Thank you for the translation question, “Do translations of the Bible create omissions, misinterpretation, and loss of facts or true meaning of the scripture?
The Scriptures are written primarily in Hebrew and Greek. Hebrew in the Old Testament and Greek in the New Testament.
Thankfully today a person can readily access the Hebrew and Greek text of the Scriptures. Scholars have translated every word, giving the various meaning of a word, giving the grammatical structure of the words in a sentence, providing cross references, etc. It depends on how deep a person want to study the text.
For the average reader, the Bible translators seek to give either a more literal translation of the original words or the dynamic meaning of a word or sentence in contemporary language. The purpose of translations is to make it easier for the reader to understand the biblical text.
For example, John 3:16 is a well known verse for many Christians. For example, THE NASB-NIV PARALLEL NEW TESTAMENT IN GREEK AND ENGLISH writes the Greek words and give their translation of those words. Their translation of the Greek text is this, “for thus loved the God the world, so as the Son the only begotten he gave, that everyone believing in him may not perish but may have life eternal.”
Scholars have debated as to the meaning of “ton monogena” which is translated “the one begotten” or “the only begotten.” One can translate a word but what does it mean and doesn’t mean. Is this verse referring to his creation by God or is incarnation into this world. Is this verse saying there is one son or are there other sons? Comparison of usage would help narrow or broaden the usage of that word, mongena in other biblical passages. The context of the passage may/would give further insight as to how a particular word is being used.
Thus some Christians believe that Jesus is the first created being of God while other Christians believe the eternal existence of Jesus who became incarnated into the world. Thus one’s understanding of the Gospel of John as in John 1:1–3 is a critical passage.
In my opinion, translations enable a person to read how other scholars interpret a word, a sentence, or a paragraph. One can do a comparative study and may or may not agree with the translators. Christians are called to study the Scriptures, not just to accept the translators words of the text.
The Bible is the most examined Book in the world. Because of textual criticism and scholarly interpretations of the text, one can read the various viewpoints from a biblical and theological viewpoint. The reader is called to do his/her own due diligence in studying the Scriptures.
SUMMARY: The Hebrew and Greek texts are accessible for anyone to read the text and do a comparative study of any word in the Bible.
-Kingston