Genesis 1 | » |
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
3 And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.
4 And God saw the light, that it was good. And God divided the light from the darkness.
5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.
6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.
7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament. And it was so.
8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.
9 And God said, Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear. And it was so.
10 And God called the dry land Earth, and he called the gathering together of the waters Seas. And God saw that it was good.
11 And God said, Let the earth put forth grass, herbs yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit according to their kind (in which is the seed of them) upon the earth. And it was so.
12 And the earth brought forth grass, herbs yielding seed according to their kind, and trees bearing fruit in which is the seed of it, according to their kind. And God saw that it was good.
13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day.
14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years.
15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth. And it was so.
16 And God made the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, also the stars.
17 And God set them in the firmament of heaven to give light upon the earth,
18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.
19 And there was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.
20 And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
21 And God created the great sea creatures, and every living creature that moves, which the waters brought forth abundantly, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.
23 And there was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.
24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kind, cattle, and creeping things, and beasts of the earth according to their kind. And it was so.
25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kind, and the cattle according to their kind, and everything that creeps upon the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
26 And God said, Let us make man in our image--after our likeness--and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
27 And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.
29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed. To you it shall be for food,
30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to everything that creeps upon the earth in which there is life, for food--every green herb. And it was so.
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
A Conservative Version (ACV)
A Conservative Version (ACV) of the Bible is a translation that aims to provide a conservative and literal interpretation of the biblical texts. Developed with a focus on maintaining fidelity to the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts, the ACV emphasizes a word-for-word translation methodology. The goal is to preserve the subtleties and nuances of the original languages as accurately as possible. This approach results in a version of the Bible that seeks to remain true to the text's original meaning and context, appealing to readers who prioritize precision and doctrinal integrity.
The text of the Old Testament for A Conservative Version (ACV) came from the American Standard Version published in 1901. The main changes done for the ACV were the replacement of archaic words with more modern ones, except for the old English pronouns, which were kept because they are more communicative. The New Testament was translated from, The New Testament in the Original Greek According to the Byzantine-Majority Text form. That edition was compiled by Maurice A. Robinson and William G. Pierpont, and is of the Textus Receptus tradition from which came the King James Version.
The ACV was created in response to what its translators saw as a trend toward more liberal or dynamic-equivalence translations that prioritize readability over literal accuracy. The translators aimed to produce a text that adheres closely to the original languages, even if this makes the translation more challenging for contemporary readers. This reflects their belief in the importance of preserving the exact words and phrases used in the original scriptures. The ACV also employs traditional theological terminology and phrasing, avoiding modern slang and colloquial expressions in favor of language that conveys the gravity and solemnity of the biblical message.
While the ACV has found appreciation among conservative circles, it has faced criticism for its perceived rigidity and difficulty. Critics argue that its strict adherence to a word-for-word translation can make the text less readable and accessible, potentially alienating readers unfamiliar with the original languages or who prefer a more fluid translation. Despite these criticisms, the ACV remains a valued translation for those who prioritize a conservative and literal approach to Bible interpretation, supporting their doctrinal views with a text they believe closely reflects the original scriptures.