Are you using the New World Translation effectively in your ministry? Are you recommending it to others and helping them to benefit from its many features? The discussion that follows will deepen your appreciation for this wonderful tool and encourage you to utilize it thoroughly in the field and in your personal study.—2 Tim. 2:15.

Superiority of the Translation

Why was there a need for a new translation? (jv p. 608 par. 1)

What steps were taken to produce the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures? (jv p. 607 par. 5) When and where was this new translation released? (si p. 324 pars. 18-19)

What was involved in translating the Hebrew Scriptures, and when were the volumes released? How long did it take to produce the entire New World Translation? (jv p. 609 pars. 2-3)

Why was there a need for a revised edition of the New World Translation? What was the goal of the New World Bible Translation Committee? (nwt p. 39)

A1 Principles of Bible Translation

What are some of the reasons given as to why a strict, word-for-word translation is not always the most accurate translation? (nwt p. 1718)

Give some examples of how a word-for-word translation can be misunderstood. (nwt pp. 1718-1720)

How might doctrinal bias affect a translator’s work? (nwt p. 1720)

What liberties have some translators taken regarding Jehovah’s name? (nwt p. 1721)

Should the revised English New World Translation be considered a paraphrased edition? (nwt p. 1721)

What must a reliable translation accomplish? (nwt p. 1721)

A2 Features of This Revision

Why have a number of style and vocabulary changes been made in the revised edition? (nwt p. 1722)

Give examples of the following adjustments:

A3 How the Bible Came to Us

What is one reason why manuscripts needed to be copied? (nwt p. 1726 ftn.)

Who were the Sopherim and Masoretes, and how did they share in the preservation of the Bible? (nwt p. 1726)

What is the Leningrad Codex? (nwt p. 1726)

What does a comparison of the Dead Sea Scrolls with the Leningrad Codex confirm? (nwt pp. 1726-1727)

Not all copies of ancient Bible manuscripts contain identical wording. How might this variation be illustrated? (nwt p. 1727) Why is that not a problem for students of the Bible?

Which source text was the basis for the first edition of the New World Translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (1953-1960)? (nwt p. 1729)

What additional texts and manuscripts have been used to produce the Hebrew portion of the revised New World Translation? (nwt p. 1729)

What Greek master text did the New World Bible Translation Committee originally use in the mid-20th century to produce the translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures? (nwt p. 1729)

What Greek master texts and other sources did the New World Bible Translation Committee use to produce the Christian Greek Scriptures for the New World Translation in 2013? (nwt p. 1729)

Why have some verses found in the King James Version been omitted in the revised New World Translation? How were footnotes used in connection with these spurious verses? (nwt p. 1729)

Why have the long conclusion for Mark 16 (verses 9-20), the short conclusion for Mark 16, and the wording found at John 7:53–8:11 not been included in the revised English New World Translation? (nwt pp. 1729-1730)

A4 The Divine Name in the Hebrew Scriptures

Why is Jehovah’s name missing from many Bible translations? (nwt p. 1731)

On what basis have some translators chosen to omit Jehovah’s name? Why do their reasons lack merit? (nwt pp. 1731-1733)

Why does the revised English New World Translation use the form “Jehovah”? (nwt pp. 1733-1735)

What is the meaning of the name Jehovah? (nwt p. 1735)

Why is the meaning of Jehovah’s name not limited to the words at Exodus 3:14? (nwt p. 1735)

Further research based on ancient manuscripts reveals six additional occurrences of the divine name as follows: Judges 19:18; 1 Samuel 2:25, 6:3, 10:26, 23:14, 16

A5 The Divine Name in the Christian Greek Scriptures

When translating quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures in which the Tetragrammaton appears, what do most translators do? (nwt p. 1736)

How many times does the name Jehovah appear in the Christian Greek Scriptures of the New World Translation? (nwt p. 1736)

What two important factors did the New World Bible Translation Committee take into consideration when deciding to use Jehovah’s name in the Christian Greek Scriptures? (nwt p. 1736)

As time allows, give examples of compelling evidence that the Tetragrammaton did appear in the original Greek manuscripts. (nwt pp. 1736-1743)

How can you help your students and others to benefit from the above information in connection with the use of Jehovah’s name in the Bible?

How do you feel about the New World Translation?