New Translation?

The man who shot Pope John Paul II in 1981 just got out of prison. He has declared himself "Christ eternal" and promises to write a new Gospel as the present one is full of mistakes. This should be an interesting version??? Anyway, here's a news article about this potential new translator.

Standard Bible Storybook

This new storybook from Standard Publishing is due to be released in March of 2010. It has over 130 stories from the Old and New Testaments. Each is written in only about 300 words. The Bible stories have been retold by Carolyn Larsen. For a bit more information and a PDF sample visit Standard Publishing.

The Voice of Psalms - a review

The Voice of Psalms: Psalms Retold by the Friends of Ecclesia Bible Society - a review

This volume doesn’t look or feel like the average Bible. It is printed on heavy paper that has a colored background picture to make it look like old paper. Each Psalms is set apart by a horizontal border making it easy to find a particular chapter. It is also set up as a devotional with reflections or devotions every few pages. Twenty-eight day and forty day reading plans are included as well. This is another installment in Thomas Nelson’s new translation “The Voice.” This version will eventually cover the entire Bible.

This is an easy to use copy of the Psalms although the page background made reading more difficult for me. The appearance and layout make it seem like something good for daily devotions. It is clearly made to have an artistic appeal in its general layout, translation style and writing.

The content is of some concern to me. I am not comfortable with some of the theology that comes through in The Voice translation. Also, in place of “the Lord” this translation uses “the Eternal One.” This may be an accurate translation (I am not qualified to decide), but feels awkward on my tongue when I am reading. The use of italicized word and phrases helps highlight added material. Some of this material is part of the theology being added into this translation.

The devotions included vary somewhat in quality. Some seem relevant, modern and applicable instantly to most any reader. Other come across as vague poetry that is difficult to apply to ones life. Perhaps this is a positive aspect, since other readers will likely have a different purpose in reading that I.

The most important thing to me is, of course, the translation itself. I am not a fan of the translation choices of this version. For that reason, I would not recommend “The Voice of Psalm.”

LOLCat Bible

The LOL Cat Bible project has published a selection of Scriptures. The 128 page volume features pictures of cats and selection of Scriptures rendered into "LOL Cat." This is a made up pidgin English based on chat room abbreviated slang. It can be found at Amazon.com among others.

The Existential Jesus

The Existential Jesus is by John Carroll who asserts that Jesus is "is anti-church, anti-establishment, anti-family, and anti-community; a teacher, with himself his only student, he gestures enigmatically from within his own torturous experience, inviting the reader to walk in his shoes and ask the question, Who am I? (according to amazon.com). His work includes a new translation of the book of Mark.

Carroll, John. The Existential Jesus. Counterpoint, 2009. ISBN 978-1582434650.

Hebrew Heritage Bible Website

I couldn't find any samples of this translation. It is a translation that takes into account the Hebrew background of the Biblical writers. The work is being conducted by Dr. Brad H. Young. There is more information about Young and his work at the website.

Retranslation...

Here's an interesting one for you. This is a translation back into English from the 1874 "Four Gospels in the Seneca Language." Only the first two chapters of Matthew are done. It appears the translation was done by Drs. Jordan Lachler and Thomas McElwain. Take a look at their work here.

James to Jude: A Lyrical Paraphrase

James to Jude: A Lyrical Paraphrase is by Jim Muffo. The ad from the publishers website states: "James to Jude is a line-by-line, verse-by-verse lyrical paraphrase of seven New Testament books: James, I & II Peter, I, II & III John and Jude. 417 of the 431 total verses of scripture found in James through Jude are represented by two lines of poetry. Intros to each book are taken from The Message//Remix: The Bible in Contemporary Language. Also included are lyrical paraphrases of Psalm 91, Matthew 5:3-16, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, and 1 Corinthians 13."

New Testament: A Poetry Version

The New Testament: A Poetry Version is by J. A. Porter. Not much information on this one either, so again here is the blurb from the publisher's website: "The New Testament: A Poetry Version is a unique rendering of the story of Jesus, his disciples and the promise he left for all mankind. The Gospels, Paul's letters and all the other books of the New Testament come alive in a new and different way."

Tyndale's Pentateuch of 1530

I've added another new facsimile to the Museum Store: It is a facsimile of Tyndale's 1530 Pentateuch. Some titles were cropped and a very few pages had some text loss in the gutter. Otherwise this is a good copy of Scriptures 480 years old! Available in a 6x9 hardback.