ESV Compared With The HCSB

I will feature some short examples from both versions . It is my conviction that a good Bible version should be written in clear , modern English . The ESV is a serviceable version and better than the KJV , NKJ , and NASU -- but is still a retograde version . It uses antiquated wording a good deal of the time which is totally unnecessary . For instance , the inverted negative is really a device that has not been in common speech for centuries . If the ESV is supposed to be a "current" version then why the old-fashioned phraselogy ? Can't we return to Tyndale's and Luther's desire that the ordinary person should understand the text without any affectations ? Put the text in the language of the people now . It is not any more holy or sacred to use centuries old speech in the present .

The HCSB is my second favorite Bible translation . It is miles ahead of the ESV for the most part . Maybe the ESV will be better after a major overhaul , but as for now it is burdened with ancient baggage .

The ESV rendering will be above and the HCS below .

2:7 I have begotten you

I have become Your Father

5:9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction .

For there is nothing reliable in what they say , destruction is within them .

7:3 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart

or they will tear me like a lion , ripping me apart

7:5 lay my glory in the dust

leave my honor in the dust

8:2 you have established strength because of your foes

You have established a stronghold ... to silence the enemy

9:11 Tell among the peoples his deeds !

proclaim His deeds among the peoples

10:14 for you note mischief and vexation

But You Yourself have seen trouble and grief

11:4 his eyelids test , the children of man

His eyes watch ; He examines everyone

12:1 the children of man

the human race

13:2 How long must I take counsel in my soul ?

How long will I store up anxious concerns within me ?

14:3 together they have become corrupt

all alike have become corrupt

14:4 Have they no knowledge , all the evildoers

Will evildoers never understand ?

15:4 who swears to his own hurt

who keeps his word whatever the cost

16:9 my flesh also dwells secure

my body also rests securely

18:16 many waters

deep waters

18:26 you make yourself seem tortuous

You prove yourself shrewd

19:9 the fear of the Lord is clean

The fear of the Lord is pure

 

I'm Sorry . The phrases Are From Pslams .

But you should have picked up on that anyway .

20:9 save the king !

give victory to the king !

22:9 Yet you are he

You

22:16 For dogs encompass me

For dogs have surrounded me

22:22 I will tell of your name

I will proclaim Your name

23:1 I shall not want

there is nothing I lack

25:2 let me not

Do not let me

25:7 Remember not

Do not remember

25:20 Let me not

Do not let me

25:22 Redeem Israel , O God , out of all his troubles

God , redeem Israel , from all its adversaries

27:4 to inquire in his temple

seeking [Him] in His temple

27:9 Hide not ... turn not ... cast me not off

Do not hide ... do not turn ... do not leave or abandon me

27:12 Give me not up

Do not give me over

28:1 be not deaf

do not be deaf

32:9 Be not

Do not be

33:13 the children of man

everyone

35:19 Let not ... let not

Do not let ... Do not let

35:22 be not silent !... be not far from me !

do not be silent -- do not be far from me .

35:25 Let them not say in their hearts

Do not let them say in their hearts

35:27 my righteousness

my vindication

36:7 The children of mankind

people

36:11 Let not

Do not let

37:1 Fret not -- be not

Do not be agitated -- do not

37:7 fret not

do not be agitated

37:8 fret not

do not be agitated [ You are getting agitated are you ?]

38:1 rebuke me not

do not ... discipline me

38:12 those who seek my hurt

those who want to harm me

39:12 hold not your peace at my tears

do not be silent at my tears

40:14 who desire my hurt

who wish me harm

40:17 but the Lord takes thought for me

the Lord thinks of me

 

Pslams ? It must be my Korean accent :laugh: . I meant Psalms .

 

Continuing In Psalms

The ESV rendering will be at the top and the HCSB's wording will be below .

49:7 Truly no man can ransom another

Yet these cannot redeem a person

50:15 you shall glorify me

you will honor Me

51:5 I was brought forth in iquity , and in sin did my mother conceive me .

I was guilty when I was born ; I was sinful when my mother conceived me .

51:6 you teach me your wisdom in the secret heart

You teach me wisdom deep within

51:11 Cast me not away ... take not your Holy Spirit from me

Do not banish me ... or take Your Holy Spirit from me

52:1 O mighty man

you hero !

53:2 the children of man

human race

55:3 they drop trouble on me

they bring disaster on me

56:5 All day long they injure my cause

They twist my words all day long

56:8 You have kept count of my tossings

You Yourself have recorded my wanderings

57:3 he will put to shame him who tramples on me

challenging the one who tramples me

57:6 my soul was bowed down

I was downcast

58:7 like water that runs away

like water that flows by

58:11 Mankind

people

59:11 Kill them not , lest my people forget ; make them totter by your power .

Do not kill them ; otherwise , my people will forget . By Your power , make them homeless wanderers .

60:11 for vain is the salvation of man !

for human help is worthless .

64:9 mankind

everyone

65:2 to you shall all flesh come

All humanity will come to You

65:11 Your wagon tracks overflow with abundance

Your ways overflow with abundance

68:18 leading a host of captives in your train and receiving gifts among men .

taking away captives ; You received gifts from people .

69:6 Let not ... Let not

Do not let ... Do not let

69:11 I became a byword to them

I was a joke to them

69:15 Let not

Don't let

69:17 Hide not your face

Don't hide Your face

69:27 May they have no acquittal from you

do not let them share in Your righteousness

70:5 hasten to me

hurry to me

71:3 Be to me a rock of refuge

Be a rock of refuge to me

71:6 you are he

You

71:8 with your glory all the day

honor to You all day long

71:9 forsake me not

Don't discard me

71:12 be not far from me

do not be far from me

71:24 who sought to do me hurt

who seek my harm

73:4 their bodies are fat and sleek

their bodies are well-fed

73:22 I was brutish and ignorant

I was a fool and didn't understand

74:12 working salvation

performing saving acts

74:21 Let not

Do not let

75:5 speak with haughty neck

speak arrogantly

76:10 Surely the wrath of man

Even human wrath

78:13 made the waters stand like a heap

the water stood firm like a wall

 

You would disagree with me about the word selections in the ESV , but you love the HCS translation . I do not understand . Aren't the word choices in the HCS superior to that of the ESV ?

Incidentally , the more dynamic REB and NJB also use awkward English though they are considerably more free than the ESV . The NJB has its merits , but when reading it aloud it's choppy . The REB is growing on me despite its less than evangelical credentials . Also the wording is kind of Victorian though it was released in 1989 . Sometimes the wording sounds pretentious with many syllables where an easier word would have sufficed . It's not at all on a 6th grade level as I saw on some website .

I think the range of good , understandable English translations are between the NIV/TNIV ; HCSB ; NLT and possibly the ISV -- though I haven't checked the last one out yet . The NET Bible is also in that category .

 

Going On In Psalms

The ESV at the top and the HCS below .

78:31 laid low the young men of Israel

He struck down Israel's choice young men .

78:33 vanish like a breath

end in futility

81:15 would cringe toward him

would pretend submission to Him

83:2 have raised their heads

have acted arrogantly

83:13 make them like whirling dust

make them like tumbleweed

89:15 festal

joyful

89:47 For what vanity you have created all the children of men !

Have you created everyone for nothing ?

91:4 pinions

feathers

91:8 the recompense

the punishment

94:17 my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence

I would soon rest in the silence of death

101:3 I hate the work of those who fall away

I hate the doing of transgression

103:9 He will not always chide

He will not always accuse us

106:30 the plague was stayed

the plague was stopped

106:32 it went ill with Moses on their account

Moses suffered because of them

107:8 the children of men !

human race

107:15 the children of men !

human race

107:21 the children of men !

human race

107:31 the children of men !

human race

( I know it sounds like an argument :smilewinkgrin: )

108:12 for vain is the salvation of man !

human help is worthless

109:1 Be not silent

do not be silent

109:14 let not

do not let

109:25 wag their heads

shake their heads

115:16 the children of man ( no excalmation mark this time )

human race

116:11 All mankind

Everyone

 

My Korean accent comment was a joke . I am a white boy with the requisite blond hair and blue eyes . I am an edjumakator in S.K -- an English infotainer .

 

Continuing In Psalms

The ESV rendering is at the top and the HCS wording is below .

119:19 hide not

do not hide

119:31 let me not

do not

119:83 I have become like a wineskin in the smoke

I have become like a wineskin [ dried ] by smoke

119:116 let me not

do not let me

119:120 My flesh trembles for fear of you

I tremble in awe of you

119:122 let not

do not let

119:134 man's oppression

human oppression

119:139 My zeal consumes me

My anger overwhelmes me

119:143 Trouble and anguish have found me out

Trouble and distress have overtaken me

124:5 then over us would have gone the raging waters

the raging waters would have swept ver us

124:6 who has not given us as prey to their teeth !

who has not let us be ripped apart by their teeth

125:5 the Lord will lead away with evildoers !

the Lord will banish themwith the evildoers

127:2 eating the bread of anxious toil

eating food earned by hard work

129:3 they made long their furrows

they made their furrows long

129:5 be put to shame and turned backward

be driven back in disgrace

132:11 one of the sons of your body

one of your descendants

136:5 to him who by understanding made the heavens

He made the heavens skillfully

136:23 in our low estate

in our humilation

136:25 to all flesh

to every creature

137:7 Lay it bare , lay it bare

Destroy it ! Destroy it !

140:6 give ear

Listen

140:8 Grant not

Do not grant

140:10 no more to rise !

never to rise again

140:11 Let not

Do not let

141:4 let me not

Do not let my

143:2 Enter not into judgment with your servant

Do not bring your servant into judgment

143:4 my heart within me is appalled

my heart is overcome with dismay

143:7 hide not

Don't hide

144:3 that you regard him

that you think of him ?

145:12 the children of man

[ all ] people

145:21 all flesh

every living thing

146:2 while I have my being

as long as I live

146:6 who keeps faith forever

He remains faithful forever

147:9 He gives to the beasts their food

He provides the animals with their food