Working Translation from A Journey through the Acts and Epistles, first edition (1.2). Copyright © 2006 by Walter J. Cummins. All Rights Reserved. And Working Translation from Volume 2 A Journey through the Acts and Epistles, first edition (1.0). Copyright © 2013 by Walter J. Cummins. All Rights Reserved.
The body of this work contains the Authorized King James Version,
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| The following notations are used in the Working Translation. Of these, only the italic type and parentheses ( ) are used in the Authorized King James Version. It should also be noted that the Authorized King James Version uses Small Caps to represent the Hebrew word YHWH in translation from the Hebrew Scriptures, as in the examples “Lord, God, and Jehovah.” |
| Italic Type: It is sometimes necessary to add words in translation due to differences of language. Italic type is used in both the Working Translation and the Authorized King James Version to mark words added in translation for which there are no words in the Greek texts. In Appendix A, there is a section on the use of typeface, which discusses when and when not italic type is used in the Working Translation. |
Acts 1:3 (WT): To them he also presented himself alive by many indisputable proofs after he had suffered, being observed by them during the course of forty days and speaking to them about the kingdom of God. |
| [Italic Type] Enclosed in Square Brackets: In addition to words added in translation, explanatory information that is deemed helpful is also placed in italic type and enclosed in square brackets [ ] in the Working Translation. These words are set in italic type to indicate that those words have been added to the translation and that there are no corresponding words in the printed Greek texts and older manuscripts. Such explanatory words in brackets are inserted to assure clarity of the record for the English reader. Care has been taken in the Working Translation to not add more words than necessary to understanding the thought of the older versions, and those that are added are set in italic type. |
Acts 1:6 (WT): So then, as they [the apostles] accompanied him, they asked him, saying, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel at this time?” |
| (Regular Type) Enclosed in Parentheses: Words in regular type enclosed in parentheses ( ), also called round brackets, are used in both the Working Translation and the Authorized King James Version to mark explanatory information that is part of the text of the Scriptures. Those words of explanation are translated from words in the Greek texts, and therefore those words are set in regular type and enclosed in parentheses. |
Acts 1:12 (WT): Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem (a Sabbath day’s journey away) |
| Bold face print is used in the Working Translation to mark words cited from other passages in the Scriptures and from other writings. These, being quotations, have been placed in bold print inside of quotation marks. Appropriate references have also been set in superscript type before the quotation. |
Acts 1:20 (WT): “So it has been written in the book of Psalms: Psalm 69:25: ‘Let his dwelling become desolate, and let no one dwell in it,’ and Psalm 109:8: ‘Let another take his position of overseer.’ |
| “” Quotation marks are used in the Working Translation to indicate direct quotations. Where quotations continue into the succeeding verses, beginning quotation marks (“) are used at the beginning of each verse in the quotation, but ending quotation marks (”) are only used at the very end of the quotation. An example of this is found in Acts 1:16 and 17. It should also be noted that verses do not always begin with capital letters because of the grammatical construction in Greek, as explained in Appendix A. For a quotation within a quotation, the single quotation marks (‘’) are used. An example of single quotation marks may be seen above in Acts 1:20. |
Acts 1:16 and 17 (WT): 16 “Gentlemen, brothers, it was necessary that the Scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit previously spoke by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who seized Jesus, 17 “for he was counted with us and had obtained a part of this ministry.” |
| {} Braces, which are also called curly brackets, are used in the Working Translation to indicate variant readings among the different manuscripts and printed Greek texts, as discussed in Appendix A. Some variant readings, such as many variations in spelling and word order, are not noted if they do not change the meaning of the text. Variant readings that are clearly secondary readings are discussed in the footnotes, but they are not noted in the Working Translation. If it is unclear as to which variant reading may have been the original, then the translation of the variant reading that is more likely older was put in the Working Translation and the translation of the less likely variant reading was included in superscript braces { } in the Working Translation, and they are both discussed in the footnotes. |
| Words that were most likely not original but substituted for the original words in the text of later manuscripts are indicated in the Working Translation by the word “Or” and a slash mark in the superscript braces, and the beginning of the text affected by the substitution is marked with a superscript slash mark: /. Thus, in Acts 1:25 the word “place” followed by “{Or/ part}” indicates to the reader that the Greek word translated “place” was most likely original, and the Greek word translated “part” was most likely a later substitution in some of the manuscripts. |
Word Substitutions Acts 1:25 (WT): “to take the /place {Or/ part} of this ministry and apostleship . . . . |
| Words that were most likely not original but rather added to the text of later manuscripts are indicated by a plus sign in the superscript braces. In Acts 4:8 the word meaning “of Israel” appears in some critical Greek texts but not in others and was most likely not part of the original text. |
Added Words Acts 4:8 (WT): Then Peter, being filled with holy spirit, said to them: “Rulers of the people and elders {+ of Israel}, |
| Words that were most likely original but omitted from the text of later manuscripts are indicated by a minus sign in the superscript braces, and the beginning of the text affected by the omission is marked with a superscript slash mark: /. Thus, in Acts 17:26, the word “blood” followed by “{-}” indicates to the reader that the Greek word translated “blood” was most likely original but omitted from some of the later manuscripts. |
Omitted Words Acts 17:26 (WT): “He made of one /blood {-} every nation of mankind to dwell on all the face of the earth . . . . |
Cursive type is used for greetings that Paul would usually write himself. Normally, Paul spoke while an amanuensis or secretary wrote what he spoke, and then Paul wrote his greeting at the end of the epistle (See Romans 16:20 and II Thessalonians 3:17).