Naturally the Jehovah's Witnesses regard it as the best translation. Most of the rest of the Christian world (and, I think, ancient language scholars) have serious reservations about the "why." When the New World version was introduced, many Greek and Hebrew scholars were startled at how different it was in many points from respected existing English translations. When they asked to consult with the translators regarding the differences the request was denied. The official position of the the Watchtower Society was (approximately) that the people who worked on it were well qualified, but no human should recieve any glory for work on this project so no names will be published or released and they have agreed not to tell you who they were either. Because many of the differences of translation seemed almost designed to support Watchtower teachings this refusal has led many to question whether there were any recognized Hebrew or Greek scholars on the project at all and subsequently to charges that the purpose of the New World was to reinforce the different doctrines of Jehovahs Witnesses. Since there is no researchable evidence regarding the qualifications of the translators, the motivation - the "why" - for having thier own version of the Bible is a question of faith/belief in the integrity of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. The quality of the translation is my point. Recognized experts dispute the translation. No experts are available to defend the questionable translation decisions.

I have not given my opinion, but only the objective truth of opposing viewpoints: one that the NW is the best and the other that it is a paraphrase to support their doctrine. I answered the question specifically. Everything I stated is correct and defensible. I wish the pro-JW position was as honest. __________ I have read about this question, heard people speak about it and hunted for web pages addressing it. I have found two very disparate view points. The pro-JW (Jehovah's Witnesses) sources invariably have well-reasoned arguments why the New World (NW) is the best translation of the Bible and they insist it is a translation from the original languages. It should be noted that pro-JW sources tend to see the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society as God's instrument on Earth and do not generally question official Watchtower publications. Sources not devoted to Watchtower teaching make very strong cases against the NW being a translation at all. Many make the point that there do not appear to have been any people associated with the Watchtower at the time of the alleged translation with even basic ancient language credentials. Some web pages have a list of dozens of ancient language scholars with PhDs after their names who testify against the NW, making comments like "no person past the second year of college instruction would translate phrases as the NW does." If the Watchtower is indeed God's instrument on Earth, they can make the claim that their translation committee was divinely inspired and their translation is better than any accredited scholar's. If it was not divinely inspired, it appears the NW is a paraphrase designed to support the teachings of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.

There are approximately 200 Bible translations. King James is the traditional but with every translation, verses are slightly altered and varied. Additions and deletions make up every translation so perhaps they see “their” translation as a more accurate account. Here are just a few versions New International Version New American Standard Bible The Message Amplified Bible New Living Translation King James Version New Life Version English Standard Version Contemporary English Version New King James Version 21st Century King James Version American Standard Version Worldwide English (New Testament)-Young's Literal Translation Darby Translation Wycliffe New Testament New International Reader's Version New International Version - UK

JW's have their own translation because they don't accept Jesus as their Creator, God, and Savior. They altered it in the NT to coincide with their biased theology! They claim that the concept of the Trinity is of pagan origin originating from Satan, but hold on to other pagan concepts that were also in the time of the Egyptians like the Great Flood, virgin births, and the coming, death, and resurrection of a Messiah like figure Tammuz, and many others that the old Egyptians believed. Why are you going to say that one is from Satan and hold on to other pagan beliefs of the same time? Was Satan not around then? Don't you believe he could have instilled these beliefs because he knew the Truth and wanted to muddy the waters of history so that we could have these discussions now and fight over our True Creator? God came down and explained it to us. Why are you refusing to see it? You are being led astray by a faulty man-made organization not inspired by God? Can man make himself God? NO! Can God make himself man? He did! The proof is in the pudding, and I can even prove it in the faulty version of the NWT if anyone is interested. Question: How many Alpha and Omega's, first and last's can you have? (because both the Father and the Son say it of themselves a lot ) Question: Who created the heavens and everything else? (God by Himself-Isa 44:24 - Heb 1:10 by the work of Jesus' hands) Hummm.... That's why JW's have their own translation, because they try to make God conceptually black and white, clear cut, and easy for our finite minds to understand. And they say, but God is not a God of confusion and yet can you explain where God came from, the miracle of birth, creating something from nothing? No, we accept these things out of faith! We accept that Jesus had two natures. He was 100% man, and 100% God! God is incapable of dieing so he humbled himself took on the nature of a servant and became obedient to death on a cross!(Phil 2:6-8) Yeah, it's hard to comprehend, but it is something we accept by faith because that is what we are told in the gospels! Even in the book of Job 11:7-9 it is mentioned and asked "Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens....their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea." Don't make a cartoon out of our Creator because his message of whom he says he is hard to "visualize".

Because every branch of christianity likes to teach it in their own way.

To restore the personal name of Almighty God to its rightful 7000 places (Exodus 6:3) And I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as God Almighty, but as respects my name Jehovah I did not make myself known to them. Jesus said he came to make his Father's NAME...MANIFEST...TO LET IT BE KNOWN. Modern [?] translations have hidden it on the mistaken assumption that it is "too Holy" to use. Something that Jesus NEVER taught.

First, before someone can make the claim of knowing and using God the Fathers name used in the OT they need to "prove" that is is what was used. Seems like I read where the WT admits that Yahweh is the more correct pronunciation, but then claim Jehovah to be the english translation of God the Fathers real name. But a translation from what? No one knows what the original spelling was, less how it was pronounced. How do you think the Father feels when you call Him by a name (or word) that is not His? From my research into this (which I am no expert, and if you can site honest research proving me wrong, I welcome this) for centuries before Christ was on the earth this name had been hidden. Why? Because the Jewish leaders felt 1 it was to holy to use and/or 2 to protect it from being used in vain. Over the years, it was just forgotten. And as far as I know, no one knows "For sure" how it was spelled or pronounced, so how can someone have an english translation of a name no one knows for sure? Was it's God's plan for this to happen? Well if you believe God is All Powerful then the only way this could happen is it being His plan, otherwise it wouldn't have happened. So to force a name (or word) into the Bible and claiming it to be God's true and holy name IMHO is wrong not only in my eyes, but also in Gods since it was (again,IMHO) God's plan for this name to be lost. What do you suppose His purpose was for this loss? Again, IMHO He was setting it up to give us a new name, any guesses of that name? ;^} Anyway, to actually answer the question now, the Jehovah Witness's have created their own translation to promote their beliefs, take deity away from Jesus and promote the word they want people to believe is God's name. To call on this false name though saves no one and actually does just the opposite. Just because an organization says it's so, doesn't make it so. Why do you suppose they tell their followers that "all the research has been done for you, no need to do any on your own."? Because they might stumble on the truth, that would be the real truth and not what ever they concoct.

Everyone enjoys being different every now and then ;)

Did you know that Joshua and Jesus are the exact same name, originally? The reason we pronounce them differently is because Jesus comes from Greek....where the Hebrew name 'Yeoshua' was pronounced EE-YAY-ZOOS. This went to English, Spanish, etc as HAY-ZOOS or JEE-ZUS. 'Yeoshua' also came straight to English from Hebrew....where we pronounce it...well, Joshua. Same name...different transliteration. My point? Names change when they go between languages. The Bible should never change. Every place where the Bible has LORD (in all caps), the name of God was removed. Now, you can put Yahweh or Jehovah...and there is some debate for either one....but we definitely know it isn't LORD (adonai). Any translation that takes God's name out, is blasphemous. Yet, in nearly 7000 places of every other modern translation that you pick up - the name has been removed. Why? You will get no logical explanation....they'll tell you to worship Jesus and ignore God...ignore Jehovah. Jehovah's Witnesses are doing what the name implies. They are spreading the name of God around...a name that every other so-called Christian organization has gone to great lengths to hide....even so far as editing their Bibles. The most recent NON-JW Bible I know that contains God's name is from 1906 (the original American Standard Version). This is why Jehovah's Witnesses have created their own translation. It restores Jehovah's name to the Bible.

Many modern scholars and Bible translators advocate following the tradition of eliminating the distinctive name of God. They not only claim that its uncertain pronunciation justifies such a course but also hold that the supremacy and uniqueness of the true God make unnecessary his having a particular name. Such a view receives no support from the inspired Scriptures, either those of pre-Christian times or those of the Christian Greek Scriptures. The Tetragrammaton occurs 6,828 times in the Hebrew text printed in Biblia Hebraica and Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. In the Hebrew Scriptures the New World Translation contains the divine name 6,973 times, because the translators took into account, among other things, the fact that in some places the scribes had replaced the divine name with ’Adho•nai´ or ’Elo•him´. The very frequency of the appearance of the name attests to its importance to the Bible’s Author, whose name it is. Its use throughout the Scriptures far outnumbers that of any of the titles, such as “Sovereign Lord” or “God,” applied to him. Noteworthy, also, is the importance given to names themselves in the Hebrew Scriptures and among Semitic peoples. Professor G. T. Manley points out: “A study of the word ‘name’ in the O[ld] T[estament] reveals how much it means in Hebrew. The name is no mere label, but is significant of the real personality of him to whom it belongs. . . . When a person puts his ‘name’ upon a thing or another person the latter comes under his influence and protection, One reason why the New world translation is the best translation.