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Description
Thousands of years ago, people wrote the books of the Bible. Other people then copied them by hand and translated them. They did this work very carefully, and over the years many people made thousands of copies. However people who looked at them later saw that there were small differences between them. Some copiers accidentally left out some words, and some mistook a word for another that looked like it. Occasionally they added words or even whole sentences, either by accident, or because they wanted to explain something. Modern Bibles are translations of the old copies. Some modern Bibles have some of these sentences that were added. In the ULB, these added sentences are usually written in footnotes.
Bible scholars have read many old copies and compared them with each other. For each place in the Bible where there was a difference, they have figured out which wordings are most likely correct. The translators of the ULB based the ULB on wordings that scholars say are most likely correct. Because people who use the ULB may have access to Bibles that are based on other copies, the ULB translators included footnotes that tell about some of the differences between them.
Translators are encouraged to translate the text in the ULB and to write about added sentences in footnotes, as is done in the ULB. However, if the local church really wants those sentences to be included in the main text, translators may put them in the text and include a footnote about them.
Examples from the Bible
Matthew 18:10-11 ULB has a footnote about verse 11.
10See that you do not despise any of these little ones. For I say to you that in heaven their angels always look on the face of my Father who is in heaven. 11[1][1]The best ancient Greek copies do not have the sentence that some translations include, For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.
John 7:53-8:11 is not in the best earliest manuscripts. It has been included in the ULB, but it is marked off with square brackets ([ ]) at the beginning and end, and there is a footnote after verse 11.
53[Then every man went to his own house. ... 11She said, "No one, Lord." Jesus said, "Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more."][2]
[2]The best ancient copies do not have John 7:53-8:11.
Translation Strategies
When there is a textual variant, you may choose to follow the ULB or another version that you have access to.
- Translate the verses that the ULB does and include the footnote that the ULB provides.
- Translate the verses as another version does, and change the footnote so that it fits this situation.
Examples of Translation Strategies Applied
The translation strategies are applied to Mark 7:14-16 ULB, which has a footnote about verse 16.
- 14He called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15There is nothing from outside of a person that can defile him when it enters into him. It is what comes out of the person that defiles him." 16[1]
[1]The best ancient copies do not have verse 16. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.
- Translate the verses that the ULB does and include the footnote that the ULB provides.
- 14He called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15There is nothing from outside of a person that can defile him when it enters into him. It is what comes out of the person that defiles him." 16[1]
[1]The best ancient copies do not have verse 16. If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.
- 14He called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15There is nothing from outside of a person that can defile him when it enters into him. It is what comes out of the person that defiles him." 16[1]
- Translate the verses as another version does, and change the footnote so that it fits this situation.
- 14He called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15There is nothing from outside of a person that can defile him when it enters into him. It is what comes out of the person that defiles him. 16If any man has ears to hear, let him hear." [1]
[1]The best ancient copies do not have verse 16.
- 14He called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand. 15There is nothing from outside of a person that can defile him when it enters into him. It is what comes out of the person that defiles him. 16If any man has ears to hear, let him hear." [1]