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Best Bible chapter for language learning?

  Tags: Book
 Language Learning Forum : Books, Literature & Reading Post Reply
22 messages over 3 pages: 13  Next >>


Iversen
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 Message 9 of 22
11 September 2009 at 5:54pm | IP Logged 
I have used bilingual versions for several languages of the two Books of King's because they are reasonably entertaining. The bilinguals can be produced through the multilingual bible system in http://www.lexilogos.com/bible_multilingue.htm

Edited by Iversen on 14 September 2009 at 1:38pm

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JW
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 Message 10 of 22
14 September 2009 at 5:03pm | IP Logged 
wraith720 wrote:
TDC wrote:
How is the language in the bible in other languages? In English it all sounds old and not like modern English with the 'thee' and 'thy'...and the 'thou art'...

Hey, I know a website that would be great for this thread - it's www.biblegateway.com and has the entire Bible in several languages and in several versions. They have some of the more modern English translations like the NIV if you want to check that out, TDC.

I'm not sure what the style is like in some of the other languages, though...I imagine there'd also be different versions for different languages, like it is for English. Maybe some of the more gifted polyglots here could tell me =D

http://www.biblegateway.com/ is indeed an excellent resource. I use it frequently. For the larger languages it has several versions (e.g., 7 for Spanish, 2 for Italian, 2 for German, 2 for French) but usually only one for the smaller languages (e.g., Dutch). Where there are multiple versions, they normally have a more literal older translation (e.g., the KJV in English, Luther’s Bible in German) along with some of the more modern “thought” translations. These more modern translations are easier for reading as they eliminate the archaic language and awkward constructions (due to translation issues from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) but sometimes they get too free vis-à-vis their translation and you loose the force of the original.

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nescafe
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 Message 11 of 22
04 February 2010 at 3:51am | IP Logged 
JW wrote:

http://www.biblegateway.com/ is indeed an excellent resource. I use it frequently.


I also use that site frequently. The Bible is realy a good resource for learning language. I do not know any other book which explains everything from the begining of the universe.
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Sprachprofi
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 Message 12 of 22
04 February 2010 at 6:35pm | IP Logged 
If you use the Bible before using a textbook, or if there is no textbook for the language you're studying, I can recommend the very beginning of the Gospel of John. The sentences there are possibly the easiest in structure in the entire Bible.

I used this to start off a course in Biblical Latin which dives straight into the Vulgate Latin Bible rather than weighing you down with lots of grammar, vocabulary and constructed texts first.
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dmaddock1
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 Message 13 of 22
23 April 2010 at 6:13pm | IP Logged 
Some New Testament specific advice: Mounce's A Graded Reader of Biblical Greek uses the following passages:

  1. 1 John 1:1-2:2, 2:28-3:10
  2. John 15:1-27
  3. Mark 1:1-28
  4. Colossians 1:1-23
  5. Matthew 6:5-34
  6. Romans 3:21-26; 5:1-11; 8:1-17
  7. James 1:1-21
  8. 1 Timothy 4:6-16
  9. Luke 23:26-49; 24:1-8
  10. Ephesians 1:1-14
  11. Acts 2:22-42
  12. 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12
  13. Hebrews 5:11-6:12
  14. Revelation 5
  15. Psalm 41
  16. Didache 1:1-6; 7:1-4; 11:1-6


Of course, the Psalms passage is from the LXX. The Didache is a non-canonical book from the apostolic fathers. Following Mounce's graded program before trying to read a whole book might be a good idea (and is my plan).

When you're ready to read whole books, consult the following table. As recommended by didaskalos in this thread, here is a table from "Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics", by Daniel Wallace.

Semitic / Vulgar
Revelation
Mark
John, 1-3 John
2 Peter

Conversational
most of Paul
Matthew

Literary Koine
Hebrews
Luke-Acts
James
Pastorals (ie. 1&2 Timothy, Titus)
1 Peter
Jude

Each category is "listed in descending order of purity". Meaning, Hebrews is the most literary; Revelation is the most Semitic/Vulgar. Note, that doesn't make Revelation easiest of course, due to its symbolic genre.
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Smart
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 Message 14 of 22
24 April 2010 at 2:57am | IP Logged 
JW wrote:
wraith720 wrote:
TDC wrote:
How is the language in the bible in other languages? In English it all sounds old and not like modern English with the 'thee' and 'thy'...and the 'thou art'...

Hey, I know a website that would be great for this thread - it's www.biblegateway.com and has the entire Bible in several languages and in several versions. They have some of the more modern English translations like the NIV if you want to check that out, TDC.

I'm not sure what the style is like in some of the other languages, though...I imagine there'd also be different versions for different languages, like it is for English. Maybe some of the more gifted polyglots here could tell me =D

http://www.biblegateway.com/ is indeed an excellent resource. I use it frequently. For the larger languages it has several versions (e.g., 7 for Spanish, 2 for Italian, 2 for German, 2 for French) but usually only one for the smaller languages (e.g., Dutch). Where there are multiple versions, they normally have a more literal older translation (e.g., the KJV in English, Luther’s Bible in German) along with some of the more modern “thought” translations. These more modern translations are easier for reading as they eliminate the archaic language and awkward constructions (due to translation issues from Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic) but sometimes they get too free vis-à-vis their translation and you loose the force of the original.

Yes that is a great site.
However, one might find this interesting also:
www.bible.cc
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JW
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 Message 15 of 22
24 April 2010 at 4:10am | IP Logged 
Smart wrote:
..one might find this interesting also:
www.bible.cc

Yes, I use that site and it is indeed excellent--especially the interlinear part. I believe that is the only site that has an interlinear with parsing--at least in the Greek.
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Splog
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 Message 16 of 22
24 April 2010 at 7:14am | IP Logged 
Are there free versions of the bible in MP3 format available for download in various languages? I know for novels and so on these have to be purchased, but I wondered if some religious groups have put out free audio bibles. I ask, because I would be interested in trying the Listening-Reading method with the bible.

p.s. I don't want to pay for audio because I am not a christian, but free audio may compel me to give it a go simply for the language-learning benefits.

Edited by Splog on 24 April 2010 at 7:16am



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