What is the Pirate Bible?

from the old testament

• God’s Word is pure (Psalm 12:6), meaning it actually reflects what God wants us to know. While translations are needed to help relay His word to others (cf. Nehemiah 8:8), care must be taken because “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar” (Proverbs 30:5–6).
• A true Bible translation requires careful study to understand it first, so it can then be taught (e.g., Ezra 7:10). Translations are not simply a matter of replacing words with other words. This is what makes the Pirate Bible a novelty. It’s simply swapping out English words with pirate-sounding words.

from the new testament

• Paul reminded Timothy, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15). This applies both to teaching and translation. Scripture is a serious matter because it is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). This means that every word is God speaking. When treated frivolously, it disrespects God’s Word.
• In contrast to those who handle Scripture lightly, Paul said, “we are not, like so many, peddlers of God’s Word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ” (2 Corinthians 2:17).
• While the Pirate Bible doesn’t promote itself as a serious translation, it contains errors that undermine Scripture’s teaching. For example, from their website, they translate Galatians 5:18 as: “But if ye be led by the wind, ye ain't subject to the Code.” However, that verse actually says, “if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” It’s a clear misrepresentation of Paul’s intention to change the Holy Spirit to “wind.” Also, referring to God’s eternal law as the “Code” trivializes His commands, likening them to a pirate’s code of ethics.

implications for today

We don’t want to be overly legalistic about believers who may own the Pirate Bible, as it’s intended for entertainment. However, we also want to be clear that it is not a true Bible. Its playful manner of translating verses has the potential to introduce serious theological error or diminish the importance of God. While believers who are well-versed in Scripture may be able to discern the errors, if they don’t know the original biblical text, they might miss some of the distortions. Thus, we would encourage wisdom in its use and charity for how other believers view the appropriateness of having a copy of the Pirate Bible.

The more important takeaway on this question is understanding the purpose of a Bible: it is to clearly teach what God revealed about Himself, us, and Jesus. Scripture began in three languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek). They were major languages, allowing the common man and woman to understand Scripture. However, as languages changed and people stopped knowing those older languages, the need for translations arose. Some examples include Latin, German, and now English, each of which was or is a major language providing access to the Bible to many people. The purpose of a good Bible is to teach what God taught clearly, so true Bible translations are produced after years of careful study to ensure the new language teaches the same thing as the original.

Because you are on this site, you likely speak English well and have several great and highly accurate Bible translations available to you. Just a few include the NASB, LSB, ESV, and NIV. While the Pirate Bible might be good for a laugh, when it comes to knowing what God actually said, any of these is far superior!