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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Scripture interpretations by Frederick Smith

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

• The Other Guys: The Minor Epistles of the New Testament
• Love Letters from Paul: The Minor Epistles
• David Sings for the masses
• The First Epistle to the Corinthians
• The Second Epistle to the Corinthians
• The Epistle of Paul to the Romans, a study and interpretation in modern language
• The Story of Job

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!

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:

• Volume 1: A Translation of Ephesians
• Volume 2: A Translation of Philippians
• Volume 3: A Translation of Colossians

Bible for a New Generation

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

• How to be Right - Romans
• Step Away from the Law: Galatians

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.

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.

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).

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

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

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.

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.