Bible Babel

How God Confounded
Textual Critics and Translators
with I Samuel 13:1

 

First Tower of Babel: A tall building built by pagan Babylonians to unite mankind “And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.” Genesis 11:6-9

Second Tower of Babel: A tall stack of modern Bible perversions to unite mankind “And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.” Ezekiel 14:9 “At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight.” Matthew 11:25-26 “For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?” I Corinthians 1:19-20 “O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.” I Timothy 6:20-21

 

 

King James Version (1611)

Saul reigned one yeere, and when he had reigned two yeeres ouer Israel,

 

All Bible versions admit Saul was a very tall, grown man when he became king (I Sam 9:1-2), and that he reigned exactly forty years over Israel (Acts 13:21).

 

Babbling Bible Version	I Samuel 13:1
Rheims-Douay (1609)	Saul was a child of one year when he began to reign, and he reigned two years over Israel.
Revised Version (1881)	Saul was (thirty) years old when he began to reign; and he reigned two years over Israel.
Darby Bible (1890)	Saul was ... years old when he became king; and he reigned two years over Israel.
Young’s Literal Translation (1898)	A son of a year [is] Saul in his reigning, yea, two years he hath reigned over Israel,
American Standard Version (1901)	Saul was (forty) years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel.
James Moffat Translation (1922)	((Saul was ... years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for ... years over Israel.))
Complete Bible (1939)	Saul was ...... years old when he began to reign; and he reigned ...... years over Israel.
Revised Standard Version (1952)	Saul was ... years old when he began to reign; and he reigned ... and two years over Israel.
Modern Language Bible (1959)	By this time Saul had reigned for one year. When Saul had been king over Israel two years.
New World Translation (1961)	Saul was (?) years old when he began to reign, and for two years he reigned over Israel.
Amplified Bible (1965)	Saul was (forty) years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel.
Jerusalem Bible (1966)	...
New Scofield Reference Bible (1967)	Saul (was ... years old); And when he had reigned two years over Israel.
New Life Version (1969)	Saul was forty years old when he began to rule. He ruled over Israel thirty-two years.
New American Bible (1970)	(Saul was ... years old when he became king and he reigned ... (two) years over Israel.)
New English Bible (1970)	Saul was fifty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel for twenty-two years.
New American Standard (1971)	Saul was forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty-two years over Israel.
Living Bible (1971)	By this time Saul had reigned for one year. In the second year of his reign.
The Word Made Fresh (1972)	After Saul had been king for about three years he decided that it was time to give some of the army a workout and to become a bit active.
Good News Bible (1976)
New International Version (1978)	Saul was (thirty) years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel (forty-) two years.
New King James Version (1982)	Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel.
New Century Version (1986)	Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He was king over Israel 42 years.
New Revised Standard Version (1989)	Saul was ... years old when he began to reign; and he reigned ... and two years over Israel.
God’s Word Translation (1995)	Saul was thirty years old when he became king, And he was king of Israel forty-two years.
Contemporary English Version (1995)	Saul was a young man when he became king, and he ruled Israel for two years.
New International Reader’s (1996)	Saul was 30 years old when he became king. He ruled over Israel for 42 years.
New Living Translation (1996)	Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty-two years.
English Standard Version (2001)	Saul was ... years old when he began to reign, and he reigned ... and two years over Israel.
The Message (2002)	Saul was a young man when he began as king. He was king over Israel for many years
Holman Christian Standard Bible (2004)

 

King James Version (2005)

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

 

 

 

Where Is the Textual Critic?

“For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?”

I Corinthians 1:19-20

 

1. Which versions completely drop the verse without even an ellipsis?

2. Which version teaches that Saul was only 1 year old when he became king?

3. Which versions teach that Saul reigned for only 2 years over Israel?

4. Which version teaches that Saul reigned for 22 years over Israel?

5. Which versions teach that Saul reigned for 32 years over Israel?

6. Which versions teach that Saul reigned for 42 years over Israel?

7. Which version simply has an ellipsis for the entire verse?

8. Does the New Scofield Bible look like the King James that it claims to be?

9. Which version puts the whole verse in a single parenthesis?

10. Which version puts the whole verse in double parentheses?

11. Which version puts a question mark for Saul’s age so you can guess at it?

12. Which version sounds like M.C. Hammer or Puff Daddy wrote it?

13. Which version makes good sense both in 1611 and 2005?

14. Which versions call themselves a standard but contradict themselves?

15. Why did God give I Samuel 13:1 to give scholars so much trouble?