The research methods, critical apparatus, editorial policies and translation approaches were developed in the later stages of translation, as I found the major discrepancies in the modern translations. The research methods were based on studying the various English language translations. The King James Version is considered the most beautiful translation of the Scriptures, and it's hard to argue with that, because the KJV defined the style of the English language itself. The New American Bible translation of the Catholic Church couldn't ignore the KJV either, as much of the theology of the Bible had been honed in that great poetic tradition of Tyndale-Shakespearean English. The Jehovah's Witnesses translation is also important, because they did a lot of the translating work from scratch. The errors that were committed in their translation are truly unfortunate, as they're based on the pre-conceived notion that there's no Trinity and that Jesus Christ is not God. The JW translation restored the name Yah-weh or Jehovah, as is transliterated by them, in those passages where the modern-day Bibles had substituted "Lord." What the JW translation failed to realize is that Yah-weh is the title of Christ and not of God the Father. The American Standard Version and its revisions are not significantly different from the KJV. And the New International Version is a watered down version of the Protestant translations in general. Supposedly there's a return to the original Hebrew and Greek sources. Although hundreds of translators worked on it, the NIV is a poor translation of the Scriptures. It's a weak and lackluster version of the KJV.
Once I realized the extent of the distortions and falsifications of the modern Scriptures, I was at first amazed. It was outrageous. I couldn't believe it. Why would they do it, I kept asking myself. Then when I realized that I was almost totally ignored by the churches, I became numb. Gradually I realized that it couldn't be any different. I was after all a layman, and like one lady told me, "The last translation was done by 800 men, how could you translate the Bible all by yourself?" Surely I couldn't change the course of Western Civilization with my translation of Scriptures, and if the West accepted my translation as authentic, what would they do with their Bibles? So now I'm convinced nothing will happen. A few people will read my translation and that will be that. But even then, it's worth it for me to do it, because frankly it's been such a blessing for me to study the Bible through the process of translating from the original language into English. I've become much more aware of the power and the beauty of Scriptures.
Armed with this notion, I curtailed my research into the different manuscripts of Scriptures and accepted the fact that the chasm was too great for me to reach out and share anything of substance with the Western world. My translation will remain an esoteric work.
The critical apparatus of my translation is the intensive transliteration process presented in my footnotes. There are many letters that have no English language equivalents. These letters are critical for an understanding of the language of Scriptures; therefore, the extensive footnotes are an important part of my translation. My transliterations cannot be transferred or taught in the English language, as they're the internal substrate that hold together the deeper meaning of many passages of Scriptures.
The editorial policies that I've followed, nevertheless, present extensive footnotes to define and clarify the literal and idiomatic wordings of key concepts in the Ancient Aramaic language and the best idiomatic translations into English.
And, lastly, the translation approach to the text of the Scriptures is maintained free of Western bias, by remaining incisive as to scholarly discernment and scrutiny in the preservation of the Scriptures. Only by stripping the Western bias toward their self-appointed leadership role as the champions of the Bible, can a true work of translation be appreciated by the scholars of the Bible.
January 2,2003