ONE VERSE - MANY VERSIONS - edited 11/5

I grew up with The King James version of The Bible.  In fact, to my dad, there was no other Bible.  Anything else (in his opinion) fell into the category of ‘adding to’ or ‘taking away from’ God’s Word.  

With regard to the Old Testament, it made no difference to him that later translations used more ancient texts for comparison – for it wasn’t until +-1967 that scholars were able to accumulate more than a few fragments of the most ancient Scripture fragments ever found, known as the Dead Sea Scrolls (initially discovered in +-1947, but the area of Qumran was under Jordan rule at that point).  Once there was access to studying the scrolls, there was an opportunity to translate with greater accuracy. 

In addition to the age of the texts used, there is the issue of the challenge of accurately translating the Bible into modern language that purports to convey what the original texts intended.  For instance, I have been told that a given word may have +-16 different words that could be used in translation  – and certainly, some of them give a slightly different tone to the meaning.  

Those same issues carry over to the progression in translation of the New Testament.  The New Testament was originally written in Greek, as it was the universal language of the day; but the spoken language of Jesus' time was Aramaic, so what he stated was often in Aramaic - and translated to Greek when it was recorded.  Language, inflection, understanding, translation...all leave space for varying interpretation....  

So – the point of this is, I have been immersed in studying the book of James; and in looking at parallel versions, most are clear, but one verse is definitely not.  Please note the differences in the various translations that follow.

James 4:5 KJV

Do you think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy?

James 4:5 NIV 1984

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?

James 4:5 NIV 2011

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

James 4:5 CEB

Or do you suppose that scripture is meaningless?  Doesn’t God long for our faithfulness in the life he has given to us?

James 4:5 ESV

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?

Yaakov 4:5 (OJB)

Or do you think that in vain the Kitvei Hakodesh attests that Hashem yearns jealously over the Ruach Hakodesh He causes to dwell in us? 

James 4:5 (WE)

The holy writings say, ‘God gave his spirit to live in us.  And that Spirit wants us for himself.’  Do you think this means nothing?

I prefer the clarification in the ESV – but find as a whole the various texts provide a complement to each other.  It just happens that in this specific verse, the King James isn’t particularly clear., so I am grateful for reading the verse in other texts, which helps me gain a much better picture of what was intended.    

My take away:   I love that God is possessive and protective of His Spirit within us.   When God is referred to as a jealous God - - this is the area of 'jealousy' referenced.  He zealously and jealously protects His Spirit within us - - Christ in you, the hope of glory!!!!!