I would like to know what other brethren think about specific changes for the NIV 2011. No, nothing about getting rid of it or going to a strict formal equivalent - we already have enough of those! I mean ideas for improving the NIV 1984 to make it a better version of God's word. As a layman who has no formal training in translation and linguistics, but loves God's word and wants to see it propagated as it should be, here are my own ideas:

1) Drop "This is what the Lord says" for "Thus says the Lord" or "The Lord says this:". IMHO the current rendering is weak.

2) Transliterate God's name in at least the passages where the AV does - Yahweh or Jehovah would be fine for me, but scholarship will probably push Yahweh. I won't complain if they do it more, but God's name is a name and not a title.

3) Change the translation of "YHWH Tz'vaoth" from "LORD Almighty" to "LORD of hosts", "LORD of [heaven's] armies", "LORD of the multitudes" or something closer to what the original says, rather than a blatant interpretation.

4) Render "flesh" in the NT as such, if not "fleshly desires", "carnal desires", or something like this. While I believe "sinful nature" is a correct interpretation, it is an interpretation rather than a translation.

5) Keep the TNIV's translation of "Christ" as "Messiah" when dealing with a Jewish audience.

6) Go back to the NIV78's "I shall lack nothing" rather than "I shall not be in want" (Psalm 23)

These are minor suggestions, and I would be interested to hear others.

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Johnathan Tate
Cornerstone Presbyterian Church (OPC), Arden, NC

Husband of one, father of 3 (1 in-utero); Time's "Man of the Year" 2006

I don't mean this to be a cheap response, but why revise the NIV? Really. It is what it is--and God has been pleased to bless some with it (though plenty say in spite of it). But I guess my point is, does the church truly need a 'better paraphrase'?

The only reason I can think of is

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Michael Turner
Christ Reformed Church | Independent [WCF]
Georgia

I am very unfamiliar with the TNIV, but if it is in Greek, would it not most likely say "Christ"? The only example I can think of at the moment that wouldn't is Gospel of John where the woman at the well says they are waiting for the one called Messiah.

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Mitch
Presbyterian Church of Coventry, CT (PCA)

I'd rather keep the more traditional rendering.

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Igor
Deacon - Novotushino Baptist Church
Moscow, Russia