« | 2 Corinthians 2 | » |
1 For I decided not to come to you again in painful circumstances.
2 For if I inflict pain upon you, then who is there to cheer me except the one pained by me?
3 And I wrote as I did so that when I came I might not be pained by those in whom I should have rejoiced, confident about all of you that my joy is that of all of you.
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears, not that you might be pained but that you might know the abundant love I have for you.
5 If anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure (not to exaggerate) to all of you.
6 This punishment by the majority is enough for such a person,
7 so that on the contrary you should forgive and encourage him instead, or else the person may be overwhelmed by excessive pain.
8 Therefore, I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.
9 For this is why I wrote, to know your proven character, whether you were obedient in everything.
10 Whomever you forgive anything, so do I. For indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for you in the presence of Christ,
11 so that we might not be taken advantage of by Satan, for we are not unaware of his purposes.
12 When I went to Troas for the gospel of Christ, although a door was opened for me in the Lord,
13 I had no relief in my spirit because I did not find my brother Titus. So I took leave of them and went on to Macedonia.
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the odor of the knowledge of him in every place.
15 For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing,
16 to the latter an odor of death that leads to death, to the former an odor of life that leads to life. Who is qualified for this?
17 For we are not like the many who trade on the word of God; but as out of sincerity, indeed as from God and in the presence of God, we speak in Christ.
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU)
The New American Standard Updated Version (NASU) is a highly respected English translation of the Bible known for its rigorous adherence to the original languages of Scripture. First published in 1995 by the Lockman Foundation, the NASU is an update of the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which was originally completed in 1971. The NASU seeks to improve upon the NASB by enhancing readability and modernizing the language while maintaining the translation’s reputation for being one of the most literal translations available. This makes the NASU a preferred choice for serious Bible study, preaching, and teaching.
A key feature of the NASU is its commitment to formal equivalence, or a word-for-word translation philosophy. The translators aimed to produce a text that is as close as possible to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. This approach ensures that the NASU captures the precise meaning and structure of the original texts, providing readers with a highly accurate and reliable representation of the Scriptures. The use of formal equivalence makes the NASU particularly valuable for those who desire a deep and detailed understanding of the Bible, including scholars, theologians, and students of the Word.
In updating the NASB, the NASU made several important changes to improve clarity and readability. While maintaining the accuracy and literalness of the translation, the NASU incorporates modern English expressions and smoother sentence structures. This makes the text more accessible to contemporary readers without compromising the precision that the NASB is known for. The NASU also includes updated cross-references and footnotes, which provide additional context and insights, further aiding in the study and understanding of the biblical text.
Despite its many strengths, the NASU has faced some criticism. Some readers and scholars argue that the translation’s emphasis on literalness can sometimes result in a text that feels stiff or less fluid than more dynamic translations. Additionally, while the NASU’s updated language makes it more accessible, some feel that it could go further in adapting to contemporary usage without losing its accuracy. Nevertheless, the New American Standard Updated Version remains a highly esteemed translation, valued for its fidelity to the original texts and its usefulness for in-depth study and precise interpretation of the Bible.