The New Hezekiah Translation (NHT)

(Proverbs 25:1 KJV)  These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied out.

One study Bible points out that the editing of Solomon’s Proverbs went on as late as the reign of Hezekiah.  This king was working hard to bring revival to the kingdom.  This verse is not offered as criticism but as reporting.

A thought came to me.  This chapter starts off with frequent mention of kings.  That might be because it was “copied out” (transcribed NASB) (6275) under the direction of a king.  I believe that Aramaic had become the standard language at this time so the general population could not have read the Hebrew.  Or at least it was a Hebrew that was archaic to those who could read.

This should be an indication to us of the need for fresh translations of the Bible.  We have so many today that it gets confusing.  All are not equal.  Some are heretical, but with a little thought and research we can make good choices in which translation we use.  With thoughtful study almost any translation can lead us to the truth.  There are places on the internet like John Meunier's Blog where he discusses the differences.

The key is the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Christians believe the Bible is the inspired word of God.  We argue over the meaning of “inspired” and the means of inspiration, but we agree that the Holy Spirit was active in creating this book.  Why then do some people believe that the Holy Spirit is incapable of guiding people who are faithfully trying to translate.  Obviously He can.  The key is in the hearts and minds of the translators.  Are they really trying to be faithful to the original text or are they just pushing their own ideas? 

So?  Don’t turn off your mind.  Read.  Study.  Think.  Remember that one of the jobs of the Holy Spirit is to teach and lead.  I believe one of our presidents once said something like, “Trust, but verify.”  You don’t need to take anybody’s word for it.