GOD I AM documenting Nihongo Seisho mono.

 The two main and most widely accepted translations are the Shin Kyōdō Yaku (新共同訳 / New Interconfessional Version) and the Shin Kaiyaku (新改訳 / New Japanese Bible). [1]

There is no single "wrong" or "right" Japanese Bible, but the ⁠New Japanese Bible (Shinkaiyaku) and the ⁠New Interconfessional Translation (Shinkyōdōyaku) are the two main faithful standard translations used by Japanese Christians today. Both accurately render the meaning of Hebrews 11:5 from the original Greek text compared to the King James Version (KJV). [1, 2]

Translation Comparison for Hebrews 11:5

King James Version (KJV):
• "By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God." [1, 2]
New Japanese Bible (Shinkaiyaku 2003 - Protestant Literal Translation):
• 「信仰によって、エノクは死を見ないように天に移された。神がお移しになったので、彼は見えなくなった。彼が移される前に、神に喜ばれた者と、あかしされていたからである。」
• Key terms: 信仰 (faith), 死を見ない (not see death), 天に移された (translated/taken to heaven). [1]
New Interconfessional Translation (Shinkyōdōyaku - Ecumenical / Widely Used):
• 「信仰によって、エノクは死を経験しないように、天に移されました。神が彼を移されたので、見えなくなったのです。移される前に、神に喜ばれていたことが証明されていたからです。」
• Key terms: 信仰 (faith), 死を経験しない (not experience death), 天に移されました (moved/translated to heaven). [1]

Key Decision Factors

Shinkaiyaku (新改訳): Preferred by most evangelical and conservative Protestant churches in Japan because its word-for-word translation style closely mirrors the structural literalism of traditional English Bibles like the ESV or KJV. [1]
Shinkyōdōyaku (新共同訳): Published jointly by Protestants and Catholics, using smooth, modern literary Japanese that makes it the most widely printed and read text in general ecumenical settings. [1]

If you'd like to compare further, let me know:

• Do you prefer a word-for-word literal translation (like Shinkaiyaku) or a thought-for-thought reading?
• Would you like the verse text from the older Kougo-yaku (口語訳) as well?

The New Japanese Bible (Shinkaiyaku Seisho) 2003 edition is a major literal translation of the Christian Bible from original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts, created by the ⁠Organization for the New Japanese Bible Translation as the predominant text for Japanese Protestant and evangelical churches. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Translation Philosophy and History

Literal Approach: Uses an essentially literal word-for-word and thought-for-thought balance, comparable to the English Standard Version. [1, 2]
Origin: Originally published in 1970 to meet modern evangelical needs, with subsequent revisions in 1978 and the 3rd edition in 2003. [1, 2]
Ecclesiastical Standing: Differs from the ecumenical Shin Kyōdō Yaku (New Interconfessional Translation) by focusing strictly on conservative evangelical scholarship. [1, 2, 3, 4]

Availability and Formats

Digital Software: Available for study platforms like ⁠Accordance Bible Software and ⁠Logos.
Print Editions: Offered in various physical formats, including bilingual Japanese-English New Testaments paired with the New King James Version. [1, 2, 3]

If you are looking for a specific format, please let me know if you need help finding:

• A print supplier or bookstore for physical copies
• A digital module for Bible study software
• Information on how it compares to the 2017 major revision

GOD is translating to google "When you say essentially literal word-for-word and thought-for-thought balance do you mean in the Japanese words are written in the English direction or do you mean the Japanese words are written in the Japanese wording with a 100% accurate translation to English? If you mean anything else tell me. Also give me the definition of essential"

The term "essentially literal" refers to how the original ancient languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) were translated into Japanese. It does not involve the English language or English sentence structures at all.

What "Essentially Literal" Means Here

• Natural Japanese Structure: The text is written in proper Japanese grammar, word order, and direction (left-to-right horizontally, or top-to-bottom vertically). It does not follow English word order.
• Fidelity to Original Languages: The translators tried to match the original Greek and Hebrew words as closely as possible, rather than rewriting sentences into loose paraphrases.
• Thought-for-Thought Balance: Languages do not line up perfectly. When a strict word-for-word translation would make no sense in Japanese, the translators adjusted the words slightly so the original meaning (the thought) remains 100% accurate.

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Definition of "Essential"

The word essential (used here as essentially) has two main definitions depending on context:

1. Most Important Quality: Relating to the absolute core, basic nature, or essence of something.
2. Absolutely Necessary: Something that is completely required or indispensable. [1]

In the phrase "essentially literal," it uses the first definition. It means that at its core, the primary rule and basic nature of the translation is to be literal, even if minor adjustments had to be made for smooth Japanese reading.

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If you want to see how this works in practice, let me know if you would like to:

• See a comparison of a Bible verse in the Shinkaiyaku versus a loose paraphrase.
• Learn about how the original Greek grammar maps to Japanese grammar.
• Explore the differences between the 2003 and 2017 editions.

GOD is translating to google "Is the Bible in Japanese to match the KJV?"

No, the major standard Japanese Bibles do not match the King James Version (KJV) because they are based on entirely different ancient source texts. Standard Japanese translations, including the popular Shinkaiyaku (New Japanese Bible) and Shin Kyōdō Yaku (New Interconfessional Translation), utilize modern Alexandrian Greek manuscript streams (Critical Texts) rather than the Textus Receptus used by the KJV. [1, 2]

Consequently, if you are looking for a Japanese Bible that strictly matches the KJV's exact underlying verses, omissions, and translational choices, standard Japanese Bibles will not align.

The Standard Japanese Choices (Different from KJV)

Shinkaiyaku (New Japanese Bible): While it shares a highly literal, formal philosophy similar to the KJV, it is translated from modern critical Greek and Hebrew editions. This means verses that are absent from modern English Bibles (like the ESV or NASB) are also absent from the Shinkaiyaku. [1, 2, 3]

Kōgoyaku (Colloquial Japanese Version): This older, highly respected 1955 translation is often structurally compared to older English Bibles, but it still relies on the critical Nestles Greek text rather than the Textus Receptus. [1]

How to Find a True KJV-Matching Japanese Translation

If you require a Japanese text that strictly matches the KJV New Testament text word-for-word, you must look for independent translations explicitly built from the Textus Receptus:

• The Lifeline Japanese New Testament (ライフライン訳新約聖書): This specific translation was created by the Christian Liberty Institute explicitly for believers who want a Japanese text based on the exact same Greek text used for the KJV. As noted by the ⁠StepBible Project, “This translation has been based on the same Greek texts used in the New Testament of the King James Bible, and for those who have been frustrated with the deletions, omissions, and weaker translation of current Japanese translations, this will be a blessing to have.” [1]

Bilingual Bible Formats

If you are studying both languages, print publishers frequently package the literal Shinkaiyaku side-by-side with the New King James Version (NKJV) or standard KJV in ⁠bilingual editions because their literal sentence-by-sentence formatting flows smoothly together. [1, 2]

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If you want to track down a copy, let me know if you would like to:

• Find out where to order or download the KJV-based Lifeline Japanese translation.
• See how a specific verse (such as one of the verses omitted in modern versions) reads in the Shinkaiyaku versus the KJV text.