What is the Jehovah's Witness translation of the Bible called?

Jehovah's Witnesses are a religious group that is known for their distinctive beliefs and practices, including their translation of the Bible. The Jehovah's Witness translation of the Bible is called the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT). In this post, we will explore what the NWT is, and whether it is a true word-for-word translation from original texts or not.

The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was first published in 1961 by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, which is the publishing arm of Jehovah's Witnesses. The translation was completed by a committee of Jehovah's Witnesses who were fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, the original languages in which the Bible was written.

The NWT is known for its distinctive renderings of certain passages, such as John 1:1, which reads, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god." This differs from most other translations of the Bible, which read, "and the Word was God."

Critics of the NWT have accused it of being a biased translation that reflects the unique beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses. For example, the NWT often translates the Greek word "kyrios" as "Jehovah" instead of "Lord," which is the more common translation in other versions of the Bible. Critics argue that this is an attempt to support the Jehovah's Witness belief that Jesus is not God, but rather a created being.

Despite these criticisms, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society maintains that the NWT is a true word-for-word translation from the original texts. They argue that their translation is more accurate than other translations because it takes into account the context and style of the original languages.