A Report on the Recovery Version Translation Work Worldwide

The work on the Recovery Version began in 1974 in English and continues to this day in many other languages worldwide. (In a later issue of this newsletter, we hope to offer a brief history of the English Holy Bible Recovery Version.) At the time of this writing, the New Testament Recovery Version has been completed in eighteen languages, and nine more are in the process of completing it. The Old Testament Recovery Version has also been completed in nine languages, and five more are in progress:

In almost all the languages above, the translation of the verses was done directly from the Greek text with careful attention to the translation decisions embodied in the English New Testament Recovery Version. Thus, the translation of the verses in a Recovery Version into languages other than English involves the interplay of the Greek text, the English Recovery Version, and the major Bible translations of the target languages, which we genuinely respect if they are accurate. As much as possible, the Recovery Version offers the same meaning to its readers in every language, though language differences sometime require the teams to provide alternate renderings. These are all acceptable and part of the necessary flexibility in translation, and Brother Lee availed himself of this flexibility in the English and Chinese New Testament Recovery Versions. The translation of the footnotes, of course, adheres closely to the English footnotes (and in some languages, to the Chinese footnotes), and translation is more straightforward since there are no original Greek text and other Bible versions to factor into the footnote translation process. The occasional language comments in the footnotes, offering other renderings or explaining words or phrases in the text, may differ from the English Recovery Version, based on the translation of the verses into the target language. Throughout the labor on a Recovery Version, LSM is available to help with questions about the original language, to offer linguistic guidance in translation, and to approve departures from the English Recovery Version. When the translation is completed and before typesetting begins, LSM serving ones meet with the translation team and check the translation in hundreds of critical spots throughout the Recovery Version. During this check many improvements and corrections are made through this blended service. Once LSM deems that the work done is indeed a faithful Recovery Version translation, typesetting begins, and LSM is available to help set up or even fully carry out this very complicated task. Usually a New Testament Recovery Version has over 1,400 carefully designed pages of coordinating verses, footnotes, and marginal cross references, and the typesetting of each page is not trivial. Typesetting a New Testament Recovery Version generally takes a few months to complete properly. LSM also helps with the proofreading and printing of the Recovery Version based on the situation in the publication work in the target language. Proofreading generally is done by volunteers, who receive careful instruction in the tasks that need to be done. Typically the proofreading of a New Testament Recovery Version takes about six weeks and requires about sixty to seventy-five volunteers, who give anywhere from two to six weeks of their time to the Lord for this purpose. As many past volunteers can testify, these proofreading projects are glorious and full of the Lord’s presence, enjoyment, and nourishment. In this matter, the Lord never muzzles the ox while it is treading out the grain. After the proofreading, the print production stage usually takes about five to six months, and then the printed Recovery Versions are delivered to the saints. And as we all know, when the Recovery Version gets into the hands of the saints and of the Lord’s lovers and seekers everywhere in a language, a big blessing follows—a blessing of truth, life, growth, and the building up of the church as the Body of Christ. Hallelujah!