The Story

There are several works called "The Story." So here's another one! The website states that it is "All four Gospels ... woven together into One Chronological Color-Coded Story of the Greatest Life that was ever lived." It is being sold exclusively through Amazon. My Kindle is black and white, so the color coding won't work for me.

The Books of the Bible - Community Bible Experience

Today's new Bible comes courtesy of Biblica. It is a new Bible, but not a new version. The text is the New International Version (2011) with chapter and verse numbers removed. The books of the New Testament are arranged in historical order. You can get a free preview of the New Testament by visiting Biblica and giving them your e-mail address. You can also download mp3s of an audio presentation of the New Testament.

Cepher

First, I apologize for lack of posts this month. I have been sick for about six weeks. Thankfully, I am beginning to feel better.

Today's new find is courtesy of a good friend - Bill Chamberlin. He sent me this link for Cepher. That link is a good place to buy it (cheaper than the publisher's website). A coupon code for WND's website can be found here.

The publisher of this translation is Cepher Publishing Group, LLC. The following information is from their website:

As such, the Cepher:

• Sets forth a translation, rather than a substitution, of the names of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• Includes the Aleph Tav over 1400 times, which have previously been omitted in every other English translation.
• Includes all of the 74 books previously canonized as the Bible.
• Includes the books of Chanok (Enoch) & Yovheliym (Jubilees) from the Dead Sea Scrolls, as well as Yashar (Jasher), 4 Ezra (Esdras), 2 Baruch, and 3 & 4 Makkabiym (Maccabees); all integrated with the translated Sacred Names.
• Transliterates over 3100 Hebrew names without substitution.
• Corrects the errors (for the first time) in the Song of Solomon, in Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 14, in Zakaryahu (Zechariah) 5, in Matthew 23, and corrects other notorious errors found in virtually all previous English translations.
• Includes the 29th chapter of the Acts of the Apostles.
• Restores an accurate order to the Sacred Scriptures and is well-marked with recognizable names to help you find your way.

I expected that the Aleph-Tav would be translated, but in the sample it is simply included in the original Hebrew. Genesis 2:7 has "YAHUAH ELOHIYM" for God's name. A full list of the names used for God can be found on page 18 of the sample. The sample can be viewed by clicking "look inside" on the product information page. That page shows that "YAHUSHA HAMASHIACH" is used for Jesus Christ's name and title.

Gutenberg English Translation?

I was looking at Octavo's Octavo Edition, Biblia Latina, The Gutenberg Bible, 1-891788-74-4 today. It has a cross linked English translation edited by David Sullivan. I don't know any more about it than that (unless I come up with the $80 USD plus shipping for a copy). This could constitute a new version...

The Adaptive Bible - Update

Last year, I posted about the Adaptive Bible which "explores an automatically derived translation of the Bible." Click on a chapter number and you will get a page of choices for most of the verses. Just recently, in a comment on a post in this blog, there was a link to notes for a talk by Stephen Smith titled "How to Train Your Franken-Bible." Given last year, it discusses the reality and dangers of "algorithmic Bible translations." The Adaptive Bible is an demonstration of just how those algorithmic Bible translations could be created. The process he used is much more sophisticated that a simple cut/paste one. Cut/paste Bibles have been appearing for some time now. I don't know if any have been produced using the process he describes (yet). But it is an excellent warning! Go read his talk notes and slides to learn more.

Clear Preferred Version

Another new version is in the works. It appears in the writings of Don Stanton on the Maranatha Revival Crusade website. It is called "a Clear, Preferred Version." You will have to sift through many writings to find his Scriptures. I found it the easiest to check the books page. His version is in MM#94 "LIFE & TEACHINGS OF Y’SHUA MESSIAH" and in MM#092b, the Psalms. However, the Psalms do not say "Clear Preferred Version." An introduction on the website states:

The intent of the CPV is to provide a clear version of the Scriptures in modern English, which is true to the original manuscripts, and the revealed, sacred Name of YHWH (the Almighty). It also prefers to use the original Hebrew form of our Saviour's Name - Y'SHUA the Messiah.

Restored Name King James Version

I found this Restored Name King James Version (#3) some time ago. I didn't list it anywhere as I thought it was the same as this Restored Name King James Version (#1). But a couple weeks ago I discovered that it has been modified. It is also different from this Restored Name King James Version (#2) since this one uses the Hebrew instead of "God" in Genesis 2:7. However, the preface in #1 and #2 are the same. It appears that #2 may be #1 with the Hebrew substituted where #1 uses "YHWH." I believe that #3 is actually a revision of The Sacred Name King James Bible since it has the same file structure and naming. Also, on the individual chapter pages, it still has the title "Sacred Name King James Version." In Genesis 2:6, however, #3 uses "YAH Elohim" instead of "YHVH ELOHIYM."

so here they are:

1. Restored Name King James Version - YHWH Elohim
2. Restored Name King James Version - hwhy Elohim, this version is possibly a revision of the above.
3. Restored Name King James Version - YAH Elohim, this version is a revision of the following:
4. The Sacred Name King James Bible - YHVH ELOHIYM

The ease with which copy/paste can be applied to freely available Bible files means those who study Bible versions face this kind of puzzle all the time. It is almost too easy to "publish" on the world wide web!

Modern Evangelical Version

This new find comes courtesy of William Paul, author of English Language Bible Translators. He notified me of the Modern Evangelical Version New Testament by Robert Thomas Helm. It was published about one year ago through Xlibris books. It is based largely on the UBS 1993 Greek text. It is a dynamic equivalent translation into the colloquial English of the 21st century.

Hebrew Roots Bible

I just discovered this Bible while searching for something else: The Hebrew Roots Bible. I don't know yet if it is related to any other sacred name Bible. It was published in 2012 - I don't know why I've missed it until now. Here are a couple samples from that version:

And YAH'HAVAH ELOHIYM formed a man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).
The beginning of the Gospel of Yeshua HaMashiach, the Son of Elohiym (Mark 1:1).

The New Covenant: Paleo Signature Edition

This morning I discovered a new version that I missed before it disappeared. It was mentioned on a website that is now offline. It appears the site offered a New Testament version I haven't seen before. The group or site was called the Remnant of YHWH. The NT was called The New Covenant: Paleo Signature Edition. I cannot find a copy of it so far. Does anyone know anything about this version? I would like to find an electronic or printed copy. The site has been archived on the Internet Archive.

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.