading it on an iBook, that would a been enough (with the brikenstocks and latte, of course)



I fear if you want to appreciate "The Voice" and consider it a worthy venture rather than an insipid farce, you need to be smoking something also, and I don't mean a Don Lino.


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## Ivan (Nov 18, 2008)

Wannabee said:


> I wouldn't know Birken-whatever if someone slapped me across the face with 'em.



Dude, that would hurt!


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## LawrenceU (Nov 18, 2008)

That is awful. Truly awful. Sad thing is that there will be loads of people that rave about it as the best thing since the resurrection.


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## ReformedWretch (Nov 18, 2008)

> Ok, so Brian McLaren is the heavy weight on this? Ugh



That says it all. McLaren is an "emergent".


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## PointyHaired Calvinist (Nov 19, 2008)

Most folks would need some major drugs to get anything out of this. Probably would fit in well in Asheville (Weirdsville).

If this is what Bible translation was coming to, maybe the King James and Geneva fans aren't as far off the mark as people say they are...

PS - Dittos on John 3.16. This verse impressed me about the HCSB.


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## AThornquist (Nov 19, 2008)

Well, they got the John the Immerser thing right, at least...  

Other than that, I think it sucks. I wish I had a copy, though... I want to burn it.


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## JohnGill (Nov 20, 2008)

I'm coming out with the Alaskan Huntin' n' Fishin' Bible. I expect everyone here to buy a copy.


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## mvdm (Nov 20, 2008)

Here's a short review of the book. You are also provided a link to the a PDF version of Voice:

A Little Leaven: The New Emergent "Translation" ***Updated**


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## bookslover (Nov 25, 2008)

So, the "emergent church" has its very own "translation" now. 

Check this out: Extreme Theology. It's the lead article. An excerpt: "...not since the release of the Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation of the Greek Scriptures in 1950 has there been a Bible that so blatantly mangles and distorts God's Word in order to support a peculiar and aberrant theological agenda."

Shame on Thomas Nelson. How cynical of them.


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## rgreen (Nov 25, 2008)

I love my KJV. Call me a nutter, but I have just grown to love it. Newer translations seem about as full and creamy as "no-fat" milk.


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