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Why
the NASB?
Ultimately, what separates the New
American Standard Bible from the various available versions is that
the NASB is a literal word-for-word translation from the original languages.
In contrast, the others stress either a loose, personalized paraphrase,
or a free-style, thought-for-thought translation known as a dynamic equivalent.
Both of these place the highest priority on ease of reading and a lower priority
on word-for-word preciseness. While such versions may produce smooth English,
the literalness of the Word of God is sacrificed. This has never been an option
for the New American Standard Bible.
In the history of English Bible translations,
the King James version is the most prestigious. This time-honored version of
1611 was translated in 17th century Elizabethan language that is
beautiful, yet strange and unfamiliar to many people today.
In the centuries since the KJV was
translated, hundreds of English words in it have either changed in meaning or
become obsolete, and many new sources of information concerning the Old and
New Testament Scriptures have been discovered.For example, today there are about
5,000 New Testament Greek manuscripts available compared to approximately 25
manuscripts that were known in the 17th century.
When the original New American Standard Bible was first translated,
the translation teams took full advantage of these new discoveries. The discovery
of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, for instance, proved instrumental in verifying
the early manuscripts. In addition, the NASB translators benefited
from Rudolf Kittel’s Biblia Hebraica, the 23rd edition of Eberhard
Nestle’s Novum Testamentum Graece, the best lexicons, concordances,
and commentaries available on the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek Scriptures.
In the updated NASB, consideration was given to the latest available
manuscripts with a view to determining the best Greek text. In most instances,
the 26th edition of Nestle-Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece was
closely followed. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia also was employed
together with the most recent light from lexicography, cognate languages, and
the Dead Sea Scrolls.
How
does the NASB compare to other English versions?
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Proverbs 1:17 |
| NASB |
Indeed, it is useless to spread the baited net in the sight of
any bird; |
| ESV |
For in vain is a net spread in the sight of any bird, |
| NIV |
How useless to spread a net in full view of all the birds! |
| HCSB |
It is foolish to spread a net where any bird can see it, |
| NLT |
If a bird sees a trap being set, it knows to stay away. |
| M |
Nobody robs a bank with everyone watching, |
| AMP |
For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird! |
| KJV |
Surely in vaine the net is spread in the sight of any bird. |
| NKJV |
Surely, in vain the net is spread In the sight of any bird; |
| |
Proverbs 26:7 |
| NASB |
Like the legs which are useless to the lame, so is a
proverb in the mouth of fools. |
| ESV |
Like a lame man’s legs, which hang useless, is a proverb in the
mouth of fools. |
| NIV |
Like a lame man’s legs that hang limp is a proverb in the mouth
of a fool. |
| HCSB |
A proverb in the mouth of a fool is like lame legs that hang limp. |
| NLT |
A proverb in the mouth of a fool is as useless as a paralyzed leg. |
| M |
A proverb quoted by fools is limp as a wet noodle. |
| AMP |
Like the legs of a lame man which hang loose, so is a parable in the mouth
of a fool. |
| KJV |
The legs of the lame are not equal: so is a parable in the mouth of fools.
|
| NKJV |
Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of
fools. |
| |
Isaiah 33:3 |
| NASB |
At the sound of the tumult peoples flee; at the lifting up of Yourself
nations disperse. |
| ESV |
At the tumultuous noise peoples flee; when you lift yourself up, nations
are scattered, |
| NIV |
At the thunder of your voice, the peoples flee; when you rise up, the
nations scatter. |
| HCSB |
The peoples flee at the thunderous noise; the nations scatter when You
rise in Your majesty. |
| NLT |
The enemy runs at the sound of your voice. When you stand up, the nations
flee! |
| M |
You spoke in thunder and everyone ran. You showed up and nations scattered. |
| AMP |
At the noise of the tumult [caused by Your voice at which the enemy is
overthrown], the peoples flee; at the lifting up of Yourself, nations are
scattered. |
| KJV |
At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of thyself
the nations were scattered. |
| NKJV |
At the noise of the tumult the people shall flee; When You lift Yourself
up, the nations shall be scattered; |
| |
Isaiah 41:3 |
| NASB |
He pursues them, passing on in safety, by a way he had not been traversing
with his feet. |
| ESV |
He pursues them and passes on safely, by paths his feet have not trod. |
| NIV |
He pursues them and moves on unscathed, by a path his feet have not traveled
before. |
| HCSB |
He pursues them, going on safely, hardly touching the path with his feet. |
| NLT |
He chases them away and goes on safely, though he is walking over unfamiliar
ground. |
| M |
He chases them and comes through unscathed, his feet scarcely touching
the path. |
| AMP |
He [Cyrus] pursues them and passes safely and unhindered, even by a way
his feet had not trod and so swiftly that his feet do not touch the ground.
|
| KJV |
He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone
with his feet. |
| NKJV |
Who pursued them, and passed safely By the way that he had not gone with
his feet? |
| |
Isaiah 56:9 |
| NASB |
All you beasts of the field, all you beasts in the forest, come to eat. |
| ESV |
All you beasts of the field, come to devour—all you beasts in the
forest. |
| NIV |
Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour, all you beasts of
the forest! |
| HCSB |
All you animals of the field and forest, come and eat! |
| NLT |
Come, wild animals of the field! Come, wild animals of the forest! Come
and devour my people! |
| M |
A call to the savage beasts: Come on the run. Come, devour, beast barbarians! |
| AMP |
All you beasts of the field, come to devour, all you beasts (hostile nations)
in the forest. |
| KJV |
All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the
forest. |
| NKJV |
All you beasts of the field, come to devour, All you beasts in the forest.
|
| |
Matthew 3:5 |
| NASB |
Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district
around the Jordan; |
| ESV |
Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were
going out to him, |
| NIV |
People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region
of the Jordan. |
| HCSB |
Then |people from| Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the vicinity of the Jordan
were flocking to him, |
| NLT |
People from Jerusalem and from all of Judea and all over the Jordan Valley
went out to see and hear John. |
| M |
People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to
hear and see him in action. |
| AMP |
Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the country round about the Jordan
went out to him; |
| KJV |
Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round
about Jordan, |
| NKJV |
Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out
to him |
| |
Matthew 4:19 |
| NASB |
And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of
men.” |
| ESV |
And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of
men.” |
| NIV |
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you
fishers of men.” |
| HCSB |
“Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish
for people!” |
| NLT |
Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you
how to fish for people!” |
| M |
Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman
out of you. I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and
bass." |
| AMP |
And He said to them, Come after Me [as disciples--letting Me be your Guide],
follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men! |
| KJV |
And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.
|
| NKJV |
Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of
men." |
| |
Matthew 5:36 |
| NASB |
Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair
white or black. |
| ESV |
And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white
or black. |
| NIV |
And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white
or black. |
| HCSB |
Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single
hair white or black. |
| NLT |
Do not even say, ‘By my head!’ for you can’t turn one
hair white or black. |
| M |
You don't make your words true by embellishing them with religious lace.
In making your speech sound more religious, it becomes less true. |
| AMP |
And do not swear by your head, for you are not able to make a single hair
white or black. |
| KJV |
Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one
hair white or black. |
| NKJV |
Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white
or black. |
| |
Matthew 16:19 |
| NASB |
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind
on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth
shall have been loosed in heaven." |
| ESV |
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind
on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall
be loosed in heaven." |
| NIV |
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed
in heaven." |
| HCSB |
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind
on earth is already bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth is
already loosed in heaven." |
| NLT |
And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you lock
on earth will be locked in heaven, and whatever you open on earth will be
opened in heaven." |
| M |
"And that's not all. You will have complete and free access to God's
kingdom, keys to open any and every door: no more barriers between heaven
and earth, earth and heaven. A yes on earth is yes in heaven. A no on earth
is no in heaven." |
| AMP |
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind
(declare to be improper and unlawful) on earth must be what is already bound
in heaven; and whatever you loose (declare lawful) on earth must be what
is already loosed in heaven. |
| KJV |
And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever
thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt
loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. |
| NKJV |
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you
bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will
be loosed in heaven." |
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Matthew 28:4 |
| NASB |
The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. |
| ESV |
And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. |
| NIV |
The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead
men. |
| HCSB |
The guards were so shaken from fear of him that they became like dead
men. |
| NLT |
The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead
faint. |
| M |
The guards at the tomb were scared to death. They were so frightened,
they couldn't move. |
| AMP |
And those keeping guard were so frightened at the sight of him that they
were agitated and they trembled and became like dead men. |
| KJV |
And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men. |
| NKJV |
And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men. |
How does the Updated
NASB compare with the original NASB?
Updated NASB =
red underline text
NASB Original = blue
cross-through text
Ex. 15:7 "And in the
greatness of ThineYour
excellenceThou dost
Youoverthrow those who rise up against Thee
You; Thou dost
You send forth Thy
Your burning anger, and it consumes
them as chaff.
Is. 35:6 Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb
mute will shout for joy.
Matt. 1:19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man,
and not wanting to disgrace her, desired to put
planned to sendher away secretly.
1 Cor. 9:27 but I buffet discipline
my body and make it my slave, lest possibly
so that, after I have preached to others, I
myself should will
not be disqualified.
Rev. 1:13 and in the middle of the lampstands I
saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet,
and girded across His breast chest
with a golden girdle sash.
Rev. 16:5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, "Righteous
art Thou are
You, who art are
and who wast were,
O Holy One, because Thou didst judge
You judged these things;
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