Suppose a translation is too strict, translating word for word and keeping each word in the same order as the original. If the second language uses a different grammar and word order (syntax), the resulting translation may sound awkward or seem so jumbled as to lose meaning. On the other hand, a translation can be too loose. Suppose a translator aims for a smoother, more pleasant reading experience. Going too far, he makes unnecessary changes from the original. He adds too many new words and even his own ideas. The result is a “paraphrase”— like a commentary—rather than a translation. There is no perfect translation. But there are better translations, and they convey the original meaning without being too strict or too loose.
Good translations also know how to handle idioms. For example, the original Greek in 1 Peter 1:13 literally says, “girding the loins of the mind.” Translated word for word, that makes little sense to many of us. But Peter’s readers knew what it meant: In their culture, men wore long robes that covered their legs. When they prepared to run, they “girded” (tucked, tied) the robe up around the “loins” (the waist or lower body). When applied to the “mind,” the idiom meant: prepare the mind for action, let your mind work hard. Most modern readers need, not just the words of an idiom, but its intended meaning or sense. Another example is punctuation (comma, colon, semi-colon, period or full stop, etc.). The Greek of the New Testament had few punctuation marks. Modern languages like English rely much more on the use of punctuation. In Greek, Ephesians 1 has what seems to be one long, extended thought. But, for us, it is better understood when punctuated to allow for shorter sentences.
As you know from your own language, a particular thought may be expressed in several ways. That is why a Scripture verse can be worded differently in various translations, without any one of them being wrong. It just means that translators are doing their best, especially when Hebrew or Greek words have shades of meaning not exactly matched in our language. That is true with all translation projects, whether in business, education, government, or entertainment. Despite language limitations, translation makes the basic meaning clear, a fact on which people around the world depend every day.