Three Translations; Help!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below I am going to present three translations of a passage from 1QS in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Don't ask me now why I believe the passage is significant; I'm only asking for help in interpreting the meaning of it right now. I do not profess to have all the answers. Also, if I detect that anyone responding has a RELIGIOUS or CONFESSIONAL bias, the response will mean nothing to me. I'm not interested in dogma regarding this issue, only proper translation and interpretation of what the ancient author meant. I'm not even discussing whether the teaching of the passage is right or wrong at this point. I do not have the original Hebrew but am trusting that the 3 variations will probably evidence the meaning when considered together. NOTE: This is a passage that both traditionalist (unending torment) and conditionalist (eventual annihilation) proponents of the doctrine of hell equally use to bolster their position. It is only one of many passages in the scrolls on the doctrine of final punishment.
Translation #1: And the visitation of all who walk in this spirit (the spirit of evil) shall be a multitude of plagues by the hand of all the destroying angels, everlating damnation by the avenging wrath of the fury of God, eternal torment and endless disgrace together with shameful extinction in the fire of the dark regions. The times of all their generations shall be spent in sorrowful mourning and in bitter misery and in calamities of darkness until they are destroyed without remnant or survivor.
Translation #2: And as for the Visitation of all who walk in this (Spirit), it consists of an abundance of blows administered by all the Angels of destruction in the everlasting Pit by the furious wrath of the God of vengeance, of unending dread and shame without end, and of the disgrace of destruction by the fire of the regions of darkness. And all their time from age to age are in most sorrowful chagrin and bitterest misfortune, in calamities of darkness till they are destroyed with none of them surviving or escaping.
Translation #3: The judgment of all who walk in such ways will be multiple afflictions at the hand of all the angels of perdition, everlasting damnation in the wrath of God's furious vengeance, never-ending terror and reproach for all eternity, with a shameful extinction in the fire of Hell's outer darkness. For all their eras, generation by generation, they will know doleful sorrow, bitter evil, and dark happenstance, until their utter destruction with neither remnant nor rescue.
Thanks to anyone who will even consider an attempt to sort out this difficulty.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Below I am going to present three translations of a passage from 1QS in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Don't ask me now why I believe the passage is significant; I'm only asking for help in interpreting the meaning of it right now. I do not profess to have all the answers. Also, if I detect that anyone responding has a RELIGIOUS or CONFESSIONAL bias, the response will mean nothing to me. I'm not interested in dogma regarding this issue, only proper translation and interpretation of what the ancient author meant. I'm not even discussing whether the teaching of the passage is right or wrong at this point. I do not have the original Hebrew but am trusting that the 3 variations will probably evidence the meaning when considered together. NOTE: This is a passage that both traditionalist (unending torment) and conditionalist (eventual annihilation) proponents of the doctrine of hell equally use to bolster their position. It is only one of many passages in the scrolls on the doctrine of final punishment.
Translation #1: And the visitation of all who walk in this spirit (the spirit of evil) shall be a multitude of plagues by the hand of all the destroying angels, everlating damnation by the avenging wrath of the fury of God, eternal torment and endless disgrace together with shameful extinction in the fire of the dark regions. The times of all their generations shall be spent in sorrowful mourning and in bitter misery and in calamities of darkness until they are destroyed without remnant or survivor.
Translation #2: And as for the Visitation of all who walk in this (Spirit), it consists of an abundance of blows administered by all the Angels of destruction in the everlasting Pit by the furious wrath of the God of vengeance, of unending dread and shame without end, and of the disgrace of destruction by the fire of the regions of darkness. And all their time from age to age are in most sorrowful chagrin and bitterest misfortune, in calamities of darkness till they are destroyed with none of them surviving or escaping.
Translation #3: The judgment of all who walk in such ways will be multiple afflictions at the hand of all the angels of perdition, everlasting damnation in the wrath of God's furious vengeance, never-ending terror and reproach for all eternity, with a shameful extinction in the fire of Hell's outer darkness. For all their eras, generation by generation, they will know doleful sorrow, bitter evil, and dark happenstance, until their utter destruction with neither remnant nor rescue.
Thanks to anyone who will even consider an attempt to sort out this difficulty.