Encyclopedia Pricing and Availability Update

The Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions is currently available at Barnes and Noble and at Amazon.com. Both sites now have a price of $54.00. E-book versions should follow in about a month.

Merry Christmas!

May God bless you as all who believe celebrate the birth of God's Son, Jesus Christ!

Free NLT Life Application Study Bible

Get the NLT Life Application Bible free from eBooks.com. I don't know how long this offer will last. I had to download it in epub format. I am not sure if it is available in other formats. Thanks to Christian Books on the Knob for this link!

UPDATE: I tried both Adobe Digital Editions in Windows and eBooks.com's reader on my android phone - neither could successfully download this Bible.

King James Bible Edition Question

In 1869 Constantine Tischendorf published The New Testament: The Authorised English Version; With Introduction, And Various Readings From The Three Most Celebrated Manuscripts Of The Original Greek Text. The question is this: what edition of the King James Bible did Tischendorf use to compare with those three manuscripts?

EELBV In stock at Barnes and Noble

The Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions is in stock at Barnes and Noble now for $54.00.

EELBV Talk and Display

On January 20, 2013 at 6:30 PM I will be speaking at Rosendale Christian Church (9976 Hwy 48, Rosendale, MO 64483). I will discuss the Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions as well as English Bible history, rare Bibles, unusual Bible translations, choosing a Bible and reading your Bible. There will be quizzes, such as: "How well do you know your Bible?" and "Is that in the Bible?" I will also display ancient English Bible pages, smallest and largest Bibles, blind Bible, unusual bibles and more.

St. Paul's Comic Book Bible

The children of St. Paul's Church in Salisbury, England have made a comic book Bible version of Acts 1 & 2.

Encylopedia is ready!

The Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions is done! Unfortunately, although Amazon has a low price, it currently says "ships in 3 to 5 weeks. I certainly hope this won't be the normal time for shipment! The EELBV is also on the Publisher's website (though at a much higher price).

Seeking a rare WWII Bible

I had a question recently by someone who is searching for a rare Bible given to soldiers in WWII. It is red leather with gold trim, King James Version, National Edition, by the Philadelphia National Bible Press(First Page), On the second page it it states Copyright,1941, by National Publishing Company and is numbered 1-100. These bibles were given out by Roosevelt's wife,when the troops were sent to England in 1941. If you know of one of these Bibles would you please contact me? I will forward the information to the interested party.

EELBV Preview!

Amazon.com now has a preview of the Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions!

EELBV goes to printer today!

As long as everything is on schedule, the Encyclopedia of English-Language Bible Versions goes to the printer today! I don't know how long after it will appear in stores but I will keep you posted.

The Heavenly Fire

This new translation, The Heavenly Fire (THF), is just underway. Currently only Ruth, Zephaniah and part of the Psalms are available.

UPDATE: The translation is in the final stages and preparation for web display will start soon.

The Gospel of Matthew by "FounderChurch"

There isn't much about The Gospel of Matthew by "FounderChurch". Here's what the brief description on Lulu.com says:

Matthew Gospel is a new translation of this great Book of the Bible based on the KJV. Great effort has been expended to preserve as much as possible of the KJV original, while re-creating it in poetic lines and stanzas.

What "Matthew" Really Wrote

What "Matthew" Really Wrote: A Radical New Translation of Matthew's Gospel is a new work by John Howard Reid. It is available for the Kindle (or for the free Kindle software) on Amazon.com. You can read a large sample of it on Smashwords. On Smashwords, the short description says that the book of Matthew "contains .. material added by editors and copyists." In this translation, the author "labels all dubious material, including the many inappropriate Old Testament quotations."

Plain Truth Red Letter Bible

I haven't found this one online yet, but it was finished in May. It was supposed to be up online last month. The website states: "The thing that sets this Bible different than any other one you will ever read is that every word of Jesus Christ is in red - IN BOTH the New and Old Testament."

Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment

Though many will argue that this is not a dialect of English, its resemblance to English warrants a mention here. I won't get into the debate about cognate language, dialect, completely new language, etc. This is Di Jamiekan Nyuu Testiment being released December 14th (in the U.K.). A sampler is available on the Bible Society website. You may also listen to or download the book of Luke audio files. It is available for pre-order from Bible Society Resources in the U.K.

Three "Tropical English" Versions

Liam Martin was born on the Caribbean island of Grenada. He emmigrated here over thirty years ago. A couple years ago he brought the voices with him when he produced the Tropical English versions of the Bible. There is a Caribbean English, Jamaican English, and Rastafarian English version of the Bible. The Song of Solomon in the Caribbean English is available on the website. His versions are revisions of the Douay-Rheims version.

Each version is available in four volumes:

• Caribbean:
  1. Volume 1 (Genesis to Deuteronomy)
  2. Volume 2 (Joshua to Psalms)
  3. Volume 3 (Proverbs to Maccabees)
  4. Volume 4 (New Testament)
• Jamaican:
  1. Volume 1 (Genesis to Deuteronomy)
  2. Volume 2 (Joshua to Psalms)
  3. Volume 3 (Proverbs to Maccabees)
  4. Volume 4 (New Testament)
• Rastafarian:
  1. Volume 1 (Genesis to Deuteronomy)
  2. Volume 2 (Joshua to Psalms)
  3. Volume 3 (Proverbs to Maccabees)
  4. Volume 4 (New Testament)

New URL for Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions

I tired very quickly of typing or saying www.biblereadersmuseum.com so I purchased another domain name. Now one only needs to type "www.EELBV.com!

Isaac Leeser's Old Testament

I've added a new facsimile to the Bible Museum Store (click "Facsimiles" then scroll down to "4. 1611 to 1901 Bibles"). It is a facsimile of Isaac Leeser's 1853 translation of the Old Testament. While this may have some errors from the original or the scanning process, it has one advantage over my text edition. The facsimile includes the original marginal notes.

Parallel Bible List Updated

I often use parallel Bibles for my personal Bible study and sermon preparation. A parallel Bible is one that offers more than one version in parallel columns for comparison. A few years ago I made a listing of parallel Bibles, Old Testaments and New Testaments. This morning I updated that list with some newer publications. Please let me know if you find any that I missed.

NET Bible: Synopsis of the Four Gospels

Here is a freebie for you today (thanks, Kevin): The Net Bible: Synopsis of the Four Gospels is free to download in PDF format. I could not get links for ordering the print version to work.

EELBV Proofs are on my desk!

I received the proofs today for the Encyclopedia of English Language Bible Versions! Now I have to read my book again looking for errors. Then I create an index for the book. The book is scheduled to be sent to the printer on 11/16/2012. Things are coming together!

Parallel Apocrypha

For those of you interested in studying the apocryphal books, you might be interested in the The Parallel Apocrypha by Oxford University Press. It contains the apocrypha in the Greek, Douay-Rheims, King James, New Revised Standard, New American, New Jerusalem, Today's English and Knox's version. Books included are Baruch, Bel and the Dragon, Ecclesiasticus, 1 & 2 Esdras, Esther, Judith, Letter of Jeremiah, 1 - 4 Maccabees, Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews, Prayer of Manasseh, Psalm 151, Susanna, Tobit and Wisdom of Solomon. There are introductory articles by Judith L. Kovacs, Sarah J. Tanzer, Demetrios J. Constantelos, John J. Collins, Mary Chilton Callaway, Walter J. Harrelson, D. A. Carson and John R. Kohlenberger III. Though it appears to be out of print now, there are many new and used copies available on Amazon.

The Parallel Apocrypha

Knox Bible released

I just got an e-mail from Baronius Press that the Knox Bible is now available for purchase. Baronius Press has a full page about the Knox Bible including a PDF containing sample pages.

The publisher also worked with BibleGateway.com to make the translation available on their website. You can visit BibleGateway's Blog to read about it or visit BibleGateway's Knox Bible page to read the translation for yourself.

The Brick Bible: The New Testament

There is another volume in the Lego Bible series. It is The Brick Bible: The New Testament: A New Spin on the Story of Jesus. It is also available for the Kindle, though the extensive graphics mean only the Kindle Fire series would display it well. If anyone has this or gets it, please feel free to send a review in comments or e-mail.

The Brick Bible: The New Testament: A New Spin on the Story of Jesus

The Native Bible

Kevin finds another one! This is the Native Bible.

Drawing the Old Testament from the Greek Septuagint LXX, (dated by scholars about 1000 years older than the oldest copies of the Hebrew Masoretic Text), and the oldest sources for the New Testament, the Native Bible project is an effort to accurately translate the Bible from the oldest sources into the newest English words, without concern about the resulting message coming across as "primitive." It is an effort akin to the Transparent Bible Project...

This version is available online or in TheWord.net software or as an Android app.

Knox Bible back in publication

Over at Catholic Bibles Timothy had a post about the Knox Bible coming back into publication. It isn't ready yet, but the publisher, Baronius Press, has a web site just for this new edition.

The New Testament: Order of Christ Sophia Version

This New Testament is "A new edition of the New Testament, edited by Father Peter Bowes, Priest, Master Teacher and Co-Director of the Order of Christ Sophia. This version speaks to the spirit of the Law of Jesus and the message of the apostles."

If, like me, you've never heard of the Order of Christ Sophia, try reading the Wikipedia Article for some background.

The Simplified King James New Testament

The Simplified King James New Testament was edited by Dr. James Ross and S. David Ross. S. David Ross "de-victorianized" the text. They also retranslated some verses and added alternate definitions. Available in PDF and in print from Lulu.com.

Nicholas King's Translation

Nicholas King's New Testament: Freshly Translated was first published in 2004. He is now at work on the Old Testament. Volume 3 (The Wisdom Literature) was published in 2008. Volume 1 (The Pentateuch) was published in 2010. These two volumes are available through his website. The Psalms were published separately in 2009 and are available here.

Thank you to the Internet Bible Catalog for this information!

The Antioch Bible

Today's new Bible news comes from William Chamberlin, the author of The Catalogue of English Bible Translations. The Antioch Bible is a "A fresh new idiomatic English translation based on the Aramaic text of the Syriac Peshitta."

It will be published in 28 volumes at the rate of 4 or 5 volumes per year. Individuals can get a 50% discount on each volume by signing up now to receive them as they are published. The cost (with discount) per volume is $75.00! That means the total cost for an invdividual will be $2,100! Institutions will be charged $100 (with discount) per volume. Full price will be $150 per volume.

The format is a parallel with the Aramaic on the left and a new English translation on the right. A sample of Isaiah can be downloaded in PDF format.

A sample of this new translation:

Praise the Lord with new praise, his praise from the ends of the earth, those who go down to the sea in its fullness, the islands and those who dwell in them (Isaiah 42:10)

The Doric New Testament

Doric is a dialect of Scots spoken in the North-East part of Scotland. While it is debated whether or how Scots is related to English, I'll include a note about this new version here. The Doric New Testament was created by Gordon McKenzie Hay. It is due to be released at the end of October. You can read a bit more in this article on STV News. Here is a sample Scripture:

The Acks o the Apostles, Chaptir 14, verse 8

**Noo, at Lystra, there was a cripple mannie vrang amo e feet fae e day he wis born, nivver haein waalkit. He wis hearknin tae Paul as he spak, an Paul, leukin him straicht in e ee an seein he hid e faith tae be made aa better, says till him wi a lood vice: "Stan straicht up on yer feet!" He jumpit up an set oot waalkin. An fan e crood saa fit Paul hid deen, they roart oot o them in their ain tongue, "E gods hiv come dooon till hiz in e form o a mannie."

EEBV Interview

I was interviewed by Eliza Wood at Progress Planet about my work on the Encyclopedia of English-Language Bible Versions.

Condensed Vernacular Translation

I just learned of A Condensed Vernacular Translation Of The New Testament over at the Internet Bible Catalog. It was published in 2004 and is "Designed Primarily for the First-Time Reader."

Free Bibles for Kindle

There are still free Bibles available in Amazon's Kindle store. The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (with Cross-References) and The Holy Bible: HCSB Digital Text Edition are both still free.

Another Pure Cambridge Edition?

Some of you may be familiar with the Pure Cambridge Edition presented by Matthew Verschuur. Today I discovered there is a new contender for the "Pure Cambridge Edition" presented by Jason Barlow. The 1769 Pure Cambridge Edition is available as a free PDF download on Lulu.com.

The Voice New Testament

If you would like to read the New Testament of The Voice by Thomas Nelson then visit their web site and click on "Download the New Testament for Free."

E-Encyclopdia of English-Language Bible Versions

I just discovered that the Encyclopedia of English-Language Bible Versions will be made into an e-book as well as a paperback. The ISBN is 978-1-4766-0138-0. I look forward to having it on my Kindle!

The Pacific Bible

The Pacific Bible is the work of General Editor Eliza Wood, founder of Progress Planet, and other editors. The web site states that:

By archiving nearly four hundred former Bible verses that promoted rape, genocide, human sacrifice, slavery, sexuality and homosexuality, subjugation of women, cannibalism and other highly problematic practices, The Pacific Bible promotes exactly what most modern religions preach. In its newly revised form, The Pacific Bible is more consistent with the messages people hear from their churches and synagogues today everywhere in the world.

"Archiving" means "removing" since the verses in question are replaced with the word "archived." Here is another article on her site discussing the Bible.
If you happened to notice her mention of another Bible, by Pink Cross Publishing, don't go looking for it the way I did. According to Snopes.com, the "Gay Bible" is a rumor started by those who failed to realize that an article about it on Dead Serious was a satire.


Updates: Many thanks to Eliza Wood for a fast and informative reply to a request for more information. Neither the Pacific Bible nor the section of removed verses will have commentary. The Pacific Bible is based on the World English Bible, a modernized English text. Publication is set for January 15, 2013.
What do you think of the idea of making a Bible with "offensive" materials removed?

Report on the New American Bible

Thanks to Timothy at Catholic Bibles for an update on the New American Bible. Head over there to read his report.

Just Verses

Here is another Bible reading site for you: Just Verses. This site offers several Bibles for reading online as well as in PDF downloads or text downloads for use in applications. The online versions can also show side by side, display Strong's numbers and dictionary or commentary information.

Corrected King James Version of the Bible

I can't stop finding new versions!!! Here is the Corrected King James Version of the Bible. It is apparently in a "beta" stage right now.

Proclaim His Holy Name Bible

This one isn't finished yet, but Volume 1 is ready. Volume 2 (I Kings through Song of Solomon) is out of stock (at Amazon) right now. Volume 3 (Isaiah through Malachi) is expected in October of 2012. Volume 4 (The New Testament) is due in March of 2013. Uses "YEHOVAH" for "Lord," "Elohim" for "God," and "Yehoshua" for "Jesus."

Yahweh's Breath Bible

And another sacred name Bible! This is called Yahweh's breath, by Jerry Ayers in 2010. It is a two volume set: Volume 1, Volume 2. There are previews on Amazon.com so you can get a feel for what this version is like.

Scripture of Truth Bible

Today is my day to find new sacred name Bibles. And to find ones with little or no information about them! This one is the "Scripture of Truth" Sacred Name Bible.

Update: I found a download for the Scripture of Truth. There are also downloads here for Halleluyah Scriptures, Word of Yahweh and The Scriptures.

Restored King James Version Bible Translation

The Restored King James Version Bible Translation is the work of Selwyn Russell. At that site, I was unable to download the PDF editions. Try this link and you should be able to get downloads. It is the Old Testament only. He has three different versions: one used JHVH, the second YHVH and the third uses YHWH for God's name. There is also a lite version which only changes the names but does not modernize any other English. The lite version includes the New Testament, where "Jesus" is replaced by "Yehoshua."

Sacred Name Bible, Updated King James Version

Today I found another sacred name Bible. This one is the Sacred Name Bible, Updated King James Version by Olive Press. It separated into the Torah, The Prophets, The History Books, Psalms and Proverbs and the New Testament.

Holy Bible: Sacred Name Restored

I ran across this Bible today. There isn't much information about the Bible itself. Any one know what version this is or who is responsible for it?

Abrahamic Bible Name Change

Simon Altaf's Abrahamic Bible has a new name. It is now known as the Hidden Truths Hebraic Scrolls. I do not know if any changes were made to the text, but the preview shows it is a 4^th edition.

Verse by Verse Exegesis

Verse by Verse Exegesis is the website of Benjamin W. Brodie. Much of the New Testament has been translated already by Benjamin. The site also has his commentary on the NT. Here is an example of his work (John 1:1):

In a beginning [eternity past] the Word [Jesus Christ] was [continued existence]. Moreover, the Word [Jesus Christ] was face-to-face with God [intimate fellowship with the Father]. In fact, the Word [Jesus Christ] was God [deity].

The Open Bible

Kevin scores another find: The Open Bible is a creative commons license New Testament translation project by Tosin Ojumu. Actually, Kevin sent me the download for the book of Matthew (all that is finished so far) on Smashwords. Looking at the file led me to Tosin's blog. But he deserves credit for the find. The creative commons license means that it is free to use, but not to be modified.

Two More New Testaments

Kevin sent me a couple more links. One I've heard of, but didn't realize it had progressed so far. It is the translation of the "Going to Jesus" ministry. For more information visit their website here. Pastor John Clark, Sr. is one of the translators. The others aren't named. It doesn't appear the translation has been named yet.

The second NT is The Little Watchman Translation.

250 English Translations of the Bible, ...and Counting

I discovered a new book about Bible versions today, 250 English Translations of the Bible, ...and Counting, which briefly lists many Bible versions. The list has a mixture of full Bibles and scripture portions. I haven't gotten my copy yet, so I don't have a review now.

I did notice one version (after reading the preview) that I haven't seen before. It is the two volume Compact Fully Translated Bible (Volume One, Volume Two) by William Harwood. There are no previews and the price is high, so I don't have a review of this either.

Bible Gateway

I'm sure many of you are familiar with the website, Bible Gateway. But did you know they now have an application for the iPhone and iPad? It is free and is available on iTunes. It also supposed to be available for android soon.

New Testament for Everyday People

The New Testament for Everyday People is a translation by Hugh Lawrence. It is copyrighted 2005 but I've only found it recently. There is a preview of this NT on the page for the Kindle Edition

New full featured Bible browser

Here is a great web resource for you: The Bible Browser. In one column are Hebrew (2 choices) or Greek (6 choices) texts. The next column is one of four English texts: New American Standard, King James Version, New English Translation or the Apostolic Bible Polyglot. There is also a Greek and Hebrew Reader's edition with a pop up lexicon. There is a "version 2" of the browser here. There you will choose either the mobile or the desktop versions. The desktop browser is a full featured (and, if you like, full screen) viewer for the King James Version, New American Standard Bible, New English Translation, Open English Bible or the World English Bible. The next column shows the Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex) or the Greek (Tischendorf 2.7 or SBL Greek). One can control the morphology highlighting, the font & size and whether to show chapters, verses, etc. You can also add columns to put additional versions in parallel.

This great resource is the work of John Dyer who works at Dallas Theological Seminary.

Thanks for the link, Kevin!

Urim Thummim Version is now The Holy Bible, RLP Version

Dallas James, the creator of The Urim Thummin Version has updated his work and renamed it The Holy Bible, RLP Version. "RLP" stands for "Renewed Levitical Priesthood."

Holman Christian Standard Bible epub download

Holman Bibles has an epub ebook download available of the Holman Christian Standard Bible. Get yours here.

Full Lexham English Bible Available

The Lexham English Bible now has a download of the full Bible available. The full Bible is available for Logos Bible Software as well as TXT, XML and EPUB.

Bob MacDonald's Translations

Kevin just sent me another link. He's been finding quite a few lately. Today's discoveries are translations by Bob MacDonald. They are sprinkled around his blog. Scroll down to the bottom and you'll find links to his translations on the right side.

The New Compromise Version

OK, it isn't really a new version. It is a theological satire. But it is a different rendering of several Scripture passages, so I'll mention it here. Since this is an opinion piece, it may offend some (especially those mentioned in the comments). If after this intro you still wish to read the New Compromise Bible Version then click away!

Randy Reed Paraphrased Version

So far all I have found is a few verses scattered around the web. I first found the Randy Reed Paraphrased Version on a blog called "Your Daily Verse." It is also featured on the Facebook page, The Psalms a ministry that seeks to make Bible reading a part of your daily life.

HCSB Bible free for Kindle

The HCSB Bible is free for the Amazon Kindle. I'm not sure how long this will last, so grab your copy now!

The God of Israel

There is an exciting new project in the works by Richard Brodie, one of the two authors of The Anagrammed Bible. Richard's upcoming work has "Over 2,100 apt biblical anagrams, each one a sermon in 14 letters!" Visit his website for details.

In Depth Bible Commentaries

Kevin recently sent me a link for In Depth Bible Commentaries by Dr. David Darnell. Each commentary also has translations at the end of the file.

Catholic Bibles Contest

Timothy at Catholic Bibles is giving away a selection of N. T. Wright's "For Everybody" series. Visit his blog for details on entering the contest.

Follow this blog by eMail

I added the ability to follow this blog by e-mail. Actually, I just clicked on the option provided by Google to enable it. But on the left hand side (you may have to scroll down) you will see "Follow by Email." Enter your e-mail address and click "submit." You will receive a daily digest any day that I post to the blog. This uses feedburner.com - I don't maintain or even see your e-mail address. Enjoy!

How Many Bibles?

How many versions of the Bible are available in your primary language? Mine is English and there are hundreds of different versions available to me. That study has been a major project for me over the past few years. But a far more important one has been my reading the Bible.

I read an article this morning, The English Translation Deluge, by Rob J. Hyndman. He brings up the very important point that there are still many people who do not have any Bible in their language.

We can help right this problem. No, I can't translate the Bible. But Rob lists several organizations that can and do. Please read his article. Then consider supporting the United Bible Societies, Wycliffe Bible Translators or SIL International.

I remember how excited I was when I got my first Bible and read it through. I pray everyone will have that opportunity!

Links Updated

I've added over 20 new links at the Bible Reader's Museum in large part thanks to contributions from fellow Bible surfers. Thanks to Milt and Kevin for providing all these links. The others are mostly older, partial translations utilizing a dialect or of a unique nature. These have been added as I continue to prepare my sites for release of the Encyclopedia of English-Language Bible Versions.

Latin English Interlinear?

A friend is looking for a Latin/English Interlinear. He wants a line by line edition, not a verse by verse or a parallel. Does anybody have suggestions? Links with examples would be very helpful!

Tyndale 1526 New Testament

The Newe Testament as it was written

A big thanks to my friend at Bibles of the Past for this link! The Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart has scans of the 1526 Tyndale New Testament kept there. Click here to go directly to the image viewer. The cover has "1550" but the pages inside match the Hendrickson facsimile of a 1526 edition.

Christ Emphasis New Testament

When I sent my book, the Encyclopedia of English Bible Versions, off to the publisher, I didn't have much information on the Christ Emphasis New Testament by Edward J. Craddock. My book hasn't been released yet, but I now have more information about Craddock's NT, thanks to the Internet Bible Catalog:

Craddock uses the KJV text, but he emphasizes every word, name or pronoun that refers to Christ. So, in the passage from John, the words JESUS, I, and ME are in all caps and italics. The passage from 2 Timothy is exactly as it appears in the KJV (no words emphasized).

From the Preface: "The CHRIST Emphasis Bible or the CHRIST Emphasis New Testament is based on the fact that the Bible is God's message by the Holy Spirit. God's word, each book and chapter, emphasizes CHRIST in JESUS, the SON OF GOD, the SON OF MAN, the LORD. God speaks by the Holy Spirit through His SON, the LORD JESUS CHRIST, in the message of the scriptures. God's word has its own emphasis and application"

"All references to CHRIST are capitalized and italicized to show the CHRIST emphasis of God's word."

"Each chapter has a CHRIST emphasis, contextual heading and CHRIST emphasis contextual subheadings."

Open Source Bible Translation

Just a notice about a new Bible project. Kevin sent me a link for the Open Source Bible Translation. It is a open collaborative project. Only a few chapters have been finished so far.

Text Bibles Online

Thank you to Kevin for pointing out the site Inspirational Bible Verses and Quotes. It has more than 20 Bible versions available for online reading. There are literal Bibles such as Julia Smith's and Robert Young's. Historical Bibles such as Wycliffe's, Coverdale's and the Geneva Bible are also included.

The Book of Books: The Bible Retold

I just read a review of this work on Vic's Media Room. It is a retelling of the Biblical stories by Trevor Dennis.

The Book of Books: The Bible Retold