Only a few days have passed since the revised New World Translation was released at the 129th Annual Meeting. But it looks like the first printing of this Bible (or “silver sword,” as some have nicknamed it) is already a limited edition.
Former Witnesses have found an error in the new Bible, ironically in the book of Numbers. The header to page 267 shows the page numbers going down from Numbers chapter 35 to Numbers chapter 33. The header should instead read “Numbers 32:37-33:22.” At the time of writing, this typo is also in the PDF version.
JWsurvey readers will remember Geoffrey Jackson’s grand unveiling of this new Bible, in which he suggested that Jehovah was responsible for the favorable weather conditions at Wallkill while it was being printed. If true, this would mean that Jehovah saw fit to manipulate the weather to speed up printing but somehow neglected to make sure Watchtower’s proofreaders were sufficiently scrupulous.
Though not a huge mistake by any stretch, the typo does highlight that Watchtower publications are not as error-free as many Witnesses are led to believe. It will also be a source of considerable embarrassment to Watchtower that they must now correct their newly-revised Bibles and begin a new print run – with thousands of the faulty Bibles already in circulation. Watchtower’s writing team will also likely want to double-check each page to see whether there are any similar errors lurking elsewhere.
And those English-speaking Witnesses fortunate enough to receive the first new Bibles now have evidence in their book bags that Watchtower’s proofreaders are not as meticulous as you would expect.
Further reading…
Looking forward to how they spin this error.
It’s not a typo, “new light” shows that the sequence of chapters in Numbers was incorrect in previous translations.
It’s not a bug, it’s a feature! ;-)
That’s a good one :-)
Totally using this to make a point with my still-in family.
Thanks, Cedars!
2011 Yearbook – “Tracing All Things with Accuracy”, p.9-13:
“In summary, the Writing Department insists on using only material that is accurate and truthful, even regarding seemingly insignificant details. As a result, “the faithful and discreet slave” can consistently supply spiritual food that brings honor to ‘The God of truth,’ Jehovah.” – Ps. 31:5
Here’s a link to the 2011 Yearbook referenced in my previous post: http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/d/r1/lp-e/302011018
As of this moment, the rNWT with the goof is still on-line uncorrected: http://assets.jw.org/assets/a/nwt/nwt_E/nwt_E.pdf
Why revise it? I’m sure the new system will be here tomorrow.
Whatever happened to them being the only channel of God? They make it seem like whatever is printed is coming straight from Jehovah himself… As if Jehovah sat down and wrote those words. So, everyone in the looney house overlooked the numbers…. Probably the same happens with the amount of hours that are put in by the nearly 8 million blind JW’s …. Numbers are exaggerated, or put in “error”. Later, they claim that they’re all only human. They are so sure that they have their numbers right…. Down to the birth-year of Adam… As if they were there. This is a religion about numbers… Even if they get their numbers wrong.
Of course the end will be here tomorrow… Write that on your calendar, then go on a mountain top tonight before 12 midnight… and then wait for the end. If it doesn’t come… You can stay there on the mountain top cuz the end will be here at anytime now. Have fun!
The ‘Silver Sword’ proofreader has proven to be none too sharp. And after this error , perhaps perceived as slightly tarnished.
I take it that we now know the answer to your question from October 10…Will the NWT stand the test of time? Six days. Is that a new record?
I’d also like to point out that we are also six days away from Oct. 22, the anniversary of the initial 1844 Great Disappointment date Oct. 22, 1844 when everyone went to Miller’s farm and awaited the Rapture Event.
2014 – 1844 = 170 years?
2013 – 1853 (Nelson Barbour) = 160 years?
2014 – 1874 (Barbour, Storrs, Russell) = 140 years?
2014 – 1914 (Russell) = 100 years?
2012 – 1922 (Rutherford) = 90 [Beth Sarim]
2015 – 1945 (Knorr) = 70 yrs [hushed rumor that WW2 end would be “it”]
2015 – 1975 (“) = 40 yrs
Just numbers.. just numbers..
Oh the irony of getting something wrong with ‘numbers’ … anyone see a pattern here?
Irony yes! But haven’t they always gotten their numbers wrong!!
And I find it ironic that the Holy Spirit that produced the right weather for the printing overlooked this error!
They don’t make new light like they used to!!!
~~The silver sword has been tarnished by a less than sharp proofreader.~
Rip Van Winkle
What I would like to know is, why is the WTS spending so much money building ‘printing facilities’ in upstate NY when magazine readership is dying everywhere? People don’t even buy Bibles anymore, they’re easily available online…and of course without typos LOL!
God’s Organization does not make mistakes! He is just testing the friends to see who is really observant enough and who is who is just merely casually reading his word.
Proof of God’s blessing? Or they needed a proof reader! The infallible word of God has never been with them. I wonder if it will be a collectors item in the new order? Maybe this was why it took so long for it to come out, hold up demand then flood it.
What about removing “strong testicles” from JEREMIAH 5:8, Was it an error?
The verse used to read “Horses seized with sexual heat, having strong testicles, they have become. They neigh each one to the wife of his companion.” (http://wol.jw.org/en/wol/l/r1/lp-e?q=Jeremiah+5%3A8)!!
Now it reads (from the “Silver Sword”):
“They are like eager, lustful horses, Each neighing after another man’s wife.”
“strong testicles” or “[strong] testicles” have gone!! An ERROR or an intentional OMISSION?
If they got these numbers wrong, then maybe 607BCE isn’t so solid after all?
What is the deal with the printing? Do they imply that an angel of God stands over the shoulder of every bethelite?
In any case, this is an embarrassment for the GB. To deliberately hold back announcement until a business meeting, to only give copies to “approved” witnesses, and then there’s a typo, a really obvious, silly, annoying typo.
I really wouldn’t want to be the brother who was in charge of proof reading!! I can’t imagine we’ll see his name announced in some obscure webcast as a brand new member of the GB!!! Unless he already is……
In any other organisation, this would be a costly error resulting in a loss of profit and a temporary embarrassment. Now the GB are the FADS, this error is symptomatic of the careless control the GB have over the organisation.
It’s a nick in their armour of “God speaks to is through his Holy Spirit”
Of course, they’ll try to spin it to their advantage. It will fool some poor souls who cling on, but for others, it may just be the catalyst that begins their journey back to reality.
Good work as ever, Cedars!
Wow, what a huge error :)
This proves nothing and quite frankly I would think that you would have better things to write about.
If you read Exodus 6:2-3. 2Then God said to Moses: “Iam Jehovah.3And I used to appear to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but with regard to my name Jehovah I did not make myself known to them.
It is clear that Jehovah did not reveal his name to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
If you compare Genesis 18:26-33 you can see that Abraham would not of used the divine name at that time.Even the Darby Bible Translation which has correctly inserted Jehovahs name into the Hebrew scriptures does not make this error!
Genesis 18:26-33
26. ”Then Jehovah said: “If I shall find in Sod′om fifty righteous men in the midst of the city I will pardon the whole place on their account.”
27. But Abraham went on to answer and say: “Please, here I have taken upon myself to speak to Jehovah, whereas I am dust and ashes.
28. Suppose the fifty righteous should be lacking five. Will you for the five bring the whole city to ruin?” To this he said: “I shall not bring it to ruin if I find there forty‐five.”
29. But yet again he spoke further to him and said: “Suppose forty are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not do it on account of the forty.”
30. But he continued: “May Jehovah, please, not grow hot with anger, but let me go on speaking: Suppose thirty are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not do it if I find thirty there.”
31. But he continued on: “Please, here I have taken upon myself to speak to Jehovah: Suppose twenty are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not bring it to ruin on account of the twenty.”
32. Finally he said: “May Jehovah, please, not grow hot with anger, but let me speak just this once: Suppose ten are found there.” In turn he said: “I shall not bring it to ruin on account of the ten.”
33. Then Jehovah went his way when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.
You might be interested in this link which goes into greater detail [evangelical link removed, please see posting guidelines]
This error appears in both editions of the NWT!
Speaking of numbers – anyone else think it is interesting that on page 1767 (appendix B1 “The Message of the Bible”) that Jesus hurls Satan to the earth “ABOUT” 1914. About? Change coming?
@thinking
What is proves is inconsistency in GB statements. As Cedars pointed out, it was (perhaps flippantly) claimed that Jehovah had a hand in a trivial aspect, the weather during printing. However, it appears, being busy with Al Roker et al, Jehovah forgot to bless the proof-readers.
@mark
That is a perfect example of how the faithful gloss over gaping errors to keep their beliefs.
Hey everybody, you know how yesterday I said they shouldn’t bother revising it because the new system would be here tomorrow? Well this morning I got some new light (which could have just been the sun coming through the blinds but let’s not nitpick) and what I meant was that the new system would be here tomorrow’s tomorrow. They’re overlapping tomorrows, the tomorrow that blends in with the tomorrow after that. Yeah, that’s it. I’m sure this time.
BTW, I just looked at it yesterday and is anyone else offended that the actual Bible starts on page 40? They put their little handbook on topics they chose in front, oh and by the way, here’s the Bible after if you want to browse that too. It’s like the Bible itself isn’t as important as their own thoughts on it. Granted it was just scriptures according to topic (as they saw fit to include) and not a big Watchtower article with their own words, but it still felt very wrong to me. The Bible should have come first and then whatever handy guides they wanted to print should have been in the back.
Talk about straining out the gnat peps!!
Thanks ATS. You are welcome to think of this news as trivial or “staining out the gnat,” and I myself acknowledge the error as “not a huge mistake by any stretch.” However, if you are a loyal Witness who is used to everything from the organization being absolutely fool-proof, this error is unnerving – especially given the grandiose claims about the Bible that were made during its release. I certainly won’t apologise for making my readers aware of this mistake through a brief article. Anyone who knows how reverential Watchtower publications are among Witnesses will regard this as newsworthy. Witnesses do NOT like to see proof that Watchtower is merely a human organization – especially in the Bibles they use every day.
Thank goodness for progressive light! If it wasn’t for this error and a fix later on I would never be able to wrap my mind around this bible.
good point, whatevs. other than the table of contents, nothing should be in front of the bible if it’s that important.
Thanks for replying, i think its definitely fair enough to point out such an error and i have no quarrel with doing so. But it can easily lead to a loss of proper perspective on the matter, this is by my own standards a very minute mistake, perhaps worthy of a chuckle at best. (i might pen a 2 over the 5)
But i feel taking into consideration the silly mistakes the faithful apostles of the first century made (e.g. the quarrel of who will be the greatest) and how Jesus never cast them away for making these mistakes, but instead handled the matter kindly and lovingly guided them, knowing they had the best intentions at heart and that that was what really mattered. Applying this example to one wrong number (where a 5 should have been 2) found in the silver sword should lead us to an obvious conclusion. That such a mistake is immaterial to Jehovah and Jesus, we are without shadow of a doubt ‘imperfect’ or ‘sinful’ regardless if the point is presented by an individual or a group or organisation.
Thanks ATS, I agree with many of your points. I definitely don’t think firm conclusions as to the credibility of Watchtower ought to be made on the basis of this one trifling mistake. There are plenty of other articles I have written (I am thinking specifically of those under the “Child Abuse” section) that DO offer pause for thought in that regard. As to your Jesus/apostles analogy, can I assume that you believe the Governing Body can be considered on a par with the apostles? If so, what is your basis for reaching this conclusion – or is it merely a matter of “faith?”
Thats a fair question to ask, i need to divide my answer into two if that makes sense.
1) Personally i don’t think they are on par with the apostles. My reasons are many, though its a heavily controversial subject and something id rather keep personal because;
2) I dont feel it is my place to judge the position of a fellow ‘slave’ (allow me to level the playing field) as we know we will be judged accordingly ourselves. Baring in mind how the scriptures explain that those who have greater responsibility will also have a harsher judgement, including those individuals who have neglected the basic rights of children in cases of abuse like you mentioned.
On a side note, if i was in the position of handling a child abuse case i would have no hesitation in alerting the authorities in line with the principles found at 1 Cor 5:11-13 as well as the scriptures that talk about being in subjection to the law of the land.
Thanks for clarifying ATS.
“On a side note, if i was in the position of handling a child abuse case i would have no hesitation in alerting the authorities in line with the principles found at 1 Cor 5:11-13 as well as the scriptures that talk about being in subjection to the law of the land.”
I couldn’t agree with you more on that score!
Se os do Corpo dos Governantes tivessem confiado a nós da Associação das Testemunhas de Jeová leigas/Associação das Testemunhas dos Deuses Santos esta tarefa, a Bíblia revisada não teria os erros grotescos mostrados.
Agora eles que gastem de seus super-salários para fazer as correções, pois eu mesmo e nossos cooperados não vamos dá nosso dinheiro pra mais papel, energia, tinta . . .
Apóstolo TDS
Error in the original text. All translations now render this multiple meaning Hebrew adjective/adverb pair as “well-fed”. The literal Hebrew could refer to “in heat” horses with plumbed testes, but the wording is a metaphor for adulterous characters.
“They are well-fed, lusty stallions,
each neighing for another man’s wife.” [NIV]
well thats weird! we were always told that jesus was enthroned as king in 1914 and that satan was cast to the earth immediately – hence why world war 1 happened as he had great anger! so it is weird how the organization is now saying he was hurled down “about” 1914. there was never any “about” about it! maybe there will be some new understanding about it. however, it needs to be pointed out also that regards that time line, it doesnt say that jesus invisibly came and began ruling in 1914! considering how important that teaching is to jw’s, you would have thought that would be mentioned! but the only mention we have about 1914 is just about satan being thrown out of heaven. why havent they mentioned jesus’s invisible presence, his enthronement as king and that his rule began from 1914? seems very odd!
just to clarify – my comment was a reply to what mike posted -“Speaking of numbers – anyone else think it is interesting that on page 1767 (appendix B1 “The Message of the Bible”) that Jesus hurls Satan to the earth “ABOUT” 1914. About? Change coming?”
ATS,
Just curious, could your reasons for not believing the GB being on par with the apostles amount to “apostasy” if you made your views public?
Thanks
LOL…..and on and on it goes….wow
I disagree with that sentiment. I think most hardcore, never-leaving JW’s will rationalize that the organization has a human factor in it, but that doesn’t negate it being “of God” and “of use by God [Jehovah]”. They will point to the mistakes by apostles and other “servants of the Lord [Jehovah]” and state that didn’t mean His favor had lifted, or anointing had been revoked. In short, they’ll gloss over it–love is blind.
However, on the broader scale, we can still measure the blatant “false prophecies” and exaggerations.
There is a MAJOR change in Lev.5:1 that this time the RNT gets it RIGHT. No body has picked up on it. It is taught that the man doing the “public cursing” was a sinner needed to be squeeled on to the Elders, that is an APOSTACY and a fraud! The man doing the “cursing” is in the “public place” or before the City Elders at the city gates with a claim that he had been wronged, the witness has never been a witness to the cursing as that was in a public place for all to witness. The “witness” is a witness as to the validity of the claim that is the issue of the “cursing mans” claim!
The RNT correctly changes “curse” to “public call to testify” next “and he is a witness or has seen or learned about it and he does not report it then he will answer for his error”. The real meaning is that it was the “witness” that was the problem person as his silence prevented justice from being served to the “man” doing the “cursing”. There is no scripture in the Bible that directs brother to squeel on their brothers, it has always been a Nazi style control mechanism!
This new correct understanding I first saw in a Wt. foot note in about 1967. There is a Wt. article “A Time to Speak When?” Sept 15. somewhere 1987-89 that gave the correct understanding in harmony with the new RNT. The article is about a nurse [now married to my uncle] Sharon Garig Fairfield Ca.. She was a nurse who saw on operations schedule two sisters scheduled for abortions she informed her Elders, the Elders confronted the women, the women had their abortions and my aunt was black balled for divuldiging confidentual recoprds. But there was a very acurate discussion as true meaning of Lev.5:1 though the application did not fit the subject matter.
This summer in the talk “Human Apostates” there was mention of a man using letters to attack the loyal ones, that talk made the Danish newspapers as “hate speech”. I am that man who the WTBS is talking about and Lev. 5:1 is the corner stone of ten year letter writing campaign as it relates to a $4.250M securties swindle and the WTBS selling the swindler Raymond C. Dale San Diego area and Glenn Colombo Santa Cruz the word of God Isa.1:23 and “Simony”. Redding Calif. is the location of the “apostate letter writing campaign” centered around Lev.5:1. The issue of Lev.5:1 centers around two letters of criminal investigation one from Shasta County District Attorney’s office other from Calif. Dept. of Corporations [this investigation lead to Shasta Superior Court case #109555 in 1993] that South Redding Cong. Elders refused to foward to Service Dept as they were terrified of a “wolf pack” Acts20:29,30. I called Bruce Wheeler jr. and Bob O’Dell “fucking cowards” based on Lev.5:1 which required them to foward those letters they in turned “marked” me in retaliation. When I blew the whistle on Ray Dale’s swindling of a widow the Elders of the West Enterprise Cong deceived the WTBS as some were investors in “Dale and Colombo Financial Planners inc”. Ray Dale the BMOC in Redding as he purchased power from circuit overseers Billy Ford, Harley Brennaman and DO Stephen Coinavich through Simony [look it up research 1Pet.5:2 and you will find discussion as to CO’s and Do’s selling the positions of favor Simony for dishonest gain]. Ray Dale’s 25 year career of swindling the elderly started in San Diego as he was a bit player in that large fraud case in the late 70’s or early 80’s when the WTBS sent in people to clean the mess Dale tucked his tail between his legs and ran out of town to Brookings Ore.. He was imported to Redding by Co Billy Ford [a little lying cowardly bully!] he had a quick rise to power able to “divide and conquer” so as to be able to be the WTBS go to guy providing all the information to the Service Dept. as to how he was swindling widows [much like Gonzalo Campos deceiving of his molesting children] he was backed up by some crony’s he moved in with him and Elder investors. Dale exited Redding again with his tail between his legs as he publicly campaigned for President of the Chamber of Commerce in a shopping news paper, his crony’s provided him with a deceptive letter of recomendation to Del Mar Ca. Cong.
In May 2004 my wife left as I was a threat to her spiruality [no need to go into detail as to cost of shunning; 5 sons, their wives, 8 or 9 ? grandchildren most of whom I have never seen and $36,000 annual alimony]. In Dec 2004 I was dfed for sending letters to the flock using Lev.5:1 to publicly call B. Wheeler and B. O’Dell “fucking cowards” for refusing to foward letters of criminal investigation. NOW the story gets interesting. I was in Anderson Ca. cong. but draged into South Redding cong on bogus charges of “reviling” I hand my stuff together. The Appeals is where the action was at. Joe Moore head judge had no problem the the df committee had no jursidiction or letters of criminal investigation gave substance to the true meaning of Lev.5:1 I had my stuff together! The real importance was he let a cat partically out of the bag as regards to court case #149893 when I was dealing with court case #109555, since then I have been known as “Rabshakeh” the apostate for a 9 year letter writing campaign of “mind fucking”. I have become very, very good with “fucking minds”.
In 2007 there was a fleeting thought that went through my mind to hire a privite investigator and he uncovered Shasta County Superior Court case #149893 where Ray and Carol Dale were swindling a widow out of a deed of trust the start date on that case was Oct. 2003 it ended in March 2004 my wife left in May of 2004! The WTBS had kept secret that Dale was swindling another widow!!! Had the WTBS been up front and reveled that indeed Ray Dale had a 25 year history of swindling widows in their organization my wife would of never left and I would of still had my family. Ray and Carol were unceremoniously thrown out of the organization with the statement that “they left on their own volition with a bad attitude”. Since then it seems Ray Dale has a secret ability to play a skin flute. I took the court transcript of case #149893 and did exactly what Martin Luther did and taped it to the Redding KH doors on Dec.26 5 days later Dec.31 Bruce Wheeler Jr. was dead with a heart attck as to his actions relating to Lev.5:1, the irony was it was my #5 son who was on the fire truck that did cpr on the SOB all the way to the hospital! In the letter writing I was up front that I was attacking the cowardly hearts of cowardly elders. This position based solely on the phrase “then he must answer for his error” Lev.5:1! I was out for blood!
So here in Redding Calif. is a major drama centered around Lev.5:1 and the WTBS selling the Word of God to a penis sucker Isa.1:23! And that is the story of the letter writing of the “Human Apostate” talk this summer. I killed one Elder and I am fucking minds to over load Elders with cowardly hearts into a position that they realize that if justice is to ever to be done that the WTBS would do to them what they did to me. This all hinges on the fact that these Elders either deceived OR refused to come foward with information the WTBS was being humilated by a cock sucker defrauding widows in their organization for over 25 years. If true justice was to be done these Elders would have their families removed form them just like mine and they would be prevented from applying for reinstatement for a period of 24 years. With that knowledge a man who can handle a “sword” Heb.4:12 can do some serious mind fucking!
Ceaders you have a beautiful oppertunity to write a blog on Lev.5:1 as to its true meaning thus showing that the use of that verse to enforce WTBS control over people by informing on their brothers is apostacy in its truest sence. Once you look at Lev.5:1 with the understanding that the setting is a court room setting where the man doing the cursing is filing a complaint with the City Elders at the City Gate in a legal case and the “witness” is one who has information to back up that mans claims. The purpose of this legal statute is to reguire those who have the attitude that injustice to someone else is not their problem is not tollerated in the eyes of Jehovah. It was ment to protect people like me who are being attacked by the town “wolf pack Acts 20”. The witness was being required to come foward to testify even if he was terrified of “wolves” doing injury to the cursing man. Or even it was going to cost financial diffucility for the “witness” if the cursing man gets justice. You open your eyes and you got a major revelation and blog. Very seldom does there come along such a chance to totally humilate the GB using their own Bible.
Bill Covert
Redding Ca.