« | Exodus 37 | » |
1 Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood� two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
2 He overlaid it with pure gold, both inside and out, and made a gold molding around it.
3 He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, with two rings on one side and two rings on the other.
4 Then he made poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
5 And he inserted the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it.
6 He made the atonement cover of pure gold� two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
7 Then he made two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover.
8 He made one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; at the two ends he made them of one piece with the cover.
9 The cherubim had their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim faced each other, looking toward the cover.
10 They made the table of acacia wood�two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.
11 Then they overlaid it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it.
12 They also made around it a rim a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding on the rim.
13 They cast four gold rings for the table and fastened them to the four corners, where the four legs were.
14 The rings were put close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table.
15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold.
16 And they made from pure gold the articles for the table�its plates and dishes and bowls and its pitchers for the pouring out of drink offerings.
17 They made the lampstand of pure gold. They hammered out its base and shaft, and made its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them.
18 Six branches extended from the sides of the lampstand�three on one side and three on the other.
19 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, three on the next branch and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand.
20 And on the lampstand were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms.
21 One bud was under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair�six branches in all.
22 The buds and the branches were all of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.
23 They made its seven lamps, as well as its wick trimmers and trays, of pure gold.
24 They made the lampstand and all its accessories from one talent of pure gold.
25 They made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square, a cubit long and a cubit wide and two cubits high �its horns of one piece with it.
26 They overlaid the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and made a gold molding around it.
27 They made two gold rings below the molding�two on each of the opposite sides� to hold the poles used to carry it.
28 They made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
29 They also made the sacred anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense�the work of a perfumer.
Today’s New International Version (TNIV)
Today’s New International Version (TNIV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible that was first published in its complete form in 2005 by the International Bible Society, now known as Biblica. The TNIV is a revision of the New International Version (NIV), which was initially released in 1978. The primary goal of the TNIV was to update the language and address gender inclusivity while maintaining the readability and accuracy that made the NIV popular. The translation aimed to reflect contemporary English usage and to be accessible to a broad audience, including both men and women.
One of the key features of the TNIV is its commitment to gender-inclusive language. The translators sought to avoid gender-specific terms where the original texts did not explicitly require them, thereby making the text more inclusive and reflective of modern linguistic sensibilities. For example, where the original Greek or Hebrew text used terms that referred to both men and women, the TNIV translated them in a gender-neutral manner. This approach aimed to make the Bible more accessible and relatable to all readers, ensuring that no one felt excluded by the language used.
The TNIV also made several other updates to enhance clarity and readability. The translators incorporated the latest biblical scholarship and linguistic research to ensure that the translation accurately conveyed the meaning of the original texts. They aimed to strike a balance between maintaining the formal equivalence of the original languages and using dynamic equivalence to make the text more understandable for contemporary readers. This involved updating archaic words and phrases, improving sentence structures, and clarifying ambiguous passages without losing the essence of the original scriptures.
Despite its strengths, the TNIV faced significant controversy and criticism, particularly from conservative Christian groups and scholars. Critics argued that the gender-inclusive language could potentially distort the intended meaning of the biblical texts and that the changes were driven more by cultural trends than by faithful adherence to the original manuscripts. The debate over the TNIV’s translation choices led to its eventual discontinuation, with Biblica deciding to focus on updating the NIV instead. However, the TNIV’s influence can still be seen in subsequent revisions of the NIV, which have incorporated some of the gender-inclusive principles and linguistic updates introduced by the TNIV.