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Sunday, December 28, 2014

Song of Songs by Leonard Ng

Today, I got notice about a translation of the Song of Songs by Leonard Ng (thanks, K). You can download Ng's work at Rainy Blue Dawn. There are also translations of Isaiah 2:1-5, Psalm 3 and Psalm 95.

Read through your Bible next year!

It is time to get ready for your 2015 Bible reading. This year I am using a reading plan that gives me an Old Testament and New Testament reading each day. The Psalms are spread out with 1 day of Psalms after finishing each Old Testament book. If you would like a copy of this plan, please let me know. If you want help choosing a Bible to read I would be happy to help with that too.

The Bible I am using is the Daily Reading Bible - NASB. I started out (yes, I got started on 2015 early) reading on my Kindle. The Kindle version is $4.99 ($0 if you have Kindle Unlimited). I recently got a Cambridge Clarion Reference Bible in NASB. It is such a joy to read that I started getting up early so I could read in my new Bible before going to work. The Cambridge Clarion Reference is a single column setting with the references in the outside margin. This makes for easy reading.

The advantage of the Kindle edition is that I can read it on my Kindle, my phone or even on my PC. My place in the Bible is automatically saved so I never lose my spot. Any notes or bookmarks I add are saved as well.

There is no substitute for reading the Bible for yourself. It is helpful to learn from others and to read commentary on the Bible. But personal knowledge of the Bible is crucial for your faith life. Prepare yourself to receive blessings directly from God's word this year!

Thursday, December 25, 2014

American Standard Version of 1901 New Testament, Lightly Revised

While looking at different Bibles in print, I discovered the American Standard Version of 1901 New Testament, Lightly Revised. It is on the website of American Bible Sales. The preface has this to say about this version:
This is a very close revision of the New Testament of the American Standard Version of 1901. Just as a good word for word translation of the Bible seeks to be as close to the original Hebrew and Greek as it can, the American Standard Version Lightly Revised seeks to be as close to the American Standard Version of 1901 as it can, even when it could be more literal in both vocabulary and verb tense. It has been “cleaned up” to make it accessible to the modern reader. Accessibility does not necessarily mean smooth reading; but you will find it more understandable.

Tuesday, December 23, 2014

2011 KJV Revision Traditional/Slaves Edition

In 2011, Rob Gerard created a revision of the KJV called the The 2011 Edition of the King James Version New Testament. The sub-title calls it "The American Edition, 2011 Version, Version 1.0." There is also a "Slaves' Edition" which translates the Greek "doulos" as "slave." Downloads of this one are free in several formats.

Thanks to JH for this version.

International English Bible

The International English Bible is an update and completion of the Simple English Bible: New Testament (EELBV #8165) by Stanley Morris. This should not be confused with the International English Bible by Andrew Jackson. The IEB website has samples available as well as an address for ordering. Currently, the price is high - $80 USD with shipping!

Thanks to JH for notice of this update.

Corrected King James Version

The Corrected King James Version appears in The Chronological Gospels by Michael John Rood. It was published last year. This version uses "YHVH" for "God" in the New Testament. It also uses "Yeshua Messiah" for "Jesus Christ." Many Hebraic terms are used throughout. The price of the Kindle version is $39.99 USD, so most will not get the chance to read this work.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

The End

This is a translation of the book of Revelation by Jesse Steele. The full title is The End: A Bible Translation of John's Revelation. He describes it as "A translation of the Book of Revelation. This translation method uses an unconventional “cliché-for-cliché via word-for-word” method, which also has consideration for word count, syllable count, poetry, and rhyme.

The Learner's Greek New Testament

The Learner's Greek New Testament is a series of volumes designed "to enable a current or even a past student—one 20 years or more out of his final Greek class—to open a Greek NT and translate without difficulty." It is the work of David Harris Walker. Volumes have been published over the past two years. All of the New Testament has been finished except for Matthew, Mark and Luke.

Thanks to JH for notice of this series.

Modern Literal Version

The Modern Literal Version is still being updated. The latest update was September 14, 2014. Downloads are available in word processor and eSword formats. It is also available in print on Amazon. The website bills this translation as:
  • The World's Most Accurate English Bible Translation
  • The Only Open Source English Bible Translation
  • The ONLY error-free translation, (or plans to be)

World Messianic Bible

The World English Bible: Messianic Edition (EELBV #8865) is now known as the World Messianic Bible. It was also previously known as the "Hebrew Names Version." According to the FAQ, this is a revision of the World English Bible with the following changes:
  • God's Proper Name in the Old Testament is rendered "LORD" or "GOD" instead of "Yahweh".
  • Many proper names in the New Testament are given in their Hebrew forms instead of the common Greek/English forms.
  • "Baptize" is rendered "immerse" for a more clear connection between Jewish purification rituals and the meaning of the Greek word.
  • The books of the Old Covenant are listed in the traditional Hebrew Bible order.


Thanks to JH for this notice.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Contemporary King James Version

The Contemporary King James Version is an interesting one. It came out this year, but the paperback is already listed on Amazon as out of print. The Kindle format is still available. On Google Books the creator is listed as Olisa Ufondu. The sample on Barnes and Noble says it (or at least the Foreword) is copyrighted 2012 by Johannes Holseart Ministry. Here is the description from Amazon.com:
The purpose of the Contemporary King James Version (CKJV) is to win Men, Women, Boys, and Girls to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. So why edit the CKJV? For the same reason, the King James Version (KJV) was written: to be in the modern language of the land. (That is why in this First Edition, the 1611 KJV Translators to the Reader is being provided.) So there are no stumbling blocks for souls in reading the Holy Bible. There have been times were this Editor had to explain what a word meant to a reader of the KJV (e.g. wot meaning know). No attempt by this Editor has been made to move commas, semi-colons, colons, etc. Only those words that are no longer a part of the modern dictionary, at the time of Queen Elizabeth the Second’s Diamond Jubilee, 2012, were replaced. All words that are not in the dictionary or not now commonly used in speech, where changed to a modern close equivalent (e.g. thou changed to you). If there was a word that did not have a close equivalent, then this Editor kept the word but bracketed ({}) the meaning of the word next to it (e.g. meteyard with yardstick). A number of times this Editor used the brackets to emphasize the plural or singular of the word be (e.g. 2 Tim. 3:15. If we be {are} ignorant, they will instruct us…) to stay with its current use. Prior to the CKJV, publishers had gotten rid of obsolete letters used in the 1611 KJV (e.g. ƒ with s) or using letters differently than today spelling (e.g. i for j). Sometimes this Editor was surprised to find certain words in the dictionary that I thought would not be there (e.g. hither meaning to this place and thither meaning to that place). So I kept them. You, the Reader, will have to look them up. The result of this endeavour can be demonstrated with the verse from John 12:48:

1611 KJV shows, “He that reiecteth me, and receiueth not my words, hath one that iudgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall iudge him in the last day.”

The current KJV shows, “He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”

The CKJV shows, “He that rejects me, and receives not my words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.”




I think JH gets the credit for finding this one too!

Sunday, December 7, 2014

The Classic Orthodox Bible

The Classic Orthodox Bible is the 2014 work of Christos Jonathan Seth Hayward. It is available to read online for free. I had some problems with the online version. Several or most of the Psalms wouldn't display. The Old Testament is said to be Brenton's Septuagint. I haven't discovered yet if any changes were made to that text. While the NT is from the KJV, some changes have been made. For example:
In the beginning was the Mystic Word, and the Mystic Word was with God, and the Mystic Word was God (John 1:1).
The description on Amazon is as follows:
The Classic Orthodox Bible is a complete Bible that includes Sir Lancelot Brenton's translation of the Septuagint (also known as the LXX), the Greek Old Testament as it was known to Christ and many of the earliest Church Fathers. Missing verses and the New Testament are taken from the King James Version, whose style and quality are imitated by Sir Lancelot Brenton. His translation is available in tiny, hard-to-read letters in the margins of Hendrickson's Septuagint, more of a convenience to scholars reading the Greek than devotional use. Readers wishing for a complete English translation of the Septuagint in a regular Bible, and who appreciate the beauty, grandeur, and meticulous word-for-word accuracy of the King James Version will find the Classic Orthodox Bible a delight.

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Clarified King James Bible

The Clarified King James Bible appears to be the work of Hall V. and Joan Worthington. This is a revision of the King James Version. The explanation of the Bible reads:
Of course, we did not start with the 1611 version; we started with the current version, which has the many printing errors already corrected, but with no margin notes and many translation errors remaining. From this current King James Version, the obsolete words have been updated, sentence structure has been modernized, punctuation has been modernized, and meanings have been clarified consulting several other translations, including the original Greek from http://classic.net.bible.org, as well as receiving revelations from the Holy Spirit as to meaning.

Friday, December 5, 2014

The New Century Gospels of Jesus Christ

The New Century Gospels of Jesus Christ was produced by LivingHour.org, a Thailand based publisher. The page on Smashwords has this description:
This contemporary version of the canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) uses the “Twentieth Century New Testament” as its primary resource. Subsequent edits were made after careful consideration of the King James’ Bible and the current forms of modern English usage. The resulting text brings the story and teachings of Jesus to life for all readers, regardless of their faith.


Thank you to JH for this one.

Bernard Bible

This Bible was sometimes known as the Bernard Bible for whom it was published. A. C. Kendrick and others revised this Bible which was published in 1842. This is #7350 in the Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions. It was an early "immersion" version. Up till now, I have not found a copy. But today, I found a copy on the Internet Archive! The title page says "second edition." By the way, the Internet Archive is having a fund raiser to help cover their costs. Why not go download a copy of this Bible and make a donation to help?

The Landmark Edition of the New Testament

The Landmark Edition of the New Testament is a slight revision of the KJV. The Greek "baptizo" is translated "immerse" and "ekklesia" is translated "congregation." Modernized words are provided in brackets such as "anon [soon]." Jim Turner was responsible for the editing of the text. Others from The Lord's Baptist Church in Tacoma, Washington provided notes and editing. This work is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and XLibris. There is also a PDF available here. More information about the development is found on the Tacwash Blog.

The Holy Bible - True Name Version

The Holy Bible - True Name Version appears to be a revision of the King James Version. It was done by Kimberly Fuller in 2011. "Yahweh" is used for "Lord" and "God." For example, in Genesis 2:7 it reads "And Yahweh formed..." In the New Testament it uses "Yeshua" for "Jesus."

Thank you, JH, for finding this version!

Qetura New Testament

The Qetura New Testament was done by Christopher Anderson. It appears it may be a revision of the King James Version. This version uses "Yahshua" for "Jesus" and "Yahweh" for "God." Only a small preview is available on Lulu.com. The description of this work on Lulu.com reads:
The New Testament. Africa has a rich history with the Bible & the Jews. This history & culture is highlighted in this new version. Jesus`s Jewish name(Yahshua) is also used to take the messiah & the New Testament back to its Jewish roots
A description found on Facebook reads as follows:
A New Testament from a biblical African/ Jewish view. Finally our take on it. Started with Jews & Africa. Africa is mentioned in Genesis 2nd chapter, first book of the Bible. Its not a white man religion. Started in east ,not the west. Enjoy


Thanks to JH for this discovery!

The Father's Life New Testament

The Father's Life New Testament is the work of David W. Dyer. He explains the translation by saying:
This work of translation was begun with the purpose of clarifying the meaning of the word “life” as it is used in the New Testament.
and
In essence, when the New Testament refers to “eternal life,” it is not referring to our own life at all but to the life of God, who is eternal. Where this new translation is most evident is in the gospel of John.
Thus John 14:6 is rendered (italics indicate words not in the original but implied by the context according to the translator):
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the manifestation of the Father’s life. No one can come to the Father except through me.
Downloads are available in PDF, Kindle and ePub formats on his website. Printed copies can be ordered here

Thank you to JH for this find.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

New World Translation early portions

Joshua Holman (who finds many great Bibles) just sent me the links for the first editions of the New World Translation (EELBV #7990). On the Historical Watchtower Publications page are links for the 1950 NT, and the five OT portions (1953-60). If you visit this link you can also download the original scanned images. The entire historical library (containing more than just the Bible portions) can be downloaded via a torrent here. With a torrent, you can choose which files to download so downloading just the Bible portions is easy.

Friday, November 28, 2014

Under the Southern Cross: The New Testament in Australian English

WestBow Press just released Under the Southern Cross: The New Testament in Australian English. Dr. Richard Moore's work is "is the first published translation of the complete New Testament from the Greek of the original into Australian English." E-books can be ordered from WestBow Press. A short sample is available there as well. Printed copies are available on WestBow, Amazon and probably other sellers. Google Books has a better preview available. This is not a slang or dialect style version such as the Aussie Bible or the Laughing Bird Scripture Paraphrases.

Thanks to JH for finding this one!

Tyndale New Testament in a month

The Bible Hunter plan for reading the The New Testament: A Facsimile of the 1526 Edition (Hendrickson Publishers Inc., 2008) in one month.

This plan splits the Tyndale New Testament into 30 roughly equal readings. Readings are split by full chapters. The roman numerals are those on the top right of the right page. The day's reading may end on either the left or right page.

  1. Matthew 1-9, xiii
  2. Matthew 10-17, xxv
  3. Matthew 18-25, xxxviii
  4. Matthew 26-Mark 4, l
  5. Mark 5-11, lxi
  6. Mark 12-Luke 1, lxxv
  7. Luke 2-7, lxxxvii
  8. Luke 8-12, xcix
  9. Luke 13-20, cxi
  10. Luke 21-John 3, cxxiii
  11. John 4-9, cxxxvi
  12. John 10-17, cxlvii
  13. John 18-Acts 4, clx
  14. Acts 5-10, clxx
  15. Acts 11-16, clxxx
  16. Acts 17-24, cxciii
  17. Acts 25-Romans 4, cciiii
  18. Romans 5-14, ccxv
  19. Romans 15-1 Corinthians 9, ccxxvii
  20. 1 Corinthians 10-2 Corinthians 3, ccxxxviiii
  21. 2 Corinthians 4-Galatians 2, ccl
  22. Galatians 3-Philippians 2, cclxii
  23. Philippians 3-2 Thessalonians 3, cclxxiiii
  24. 1 Timothy 1-Philemon, cclxxxvi
  25. 1 Peter 1-1 John 3, ccxcviii
  26. 1 John 4-Hebrews 8, cccix
  27. Hebrews 10-Jude 1, ccxxi
  28. Revelation 1-12, cccxxxiii
  29. Revelation 13-21, cccliii
  30. To the Reader/Errors

Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Updated American Standard Version update

Back in 2010, I first heard about a project to update the American Standard Version. Today, I heard (thanks, NS) that some progress has been made. It is called the Updated American Standard Version. It is the work of Christian Publishing House. You can read about it and samples of it at their website.

Friday, November 21, 2014

Graphic "Bibles"

I don't consider "picture Bibles" to be actual Bibles. They are illustrations of Bible stories. Some are more complete than others. But staying home sick today, I got to looking for these works online. I've posted in the past so a few of these may be repeats. But I found some new ones today. I am just listing the ones that have samples or free downloads. Many of these reflect the theology of the writer or illustrator. Some also contain offensive content. I do not agree will all that is written in these. By providing these links I am not endorsing any of these works. These are in no particular order.

The Drought: 3 Retold Bible Stories

I was unable to discover much about The Drought: 3 Retold Bible Stories by Shell Isenhoff. There is a short preview of it on Barnes and Noble's website. The sample shows a story told from the perspective of Nathan, one of King Ahab's guards. Other than that I was unable to find more information on this book. It was apparently a self-published work that is no longer available.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Friday, November 14, 2014

1611 Modern English Translation

I'm not sure what the exact title of this one should be. It is found in a Facebook Group. Visit the files section for downloads of the work that is done so far. It is the work of Jeff Macy. He gives a description of his work here. He describes it as " the only word for word translation from original languages that I know of." While it is called a translation, it is described as "this 1611 kjv modern English translation." It also uses a cross ✝ instead of the "t," numbers (12) instead of the words (twelve), "&" instead of "and," gives bold face to God & Jesus' words, capitalizes only the name of "good" people and places and italicizes Holy Spirit.

Texas Bible Chrome App

Last year, I wrote about the website created by John Dyer. In addition to being a good Bible reading/study site, it allows you to change the way second person plural pronoun is displayed. "You" plural becomes "Y'all" or "You all," etc. He has also created an app for Google Chrome (thanks to DH for this link) which allows you to make the same changes on popular Bible reading websites such as Youversion and Bible Gateway.

To access the settings for the app (in Google Chrome), click on the menu button (it looks like three horizontal bars on the upper right hand side of the screen. Then click on settings, then in the settings menu click on "Extensions." Scroll down till you find "Texas Bible." Click on "Options" to bring up the Texas Bible settings screen. There you can click the circle next to the second person plural style you wish to use. You can also choose to display God's name as "Yahweh." When finished click "save" and close the settings tabs.

Bible Gateway currently has 50 different English Bibles available. Multiply this by the number of options in Dyer's app (8 including the original version). That makes 400 versions just with his app on Bible Gateway!

Sunday, October 19, 2014

The New Covenant by R. B. Banfield

The New Covenant by R. B. Banfield bears the copyright date of 2013. There is a reference edition, with standard chapter and verse numbering. There is also a non-reference edition in paragraph only format. Both are available in print or in Kindle format. Here is the description from Amazon:
The purpose of this translation is to show the New Testament of the Bible in a clear and easy to follow English that remains as close as possible to the original style of each author, while achieving a strong continuity with each word. Translating ancient Kione Greek into readable modern English is neither a difficult nor mysterious process. The question arises, therefore, as to why an accurate version, free from bias, religiosity and embellishment, is seldom produced. The older translations tend to be dry in their transliterating, while the modern can be overly paraphrased. All translations must have some paraphrasing, but in an effort to appeal to modern readers, sometimes the original text is glossed over, causing a loss in the original meaning and allowing opportunity for misunderstanding. Another blight on the majority of translations, both modern and old, is a fondness of the editors to include unnecessary paragraph headings, which can be distracting. Not only were the original books of the Bible not divided into paragraphs, there were also no chapters or verses, or even punctuation. For example, Matthew 5 was not headed by the words “Beatitudes”, and Matthew 28 was not called “The Great Commission”. These are modern additions that serve no real purpose, and neither they nor anything like them are included in this translation. The same applies for words they today carry strong religious meaning. An example of this is “church” (ekklesia), which did not carry the meaning it does today. Ekklesia meant any kind of group meeting together for a common purpose. This translation renders the word “assembly” throughout. This is regardless of the word indicating the meeting of believers, or a secular meeting, or a quote from the Old Testament, since it is always the same word in the Greek.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Analytical Literal Translation of the Old Testament

Gary F. Zeolla first published his Analytical Literal Translation of the New Testament in 2001. It is now in its third edition. He has been working on the ALT Old Testament. The first four of five volumes are finished. You can view information about his work at his website.

Thank you, BK, for this notice!

Sunday, October 5, 2014

The Lamad New Testament

The Lamad New Testament was translated by Andrew R. Hardy in 2008. The only parts done are the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and John. His work is about 2/3 way down the page under the section "Mastering Your Bible."

New International Reader's Version updated

The New International Reader's Version was updated in 2014. It was revised to include changes from the New International Version (2011). A friend noticed that in 2 Timothy 3:16 the old NIrV read "man of God" while the new reads "servant of God." In the back of the Bible I purchased, it has a section titled "A Word About This Edition" which says:

This edition of the New International Reader's Version has been revised to include the changes of the New International Version. Over the years, many helpful changes have been made to the New International Version. Those changes were made because our understanding of the original writings is better. Those changes also include changes that have taken place in the English language. We wanted the New International Reader's Version to include those helpful changes as well. We wanted the New International Reader's Version to be as clear and correct as possible.

We want to thank the people who helped us prepare this new edition. They are Jeannine Brown from Bethel Seminary St. Paul, Yvonne Van Ee from Calvin College, Michael Williams from Calvin Theological Seminary, and Ron Youngblood from Bethel Seminary San Diego. We also want to thank the people at Biblica who encouraged and supported this work.



DJ, thank you for the notice of this version!

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Finding/Buying Bibles

This isn't meant to be comprehensive post about all the Bible stores. But today I noticed that Amazon has a Bible Store. There are selections for the translation; the format (paperback, hardback, etc); the features such as tabs, red lettering, zipper, or snaps; the color; the audience (children, adults); and the purpose (study, daily pew).

Of course, the well known ChristianBook.com has hundreds of Bibles as well. I've found some Bibles cheaper there, especially when they have sales or "seconds" for sale. The have extra help for those searching for Bibles on their Choosing a Bible page. The Bibles page allows refining your search by age, audience, binding, color, format, helps & features, language, media type, references, series, text color, text layout, text size, DRM, author/artist, publisher, top rated, and discount!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

New Tyndale Translation

The New Tyndale Translation is found in The Leadership Bible produced by the United States Military Chaplains Bible Society (USMCBS). This is a translation of the New Testament made entirely by military chaplains. There is a sample available on the Products page. Inexpensive copies ($8.68 USD) can be ordered directly from the site. The site clearly states their purpose:
The U.S. Military Chaplains Bible Society (USMCBS) was established to provide Bibles for the Troops.


Thank you, JH, for notice about this version!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

One Year Bible Online

The One Year Bible Online is an excellent resource to help you read through the Bible in a year. You can download PDF files with either a one year reading schedule or a one year chronological reading schedule. The one year schedule gives an Old Testament, Psalms, Proverbs and New Testament reading for each day. The chronological schedule arranges events in the order in which they occurred. Both are formatted for printing, folding and keeping inside your Bible. There is also an option to select your start date. If you are just now thinking of reading through the Bible, you don't have to wait till January 1st to start. Select your start date and the site will customize your schedule for the next year. If you'd rather read online, there are options for that too. (There is a setting for a mobile version of the site as well.)Select the type of readings (one year or chronological one year) then the month. You will be presented with a list of all the readings. If you wish, you can click on the readings for a particular day. A new window will pop up with the readings from your selected version on Bible Gateway.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Holy Bible: Revised Common Version

The Holy Bible: Revised Common Version is the work of William Masopust. It is a revision of Noah Webster's Common Version of 1833. Masopust's work can be read online or downloaded in PDF, ePub or Mobi.

The TTT Translation

A Little over a year ago, I mentioned The TTT Translation. It is now in its third edition at the TTT Translation website.

Sunday, September 14, 2014

Numeric English New Testament - Today's English

While I knew about Unleavened Bread Ministries' Numeric English New Testament, I did not notice that there is a slightly modernized version as well. It is mentioned on the Numeric Materials page:
Numeric English New Testament - Today's English is very similar to the above [the Numeric English New Testament] with "thee" and "thou" changed to "you"; plural "you" is so indicated; additionally - plural nouns not so indicated in English are identified.
It is available on Amazon but does not appear to be available for download from the UBM website.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

EELBV - Bible Hunter cross reference

One of the reasons I created the Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions (EELBV) was to cross reference the many different books on Bible versions. Now I find myself cross referencing my own works as well. I've added a page to the EELBV website to cross reference the Bible Hunter blog entries with the EELBV numbers. Visit the Bible Hunter - EELBV cross reference page for a listing of blog entries sorted by EELBV version number. If you wish to search the Bible Hunter blog entries for a particular word or phrase, simply use Blogger's built in search (probably in the upper left hand part of your screen).

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Divine Name King James Bible

A while back, on December 28, 2011 I mentioned the Divine Name King James Bible. When I recently checked the website, I discovered that it now has the ability to change the Divine Name used online. Click "Online Settings" in the left side menu. From there you can choose to use "Jehovah," "Yehowah," "Yahweh," or "YHWH."

Monday, September 1, 2014

Committee on Bible Translation

The Committee on Bible Translation is responsible for overseeing the text of the New International Version of the Bible. The Committee's website has biographical information on the members, information about the 2011 version, the story of how the NIV came about (the PDF version is longer than the short page on the site) and answers to many questions about the NIV.

Sunday, August 31, 2014

Names Amplification Bible

Names Ampification Bible was produced by Peter Whiffin in 2012. It was published through CreateSpace. This was published in four volumes. Only volume four is available in print. However the entire Bible is available as a Kindle book. The Names Amplification Bible website has a bit of information about the Bible and the author.

  1. The Law
  2. The Prophets
  3. The Writings
  4. New Testament
The description on Amazon states:
The Names Amplification Bible has been produced for readers that wish greater understanding of the Bible. It’s for people who want to know the meanings of the names as they read along. There are 14,565 unique words in the King James Bible, of these more than 2,600 over 17% of the words are names. As a person reads along in the bible many names are not recognized, these names may as well be in a unknown language. How can one learn the bible without knowing the meaning of names? The Author has given you the meanings of the names in the Bible, as an example: Israel = “God prevails” or Solomon = “Peace.” As you read these passages, note the connection of the translated names with God’s intent.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

A Name in Heaven Bible

A Name in Heaven Bible was produced by Rickie Bartlett in 2010. The "Bible characters which were gay" includes the Ethiopian Eunuch, Potiphar, the Pharoah's cupbearer and baker and the seven eunuchs of King Ahaserus (among others) . While this version claims these people were homosexuals, it does not change scriptures against homosexuality ("You shall not have sex with a person of your own gender: it is abomination " - Leviticus 18:22). There is also a Revised Edition. The description on Amazon states:

A Name In Heaven Bible Revised encompasses the King James Bible and has been left in it's original pure text form with the revision of many old English terms and 132 scriptures. This pure origional translation is not cluttered with man made additives, opinions, or church dogma. These revised scriptures bring Bible characters and understanding to living color. These revised scriptures identify which Bible characters were gay. A Name In Heaven Bible Revised clearly proves gay, and lesbian people were honored, respected, and loved in Biblical times. Making ancient characters and events much clearer and more accurate for the modern world. One hundred and thirty two scriptures have been translated into the most modern terms available for the twenty first century. Preserving this translation true to it's origional form, clarifying Bible information and understanding that has been lost for generations.

The New Covenant

The New Covenant was produced by Robert LeRue Iddings in 2012. It was published through CreateSpace. This version contains the New Testament. There is no description on the Amazon page except that this is a "translation of the 27 books of the New Testament." The title page calls this a "A Paraphrased English Translation of THE NEW COVENANT." The introduction to the e-book edition states:

The Gospels of Mark and John and the Letter of Paul to the Romans are translated from the Greek Text of Nestle-Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece. The rest of the books in the New Testament are translated from the third edition of Aland-Black-Martini-Metzger and Wirkgren’s book containing the Greek text and improved textual apparatus and entitled The Greek New Testament, published by the United Bible Societies in 1966. This translation has been checked against the Weymouth translation, Young’s translation, the New King James Version of the New Testament, The NIV, the Aramaic Bible and the Jerusalem Bible.  I have a great indebtedness to these various translations for they have often provided insight as to syntax and sense.
It is also available as a Kindle ebook.

Hebrew English Phonetic Bible

I recently found a Bible (in PDF) on the website of Hebrew World that is called the Hebrew English Phonetic Bible. It includes the Hebrew text of the Old Testament along with a transliteration and an English translation. The Bible is sold as a PDF on a CD-ROM. The copyright date is 2008. Of course, my interest is in the English translation. I wrote them to ask about the version. It is "very close to the King James version." It is described as "the one used in Israel." Does anyone know more history about this English version? Who developed it? When was it first available? I am curious about an English text being used in Israel that I haven't heard about!

The Kingdom of God Version. The New Testament. Revised.

The Kingdom of God Version. The New Testament. Revised. was produced by Raymond C. Faircloth in 2013. It was published through CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. There is an interview with the translator here. The link above is for the revised edition. The first edition is available through third party sellers here. The description on Amazon states:

Most versions of the New Testament are the product of committees, which generally render the inspired Greek text according to their theological doctrines, many of which came into existence centuries after the New Testament documents were written. This thoroughly revised edition of The Kingdom of God Version expresses the text without those traditional biases. This rendering of the inspired Christian writings avoids much of the jargon as well as dated and inaccurate terms found in the general versions. Also this is presented in contemporary and easy to read English. This presentation of the text deals with a number of issues concerning the syntax and punctuation according to the context. The copious notes in the appendix provide the reasons for many of the phrase choices used. The Subject Concordance has been expanded significantly.


Thanks to DJ for this one.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

The New Testament In Plain and Simple English

The New Testament In Plain and Simple English was produced in 2012. It was published through Createspace/BookCaps. I found this quote from Matthew very interesting:

This is the geology of Christ including fourteen generations, from Abraham to David, and from David to the Babylonian exile.
The description on Amazon states:
Have you ever wanted to read the Bible, but every time you open it up to try it just doesn't make sense? BooKCaps is here to help with this translation of The New Testament. This translation is based on the King James Version. It contains both a comparative version of each version and a standalone version of the modern translation.


UPDATE: The preview of the Kindle version has both the comparative version and the standalone version. The preview of the paper copy appears to have only the plain and simple version.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Enhanced American Standard Version

The Enhanced American Standard Version of Jude is the work of Robert Alan King. It is
is based on the ASV and the original Greek. It stays true to the Greek as much as possible while also ensuring a smooth and understandable read with an enhanced clarity and richness.
According to Smashwords, it was published April 16, 2014. "Words in brackets are absent from the Greek text, but implied." Also, if you aren't reading this one on a black and white reader, "some specific words or phrases have been marked with the same specific color to emphasize what appear to be deliberate correlations of the same Greek word or relevant forms by the biblical writer."

Thanks to JH for notice of this version.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Simplified New Testament Study Bible

The Simplified New Testament Study Bible was produced by Glenn Rogers in 2009. It was published through Mission and Ministry Resources. John 1:1 reads:

Before anything else existed the Word always existed. Not only was he always with God, the Word was God.
The description on Amazon states:
In The Simplified New Testament Study Bible, Dr. Glenn Rogers provides a contemporary translation and explanation of the New Testament that helps the reader understand and apply the biblical message to his or her life in meaningful ways.


Thanks to DJ for this version.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Scripture interpretations by Frederick Smith

Today I found a series of Scripture interpretations by Frederick Smith. All are available through Kindle Unlimited.

A Superior Rendering of the Gospel - What Messiah Himself Actually Said

A Superior Rendering of the Gospel - What Messiah Himself Actually Said was produced by Orion LeRoy Moses III in 2012. This translation takes into account the "shuffled manuscript theory." This theory posits that the original manuscripts came apart, were shuffled out of order and subsequently copied that way. The translation is described as a "functionally literal translation of the more conservative Majority Greek Text." Visit the Amazon page for a full description.

Original Gospel of Matthew: The Final Reconstruction of the Earliest Matthew

Original Gospel of Matthew: The Final Reconstruction of the Earliest Matthew was produced by Standford Rives in 2012. The description on Amazon states:

Standford Rives seeks to provide the best approximation of the original Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew. There is no disputing Matthew wrote his gospel in Hebrew. In about 400 AD, Jerome translated it from a copy at the Library of Caesarea. It was quoted dozens of times by the earliest church commentators. Jerome explained that our Greek version of Matthew came from this Hebrew version. Jerome noted a score of variants that were interesting. Rives takes the 49 quotes in the early church and combines them with the best sources that reflect the early Hebrew Matthew, such as the Shem-Tob version of Matthew. In addition, Rives uses the Agrapha -- early quotes of the Lord Jesus by the early church commentators but which do not match any surviving gospel. Scholars regard the Agrapha as likely sayings from the original Hebrew Matthew. They are thus restored in this volume. Also, Jesus' sayings contained in the Didache -- the oldest manuscript of sayings of Jesus which are similar to Matthew --- has numerous interesting variants. It too is believed to contain much from the original Hebrew Matthew.

The Jesus Saga

The Jesus Saga was produced by John Stephen Wright in 2014. This version consists of a gospel harmony. The description on Amazon states:

The Saga of Jesus Christ is a new translation and chronological arrangement of the four gospels that will allow you to experience the life of Jesus the way the apostles did—as it really happened, in their own words.

The Saga features:
  • A powerful, dynamic translation of the four gospels directly from the Greek
  • Parallel passages in the gospels blended into one streamlined narrative that includes every word in all the passages, while eliminating any repetition
  • The words “I command you” highlight all of Jesus’ imperatives, to make His commands as plain to today’s readers as they were to His original disciples
  • Passages in the Old and New Testaments outside the four gospels incorporated to present every word and deed of Jesus recorded in Scripture

Ethiopian Orthodox Bible Project

Yesterday, I heard about a Bible translation project called the Ethiopian Orthodox Bible Project. Those involved with this project are:

dedicated to making the COMPLETE Ethiopian Orthodox Bible available in the English language. Although unknown to most of the world the Bible of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church contains books that are not to be found in any other Bible canon (with the exception of the Eritrean Orthodox Church which itself split off from the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church and with the exception in the case of some of the books of the EOTC Old Testament accepted by Ethiopian Jews known as Beta Israel who preserve an ancient pre-rabbinic form of Judaism.
This project is currently ongoing. Perhaps you can help them? They are "currently looking for individuals who can read Ge’ez and Amharic fluently as well as English." They say the project could take years depending on how much help they get.

There is a list of the books in the canon of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church here. I cannot verify that this is the same canon the project will use, but it appears to be the same church. Wikipedia has an article that describes the broader and narrower canons better.

This is another version I heard about at the Bible Versions Discussions/Dialogue group on Facebook. Thank you to AK for this one!

Saturday, August 16, 2014

A Faithful Version

I just received word that A Faithful Version by Fred R. Coulter is now available online.
Thanks, K!

Version Flood

Today's flood of new versions is a result of scouring Amazon's new Kindle Unlimited. This program allows you to read a subset of Amazon's books for one monthly fee. There are over 600,000 books in the program. I found it was hit and miss as to quality. If you haven't signed up for Kindle Unlimited, you are eligible for a one month free trial (that's what I am using right now). The program allows you to borrow up to 10 books. Books that are eligible will have a button "Read for Free" above the purchase button. If that button does not show up, it isn't eligible through the program. Returning one is as easy as clicking on the one you want to return. If you don't have a Kindle, you can get a free reader for many platforms.

Mark, Matthew, Luke and John: The 4 Gospels

Mark, Matthew, Luke and John: The 4 Gospels was produced by John Howard Reid in 2014. He has also translated Bible Wisdom: PSALMS of Praise and Power newly translated from the Greek Old Testament (2010). The description on Amazon states:

Newly translated from the best recently available Greek texts, this book presents not only the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John (placing them in their correct order of composition), but fresh translations of other New Testament books as well. The author is not an adherent of any particular Christian religion and is therefore free to report what Jesus actually said, what Mary and the apostles actually thought, not what various religious bodies think they ought to have said or ought to have thought. Extensive notes accompany the text for readers who wish to probe deeper into the Gospels, their philosophy and their authorship. Other New Testament documents translated in this book include the three letters by John, the Elder; the Letter to Christian Exiles, often incorrectly identified in other Bibles as written by Peter, the Apostle, but actually credited by Peter himself to Silvanus; plus Paul's disputed First Letter to Timothy, as well as his disputed Letter to Titus.

The New Word: God's Word for All People

The New Word: God's Word for All People was produced by Kimberly M. Hartfield in 2012. It was published through Go Fish Ministries, Inc.. This version consists of the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. She has also produced The New Word According to Luke: The Gift and Prophecies for Today: The Minor Prophets Paraphrased with Daniel . Work is underway on the Old Testament which can be viewed at the Go Fish Ministries website. The description on Amazon states:

The New Word and the Sayings and Hymns is a unique Christian feminist approach to a gender-neutral paraphrase of the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs portion of the Holy Bible, which uses the true name of Yahweh God and of Yeshua, the Christ. Features include a unique and easily readable paraphrase of the New Testament and the Proverbs and Psalms, easy to read print, art work by Rock and Kimberly Hartfield, Daily Bible Reading Plans, unique paraphrases of the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, brief testimony of the Author of this paraphrase, Kimberly M. Hartfield. This work took about 10 years to complete and the Old Testament is in progress at this time. This is a project that Kimberly has completed for her ministry at http://gofishministries.wordpress.com.

The Secret Of His Will

The Secret Of His Will was produced by William Carver in 2013-2014. The description on Amazon simply states that it is translated from the ancient Koine Greek. Three volumes are available so far:

Bible for a New Generation

Bible for a New Generation was produced by Ray Geide. So far he has published:

The description on Amazon states:
The Bible text is a revolutionary, new version that is causing quite a stir among old, traditional churches because though it is a literal translation from the Greek manuscripts, it does not use the old, traditional words. New words provide an accurate message that is straightforward, easy-to-understand, and in words that you use everyday.

The Gospel of John, An Actual Translation

The Gospel of John, An Actual Translation was produced by Roy Blizzard III in 2013. The description on Amazon states:

This book is the only actual translation of the Gospel of John ever done. Utilizing a Hebrew text of John every word was referenced for Jewish sources and Biblical references. There were many errors in the English "translations" from Greek texts that are corrected in this work. This book really should be required reading for any Christian or Jewish individual who is interested in the history and meaning of John's Gospel.

An Old Hebrew Text of St. Matthew's Gospel: Translated and with an Introduction Notes and Appendices

An Old Hebrew Text of St. Matthew's Gospel: Translated and with an Introduction Notes and Appendices was produced by Hugh Schonfield in 2014. It was published through The Hugh & Helene Schonfield World Service Trust. The description on Amazon states:

In the spring of 1925 the writer purchased from a London antiquarian bookseller a small volume, dated A.D. 1555, containing the Gospel of Matthew in Hebrew, followed by a series of Jewish objections to the Gospel to the number of twenty-three, also in Hebrew. The text of the Gospel was accompanied at the end of the volume by a Latin translation. A dedicatory epistle to Charles de Guise, Cardinal of Lorraine, relates how Jean du Tillet, Bishop of Brieu, while travelling in Italy in the year 1553, found the Hebrew manuscript among the Jews, and brought it back with him to Paris, where he commissioned a Hebrew scholar, Jean Mercier, to translate it into Latin. Mercier, however, has a slightly different tale to tell. In his own preface he states that the Bishop of Brieu had extorted the MS. from the Jews of Rome for the purpose of examination. Confirmatory evidence of this statement appears in the fact that, on 12th August 1553, Pope Julius III. signed a decree for the suppression of the Talmud on the representation of the anti-Semitic Pietro, Cardinal Caraffa, the Inquisitor-General, afterwards Pope Paul IV. This decree was carried into effect in Rome with great ruthlessness on Rosh Hashanna (Jewish New Year’s Day), 9th September 1553, for not only were copies of the Talmud seized, on the plea that it was inimical to Christianity, but every Hebrew book on which the minions of the Inquisition could lay their hands. It is highly probable that the Bishop of Brieu found the Hebrew MS. of Matthew’s Gospel among the confiscated books.

Scripture Stark Naked

Scripture Stark Naked was produced by Barclay Newman in 2012. It was published through PaperWood Publishers. This version consists of New Testament selections. The description on Amazon states:

Stark Naked Word is an innovative—yet accurate—adaptation of the Gospel of John from the Greek New Testament, challenging contemporary readers with the person and teaching of Jesus. An adaptation differs from a translation in that it imports and integrates imagery foreign to the biblical culture, while remaining faithful to the meaning of the biblical text.

For example:

When you pray, don’t prattle and rattle like hypocrites—
those prancing pious porkers, seeking praise in a pigsty.
Earthly praise is their full reward. Mt. 6.5
Dr. Barclay M. Newman was Chair and Chief Translator of the Contemporary English Version (CEV) of the Bible, first published in 1995 by the American Bible Society.

The Greatest Man Alive (Biblical translations Book 1)

The Greatest Man Alive (Biblical translations Book 1) was produced by Arne Jordly in 2013. This version consists of New Testament. The description on Amazon states:

This is a modern translation of the New Testament, the New Pact, into everyday US English. Great care has been taken not to use any words that are not of biblical origin. The text uncompromisingly follows Strong's Hebrew / Greek, the original text from the Koiné, the ancient Greek language. By reading this text it is my claim that you cannot get any closer to the original version based on the exact text the way it was written by the authors such as Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and Paul, almost two thousand years ago. The Greatest Man Alive is free from outmoded biblical words and expressions that are often a hindrance to the reader's understanding of the text.

A Creative "Translation" of The Book of James: Jamie's Letter to the Girls at Camp

A Creative "Translation" of The Book of James: Jamie's Letter to the Girls at Camp was produced by Helen Marshall in 2014. It was published through Helen Marshall. This version consists of the book of James. This is a transculturation. The description on Amazon states:

A creative "translation" of the epistle of James, written from the perspective of the fictitious Jamie, as she writes to the girls at Camp Pine Cove.

New Testament in Blank Verse

New Testament in Blank Verse was produced by Day Williams in 2014. It was published through Days Rays, Inc.. This version consists of poetic rendering of New Testament passages. The description on Amazon states:

"New Testament in Blank Verse" uses the verse form preferred by William Shakespeare and John Milton to give poetic feel to the Word of God.

Jesus and the Presence of Mystery, A New Translation of the Book of Matthew

Jesus and the Presence of Mystery, A New Translation of the Book of Matthew was produced by John Michael Wine in 2013. The description on Amazon states:

My earlier translation of the Etymological New Testament used an extensive range of sources, both historical and modern, in order to provide the maximum amount of information concerning the linguistic roots of many NT words. Thus, THEOS was rendered ultra-literally as “Placer.” But this translation has a different purpose. Jesus and the Presence of Mystery, a New Translation of the Book of Matthew (JPM) intends to be a less literal rendition of Matthew’s Story. It is a thorough updating of The Immanence Bible, Book of Matthew. (TMB)

The Gospel of John - Volume One: The Original Version Restored and Translated

The Gospel of John - Volume One: The Original Version Restored and Translated was produced by James Audlin in 2014. It was published through Editores Volcán Barú. The description on Amazon states:

While the manuscript languished in Pontus some pages got lost or disordered. And after publication various editors changed the manuscript again and again to suit the changing doctrines of the newly established Christian religion,even adding spurious new material. Simply put, the gospel as we have it today is a mess: a beautiful and inspiring mess, but a mess nonetheless. This translation undoes the damage to restore -- not the unfinished original text, but the masterpiece John the Presbyter sought to compose. Volume One contains the carefully restored text in English and Greek, and a history of how the gospel was written, nearly lost to the world several times, and finally published.

The Complete Words of Jesus Only

The Complete Words of Jesus Only was produced by Patrick Doucette. This version consists of only the words of Jesus. The text is taken from the American Standard Version. The description on Amazon states:

You've probably seen 'red-letter' versions of the bible before right? Well this is just the red-letters only! That's right, only the words of Jesus. No context and no commentary. Ideal for memorization, as a useful reference or simply for meditating on His words. Quotes are from the American Standard Version from all four Gospels, Acts and Revelation.

Yeshua of Galilee, Mattai's Account - Revised

Yeshua of Galilee, Mattai's Account - Revised was produced by Cindy Parker in 2014. This version consists of the gospel of Matthew. The description on Amazon states:

This is an updated version of my English translation of Matthew's Gospel from the Syriac text, a project I finished in May 2014. I’ve used some of the Aramaic terms and I’ve also used Aramaic names throughout. There is a glossary in back as well as translation sources listed.

Good News! The Life and Teachings of Jesus

Good News! The Life and Teachings of Jesus was produced by Charlie Webster in 2013. It was published through New Century Ministries. This version consists of a gospel harmony translation. The description on Amazon states:

This book is a new translation of the four Gospels blended into a single account with everything from all four Gospels in conversational English. There are extensive footnotes and Glossary articles to provide background information. Difficult-to-pronounce names are all moved to footnotes or the Glossary. There are words in other translations that were not religious words when the Bible was written but that have become so associated with religion that the real meaning has been lost. In this translation, such words are replaced with words or phrases that better communicate the meaning as it would have been understood by the first readers. In some cases, other translations intentionally obscure what was meant to be clear, and this translation seeks to make the original meaning clear in all cases. In several cases this translation corrects what have become traditional translating practices that are clearly wrong.

The Morningstar Version of the New Testament Of the Holy Bible

The Morningstar Version of the New Testament Of the Holy Bible in 2014. It was published through Morningstar Christian. The description on Amazon states:

The Morningstar Version of the New Testament reflects the understanding that The Second Coming of Christ occurred on the third day of His crucifixion (The First Coming of Christ was His birth in Bethlehem). The Morningstar Version of the New Testament is meant to be read as a continuous story and does not have four individual Gospels as is found in traditional versions of the New Testament. In lieu of the four individual Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, the Morningstar Version of the New Testament has the books of Nativity, Nazorean, Gospel and Perfect Sacrifice. All of the content of the traditional Gospels is present without addition or detraction except where relative to The Sixagon Discovery, (also available on Amazon Kindle) United States Patent Pending 61964531. The Book of Acts of the Apostles is what one would find in traditional Bibles. The Morningstar Version has grouped the epistles of Paul, James, Jude, John and Peter in one book called The Book of Letters for easier navigation in the Kindle eBook. The Book of Revelation is, without addition or detraction from the words of that book, true to form with what one would find in the traditional versions of the New Testament's Book of Revelation with the exception being a number of footnotes not found in traditional versions of the New Testament that allow the reader to experience the correct interpretation of the Book of Revelation.

The New Testament: The JAV

The New Testament: The JAV was produced by Joel Edmund Anderson in 2013. This version consists of New Testament. The description on Amazon states:

The JAV, therefore, is his attempt to highlight the literary artistry of the New Testament that gets lost in most English translations. He rearranges the order of the New Testament books and includes introductory articles on the nature of the Bible, the Intertestamental period, first century Judaism, as well as brief background articles on the individual books of the New Testament. Hopefully, the JAV will provoke thought and discussion among its readers.
Anderson spent his career teaching English Literature and Bible at the high school level. This is not the same Joel Anderson who produced the Klingon Language Version of the New Testament.

Lennart Anderson's New Testament

This is a new version that probably none of us will ever get to see. I found out about its existence when reading the preface to Joel Anderson's The New Testament: The JAV. It is a handwritten translation/paraphrase written by his grandfather, Lennart Anderson. The preface to Joel's New Testament states:
The decision to actually work toward my own version of the New Testament was inspired by my grandpa, Lennart Anderson. He had no formal training in Greek, but with the help of lexicons, over the course of 50 years, he slowly and faithfully completed his own hand-written paraphrase/translation of the New Testament. When he finished, he bound his hand-written version in a book, and eventually gave it to me. It is on my shelf. The work wasn’t just some academic or linguistic exercise—it was a work of life-long faith.

The Twible

The Twible was produced by Jana Reiss. This version consists of bible summaries. This is not a serious Bible translation. The description on Amazon states:

It's the Bible, now with 68% more humor and 99% fewer begats! You've wanted to read the Bible, but it's uber-long and, let's face it, sometimes boring. You're a busy person with stuff to do. You want the Bible,only funnier. Enter The Twible, which brings you every chapter as tweeted in 140 characters or less, from Genesis to Revelation!
Inside The Twible you'll find:
-- A tweet for each of the 1,189 chapters of the Bible
-- A summary of every book of the Bible in seven words or less
-- Dozens of informative sidebars (print edition only; not in Kindle)
-- More than 50 original cartoons
-- A glossary telling you who's who in the Bible

The Bible in Poetry: The Complete New Testament

The Bible in Poetry: The Complete New Testament was produced by Jerry Conway in 2009. This version consists of New Testament. The description on Amazon states:

An intelligent and faithful translation of the entire New Testament which, because of its unique style, is appealing to both adults and children.
Amazon has this to say about the author and his work:
The author, Jerry Conway has spent most of his adult life in jail, the few times that he was released were short lived and he soon committed crimes that sent him back to prison. Jerry realized it was time for a change and in a life-altering moment, he met with God in his cell and began a journey of redemption during which God led him to translate the Bible into poetry. It took over 20 years to complete and is one of the most stunning translations of God's word in the modern age.

Young's In Paraphrase

Young's In Paraphrase: A 21st Century Restating of Young's Literal Translation of the Bible Volume 1: The Letters of John and Jude was produced by Randall Newton in 2012. It was published through New10K Publishing. This version consists of letters of John and Jude. The description on Amazon states:

“Young’s In Paraphrase” is designed to introduce Young’s work to a wider audience. Both the paraphrase and Young’s translation are included in the book, separately and alongside each other. Each volume in the series also includes an appendix discussing specific translation challenges encountered, written for those who do not consider themselves serious Bible scholars but who are ready to take their understanding of Scripture to the next level. “Young’s In Paraphrase” will first be published in several volumes, and then re-published as one book when the New Testament is complete.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

The Bible for ESL Readers

The New International Readers Version has a new face. It is now being published as the Bible for ESL Readers. According to the Amazon page:
This Bible is perfect for ESL readers. The New International Reader’s Version (NIrV) is a true translation of the entire Bible that was adapted with care from the bestselling New International Version (NIV). The NIrV is written at a third grade reading level and uses short sentences and simple words. This Bible is perfect for those learning to read English.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

Holy Bible, Hoehn Version

Today must be my day to find new things again! This one is called Holy Bible, Hoehn Version. According to the Amazon page it is "the thirty nine books of the Old Testament plus the twenty seven books of the New Testament in plain American English." A comparison of the HBHV is given there as well:
King James Version: "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?"
Hoehn Version: "And why do you look at the speck that's in your brother's eye, but don't consider the plank that's in your own eye?"

Holy Bible (New Testament Collection)

The Holy Bible (New Testament Collection) is by Michael Gore. It came out about 1 year ago. I just found it while looking through books that were offered with Amazon Unlimited. I don't know much else about it right now.

Bible Posters

My earlier post on the One Page Bible got me looking for similar Bibles. Here is what I found:
  • King James Bible, 7ft x 7ft, vinyl, $429 at One Page Bible
  • King James Bible, 11ft 9¾ in x 42½ in, Heavy weight paper, £199.99 (about $250 USD) at Spineless Classics
  • King James Bible, 46 13/16 in x 33 1/8 in (3 sheets), Heavy weight paper, £139.99 (about $175 USD) at Spineless Classics
  • King James Bible, New Testament only, 48 x 36 in, heavy weight paper, $24.95 at Spineless Classics
  • King James Bible, 22 x 36 in, paper, $7 at The Amazing Bible Poster
  • New International Version, individual books only, 27 x 40 in, laminated on thick masonite, $39.99 ea, by One Page Book Co.
  • King James Bible, 70 x 100 cm, €20 about $16 USD at All The World's a Page
  • American Standard Version, 23.4 x 46.8 in, looks like parchment, 160 gsm poster paper, $70 at Bible Prints
  • American Standard Version, 23.4 x 46.8 in, Tetragrammaton design, 160 gsm poster paper, $70 at Bible Prints
  • American Standard Version, 23.4 x 46.8 in, rainbow design, 160 gsm poster paper, $70 at Bible Prints
  • King James Bible, 18 x 24 in, 1 pt text size, glossy poster stock, $24.95 at ExaText Posters

One Page Bible

This is an interesting edition of the Bible. I have a Bible poster that has the entire King James Version on standard poster sized paper. It takes a powerful magnifier to read. But the One Page Bible is a seven foot square of vinyl containing the entire King James Version of the Bible. I couldn't find the actual font size but it is Minion type face. The Kickstarter page says it is comparable to "In God We Trust" on the United States quarter. This huge wall hanging weighs about five pounds. The creators recommend using three people to hang it. Of course, I was excited to see this and rushed over to purchase my copy. Unfortunately, this costs $429 USD. I'll have to be satisfied with my little poster. But this would make a neat display for a museum or church. It is another sponsor backed project found on Kickstarter.

Bibliotheca

The Bibliotheca project is the work of Adam Lewis Greene. He envisioned an edition of the Bible "designed & crafted for reading, separated into four elegant volumes, and free of all numbers, notes, etc." This edition will be in four volumes for the canonical portion and an optional fifth volume for the apocryphal writings. It is a Kickstarter project. Kickstarter is a site that allows people to seek funding for creative projects. If enough people pledge support, the project can take off. Greene estimated $37,000 to start the Bibliotheca project. With 14,884 backers the project has $1,440,345 in support. That's an average of a little under a hundred dollars per supporter.

Of course, this Bible will be of interest to Bible readers. That is Greene's goal. It is also of interest to Bible version enthusiasts. That's because Greene is using his own edited text of the American Standard Version:

I will be replacing all of the redundant archaisms with their modern equivalents (you for thou, does for doth, sits for sitteth, etc.). However, I am being very careful to preserve the great literary character of this translation by preserving vocabulary such as firmament, assuaged, abated, slayed, begot, hearkened, betwixt, etc. (you get the idea).

He is also changing the ASV's "Jehovah" to "YHWH." He also uses Young's Literal Translation to suggest "syntax (word order)." He estimates only using 1% of Young's with most changes to the syntax, not the vocabulary.

Greene has developed his own, as yet unnamed, typeface for this edition. Here are the details of the physical books:

  • Time-tested typographic methods geared toward an exceptionally fluid reading experience: optimal type size, line length (words per line), leading (space between lines), and margins
  • Original typeface, designed and "set apart" exclusively for Bibliotheca—traditional, clean and legible
  • Original, classically proportioned, sans serif typeface for titles
  • Separated into novel-size volumes (the shortest at around 450 pages, and the longest at around 650 pages)
  • Page proportion and text block based on the dimensions of the Ark of the Covenant as specified in Exodus (the actual size of the page is 5.25 x 8.75 inches)
  • Quality, flat-opening sewn binding (including the paperback edition!)
  • Offset printed; perfectly clean, hard lines (not dot-based like digital printing)
  • Opaque, tactile, off-white, acid-free book paper (not "Bible paper")
  • Ribbon bookmark
  • European-style rounded spine
  • Foil stamp on spine

Although the Kickstarter campaign is over, the Bibliotheca website has a page for pre-orders. Greene's estimate on the Kickstarter page is for Bible to be ready in December (at the earliest).

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Back Translation of the Elvish New Testament

If I still have your attention, here's what it really is:
This is an attempt to render the New Testament into a form of Tolkien's "Elvish" language of Quenya. Since the translator is not even religious, this may be regarded as the ultimate literary monument of Nerddom. Currently, 79 % of the text has been translated.
Neologisms are marked with asterisks. A back-translation into English is provided.
If that sounds like something you need a copy, visit this page.

Thanks to DJ for this one

Monday, August 4, 2014

LDS edition of the KJV

I was recently notified of a slight variant of the King James Version. This one comes from the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The text was updated in 2013. The changes are spelling updates and corrections of typographical errors. A full list of the the changes can be found here. The Bible can be read online or downloaded. Visit this page to read online or download PDF, ePub, Mobi or audio.
The list of spelling changes helps verify this as a minor variant of the KJV. The list of typographical errors verifies that the 1979 edition was a minor variant as well since it has errors not necessarily found in other KJV texts.

Thanks to JH for notice of this version

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Freeedom Bible Translation

No, that wasn't a typographical error in the title. The Freeedom Bible Translation is really spelled with three "e"s. This started out as The Trinity Bible, then it was called the Real Word of God. Those earlier renditions are found in #9290, page 211 in the Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions. There is also a Facebook page for this version. This latest version bears a copyright date of 2013.

Friday, August 1, 2014

Hendrickson edition of the 1873 edition of the King James Version

I recently bought an inexpensive Hendrickson KJV pew Bible because I was told it had the 1873 Scrivener text. It does, but I read this in the preface:

For the benefit of modern readers, three spelling patterns are changed in this edition that are not changed in Scrivener's edition: twenty-nine occurrences of "mo" and "moe" are conformed to "more"; four occurrences of "unpossible" are conformed to "impossible"; and "neesed" in 2 Kings 4:35 is spelled "sneezed."
So technically, this is another version - a minor variant of the 1873 edition. For Bible collectors, that is an interesting note. For everyone else, this is an inexpensive way to get Scrivener's 1873 edition of the King James Bible.

Restored Holy Bible

The editor of the Restored Holy Bible just sent me a new link for his work. You can download the Restored Holy Bible in many different formats. There is also an online format. The current version is 3.3.

The Gospel of Matthew by James Snapp, Jr.

The Gospel of Matthew (The Equitable Eclectic Text in English) by James Snapp, Jr. is a recent translation (2011). There is also an annotated edition. The ad on Amazon reads:
This translation is based on a Greek base-text independently compiled using the principles of Equitable Eclecticism. The readings of the best representatives of the Byzantine, Alexandrian, Western, and Caesarean texts were compared and when a majority of text-types favored a reading, it was adopted, unless a rival variant possessed very strong intrinsic merit. The translation itself is mainly word-for-word, but a non-literal approach was used at some points involving idiomatic expressions. Words that have been supplied to convey the meaning of the base-text are printed in italics.



Thanks to DJ for notice of this version.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Berean Study Bible

The Berean Study Bible is:
A three-tiered study Bible to connect you from a smooth and accurate translation through to the root of the Greek and Hebrew meanings.
This ambitious project is announced for New Testament completion in December, 2014 and the Old Testament in December, 2015. I say it is an ambitious project because it consists of three translations:
  • BSB Reader's Edition - A completely new, accurate and smooth translation from the Greek and Hebrew texts, effective for public reading, memorization, and evangelism.
  • BSB Discovery Edition - A literal yet readable translation that takes the reader to the core of the Greek and Hebrew meanings.
  • BSB Interlinear Edition - An interlinear Bible that incorporates the original Greek and Hebrew texts.
Other than a very large print announcement, not much other information is available at the website.


Thanks to JH and the Bible Versions Discussions/Dialogue group for this one.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

New Living Translation updated in 2013

Again, the Bible Versions Discussions/Dialogue group is my source for new announcements. It sounds like this announcement first showed up on the New Leaven blog. In 2013, Tyndale made around 500 changes to the New Living Translation text. A list of the changes is available in a PDF. You will find a link for the PDF in the comments to the New Leaven blog entry. As an example, John 3:16 was changed from this (2007 text):
For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.
to this in the 2013 edition:
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
A footnote offers the alternate reading: "Or For God loved the world so much that he gave."

1873 Scrivener KJV Text

Recently, in the Bible Versions/Discussion Group, a post mentioned that Hendrickson King James Bibles use the 1873 Scrivener text (thanks, ZM). You can read the preface of a pew Bible for more information. This is the text that was first published as the Cambridge Paragraph Bible in 1873. It is #7085.150 in the Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions.

Sunday, July 20, 2014

Friday, July 18, 2014

The Holy Bible in its Original Order (Bob Barney)

No, this isn't the work of the same title by Fred Coulter. This one is by Bob Barney, who runs the Plain Truth website. I first wrote about it back in 2012. It appears that it came out as a Kindle book last year. That is the only format I have been able to find. The full title on Amazon is "The Holy Bible - In Its Original Order - God's Words in RED." The advertisement on Amazon states:
The most unique Bible you have ever read. First, the Old Testament is divided into the correct order as Jesus read (yes modern Bibles are not arranged in the right order, or have the correct amount of books). Next, this Bible has every word of God in RED in both the Old Testament and New! The author's own translation trying to marry easier to understand English with the style of the King James.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Expositor's Study Bible

I recently received notice about this new version from Joshua Holman (thank you!). It is found in the Expositor's Study Bible by Jimmy Swaggart. It is a modification of the King James (or Authorised) version. In a section titled "seven reasons why the Expositor's Study Bible will help your understanding of the Word of God" it states:
The King James Version is used, with the exception of Elizabethan words, such as "ye," "hast,"thy," etc., in some cases, changed to words presently used, making the Text much easier to understand.

Also, comments are included in the text as parenthetical insertions. Bible text is in black, comments are in red:

In the beginning (refers to the beginning of creation, or at least the creation as it refers to this universe: God, unformed, unmade, uncreated, had no beginning: He always was, always is, and always shall be)...

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Jonathan Mitchell's New Testament Translation

Jonathan Mitchell's New Testament Translation was first available in 2006. He recently updated his work which is available in PDF for free or for the Kindle or Nook for purchase. Some of the features of this translation (from his website):
  • Multiple possible translations of the Greek text are presented.
  • Contrasting readings from other New Testament manuscripts are presented.
  • Expanded renderings of the Greek verb tenses are presented.
  • Optional functions of noun and adjective cases are presented.
For more information visit Jonathan's Mitchell's New Testament Translation

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Waterproof Bibles

Back in 2011 I mentioned that I found a Waterproof Bible at a book store. I was looking into these again and thought I would update on other interesting products from Bardin Marsee Publishing. Back then I found NIV(1984), KJV, NLT and ESV. They now offer NIV (2011), NKJV and Reina Valera 1960 Bibles. They also have weatherproof, stain resistant synthetic leather covers for the full size Bibles. Covers for their New Testaments are available on a custom basis. Space pens and dry highlighters offer the ability to write in and highlight your Bible in any weather. Waterproof journals, spiral notebooks and sketchbooks round out the new items. One of the reasons I took another look at these is due to a review I read at the Bible Buying Guide. Many of these items are available on Amazon and Christianbook.com.

I should mention that I have tried running water over this Bible. The publisher's claims are accurate. Here's the "About this Bible" section from the copyright page:

The Waterproof Bible is printed on 100% plastic. This material is both waterproof and tear-resistant with normal use. This material is adversely affected by temperatures above 150 F. If this product freezes while wet, thaw before opening. This durable format can be dried with a towel or by standing on the spine with the pages up. Water will cause the pages to adhere to one another, but once dry, they will return to their original condition. Petroleum products can cause the ink of this product to smear, so keep it away from all such products, including bug spray.

I've seen this recommended for missionaries. It would indeed be a good Bible for such use. However, bug spray (especially that with high concentrations of DEET) should be kept away from the pages. If you get the spray on your hands, you could damage the Bible when reading.