This is the Appendix I that I referred to under the heading “Which Bible should I study?” It is a one-page handout that shows the wide variations of different translations. I chose 1 John 3:17 because it was short, fairly self-contained and really brought out how much the various translations of the Bible go astray from the original text. If anyone has any better single scripture, though, I would be open for suggestions.
1 John 3:17from the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament, 4th ed.
o^ß d` a[n e[ch/ to;n bivon souÖ kovsmou kai; splavgcna aujtouÖ, pwÖß hJ ajgavph touÖ qeouÖ mevnei ejn aujtw/Ö;now whoever has the (this) life’s possessions of the world and sees the brother of him need having and closes inner affections his from him how [does] the love of God abide in him?
King James Version
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
New American Standard Version
But whoever has the world's goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him?
New Revised Standard Version
How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
New International Version
If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?
New Living Translation
But if anyone has enough money to live well and sees a brother or sister in need and refuses to help – how can God's love be in that person?
Contemporary English Version
If we have all we need and see one of our own people in need, we must have pity on that person, or else we cannot say we love God.
The Message
If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God's love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.
Unless the audience has the same font, this won't work. Try transliterating. Transliterated, it would read:
hos d' an echE ton bion tou kosmou kai theOrE ton adelphon autou chreian echonta kai kleisE ta splagchna autou ap' autou, pOs hE agapE tou theou menei en autO(Note that capitalized vowels represent "long" vowel sounds, such that O represents an omega, while o represents an omicron; and E represents an eta instead of e, epsilon.)