Welcoming and Entering
Materials for Activity
- Copies of the Bible in as many different translations as possible, including other languages
- Optional: Computer with Internet access
Preparation for Activity
- Seek as much diversity in versions as possible. It would be good to include at least a King James, New American, New Revised Standard Version, and at least one that uses common American English, such as the Common English Bible.
- If you have a computer and Internet access, youth can go to a website that shows the same verse in different translations, such as BibleGateway.com or Oremus Bible Browser.
Description of Activity
Participants examine different translations of the Holy Bible.
Invite youth to browse the different translations available of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures in the Bible. Say that these are only a few of the dozens of translations that exist. Most denominations have favorite translations. It has also been translated into over 2,000 languages. Youth might compare the translations by reading the same verse in different translations. Which do they prefer? Do they like the heightened formality of one version or the easy to read nature of another? What are the implications of the differences in translations for those who believe the Bible is the word of God?