Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Help Needed: My Translation from English to Spanish

Continuing my translation of the gospel tract: "The Bible Answers Our Need to Know God" into Spanish. Any help from native Latin American speakers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Here it is first in English, then in my rough Spanish draft [I have now added corrections in brackets as they are needed]:

How to know God?

The Bible teaches that all people have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This means that the perfect standard God has set for righteousness has been broken by every human being living on earth. It means that sin is evil and deserves punishment in such a degree as it relates to the character and nature of God Himself. Sin is not only the outward acts people perform, such as adultery, murder, theft, lying, abuse, greed, pride, gossip, sexual perversion, coveting and things like these. Those things are the outward manifestations of an inward rebellion against righteousness, even against God Himself. The Bible speaks of God as totally holy, righteous, good, merciful, gracious and pure. The reason many are so quick to assume that “no good God could allow so much evil in the world,” can only be because our standard of right and wrong does not match His. This is why so many falsely accuse God of wrong, because they do not believe He measures up to their own standard. The problem is not that God looks unjust to man, but that man is unjust before a perfectly just and holy God. Man is on trial, not God, and so we are accountable to God, not only for every deed, but for every word and thought as well. Therefore all mankind are said to be totally corrupt in their heart from birth (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:10-12). This is our sinful state apart from God.

We read in Romans chapter one: “For the wrath of God is uncovered from heaven against all the ungodliness and injustice of people who hold back the truth by their wrong doing. Because that which is well-known about God is clear to them, since God has shown it to them. For the invisible things of God and His eternal power and Godhood are already understood. They have been fully seen by the works done in the creation of the world, so that they have no excuse. For although they knew God, they did not think of His glory and praise or give Him thanks, but they became thoughtless and dark in their stupid heart. Claiming to be wise, they became fools.” (Romans 1:18-22). They exchanged God for a lie.


Cómo Conocer a Dios

La Biblia enseña a que toda gente han pecado y quedarse corto [está fuera destituida] de la gloria de Dios (Romanos 3:23). Esto significa que la estandar perfecto [de rectitude] que Dios ha puso para justicia [establecido,] ha sido quebrado por cada persona
[quebrantado por cada ser humano] que vive en la tierra. Significa que el pecado es malo y es digno de castigo al grado de tal manera que afecta al carácter y a la naturaleza de Dios mismo. El pecado es no solamente hechos externos, de tal como adulterio, matar, robar, mentiroso, abuso, avaricia, orgullo, chismoso, perversión sexual, codicia y cosas como este. Estas cosas son el manifestación externo del rebelión interno contra justicia, aun contra Dios mismo. La Biblia habla de Dios como totalmente santo, justo, bueno, misericordioso, puro y llena de la gracia. El razón muchos son tan rapído asumir que "Ningún Dios bueno puede permite tan mucha maldad en la tierra," puede solamente estar porque nuestro estándar de derecho y mal no está de acuerdo con Suyo. Esto es por qué tan muchas acusan a Dios falsamente con maldad, porque ellos no creo que Él está de acuerdo con sus estándar. La problema no es que Dios parece injusto al hombres, sino que hombres son injusto delante de un Dios perfecto y justo. El hombre está ser sometido a juicio, no Dios, y así que somos responsables, no sólo para cada acto, sino para cada palabra y pensamos también. Por tanto toda de humanidad son dicho ser corrumpido totalmente en el corazón desde nacimiento (Génesis 6:5; Salmo 51:5; Romanos 3:10-12). Esto es nuestro estado pecaminoso aparte de Dios.

Leemos en Romanos capítulo uno: "Porque la ira de Dios se revela desde el cielo contra toda impiedad e injusticia de los hombres que detienen con injusticia la verdad; porque lo que de Dios se conoce les es manifiesto, pues Dios se lo manifestó. Porque las cosas invisibles de él, su eterno poder y deidad, se hacen claramente visibles desde la creación del mundo, siendo entendidas por medio de las cosas hechas, de modo que no tienen excusa. Pues habiendo conocido a Dios, no le glorificaron como a Dios, ni le dieron gracias, sino que se envanecieron en sus razonamientos, y su necio corazón fue entenebrecido. Profesando ser sabios, se hicieron necios" (Romanos 1:18-22). Ellos cambiaron a Dios para una mentira.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Still Learning to Speak in Tongues: And I Need Help!

I stopped translating from the New Birth Evangelism Tract for a while, and started something a little more difficult. I have been learning the Spanish tongue in particular, and while I am still always interested in learning new words from any and every tongue I come into contact with, Spanish is my main focus. It has really been an extraordinary help to learn it by reading from the Spanish Bible everyday. However, it is a foreign language to me, and I am still very unfamiliar with all that is important.

My new endeavor has been to translate an evangelistic tract I wrote from English to Spanish. This is my more difficult project, and I am in much need of help from those who are native Spanish speakers. I will post my first paragraph here, and look for whatever help may be provided. Much of the work I have done so far has been by using a Spanish to Engligh dictionary, online free translation websites and whatever else I have learned from study and practice. I expect there to be errors in wording, sentences making sense, choice of words, etc. That is why help will be necessary if I am to complete this project before the end of March. Gracias.

Here it is first in English, then in my Spanish translation:

Bible Answers Our Need to Know God

First, we can consider that the Bible is like no other book in history. Consumed with putting God in the spotlight, filled with words directly given by Him to prophets, intricately woven literature written by over 40 men during a period of 1500 years and all containing one unified message and theme from the first book to the last, the Bible is unique without a doubt. No other book contains so much history of sin and evil, bloodshed and suffering, the good laws of God and mankind's rejection of Him, as well as the love of God shown in the most amazing way. Not only does it contain numerous details concerning the nation of Israel, but it also contains the promises and purposes of God for every nation and group of people on the earth. The Bible is a book about God. It shows His miraculous glory in creation, and also in redemption when He will create all things new. It shows His goodness and holiness contrasted with sin and evil. It shows His mercy and grace, as well as His righteousness in judgment. The Bible is not like any other religious book, and no other religious book has been so loved and hated, so well read and burned, so prized and ignored by so many people of all ages, languages, races and classes.

The Bible contains amazing detailed information about many aspects of our world and life, but they all point in one direction – the only God, as He is revealed in a tri-unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It testifies that God created everything for His own pleasure. He made man in His own image, to reflect His own character and nature. But the first man and woman turned away from God. There has since been a struggle to be brought back to knowing Him again. The Bible uses the word “reconciliation” to describe this. Just as marriage, children, friends and enemies are the greatest human relationships we know, even so, God's relationship to His own people is described in those terms. God is the Father, and His people, like a separated spouse or a lost child, need to be reconciled back to Him so that they will no longer be enemies, but friends and at peace with one another.

La Biblia Contesta Nuestra Necesidad de Conocer a Dios

Primero, consideramos que la Biblia es como ningún otro libro en historia. Consumida a puso Dios en el foco, llenó de palabras dadas directamente por Él a profetas, literatura tejida con complejidad por más de 40 hombres, durante un período de 1500 años, y todos conteniendo uno mensaje unificado y tema, del primero libro al último. La Biblia está unico sin duda. Ningún otro libro contiene tan mucho historia de pecado y maldad, de matanza y sufrimiento, las buenas leyes de Dios, y el rechazo de Él por humanidad, así como el amor de Dios mostrado en el más asombrosa manera. No sólo contiene numeroso detalles acerca del nación de Israel, pero también contiene las promesas y los propósitos de Dios para todos el naciónes y grupos de personas [gente, o pueblos? No sé cual palabra usar.] en la tierra. La Biblia es un libro acerca de Dios. Muestra Su gloria milagroso en creación, y también en redención cuando Él hará todas cosas nueva. Muestra Su bondad y santidad en contraste con pecado y maldad. Muestra Su misericordia y gracia, así como Su justicia en juzgar. La Biblia no es como ningún otro libro religioso, y no otro libro religioso ha sido tan amado y odiado, tan bien leído y quemado, tan tesorído y ignorado por tan mucha gente de todas edades, lenguas, razas y clases acerca del mundo.

La Biblia contiene muchas detalles asombrados de información acerca de muchos aspectos de nuestro mundo y vida, pero ellos todos punto en uno dirección - el único Dios, como está revelado en una Trinidad de Padre, Hijo y Espíritu Santo. Testifica que Dios creó todas cosas para Su propio gusto. Él hacía hombre en Su propio imagen, reflejar Su propio carácter y naturaleza. Pero el primer hombre y la mujer fueron separados de Dios. Desde entonces ha sido con dificultad estar volver de conocerlo de nuevo. La Biblia usa la palabra "reconciliación" describir esto. Tan como matrimonio, hijos, amistad y enemistad son las más grandes relaciónes humano, así también el relación de Dios a Su propio gente es descrito en estas palabras. Dios es el Padre, y Su gente, como un esposa apartada o un hijo perdido, necesitan estar reconciliado a Él, para que ellos ya no son enemigos, sino amigos y junto en paz.