qiánchéng (qián·chéng {[being] pious; sincere; devout} · {[being] sincere; honest; genuine} → [[having] godly devotion] 虔诚 虔誠) ← Tap/click to show/hide the “flashcard”
Appendix A2 of the English New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition), entitled “Features of This Revision”, discusses vocabulary changes that have been made in the current revision, words that have been translated differently than before. As noted in various entries in the excellent resource Referenced Theo. Expressions (RTE), Appendix A2 of the current Mandarin version of the New World Translation Bible (nwt) correspondingly discusses words that have been translated differently in the current revision of the Mandarin NWT Bible, compared to how they had been translated before.
Since we base what we say in Jehovah’s service on his Word the Bible, the vocabulary used in it—and the way those vocabulary words are translated—should be reflected in how we speak in our ministry, at our meetings, etc. So, it is beneficial for us Mandarin field language-learners to be familiar with the latest thinking from the organization on how Bible terms should be translated into Mandarin.
Current Godly Devotion
Sometimes, some words just gradually get used less and less, and people turn to using other words instead. Appendix A2 of the English New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (Study Edition) gives these examples of English words that have fallen out of fashion so much that they may no longer be correctly or easily understood by modern readers, and the words that the English NWT Bible now uses instead of them:
The now obsolete meaning of “dumb” was replaced with “speechless.” (Matthew 9:32, 33) The term “harlot” was changed to “prostitute.” (Genesis 38:15) In this revision, “fornication” is usually rendered as “sexual immorality”; “loose conduct” as “brazen conduct”; and “revelries” as “wild parties.”
One example of a word used in the previous major revision of the Mandarin NWT Bible that may no longer be correctly or easily understood by modern readers is “jìngqián (jìng·qián respecting · pious → [godly] | respecting · {being pious} → [godliness; godly devotion] 敬虔)”, used in the past, for example, to translate the English expression “godly devotion”. Now, “qiánchéng (qián·chéng {[being] pious; sincere; devout} · {[being] sincere; honest; genuine} → [[having] godly devotion] 虔诚 虔誠)”, this week’s MEotW, is used instead in the current version of the Mandarin NWT Bible.—Tímótài Qiánshū ((Tímótài Timothy 提摩太) (Qián·shū Earlier · Book 前书 前書) → [1 Timothy]) 6:6.