Lesson 4—Why Have We Produced the New World Translation?
For decades, Jehovah’s Witnesses used, printed, and distributed various versions of the Bible. But then we saw the need to produce a new translation that would better help people to learn the “accurate knowledge of truth,” which is God’s will for everyone. (1 Timothy 2:3, 4) Thus, in 1950 we began to release portions of our modern-language Bible, the New World Translation. This Bible has been faithfully and accurately translated into over 130 languages.
A Bible was needed that was easy to understand. Languages change over time, and many translations contain obscure or obsolete expressions that are difficult to understand. Also, ancient manuscripts that are more accurate and closer to the originals have been discovered, resulting in a better comprehension of Biblical Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.
A translation was needed that was loyal to God’s word. Rather than taking liberties with God’s inspired writings, Bible translators should be faithful to the original text. However, in most versions, the divine name, Jehovah, is not used in the Holy Scriptures.
A Bible was needed that gives credit to its Author. (2 Samuel 23:2) In the New World Translation, Jehovah’s name has been restored where it appears some 7,000 times in the oldest Bible manuscripts as illustrated in the example below. (Psalm 83:18) The result of years of diligent research, this Bible is a pleasure to read, as it clearly conveys God’s thinking. Whether you have the New World Translation in your language or not, we encourage you to get into a good routine of reading Jehovah’s Word every day.—Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:2, 3.

Picture: Symmachus fragment containing the divine name at Psalm 69:31, third or fourth century C.E.

 Why did we decide that a new translation of the Bible was needed?
 What daily practice is good for anyone wanting to learn God’s will?

[Box.] Find Out More

Read the foreword of the New World Translation, and answer the question: “With what sense of responsibility did the translation committee produce this Bible?” Then compare their rendering of the following verses with that of other translations that you may possess: Genesis 25:29; Isaiah 14:23; Matthew 5:3; 11:12; 1 Corinthians 10:24, 25; Philippians 1:8. [End of Box.]
Pictures: Congo (Kinshasa); Rwanda