For a long time the Jewish people have written down their thoughts about the world.
At some point, about two thousands years ago, Jesus and his followers reinterpreted those ideas so new books had to be written on the same subject.
Another four centuries later the Councils of Hippo (393 AD) and Carthage ( 397) determined which of those books were to be included in what is currently known as the Bible.
The versions being circulated since were written in Latin, Hebrew, ancient Greek, Aramaic, ancient Armenian, etc.
By 1500 almost nobody but some of the priests were able to read any of them.
So Luther had decided he had to translate it. Into German.
And changed the world.
Since then, because modern languages are a work in progress, the Bible has been practically rewritten many times over.
Here are three versions of how Cain and Abel were born. Genesis 4:1-2.
King James Version
“Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten[a] a man with the help of the Lord.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.“
English Standard Version
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.”
New International Version
What next? I’ve counted 106 different versions, all written in English, on a Wikipedia page…
Luther had translated it because almost no one living in his times was able to read it by themselves.
Nowadays it seems that anybody who cares about the matter, writes their own!
I was under the impression that religion was meant to bring us together…
Who is scattering us now?
Why are we doing this to ourselves?