A New Bible - The Revised 2013 New World Translation

A revised, New World Translation Bible has been released to Jehovah's Witnesses, during their Annual General Meeting this year.  This 2013 revision is supposed to make for a better, easier reading in a modern English language. 

However, there is much more to it than just that.  They have catered verses and manipulated others (Even more so than the previous edition) to suit their teachings and agenda.

Some more noteworthy aspects include the complete removal of Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:58 thru 8:11 from the Gospel accounts.

A softer, kinder ‘Father’, Jehovah is presented that does not promote women to be raped or treated like property.  For instance, Numbers 31: 17, 18 as presented in the previous revision from 1984 states:

"And now kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has had intercourse with man by lying with a male.  And preserve alive for yourselves all the little ones among the women who have not known the act of lying with a male."


In the 2013 Revision it now states:

"Now you should kill every male among the children and kill every woman who has had sexual relations with a man.  But you may keep alive all the young girls who have not had sexual relations with a man."


This provides the opportunity for Jehovah's Witnesses to believe and promote that they have a better picture of how loving Jehovah is and only those other (false) religions state from their (false) Bibles that God wanted the virgins to be taken by the men.  Their organization has increased light and understanding.

To promote the Watchtower's teaching of Jesus dying on a stake instead of a cross, they have changed the scripture in John 19:6.  In the previous 1984 edition, the verse reads:

"However, when the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted, saying: "Impale [him]! Impale [him]!"  Pilate said to them: "Take him yourselves and impale him, for I do not find any fault in him."


In this new 2013 revision, they changed the scripture to suit their doctrine better:

"However, when the chief priests and the officers saw him, they shouted: "To the stake with him!  To the stake with him!"  Pilate said to them: "Take him yourselves and execute him, for I do not find any fault in him."


Additional manipulation to verses includes the Watchtower Society replacing previous listings of 'older men' to 'elders' to harmonize with their congregational arrangement.

Further along those lines, the term 'loose conduct' has been replaced with 'brazen conduct', which has been defined to the elders essentially as the going against anything the elder's state or implement. 

It provides greater latitude to the body of elders to make judgments as they see fit towards, not just the actions, but also the attitude of a Jehovah's Witness.  They have the potential to become more authoritarian and control the congregation better.

The Watchtower Society even managed to slip in their business originating term of 'governing body' into the 2013 revision of the New World Translation under the highlights section for Acts chapter 15, on page 1459:

It marks another change to the Bible to give support to the Watchtower Society ideas and practices towards Jehovah’s Witnesses; specifically, that such a group existed back in the first century and that the current spiritual leaders of the Watchtower Society (A few men who sit at headquarters), are carrying on that legacy.

The Watchtower Society promotes on the surface what may appear to many, if not most Jehovah's Witnesses, just a better and easier to read Bible.  The reality is this 2013 revision is one that has been further manipulated from their own prior translation in an appeal to authority to promote their agenda and teaching with little regard to original texts, despite their claims to the contrary. 

The leaders of the organization of Jehovah's Witnesses want to control the information and manipulate emotions with this updated Bible, which in turn will impact the follower’s behavior and thinking.  All to the praise and honor of the organization...'Praise the Watchtower you people!'

Organization Translation

In the Branch Organization manual, February 2003 revised edition, the following is noted regarding Bible translating in chapter 25, page notation 25-5, point 46:

Notice what the Society bolded to stand out in their directives:

It is not necessary for Bible translators to know Hebrew and Greek.

The interesting and sadly obvious reason is if the translator did know the Hebrew and Greek languages, they would come to the realization that there are several places in the New World Translation that have been altered by the Watchtower Society to fit their specific doctrine.

It would be silly to have qualified translators who actually understand the language they are supposed to be ‘translating’, right?

An alternative explanation is they may utilize the faulty and falsely translated English edition of the New World Translation as the basis, instead of referring to the original Hebrew and Greek text.

Additionally, it is a proven fact that the Watchtower Society cited and referred to the Bible translation of Johannes Greber, who had heavy ties and involvement with the occult, in support of their translation of the Bible.  The Watchtower Society would later lie about the facts and try to brush aside the matter.

Furthermore, the Watchtower Society states that the translators do not have to be the ones with the most experience, but only that they are "good" and "both faithful and willing to follow directions closely". It reeks of the organization taking precedent over real truth.

For instance, if a translator was posed with a moral dilemma of either being accurate with the translation or obeying the Watchtower Society's Writing Department's directives, the translator should do what they're told by the Watchtower Society.

The organization always comes first, even above an accurate translation of the Bible.

Enoch’s "Death"

Watchtower Society doctrine stipulates that only a literal 144,000 individuals go to heaven when they physically die. Their version of the Bible, The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures is used in conjunction with systematic cherry picking of verses and convenient interpretation of passage to stipulate that the remaining members who are worthy of everlasting life will be resurrected and bound to the Earth only.

Members who do not make up the 144,000 include faithful servants of God prior to Jesus Christ. All of those individuals will make up in part, those who will live forever upon the Earth according to the Watchtower Society doctrine. However, once again the Watchtower Society's own literature works against them as Enoch is one such individual who would fall into this category. Interestingly, the Watchtower, July 15, 2009 issue – which was studied in Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Halls on Sunday, September 27, 2009 -- Paragraph 5, page 20, makes the following statements:

“This enmity quickly became evident when Abel, a righteous man, was killed by his brother. Later, enmity was directed against Enoch, another faithful man who lived before the Flood. He prophesied that God would come with HIS holy myriads to execute judgment against the ungodly. (Jude 14, 15) This message was certainly not a popular one. People hated Enoch and evidently would have murdered him had Jehovah not cut his life short. What boldness Enoch displayed! - Gen 5:21-24.”


According to the Watchtower Society, Jehovah cut his life short – killed him – to avoid being murdered. This on the surface may appear to be wonderful to a Jehovah’s Witness as God took Enoch away from persecution and he will receive Everlasting Life on a Paradise Earth, according to their beliefs as established by the Watchtower Society.

The reality is that reasoning doesn’t make sense. It would be the same as saying, “People hated Enoch and evidently would have cut his life short had Jehovah not murdered him.” Or, it could also be worded as: “People hated Enoch and evidently would have murdered him had Jehovah not murdered him”.

Looking at the New World Translation, what the Bible verse actually states at Genesis 5:24, is the following:

"And E´noch kept walking with the [true] God. Then he was no more, for God took him."


All the Bible verse stipulates is that “God took him”. The Watchtower Society conjecturing as to why God performed such action is to take focus away from the real issue that statement poses. The verse does not indicate why or in what manner, but just that God took him. Other Bible translation such as the New International Version renders that verse as “God took [Enoch] away”. Nevertheless, let’s stick with the “God took him” statement.

Remember, Watchtower Society doctrine has Enoch living forever on the Earth and not in heaven. In Enoch's case, this means dying a physical death and being resurrected. This leaves quite a mess for the doctrine taught to Jehovah’s Witnesses in light of this Bible verse; especially, once you couple it with another Bible verse concerning Enoch. The Bible once again speaks of Enoch if you were to take a look in Hebrews 11: 5. There the Bible reads as follows as per the New World Translation:

"By faith E´noch was transferred so as not to see death, and he was nowhere to be found because God had transferred him; for before his transference he had the witness that he had pleased God well."


The Bible indicates Enoch did not see death, and he was nowhere to be found because God had transferred him. This phenomenon can easily be explained by most Christians as Enoch being swept up to heaven by God. Unfortunate for a Jehovah’s Witness, such an explanation is not possible as it goes against what their religion teaches as the truth.

The truth is the Bible provides a much more reasonable and sound basis for such statements to be made not to lean towards a physical death provided to Enoch by God so he may be resurrected to an everlasting life on Earth; rather, an eternal heavenly reward for his faithful service to God. The Bible plainly states Enoch did not see death. There is no resurrection from death to a so-called Paradise Earth in the future per Watchtower Society teachings; instead, he was transferred to the heavens without ever experiencing death.

Conclusively, this provides further proof and evidence of the Watchtower Society not interested in the real truth of the Bible. They’re only interested in having the members believe and support what they teach as ‘The Truth’.

The New World Translation – Part II: The Translators

The Watchtower Society released The New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures in August 1950. This translation of the Hebrew Scriptures was released in five volumes covering the years of 1953, 1955, 1957, 1958, and 1960. Finally, their complete translation of the Bible, The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released as a single volume in 1961.

Jehovah’s Witnesses were told then, and still instructed to believe today, that this translation is the most accurate, unbiased translation available. The Watchtower Society claims that 'The New World Translation Committee’ was made up of individuals who did their best to “transmit his [God’s] thoughts and declarations as accurately as possible.”

However, when one endeavors to check into the credentials of these translators, one finds that the Watchtower Society is unwilling to release this information, stating that the Committee desires that all the glory for this translation go to Jehovah God and therefore the translators desire to remain anonymous.

The New World Translation Committee has always been extremely secretive, and, as a result, information about who was on it has only trickled out of the Brooklyn headquarters as various staff members have left and revealed what they knew. Scant information has been published, other information has leaked by word of mouth.

Nonetheless, the facts show that they were totally unqualified for the task of translation. The Watchtower Society’s Governing Body members who were on the Translation Committee had no formal training whatsoever in the Biblical languages. Here are the translators:


1. Frederick W. Franz: Main translator. He took liberal arts sequence at University of Cincinnati; 21 semester hours of classical Greek, some Latin. Partially completed a two-hour survey course in Biblical Greek in junior year; course titled "The New Testament--A course in grammar and translation." He left in spring of 1914 before completing junior year. Self-taught in Spanish, biblical Hebrew and Aramaic. He entered Brooklyn headquarters facility of Watchtower Society in 1920. It is probable he was the ghost writer for J. F. Rutherford (2nd President of Watchtower Society) from late 1920s through 1942. Franz was the Vice President of Watchtower Society from 1942 to 1977 and President from 1977 until his death in 1992 at age 99.

Franz writes in his autobiography contained in the Watchtower, May 1, 1987, page 24:

"What a blessing it was to study Bible Greek under Professor Arthur Kensella! Under Dr. Joseph Harry, an author of some Greek works, I also studied the classical Greek. I knew that if I wanted to become a Presbyterian clergyman, I had to have a command of Bible Greek. So I furiously applied myself and got passing grades"


Franz gives the impression that the bulk of his Greek studies were "Bible Greek" under "Professor Kensella" and that classical Greek was secondary under "Dr. Joseph Harry." The opposite is true. As mentioned above, Franz only took one 2-hour credit class of "Bible Greek" but 21 hours of classical Greek. According to the course catalog of 1911, Arthur Kensella was not a professor of Greek, as Franz wrote, but an "instructor in Greek." Kensella did not have a Ph.D. and he therefore taught entry-level courses.

2. Nathan H. Knorr: No training in biblical languages. Entered Brooklyn headquarters in 1923; 3rd president of Watchtower Bible and Track Society from 1942 to 1977. He died 1977 at age 72.

3. Milton G. Henschel: No training in biblical languages. He served as the private secretary and traveling companion to N. H. Knorr from the late 1940s until the early 1970s. He’s the 4th president of Watchtower Bible and Track Society from 1992 to 2000. After “stepping down”, he was followed by Don Adams as president.

4. Albert D. Schroeder: No training in biblical languages. He took 3 years of mechanical engineering, unspecified language courses in college, dropped out in 1932 and soon entered Brooklyn headquarters. He is a Registrar of "Gilead School" from 1942 to 1959.

5. Karl Klein: No training in biblical languages. Klein entered Brooklyn headquarters in 1925; member of Writing Dept. since 1950. He died 2001 at age 96.

6. George D. Gangas: No training in biblical languages. Greek-speaking Turkish national, he entered Brooklyn headquarters in 1928 as a Greek translator from English to modern Greek publications. He died 1994 at age 98.


Franz was the only man capable to perform any sort of translation work. Gangas was a native Greek speaker, but knew little of Koine Greek (Original Greek language used for the Christian Greek Scriptures), and apparently helped out with a variety of non-translation tasks including reviewing the English grammar for continuity of expression. From all information published about him personally, one readily concludes that Knorr was the business administrator for the Translation Committee. Henschel might have been on it to take care of legal/secretarial matters. Schroeder and Klein did the copious footnotes (which included textual sources) and cross references and marginal notes, which in the original six volumes of The New World Translation were more extensive than in the 1984 edition.

Franz gave this testimony under oath in the Douglas Walsh Trial in Scotland…

Tuesday, 23rd November, 1954: Frederick William Franz, Examined:
Q. Have you also made yourself familiar with Hebrew?
A. Yes....
Q. So that you have a substantial linguistic apparatus at your command?
A. Yes, for use in my biblical work.
Q. I think you are able to read and follow the Bible in Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Spanish, Portuguese, German, and French?
A. Yes.
Q. It is the case, is it not, that in 1950 there was prepared and issued what is called the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures?
A. Yes....
Q. I think that it was your duty, was it not, before the issue of that New World Translation by your Society to check that translation for accuracy?
A. That is true.
Q. In light of your studies and in light of your knowledge?
A. That is true.
Q. And did you do so?
A. I did so....
Q. And was it your duty on behalf of the Society to check the translation into English from the original Hebrew of that first volume of the Old Testament Scriptures?
A. Yes....
Q. In so far as translation of the Bible itself is undertaken, are you responsible for that?
A. I have been authorized to examine a translation and determine its accuracy and recommend its acceptance in the form in which it is submitted.
Q. Are the translators members of the Editorial Committee?
A. That is a question which I, as a member of the Board of Directors, am not authorized to disclose....
Q. When did you go to the University?....Did you graduate?
A. No, I did not....
Q. Had you done any Hebrew in the course of your University work?
A. No, I had not, but in the course of my editorial work, my special research work for the president of the Society, I found it was very necessary to have knowledge of Hebrew, and so I undertook a personal study of that.
ADJOURNED

Wednesday, 24th November, 1954: Frederick William Franz, Cross Continued:
Q. You, yourself, read and speak Hebrew, do you?
A. I do not speak Hebrew.
Q. You do not?
A. No.
Q. Can you, yourself, translate that into Hebrew?
A. Which?
Q. That fourth verse of the Second Chapter of Genesis?
A. You mean here?
Q. Yes?
A. No, I won’t attempt to do that.
— From Douglas Walsh Trial, Pursuer’s Proof, 1954, pages 7-9, 88, 91-92, 102-103.


This exercise which Franz was unable to do is something which the average first or second year Hebrew student could have accomplished without any difficulty. Is it any wonder the Watchtower Society refuses to publicly reveal the people who were involved in the translation of their Bible? Would you put your trust in a doctor who refused to give his credentials? Yet, this is similar to what many Jehovah’s Witnesses are doing when it comes to their trust of the Watchtower Society's The New World Translation of the Bible.

Uncover the history, understand the facts, examine the details and know "The Truth".

The New World Translation – Part I: Compared with KIT

The Watchtower Society published ‘The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures’ in 1969. In the title page it states its purpose:

“Presenting a literal word-for-word translation into English under the Greek text as set out in The New Testament in the Original Greek”

Take note of the following comparisons between the scriptures from the Watchtower Society’s ‘Kingdom Interlinear Translation’ {KIT} and the Bible Jehovah's Witnesses are directed to use primarily by the Watchtower Society, their ‘New World Translation’ {NWT}:


COLOSSIANS 1:16-17
KIT: Christ created “all (things).”
NWT: Christ created “all [other] things.”

The Watchtower Society inserts the word “other” here as well as many additional times in these verses. By doing so, it supports the Watchtower Society’s doctrine respecting Christ being created. Besides a correct translation of this verse, this doctrine can be also refuted if you reference John 1:3. There it states that Christ created “all things” and not "all other things" as the Watchtower Society would have us believe.


COLOSSIANS 2:9
KIT: “all the fullness of the divinity” dwells in Christ.
NWT: “all the fullness of divine quality” dwells in Christ.

The Watchtower Society has taken the liberty of translating “divinity” into “divine quality”. The reason is simple; while the Watchtower Society recognizes Jesus as the Son of God, they strip him of his God-Ship. Nonetheless, the Greek word referenced here “Theotes” when literally translated means “deity, the state of being God, Godhead”.


PHILIPPIANS 2:9
KIT: God gave Christ the name “over every name.”
NWT: God gave Christ the name “above every [other] name.”

The Watchtower Society teaches that Jehovah is the name that is above every other name. In order to have this scriptures coincide with their teaching they once again inserted the word “other” into the scriptures.


PHILIPPIANS 3:9
KIT: “be found in him”
NWT: “be found in union with him”

When an individual is positioned “in Christ” it means that one is trusting in Christ alone for his righteousness. Consequently, there is a big difference between being “in union” with Christ and actually being positioned “in Christ.” Further, when God sees a person who is “in Christ”, He sees this person as being in Christ's righteousness instead of their own.


JOHN 8:58
KIT: “Before Abraham to become I am.”
NWT: “Before Abraham came into existence, I have been.”

Interestingly, the Greek expression “ego eimi” (I am) is translated properly in every other place it appears within the NWT except for here. The reason again is a correct translation of this verse would have contradicted the Watchtower Society’s doctrine on Jesus and Jehovah. In this verse, Jesus was identifying Himself as Jehovah by using the same “I am” expression which can be found at Exodus 3:14.


JOHN 14:10
KIT: “If ever anything you should ask me....”
NWT: “If you ask anything....”

Prayer is a form of worship. Since worship is only to be directed to God, the Watchtower Society could not have this verse reading as it should, since they teach that Jesus is not God. Therefore they removed the words “ask me”. This supports the Watchtower Society’s doctrine of praying only to Jehovah and not to Jesus.


JOHN 1:1
KIT: “god was the Word.”
NWT: “the Word was a god.”

This verse is speaking about The Word who is Jesus. Clearly then, this verse states Jesus is God. However, the Watchtower Society argues that since “the” does not appear before God in this half of the verse, their placing the article “a” for the NWT is correct. The Watchtower Society picks and chooses how to apply their own rule though, since if they were consistent with their reasoning, John 1:6 would state: “there arose a man that was sent forth as a representative of a God”. Such a statement would make no sense.


There are many more examples that could be sited where the Watchtower Society has added or taken away from the word of God in their ‘New World Translation’ of the scriptures to go along with their doctrine.

Additionally, the Kingdom Interlinear Translation is not available to order through the Watchtower Society for many years now and does not appear on the Watchtower Library CD-ROM published by the Watchtower Society. The reason is clear; they do not want their doctrines or teachings to be exposed for the lies and trickery they contain.

Prove it to yourself and read a copy of ‘The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures’, 1969 edition. If the very foundation - the source material - being used (The New World Translation) by a religion is false, the religion itself must also be false.