Every church I attended had a preferred Bible. As a child belonging to the Methodist Church, I learned from the King James Version. Later, as an evangelical, I studied the New International Version.

Catholics read the New American Bible. Episcopalians use the New Revised Standard Version.

Since the 16th Century, about 900 English versions and 9,000 worldwide translations have existed. And, the translations don’t even contain the same content: some include books and additional verses that others do not. Further complicating the matter, some denominations believe their preferred translation is God-inspired and the most accurate.

The first Bibles were translated from oral Aramaic to written Greek
Jesus spoke Aramaic, a Semitic language related to Hebrew and Arabic. Almost all Bible versions that exist today were translated not from Jesus’ native language, but from early Greek accounts.

Aramaic and Greek are very different languages. It’s like taking apples and turning them into oranges, complicating the integrity of the original translations. Greek is more black and white, while Aramaic is context-based. This means that one Aramaic word can have different meanings depending on the culture at that time, situations or even the topic of conversation.

Jesus’ words, translated from Aramaic to English, speak to my heart
First off, I want to say that no translation of Jesus’ words can claim to be 100% accurate, as Aramaic has evolved over time and there are no written accounts from Jesus’ time.

Over the past year, I’ve been a student of Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz, PhD, an expert in translating ancient Aramaic, Hebrew and Arabic languages. He’s spent considerable time translating Jesus’ teachings based on the Syrian Aramaic Peshitta Bible, Jewish beliefs at the time and the culture Jesus lived in. He chose to translate from the Aramaic version as those translators had the advantage of comparing the Greek written versions against their rich oral teachings on Jesus, which had been passed down from one generation to another.

When Aramaic is translated directly into English, it becomes more expansive and mystical.

The opening of the Lord’s Prayer: traditional and Aramaic meanings
Here’s a comparison of the first several lines of the Lord’s Prayer to give you a feel for how this translation differs from the King James Version, yet correlates with each other. My paraphrases are from the lengthier versions presented by Douglas-Klotz during his class lectures. The Aramaic translation follows the traditional English prayer that appears in the parentheses.

(Our Father, which art in heaven,)
Oh Parent*, who is above us, below us, within us and outside us

(Holy be thy name)
Help us make room in our hearts for Your sacred light and help us nurture Your light

(Thy Kingdom come)
Let Your vision and life energy work through us now.

(Thine will be done)
Guide us to do what is right. Help our choices further all creation.

Find the translation that touches your heart
I regularly recite both the traditional Lord’s Prayer and the Aramaic version. I also refer to my King James and NIV Bibles, but I supplement them with my Aramaic Jesus/Advancing the Way of Aramaic Jesus class notes and books.

Many translations and denominations exist because they speak to different individuals and groups. Various versions illuminate and emphasize different aspects. Some may offer more depth than others. One is not better than any other. Choose what speaks to your heart and respect others’ rights to prefer different translations.

*The word translated into Father by most versions is gender neutral in Aramaic.

Dr. Neil Douglas-Klotz’s website is Abwoon.org. His books are available through his website and Amazon.com. I recommend his book “Revelations of the Aramaic Jesus” if you’d like to dive deep into this subject. He offers live, online classes through The Shift Network.

#allmyownwords