« | Ezekiel 19 | » |
1 As for you, son of man, raise a lamentation over the prince of Israel:
2 What a lioness was your mother, a lion of lions! Among young lions she couched to rear her whelps.
3 One whelp she raised up, a young lion he became; He learned to seize prey, men he devoured.
4 Then nations raised cries against him, in their pit he was caught; They took him away with hooks to the land of Egypt.
5 Then she saw that in vain she had waited, her hope was destroyed. She took another of her whelps, him she made a young lion.
6 He prowled among the lions, a young lion he became; He learned to seize prey, men he devoured;
7 He ravaged their strongholds, their cities he wasted. The land and all in it were appalled at the noise of his roar.
8 Nations laid out against him snares all about him; They spread their net to take him, in their pit he was caught.
9 They put him in a cage and took him away to the king of Babylon, So that his voice would not be heard on the mountains of Israel.
10 Your mother was like a vine planted by the water; Fruitful and branchy was she because of the abundant water.
11 One strong branch she put out as a royal scepter. Stately was her height amid the dense foliage; Notably tall was she with her many clusters.
12 But she was torn up in fury and flung to the ground; The east wind withered her up, her fruit was torn off; Then her strong branch withered up, fire devoured it.
13 So now she is planted in the desert, in a land dry and parched,
14 For fire came out of the branch and devoured her shoots; She is now without a strong branch, a ruler's scepter. This is a lamentation and serves as a lamentation.
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.