ESV wordings poll results

For several months we have had a poll up asking respondents to state whether or not 10 translation wordings sound like proper English to them. The wordings were taken from the ESV, but not identified as such, so that knowing which version they were from would not bias the results.

Here are the results of the poll:

Check (tick) each of the following that sounds like proper English to you.

The righteous are bold as a lion. 208 votes
They drop trouble upon me. 126 votes
Wisdom is better than jewels. 351 votes
The wicked is a ransom for the righteous. 55 votes
Jerusalem's people are a gladness. 82 votes
Rebuke me not in your anger. 212 votes
I will send and bring you from there. 92 votes
If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. 189 votes
Disaster from them will rise suddenly. 87 votes
Let not oil be lacking on your head. 136 votes

My own votes, which I cast as the first respondent, were for the first and third sentences.

In subsequent posts I will give the reference for each wording and explain why eight of the sentences were in one way or another aberrant English

Categories: ESV, unnatural English, literary quality