Ebionite.org Translations

I recently discovered this site: Ebionite.org. This is an Ebionite Jewish Community website with a couple books translated. The copyright reads "Copyright © 1997/5757 Shemayah ben-Avraham." You will need to visit their fonts page to display the works correctly. The name of God and some words are in a transliterated Hebrew font. I do not know if this is a new translation or a revision of an existing one. So far, only part of Genesis and James are available.

God is Disappointed in You

"God is Disappointed in You" is a recent work written by Mark Russell and illustrated by Shannon Wheeler.

The description on Amazon.com is as follows:

God Is Disappointed in You is for people who would like to read the Bible... if it would just cut to the chase. Stripped of its arcane language and its interminable passages of poetry, genealogy, and law, every book of the Bible is condensed down to its core message, in no more than a few pages each. Written by Mark Russell with cartoons by New Yorker cartoonist Shannon Wheeler, God Is Disappointed in You is a frequently hilarious, often shocking, but always accurate retelling of the Bible, including the parts selectively left out by Sunday School teachers and church sermons. Irreverent yet faithful, this book is a must-read for anyone who wants to see past the fog of religious agendas and cultural debates to discover what the Bible really says.

This is definitely intended to be humorous. From what I've seen of the preview on Amazon.com, it is a satire of the Bible. Aside from that, it is a summarized retelling of selected Biblical stories with a touch of commentary thrown in. Cartoons are scattered throughout the text as well. Occasional profanity and satire may offend some readers. Some facts are wrong, such as when Jacob "broke his arm wrestling with an angel."

The book itself is leather like, with gilt edging and a ribbon marker making it look similar to many Bibles. Current retail cost is $19.95 USD. Amazon.com offers it for $15.11 USD. The e-book costs $9.99 USD. It was produced by Top Shelf Productions.

Bay Psalm book sold at auction!

One of 11 known copies of the 1640 Bay Psalm book sold at auction on Tuesday in New York City. The auction was conducted by Sotheby's on behalf of Boston's Old South Church. It was purchased by David Rubenstein for 14.2 million dollars. He plans to loan it to libraries around the country. You can pick up a facsimile by Applewood books for slightly less - just over 11 dollars.

Gideons Revised Berkeley Version in Modern English

One more post about the Bibles distributed by the Gideons: This time it is the oldest of the modern English versions they have distributed. It is The Revised Berkeley Version in Modern English. I believe that the Gideons started using this version in 1974. However, I have had difficulty verifying that date. It was discontinued in 1983 in favor of the the New International Version. I have found three different types of changes:

1. Footnotes were removed throughout the text.
2. Brackets around text were removed.
3. Verses, at least in the New Testament, were changed to conform to the Textus Receptus.

An example of the changed verses can be found in John 3:16. In the original Berekeley version of 1969 it had "His only Son." In the Gideons edition it reads "His only-begotten Son."

While these differences are interesting for those of us that study Bible versions, they should not draw attention away from what God is doing through Gideons International. The organization is drawing closer to two billion Bibles and testaments distributed! These are not just in English. There are Gideons in 190 countries across the globe. More than two Bibles or testaments are being distributed every second. Every time I hear a Gideon speak, I hear a new testimony of someone whose life was forever changed because they had a Bible to read. Please support the Gideons in prayer and donations!

Gideons edition of the English Standard Version

The Gideons International recently began distributing the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible. They distribute a modern English translation in addition to the King James Version (KJV). Previously, they used the New King James Version (NKJV). I believe that when HarperCollins bought Thomas Nelson the contract with Gideons for the NKJV was not renewed. This left them looking for a new modern English version.

The Gideons' agreement with Crossway allowed them to make changes to the ESV. Verses that were only in footnotes in the original ESV are restored. Other changes were made that often bring the ESV into agreement with the Textus Receptus. A full list of the changes in the New Testament was developed by Joshua Holman. You can read his list here. I have not found any changes to the Old Testament yet. You can read about the switch in the June issue of The Gideon.

You can read the Gideons' edition of the ESV online at their website. The link is for their reading schedule. Be sure to click on ESV under "select version."

Each camp will decide which issue to distribute. The existence of a modern English version does not mean they quit distributing the KJV.

I continue to be excited about the mission of the The Gideons International. According to their website history:

It's been just over 100 years since The Gideons International placed the first Bible in a hotel room in Montana. Today, Gideons are organized in more than 190 countries around the globe. Bibles and New Testaments are printed for distribution by The Gideons International in more than 90 languages. Through God's grace and to His Glory, more than 1.8 billion Bibles and New Testaments have been placed through our association, and the work continues. . .

“The sower soweth the word.”—Mark 4:14

Thank you, Joshua Holman, for links, your excellent chart and all your help!

unauthorized immersionist Americanized English Revised Version

That mouthful of a title means this: In 1881 Samuel Wells Williams published a New Testament that contained the English Revised version with the changes preferred by the American committee incorporated into the text (thus Americanized). Since the agreement was that the American Committee would not publish their work for 14 years, it was unauthorized. He also translated the Greek baptizo as "immerse" (thus immersionist). I recently, thanks to the Newberry (a library in Chicago), finally verified the existence of this text. The full bibliographic entry is:

The New Testament of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Translated out of the Greek: Being the Version Set Forth A.D. 1611, Compared with the Most Ancient Authorities, and Revised A.D. 1881, by English and American Scholars; Embodying in the Text the Readings and Renderings Preferred by the American Members of the International Committee of Revision ; Together with Important Emendations, Having Regard to Philology, Usage, Context, and Doctrinal Import. New York: Published for Samuel Williams, Formerly Pastor First Baptist Church, Pittsburgh, Pa., by Fords, Howard, & Hulbert, 1881.

I do not know if Williams made any other changes to the text. But I deeply appreciate the help of the research librarians at the Newberry in verifying this interesting little New Testament.

Bible Translation Sites with recent updates

There are some Bible versions that are still being updated. A few that I have noticed recently:

• Easy English Bible
• New Heart English Bible
• Invitation to Reading in English New Testament

I'm sure there are others but those three are ones I check frequently for translation updates. Please add others in comments if you know of ones that are updated often.

Verses excluded from modern translations

While doing some research recently, I discovered a helpful article: List of Bible verses not included in modern translations. At the bottom of the page is a chart showing verses excluded, bracketed or moved to footnotes for twenty-seven different versions. It took a lot of work to make that chart! I found it helpful in the work I'm doing right now. Decided to pass this along in case you can use it too.

Gideons Edition of the New International Version

First, I want to thank Joshua Holman for alerting me to this edition. He has also done quite a bit of research on this and other Bibles. Thank you Joshua!

What Joshua discovered is that The Gideons International distributed slightly modified editions of the New International Version. This is exciting to Bible Collectors and those who study different versions. The rest of you may yawn appropriately.

I don't know all the details of this edition yet. I believe in the U.S. The Gideons International distributed the New International Version of the Bible from 1983 to 1986. I have New Testaments from 1984 and 1985. I do not know if they distributed the full Bible in NIV as well.

The editions distributed by The Gideons had the following changes:

1. Footnotes were removed.
2. Some alternate readings in the footnotes were incorporated into the text (John 1:14, 18, 3:16, 18; Acts 13:33; Hebrews 1:5, 5:5; 1 John 4:9).
3. Verses which were found only in the footnotes in the original NIV were incorporated into the Gideons text (Matthew 17:21, 18:11, 23:14; Mark 7:16, 9:44, 9:46, 11:26, 15:28; Luke 17:36, 23:17; John 5:4; Acts 8:37, 15:34, 28:29; Romans 16:24).

I am still trying to find out:

• What years did The Gideons in the U.S. distribute the NIV?
• What years did The Gideons in the U.K. distribute the NIV?
• Were there any other changes besides the ones mentioned above?
• Are the U.S. and the U.K. editions the same aside from anglicized spelling?

(The Gideons also distributed The New Berkeley Version in the 80s and are now distributing a slightly revised English Standard Version. More about this in a future post. I also wish to thank The Gideons International for their incredible ministry around the world!)

John Bowes Bible

I just received my copy of Bible Editions and Versions, the journal of the International Society of Bible Collectors. This time in "Quickreads" a Bible by John Bowes is mentioned. I never got to read it before, though I mentioned it my book. Today I discovered a copy for free reading or download on Google Books! If you are interested, go get your copy of The New Testament Translated from the Purest Greek by Jown Bowes today!

New New World Translation Available Now

I don't get any credit for the news - others let me know it was coming (Thanks JJ!) and sent links (Thanks JH!). The 2013 Revision of the New World Translation is now available. A few links:

• Download the PDF from JW.org here
• JWsurvey.org announced the release here
• There is a Youtube video of the announcement here
• There are pictures of the new Bible here
• There is a timeline of the meeting here

New World Translation - 2013 Update

I just received notice (thanks, JJ) that the Jehovah's Witnesses have announced an update to the New World Translation. It has been updated to 21st century English. I don't have any more information yet. If you know of print editions or an online edition, please let me know.