Finding a translation that uses God's name AND doesn't hide Jesus' deity
For your entire life, you've been taught that the New World Translation is the most accurate Bible available. You've been told that other translations are corrupted, that they remove God's name and distort His message.
What if I told you that the Watchtower was right about one thing: using God's name is important. But they were wrong about everything else?
The Watchtower Society gives two main reasons for creating the New World Translation:
1. Easy-to-read, modern English
Unlike older translations with “thee” and “thou”, the NWT uses contemporary language
2. Faithfully uses God's name
The NWT renders the divine name as “Jehovah” over 7,000 times in the Old Testament
These sound like good reasons. And on the surface, they are. Modern English IS easier to read. God's name SHOULD be used.
But here's the problem: These legitimate concerns were used as cover to introduce intentional mistranslations.
The Watchtower is right about one thing: most English Bibles do NOT use God's personal name.
Instead of “Yahweh” or “Jehovah,” most translations use “LORD” (in small caps) wherever the Hebrew name YHWH appears. This happens over 6,800 times in the Old Testament.
This is a valid concern. God revealed His personal name to Moses. He didn't say “I am LORD,” He said “I am YAHWEH” (Exodus 3:14-15).
So the Watchtower asks a fair question: “How can you trust a translation that removes God's name 6,800 times?”
That's actually a great question. And there IS an answer.
There exists a Bible translation that:
Uses God's personal name ("Yahweh") consistently - 6,800+ times in the Old Testament
Uses modern, readable English (published 2021)
Is extremely accurate (word-for-word, formal equivalence)
Is respected by scholars worldwide
Has NO theological agenda to hide Jesus' deity
Is available FREE online at lsbible.org
This translation is called the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB).
Scholarly Credentials:
Translation Philosophy:
Modern and Readable:
You might be wondering: “Why does the LSB use ‘Yahweh’ instead of ‘Jehovah’ if they're so similar?”
Short answer: They're the same name, just different pronunciations.
In Hebrew, God's name is written with four letters: יהוה (YHWH)
Ancient Hebrew was written without vowels. So we know the consonants (Y-H-W-H), but the original vowel sounds were passed down orally.
Around 1000 AD, Jewish scholars called the Masoretes added vowel markings to the Hebrew text. But they didn't want anyone to accidentally say God's name out loud (they believed it was too holy to pronounce), so they put the vowels from the word “Adonai” (meaning “Lord”) under the letters YHWH as a reminder to say “Adonai” instead.
Jehovah = Y(e)H(o)W(a)H — a hybrid that was never actually pronounced in ancient times.
Through linguistic study, comparison with ancient texts, and analysis of how the name appears in other languages, scholars believe the original pronunciation was closer to “Yahweh” (Yah-weh).
Both “Yahweh” and “Jehovah” refer to the same God. It's the same as how “Jesus” (English) and “Yeshua” (Hebrew) are the same person.
The LSB uses “Yahweh” because it's likely closer to the original pronunciation. But the important thing is that the NAME is there—not replaced with “LORD.”
| Translation | Divine Name | Modern English | Accuracy | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) | Yahweh (6,800x) | ✓ Yes (2021) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent | RECOMMENDED |
| New World Translation (NWT) | Jehovah (7,000x) | ✓ Yes | ❌ Mistranslations | Hides Jesus' deity |
| American Standard Version | Jehovah (6,800x) | ❌ No (1901) | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good | Archaic English |
| English Standard Version | LORD | ✓ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Good | No divine name |
| New International Version | LORD | ✓ Yes | ⭐⭐⭐ Good | More dynamic |
Visit lsbible.org
The entire Bible is available free online
Start with the Gospel of John
See how Jesus is presented when the text hasn't been altered
Compare with your NWT
You'll immediately notice differences
Important: The LSB will feel different at first because you're used to the NWT's wording. That's okay. Give yourself time to adjust to reading God's actual words instead of the Watchtower's version.
Now that you have a Bible translation you can trust—one that uses God's name AND doesn't hide Jesus' deity—you're ready to discover who Jesus actually is according to Scripture.