Updated American Standard Version
Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant
God commanded Israel not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk—a moral prohibition, not a dietary law, rooted in compassion and natural order.
God tells Moses Pharaoh's heart will be hardened—but is this coercion or judicial judgment? A literal translation reveals divine justice and human freedom.
Genesis 22:8 shows that God Himself would provide the Lamb, preserving Hebrew nuance and foreshadowing Christ as the ultimate sacrifice.
Literal translations preserve God’s words and authorial intent, equipping readers to interpret and obey, while paraphrases insert human interpretation.
Deuteronomy 22:5 forbids cross-dressing, preserving gender distinctions. Literal translation of “garment” is vital, not generic “clothing.”
Seven mistaken beliefs about the Bible that undermine accurate translation and understanding—why literal translation is the only faithful approach.
Deuteronomy 4:2 warns against altering God’s Word. Rendering "word" (dābār) as "commands" or "instructions" distorts the text's meaning and violates its unity.
Matthew 4:4 must retain “word”—not paraphrase it as “message” or “everything God says.” Jesus affirms the authority of each spoken word from God’s mouth.
“Holy Spirit and fire” in Matthew 3:11 refers to two outcomes: spiritual life and judgment. It must not be paraphrased as a dual blessing for believers.
Matthew 1:23 must be rendered “God with us,” not paraphrased as “God is with us.” The name Immanuel declares Jesus’ divine identity, not vague comfort.
