Bible translations into French

After a number of French Bible translations in the Middle Ages, the first printed translation of the Bible into French was the work of the French theologian Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples in 1530 in Antwerp, Belgium. This was substantially revised and improved in 1535 by Pierre Robert Olivétan. This Bible, in turn, became the basis of the first French Catholic Bible, published at Leuven in 1550, the work of Nicholas de Leuze and François de Larben. Finally, the Bible de Port-Royal, prepared by Antoine Lemaistre and his brother Louis Isaac Lemaistre, finished in 1695, achieved broad acceptance among both Catholics and Protestants. Jean-Frédéric Ostervald's version (1724) also enjoyed widespread popularity.

Among Catholics, the most notable contemporary French translation is La Bible de Jérusalem, available in English as The Jerusalem Bible, which appeared first in French in 1954 and was revised in 1973. Its copious but concise footnotes and apparatus have won respect among both Protestant and Catholic readers. This translation has served as the basis for versions in many other languages besides French.

Many Francophone Protestants now use the Louis Segond version, which was finished in 1880, and revised substantially between 1975 and 1978. The Revised Louis Segond Bible is published by the American Bible Society. In 2007 the Geneva Bible Society published an updated edition of the Segond text called Segond 21. It is described by its sponsors as "L’original, avec les mots d’aujourd’hui"[1] (the original, but with today's words).

Another modern French Bible is the Bible du Semeur, finished in 2000. This is a more thought-for-thought translation than Segond's, and it uses more contemporary language. It is published by Biblica (formerly the International Bible Society). Another similarly translated Bible that is very popular with French readers is the Bible en français courant, published in 1987 by the Alliance Biblique Universelle.

The chief Jewish version of the Hebrew Scriptures in French is La Bible du rabbinat français, which was finished in 1906 and was revised in 1966.

André Chouraqui has published a version designed for use by both Jews and Christians; though Jewish himself, he included the New Testament.

Jehovah's Witnesses have translated their New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures into French.

Comparison

Translation Genesis (Genèse) 1:1–3 John (Jean) 3:16
Louis Segond (LSG) Au commencement, Dieu créa les cieux et la terre. La terre était informe et vide: il y avait des ténèbres à la surface de l'abîme, et l'esprit de Dieu se mouvait au-dessus des eaux. Dieu dit: Que la lumière soit! Et la lumière fut. Car Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu'il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne périsse pas, mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle.
La Bible du Semeur (BDS) Au commencement, Dieu créa le ciel et la terre. Or, la terre était alors informe et vide. Les ténèbres couvraient l'abîme, et l'Esprit de Dieu planait au-dessus des eaux. Et Dieu dit alors: Que la lumière soit! Et la lumière fut. Oui, Dieu a tant aimé le monde qu'il a donné son Fils, son unique, pour que tous ceux qui placent leur confiance en lui échappent à la perdition et qu'ils aient la vie éternelle.
Bible en français courant (BFC) Au commencement Dieu créa le ciel et la terre. La terre était sans forme et vide, et l'obscurité couvrait l'océan primitif. Le souffle de Dieu se déplaçait à la surface de l'eau. Alors Dieu dit : « Que la lumière paraisse ! » et la lumière parut. Car Dieu a tellement aimé le monde qu'il a donné son Fils unique, afin que quiconque croit en lui ne soit pas perdu mais qu'il ait la vie éternelle.

Chronological list

The following list was translated from the French Wikipedia article Traductions de la Bible en français

Manuscript translations

Unfinished and continued in the 14th century by Jean de Sy and the Dominicans, Jehan Nicolas, Guillaume Vivien, and Jehan de Chambly.
Consisting of the Historia Scholastica of Petrus Comestor, a liberal translation of most of the Bible, and an assemblage of glosses and other materials from several sources. The content of the manuscripts is variable, and successive versions seem to add books of the Bible which were missing in Guyart's original.
Translation by Raoul de Presles dedicated to Charles V

Printed translations

15th century

Printed by Barthélemy Buyer in Lyon, translated from the Vulgate.
Printed for the first time in Paris and reprinted at least ten times in the fifty years that followed. It is an illustrated Bible, published from a late manuscript of the Bible historiale of Guyart des Moulins.

16th century

From the Vulgate, printed in Antwerp 1530, 1534, 1541. Revised by Nicolas de Leuze (Antwerp, 1548). This is the first complete translation of the Hebrew scriptures into French.
It introduced the word Éternel to render the Tetragrammaton. Pierre Robert, called Olivétan, who was probably a cousin of John Calvin, wrote the Latin preface. The translation is accompanied by numerous scholarly notes. The New Testament follows the Textus Receptus.

17th century

Printed in Amsterdam.
Blaise Pascal, and other influential writers such as Robert Arnauld d'Andilly, Pierre Nicole, Pierre Thomas du Fossé, under the leadership of Louis-Isaac Lemaître de Sacy, participated in the translation

18th century

19th century

20th century


21st century

2013, "La Bible, Traduction officielle liturgique" coordinated by Father Henri Delhougne, O.S.B., with numerous collaborators.

See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. 1 2 "Versions de la Bible en français". Alliance biblique française. March 2007.
  3. ↑ Bible Darby, édition 1980, Éditions et publications chrétienne, préface, page V.

Further reading

External links

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