Modern English Bible translations
Encyclopedia
Many attempts have been made to translate
the Bible
into modern English, which is defined as the form of English in use after 1800 (different from the linguistic usage of modern English
). Since the early nineteenth century, there have been several translational responses to the rapid spread of Christianity
throughout the world. Various denominational and organizational goals have produced, and continue to produce, Bibles to address the needs of English speakers from all walks of life. Differing base texts, theological emphasis, style, and translation aims (e.g. readability vs. literality
) are just a few of the variables that contribute to the wide range of Bibles available today.
in 1885. These formal equivalence or literal translations have been continued with further modifications to the King James and Revised Versions, including the Revised Standard Version
(1952), the New Revised Standard Version
(1989), and the English Standard Version
(2001).
In the late twentieth century, Bibles increasingly appeared that were much less literal in their style. In 1946, the New English Bible
was initiated in the United Kingdom, intended to enable readers to better understand the King James Bible. In 1958, J. B. Phillips
(1906–1982) produced an edition of the New Testament
letters in paraphrase, the Letters to Young Churches, so that members of his youth group could understand what the New Testament authors had written. Others followed suit. The Living Bible
, released in 1971, was published by its author Kenneth N. Taylor, based on the literal American Standard Version
of 1901. Taylor had begun because of the trouble his children had in understanding the literal (and sometimes archaic) text of the King James Bible. His work was at first intended for children, but was later positioned for adults wishing to better understand the Bible. Like Phillips' version, the Living Bible was a dramatic departure from the King James version.
Despite widespread criticism, the popularity of The Living Bible
, itself a paraphrase
rather than a translation, created a demand for a new approach to translating the Bible into contemporary English called dynamic equivalence, which attempts to preserve the meaning of the original text in a readable way. Realizing the immense benefits of a Bible that was more easily accessible to the average reader, and responding to the criticisms of the Living Bible, the American Bible Society
produced the Good News Bible
(1976), a new English Bible translation in this more readable style. This translation has gone on to become one of the best selling in history. In 1996, a new revision of Taylor's Living Bible was published. This New Living Translation
is a full translation from the original languages rather than a paraphrase of the Bible.
Another project aimed to create something in between the very literal translation of the King James Bible and the more informal Good News Bible
. The goal of this was to create a Bible that would be scholarly yet not overly formal. The result of this project was the New International Version
(1978).
The debate between the formal equivalence and dynamic (or 'functional') equivalence translation styles has increased with the introduction of inclusive language
versions. Various terms are employed to defend or attack this development, such as feminist, gender neutral, or gender accurate. New editions of some previous translations have been updated to take this change in language into account, including the New Revised Standard Version
(1989), the Revised English Bible
(1989), and Today's New International Version
(2005). Some translations have approached the issue more cautiously, such as the English Standard Version
(2001).
A further process that has assisted in increasing the number of English Bible versions exponentially, is the use of the Internet in producing virtual bibles, of which a growing number are beginning to appear in print – especially given the development of "print on demand
".
Today, there is a range of translations ranging from the most literal, such as the Young's Literal Translation
to the most free such as The Message
and The Word on the Street
.
of 1611 still has an immense following, and as such there have been a number of different attempts to update or improve upon it. The Revised Version and its derivatives also stem from the King James Version.
was the first official attempt to update the Authorized (King James) Version. This was adapted in the United States as the American Standard Version
. The translations and versions that stem from them are shown in date order:
has appeared in a number of editions.
(or NET Bible
) is a project to publish a translation of the Bible using the Internet. It is freely available and accompanied by extensive translator's notes. Another Internet based translation (currently only in the planning stages) is The Free Bible. It is a wiki, collaborative project, based on Wikisource. A third is The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible
, which uses a collaborative Mediawiki
website that interlinks the words of the Bible to articles and image galleries about the topic.
, and are usually published in bilingual editions with the Hebrew text facing the English translation. The translations often reflect traditional Jewish exegesis of the bible. As translations of the Masoretic bible, Jewish translations contain neither the apocrypha
nor the Christian New Testament
.
movement.
1Released in parts between 1913–1935 with copious study and textual notes. The New Testament with condensed notes was released in 1936 as one volume.
2NT released in 1941. The OT contained material from the Challoner Revision until the entire OT was completed in 1969.
3New Testament only; Gospels by James Kleist
, rest by Joseph Lilly
.
4Second Catholic Edition released 2006.
were all done with the specific aim of carrying into English the actual Name of God as they were in the originals. Most have been done by people from the Sacred Name Movement
. They are distinguished by their policy of transliterating Hebrew-based forms for sacred names, such as "Yahweh", "YHWH", etc.
HOB Holy Orthodox Bible
Translation
Translation is the communication of the meaning of a source-language text by means of an equivalent target-language text. Whereas interpreting undoubtedly antedates writing, translation began only after the appearance of written literature; there exist partial translations of the Sumerian Epic of...
the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
into modern English, which is defined as the form of English in use after 1800 (different from the linguistic usage of modern English
Modern English
Modern English is the form of the English language spoken since the Great Vowel Shift in England, completed in roughly 1550.Despite some differences in vocabulary, texts from the early 17th century, such as the works of William Shakespeare and the King James Bible, are considered to be in Modern...
). Since the early nineteenth century, there have been several translational responses to the rapid spread of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
throughout the world. Various denominational and organizational goals have produced, and continue to produce, Bibles to address the needs of English speakers from all walks of life. Differing base texts, theological emphasis, style, and translation aims (e.g. readability vs. literality
Bible version debate
There have been various debates concerning the proper medium and translation of the Bible since the first translations of the Hebrew Bible into Greek and Aramaic...
) are just a few of the variables that contribute to the wide range of Bibles available today.
The Development of Modern English Bible Versions
The Authorized King James Version of 1611 was sporadically altered until 1769, but was not thoroughly updated until the creation of the Revised VersionRevised Version
The Revised Version of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version of 1611. It was the first and remains the only officially authorized and recognized revision of the King James Bible. The work was entrusted to over 50 scholars from various denominations in Britain...
in 1885. These formal equivalence or literal translations have been continued with further modifications to the King James and Revised Versions, including the Revised Standard Version
Revised Standard Version
The Revised Standard Version is an English translation of the Bible published in the mid-20th century. It traces its history to William Tyndale's New Testament translation of 1525. The RSV is an authorized revision of the American Standard Version of 1901...
(1952), the New Revised Standard Version
New Revised Standard Version
The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is an English translation of the Bible released in 1989 in the USA. It is a thorough revision of the Revised Standard Version .There are three editions of the NRSV:...
(1989), and the English Standard Version
English Standard Version
The English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
(2001).
In the late twentieth century, Bibles increasingly appeared that were much less literal in their style. In 1946, the New English Bible
New English Bible
The New English Bible is a translation of the Bible into modern English directly from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts . The New Testament was published in 1961...
was initiated in the United Kingdom, intended to enable readers to better understand the King James Bible. In 1958, J. B. Phillips
John Bertram Phillips
John Bertram Phillips was a Bible translator, writer and clergyman, often referred to as just J. B. Phillips....
(1906–1982) produced an edition of the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
letters in paraphrase, the Letters to Young Churches, so that members of his youth group could understand what the New Testament authors had written. Others followed suit. The Living Bible
The Living Bible
The Living Bible is an English version of the Bible created by Kenneth N. Taylor. It was first published in 1971. Unlike most English Bibles, The Living Bible is a paraphrase. Mr...
, released in 1971, was published by its author Kenneth N. Taylor, based on the literal American Standard Version
American Standard Version
The Revised Version, Standard American Edition of the Bible, more commonly known as the American Standard Version , is a version of the Bible that was released in 1901...
of 1901. Taylor had begun because of the trouble his children had in understanding the literal (and sometimes archaic) text of the King James Bible. His work was at first intended for children, but was later positioned for adults wishing to better understand the Bible. Like Phillips' version, the Living Bible was a dramatic departure from the King James version.
Despite widespread criticism, the popularity of The Living Bible
The Living Bible
The Living Bible is an English version of the Bible created by Kenneth N. Taylor. It was first published in 1971. Unlike most English Bibles, The Living Bible is a paraphrase. Mr...
, itself a paraphrase
Paraphrase
Paraphrase is restatement of a text or passages, using other words. The term "paraphrase" derives via the Latin "paraphrasis" from the Greek , meaning "additional manner of expression". The act of paraphrasing is also called "paraphrasis."...
rather than a translation, created a demand for a new approach to translating the Bible into contemporary English called dynamic equivalence, which attempts to preserve the meaning of the original text in a readable way. Realizing the immense benefits of a Bible that was more easily accessible to the average reader, and responding to the criticisms of the Living Bible, the American Bible Society
American Bible Society
The American Bible Society is an interconfessional, non-denominational, nonprofit organization, founded in 1816 in New York City, which publishes, distributes and translates the Bible and provides study aids and other tools to help people engage with the Bible.It is probably best known for its...
produced the Good News Bible
Good News Bible
The Good News Bible , also called the Good News Translation , is an English language translation of the Bible by the American Bible Society, first published as the New Testament under the name Good News for Modern Man in 1966...
(1976), a new English Bible translation in this more readable style. This translation has gone on to become one of the best selling in history. In 1996, a new revision of Taylor's Living Bible was published. This New Living Translation
New Living Translation
The New Living Translation is a translation of the Bible into modern English. Originally starting out as an effort to revise The Living Bible, the project evolved into a new English translation from Hebrew and Greek texts...
is a full translation from the original languages rather than a paraphrase of the Bible.
Another project aimed to create something in between the very literal translation of the King James Bible and the more informal Good News Bible
Good News Bible
The Good News Bible , also called the Good News Translation , is an English language translation of the Bible by the American Bible Society, first published as the New Testament under the name Good News for Modern Man in 1966...
. The goal of this was to create a Bible that would be scholarly yet not overly formal. The result of this project was the New International Version
New International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
(1978).
The debate between the formal equivalence and dynamic (or 'functional') equivalence translation styles has increased with the introduction of inclusive language
Gender-neutral language
Gender-neutral language, gender-inclusive language, inclusive language, or gender neutrality is linguistic prescriptivism that aims to eliminate reference to gender in terms that describe people...
versions. Various terms are employed to defend or attack this development, such as feminist, gender neutral, or gender accurate. New editions of some previous translations have been updated to take this change in language into account, including the New Revised Standard Version
New Revised Standard Version
The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is an English translation of the Bible released in 1989 in the USA. It is a thorough revision of the Revised Standard Version .There are three editions of the NRSV:...
(1989), the Revised English Bible
Revised English Bible
The Revised English Bible is a 1989 English language translation of the Bible and updates the New English Bible, of 1970. As with its predecessor, it is published by the publishing houses of both Oxford University and Cambridge University....
(1989), and Today's New International Version
Today's New International Version
Today's New International Version is an English translation of the Bible developed by the Committee on Bible Translation. The CBT also developed the New International Version in the 1970s. The TNIV is based on the NIV. It is explicitly Protestant like its predecessor; the deuterocanonical books...
(2005). Some translations have approached the issue more cautiously, such as the English Standard Version
English Standard Version
The English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version...
(2001).
A further process that has assisted in increasing the number of English Bible versions exponentially, is the use of the Internet in producing virtual bibles, of which a growing number are beginning to appear in print – especially given the development of "print on demand
Print on demand
Print on demand , sometimes called, in error, publish on demand, is a printing technology and business process in which new copies of a book are not printed until an order has been received...
".
Today, there is a range of translations ranging from the most literal, such as the Young's Literal Translation
Young's Literal Translation
Young's Literal Translation is a translation of the Bible into English, published in 1862. The translation was made by Robert Young, compiler of Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible and Concise Critical Comments on the New Testament. Young produced a "Revised Version" of the translation in...
to the most free such as The Message
The Message (Bible)
The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language was created by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002. It is an idiomatic translation of the original languages of the Bible.-History:...
and The Word on the Street
The word on the street
the word on the street is a Bible-based book by Rob Lacey that paraphrases key Bible stories using modern language.-Publication:...
.
18th and 19th century translations
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| Challoner's Richard Challoner Richard Challoner was an English Roman Catholic bishop, a leading figure of English Catholicism during the greater part of the 18th century. He is perhaps most famous for his revision of the Douay Rheims translation of the Bible.-Early life:Challoner was born in the Protestant town of Lewes,... revision of the Douay-Rheims Bible |
1752 |
| John Wesley John Wesley John Wesley was a Church of England cleric and Christian theologian. Wesley is largely credited, along with his brother Charles Wesley, as founding the Methodist movement which began when he took to open-air preaching in a similar manner to George Whitefield... , Wesley's New Testament |
1755 |
| Quaker Bible Quaker Bible The Quaker Bible, officially A new and literal translation of all the books of the Old and New Testament; with notes critical and explanatory, is the 1764 translation of the Christian Bible into English by Anthony Purver , a Quaker. The translation was published in two Volumes in London by W.... |
1764 |
| Thomson's Translation Thomson's Translation Charles Thomson's Translation of the Old Covenant is a very rare direct translation of the Greek Septuagint version of the Old Testament into English. The work took 19 years to complete and was originally published in 1808. Thomson is credited with having created the work with little to no help... |
1808 |
| Webster's Revision Webster's Revision Noah Webster's 1833 limited revision of the King James Bible focused mainly on replacing archaic words and making simple grammatical changes. For example: "why" instead of "wherefore", "its" instead of "his" when referring to nonliving things, "male child" instead of "manchild", etc. He also... |
1833 |
| Young's Literal Translation Young's Literal Translation Young's Literal Translation is a translation of the Bible into English, published in 1862. The translation was made by Robert Young, compiler of Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible and Concise Critical Comments on the New Testament. Young produced a "Revised Version" of the translation in... |
1862 |
| Julia E. Smith Parker Translation Julia E. Smith Parker Translation The Julia Evelina Smith Parker Translation is considered the first complete translation of the Bible into English by a woman. The Bible was titled The Holy Bible: Containing the Old and New Testaments; Translated Literally from the Original Tongues.... |
1876 |
| Revised Version Revised Version The Revised Version of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version of 1611. It was the first and remains the only officially authorized and recognized revision of the King James Bible. The work was entrusted to over 50 scholars from various denominations in Britain... |
1885 |
| Darby Bible Darby Bible The Darby Bible refers to the Bible as translated from Hebrew and Greek by John Nelson Darby. Darby published a translation of the New Testament in 1867, with revised editions in 1872 and 1884... |
1890 |
King James Versions and derivatives
The King James VersionKing James Version of the Bible
The Authorized Version, commonly known as the King James Version, King James Bible or KJV, is an English translation of the Christian Bible by the Church of England begun in 1604 and completed in 1611...
of 1611 still has an immense following, and as such there have been a number of different attempts to update or improve upon it. The Revised Version and its derivatives also stem from the King James Version.
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| CKJV | Children's King James Version Jay P. Green Jay P. Green Jay P. Green, Sr. was an ordained minister, Bible translator, publisher, and businessman.Green was born in Ennis, Kentucky. He earned degrees from Washington University in St... |
1960 |
| KJ II | King James II Version of the Bible Jay P. Green Jay P. Green Jay P. Green, Sr. was an ordained minister, Bible translator, publisher, and businessman.Green was born in Ennis, Kentucky. He earned degrees from Washington University in St... |
1971 |
| KJV20 | King James Version—Twentieth Century Edition Jay P. Green Jay P. Green Jay P. Green, Sr. was an ordained minister, Bible translator, publisher, and businessman.Green was born in Ennis, Kentucky. He earned degrees from Washington University in St... |
|
| NKJV | New King James Version New King James Version The New King James Version is a modern translation of the Bible published by Thomas Nelson, Inc. The New Testament was published in 1979. The Psalms in 1980. The full Bible was published in 1982. It took a total of 7 years to complete... |
1982 |
| KJ21 | 21st Century King James Version 21st Century King James Version The 21st Century King James Version is a minor update of the King James Version. However, unlike the New King James Version, it does not alter the language significantly from the 1611 version, retaining Jacobean grammar , but it does attempt to replace some of the vocabulary which no longer would... |
1991 |
| MKJV | Modern King James Version | 1999 |
| AKJV | American King James Version American King James Version The American King James Version is a new English edition of the Holy Bible by Michael Peter Engelbrite, based on the King James Version. It is a simple word for word update from the King James English. Care has been taken to change nothing doctrinally, but to simply update the spelling and... |
1999 |
| KJV2000 | King James 2000 Version | 2000 |
| UKJV | Updated King James Version | 2000 |
| KJVER | King James Version Easy Reading | 2001 |
| HSE | Holy Scriptures in English | 2001 |
| CKJV | Comfort-able King James Version | 2003 |
| NCPB | New Cambridge Paragraph Bible New Cambridge Paragraph Bible The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible with the Apocrypha is a newly edited edition of the King James Version of the Bible published by Cambridge University Press in 2005. This 2005 edition was printed as The Bible in 2006. The editor is David Norton, Reader in English at Victoria University of... |
2005 |
| AV7 | AV7 (New Authorized Version) The New Authorized Version The New Authorized Version in Present-Day English is a version of the New Testament published in 2006... |
2006 |
| AVU | Authorized Version Update | 2006 |
Revised Version and derivatives
The English Revised VersionRevised Version
The Revised Version of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version of 1611. It was the first and remains the only officially authorized and recognized revision of the King James Bible. The work was entrusted to over 50 scholars from various denominations in Britain...
was the first official attempt to update the Authorized (King James) Version. This was adapted in the United States as the American Standard Version
American Standard Version
The Revised Version, Standard American Edition of the Bible, more commonly known as the American Standard Version , is a version of the Bible that was released in 1901...
. The translations and versions that stem from them are shown in date order:
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| RV | (British) Revised Version Revised Version The Revised Version of the Bible is a late 19th-century British revision of the King James Version of 1611. It was the first and remains the only officially authorized and recognized revision of the King James Bible. The work was entrusted to over 50 scholars from various denominations in Britain... |
1881–5 |
| ASV | American Standard Version American Standard Version The Revised Version, Standard American Edition of the Bible, more commonly known as the American Standard Version , is a version of the Bible that was released in 1901... |
1901 |
| RSV | Revised Standard Version Revised Standard Version The Revised Standard Version is an English translation of the Bible published in the mid-20th century. It traces its history to William Tyndale's New Testament translation of 1525. The RSV is an authorized revision of the American Standard Version of 1901... |
1952, 1971 |
| NASB | New American Standard Bible New American Standard Bible The New American Standard Bible , also informally called New American Standard Version , is an English translation of the Bible.... |
1971, 1995 |
| NRSV | New Revised Standard Version New Revised Standard Version The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is an English translation of the Bible released in 1989 in the USA. It is a thorough revision of the Revised Standard Version .There are three editions of the NRSV:... |
1989 |
| ESV | English Standard Version English Standard Version The English Standard Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. It is a revision of the 1971 edition of the Revised Standard Version... |
2001 |
| WEB | World English Bible World English Bible The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997... |
In progress |
New International Version and derivatives
The popular New International VersionNew International Version
The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:...
has appeared in a number of editions.
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| NIV | New International Version New International Version The New International Version is an English translation of the Christian Bible. Published by Zondervan in the United States and by Hodder & Stoughton in the UK, it has become one of the most popular modern translations in history.-History:... |
1978, 1984, 2011 |
| NIrV | New International Reader's Version New International Reader's Version The New International Reader's Version is an English language translation of the Christian Bible. Translated by the International Bible Society on the same philosophy as the New International Version, but written in a simpler form of English, the NIRV seeks to make the Bible more accessible for... |
1996 |
| NIVI | New International Version Inclusive Language Edition (discontinued) | 1996-unknown |
| TNIV | Today's New International Version Today's New International Version Today's New International Version is an English translation of the Bible developed by the Committee on Bible Translation. The CBT also developed the New International Version in the 1970s. The TNIV is based on the NIV. It is explicitly Protestant like its predecessor; the deuterocanonical books... (discontinued) |
2005-2011 |
Dynamic translations and paraphrases
A significant aspect in translations from the latter half of the 20th century was much greater use of the principles of dynamic equivalence.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| TLB | The Living Bible The Living Bible The Living Bible is an English version of the Bible created by Kenneth N. Taylor. It was first published in 1971. Unlike most English Bibles, The Living Bible is a paraphrase. Mr... |
1971 |
| GNT/GNB/TEV | Good News Translation/Good News Bible Good News Bible The Good News Bible , also called the Good News Translation , is an English language translation of the Bible by the American Bible Society, first published as the New Testament under the name Good News for Modern Man in 1966... /Today's English Version |
1976, 1992 |
| CEV | Contemporary English Version Contemporary English Version The Contemporary English Version or CEV is a translation of the Bible into English,published by the American Bible Society... |
1995 |
| GW | God's Word | 1995 |
| NLT | New Living Translation New Living Translation The New Living Translation is a translation of the Bible into modern English. Originally starting out as an effort to revise The Living Bible, the project evolved into a new English translation from Hebrew and Greek texts... |
1996, 2004, 2007 |
| MSG | The Message The Message (Bible) The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language was created by Eugene H. Peterson and published in segments from 1993 to 2002. It is an idiomatic translation of the original languages of the Bible.-History:... |
2002 |
| RNT | Restored New Testament | 2009 |
Internet-based translations
The New English TranslationNew English Translation
The New English Translation is a free, "completely new" on-line English translation of the Bible, " with 60,932 translators’ notes" sponsored by the Biblical Studies Foundation and published by Biblical Studies Press....
(or NET Bible
New English Translation
The New English Translation is a free, "completely new" on-line English translation of the Bible, " with 60,932 translators’ notes" sponsored by the Biblical Studies Foundation and published by Biblical Studies Press....
) is a project to publish a translation of the Bible using the Internet. It is freely available and accompanied by extensive translator's notes. Another Internet based translation (currently only in the planning stages) is The Free Bible. It is a wiki, collaborative project, based on Wikisource. A third is The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible
The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible
The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible is a public domain Bible translation which is being developed through a wiki interface by The Work of God's Children, a nonprofit corporation with 5013 tax-exempt status from the IRS...
, which uses a collaborative Mediawiki
MediaWiki
MediaWiki is a popular free web-based wiki software application. Developed by the Wikimedia Foundation, it is used to run all of its projects, including Wikipedia, Wiktionary and Wikinews. Numerous other wikis around the world also use it to power their websites...
website that interlinks the words of the Bible to articles and image galleries about the topic.
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| NET | New English Translation New English Translation The New English Translation is a free, "completely new" on-line English translation of the Bible, " with 60,932 translators’ notes" sponsored by the Biblical Studies Foundation and published by Biblical Studies Press.... |
2005 |
| TFB | The Free Bible | In planning stage |
| WGCIB | The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible is a public domain Bible translation which is being developed through a wiki interface by The Work of God's Children, a nonprofit corporation with 5013 tax-exempt status from the IRS... |
2010 |
| CBP | Conservative Bible Project | In Progress |
| WEB | World English Bible | In Progress |
Jewish translations
Jewish translations follow the Masoretic TextMasoretic Text
The Masoretic Text is the authoritative Hebrew text of the Jewish Bible and is regarded as Judaism's official version of the Tanakh. While the Masoretic Text defines the books of the Jewish canon, it also defines the precise letter-text of these biblical books, with their vocalization and...
, and are usually published in bilingual editions with the Hebrew text facing the English translation. The translations often reflect traditional Jewish exegesis of the bible. As translations of the Masoretic bible, Jewish translations contain neither the apocrypha
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
nor the Christian New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| JPS | Jewish Publication Society of America Version Jewish Publication Society of America Version The Jewish Publication Society of America Version of the Tanakh was the first Bible translation published by the Jewish Publication Society of America and the first translation of the Tanakh into English by a committee of Jews... |
1917 |
| | Judaica Press Judaica Press Judaica Press is an Orthodox Jewish publishing house founded in New York City in 1963 by S. Goldman, and then taken over by his son Jack Goldman in response to the growing demand for books of scholarship in the English-speaking Jewish world... |
1963 | |
| | Koren Jerusalem Bible Based on a translation by Harold Fisch | 1962 | |
| | The Living Torah The Living Torah and Nach The Living Torah is a 1981 translation of the Torah by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, published by Moznaim publishers. It was and remains a highly popular translation, and was reissued in a Hebrew-English version with haftarot for synagogue use.... by Aryeh Kaplan Aryeh Kaplan Aryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan was a noted American Orthodox rabbi and author known for his "intimate knowledge of both physics and kabbalah." He was lauded as an original thinker and prolific writer, from studies of the Torah, Talmud and mysticism to introductory pamphlets on Jewish beliefs and... The Living Nach The Living Torah and Nach The Living Torah is a 1981 translation of the Torah by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan, published by Moznaim publishers. It was and remains a highly popular translation, and was reissued in a Hebrew-English version with haftarot for synagogue use.... by Yaakov Elman |
19811996 | |
| NJPS | New Jewish Publication Society of America Version New Jewish Publication Society of America Version The JPS TANAKH, published in 1985, is a modern Jewish translation of Hebrew Scripture into English.This translation emerged from the collaborative efforts of an interdenominational team of Jewish scholars and rabbis working together over a thirty-year period... |
1985 |
| Artscroll | Stone Edition (Artscroll ArtScroll ArtScroll is an imprint of translations, books and commentaries from an Orthodox Jewish perspective published by Mesorah Publications, Ltd., a publishing company based in Brooklyn, New York... ) |
1996 |
Messianic translations
Some Bible translations find popular use in, or were prepared especially for, the Messianic JudaismMessianic Judaism
Messianic Judaism is a syncretic religious movement that arose in the 1960s and 70s. It blends evangelical Christian theology with elements of Jewish terminology and ritual....
movement.
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| TS98 | The Scriptures '98 Version | 1993, 1998 |
| CJB | Complete Jewish Bible Complete Jewish Bible The Complete Jewish Bible is an English translation of the Bible by Dr. David H. Stern. It consists of both Stern's revised translation of the Old Testament plus his original "Jewish New Testament" translation in one book. The Old Testament translation is a paraphrase of the 1917 Jewish... (by David H. Stern David H. Stern Dr. David Harold Stern is an Israel-based theologian. He is the third son of Harold Stern and Marion Levi Stern.Stern's major work is the Complete Jewish Bible, his English translation of the Tanakh and New Testament... ) |
1998 |
| | God's New Covenant: A New Testament Translation (by Heinz Cassirer Heinz Cassirer Dr. Heinz W. Cassirer was a Kantian philosopher, the son of a famous German philosopher, Ernst Cassirer. Being Jews, the Cassirer family fled the Nazis in the 1930s. Heinz went to University of Glasgow working with Professor H. J. Paton, who persuaded him to write a book on Kant's third... ) |
1989 | |
| OJB | Orthodox Jewish Bible (by Phillip E Goble) | 2002 |
New English Bible and derivatives
The initiative to create the New English Bible began in 1946, in an attempt to make an entirely new translation of the Bible in modern English.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| NEB | New English Bible New English Bible The New English Bible is a translation of the Bible into modern English directly from the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts . The New Testament was published in 1961... |
1970 |
| REB | Revised English Bible Revised English Bible The Revised English Bible is a 1989 English language translation of the Bible and updates the New English Bible, of 1970. As with its predecessor, it is published by the publishing houses of both Oxford University and Cambridge University.... |
1989 |
Public domain translations
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| WEB | World English Bible World English Bible The World English Bible is a public domain translation of the Bible that is currently in draft form. Work on the World English Bible began in 1997 and was known as the American Standard Version 1997... |
In Progress |
| MASV | Modern American Standard Version | In Progress |
| CPDV | Catholic Public Domain Version | 2009 |
| DRP | David Robert Palmer Translation | In Progress |
| UKJV | Updated King James Version | 2000 |
| TFB | The Free Bible | In Progress |
| WGCIB | The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible is a public domain Bible translation which is being developed through a wiki interface by The Work of God's Children, a nonprofit corporation with 5013 tax-exempt status from the IRS... |
2010 |
Catholic translations
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| DRB | Douay-Rheims Bible | 1582–1610 |
| DRC | Douay-Rheims Bible Challoner Revision | 1752 |
| WVSS | Westminster Version of the Sacred Scriptures | 1913–19351 |
| SPC | Spencer New Testament | 1941 |
| CCD | Confraternity Bible Confraternity Bible Confraternity Bible is a somewhat broad term that refers to any edition of the Catholic Bible translated under the auspices of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine between 1941 and 1969. The Confraternity Bible is known, and appreciated, for the balance it strikes between accessibility and... |
19412 |
| Knox | Knox's Translation of the Vulgate Knox's Translation of the Vulgate The Holy Bible: A Translation From the Latin Vulgate in the Light of the Hebrew and Greek Originals is a Catholic version of the Bible in three volumes translated by Monsignor Ronald Knox, the English theologian, priest, and crime writer. It is more commonly known as the Knox Version... |
1955 |
| KLNT | Kleist-Lilly New Testament | 19563 |
| JB | Jerusalem Bible Jerusalem Bible The Jerusalem Bible is a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible which first was introduced to the English-speaking public in 1966 and published by Darton, Longman & Todd... |
1966 |
| RSV-CE | Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition The Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition is an adaptation of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible for use by Catholics... |
1965–664 |
| NAB | New American Bible New American Bible The New American Bible is a Catholic Bible translation first published in 1970. It had its beginnings in the Confraternity Bible, which began to be translated from the original languages in 1948.... |
1970 |
| TLB-CE | The Living Bible - Catholic Edition | 1971 |
| NJB | New Jerusalem Bible New Jerusalem Bible The New Jerusalem Bible is a Roman Catholic translation of the Bible published in 1985 by Darton, Longman & Todd and Les Editions du Cerf, and edited by the Reverend Henry Wansbrough.- Contents :... |
1985 |
| CCB | Christian Community Bible Christian Community Bible The Christian Community Bible refers to a family of translations of the Christian Bible intended to be more accessible to ordinary readers, particularly those in Third World countries... |
1986 |
| NRSV-CE | New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition The New Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition is a translation of the Bible adapted for the use of Catholics with the approval of the Catholic Church. It contains all the canonical books of Scripture accepted by the Catholic Church arranged in the traditional Catholic order... |
1989 |
| CPDV | Catholic Public Domain Version | 2009 |
| WGCIB | The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible The Work of God's Children Illustrated Bible is a public domain Bible translation which is being developed through a wiki interface by The Work of God's Children, a nonprofit corporation with 5013 tax-exempt status from the IRS... |
2010 |
| NABRE | New American Bible Revised Edition New American Bible Revised Edition The New American Bible Revised Edition is the first major update to the New American Bible text in over 20 years. A Catholic bible translation, the New American Bible was first published in its entirety in 1970, sponsored by Confraternity of Christian Doctrine.Revisions to the New Testament, the... |
2011 |
1Released in parts between 1913–1935 with copious study and textual notes. The New Testament with condensed notes was released in 1936 as one volume.
2NT released in 1941. The OT contained material from the Challoner Revision until the entire OT was completed in 1969.
3New Testament only; Gospels by James Kleist
James Kleist
James Aloysius Kleist S.J. was a German-born American Jesuit scholar of Koine Greek and patristic literature.He attended school in Gleiwitz, then Beuthen, and in 1892 entered the Society of Jesus at Blyenbeck, then emigrated to America...
, rest by Joseph Lilly
Joseph Lilly
Joseph L. Lilly C.M. was an American Lazarite-Vincentian priest and patristic scholar. He was one of the first editors of The Vincentian in 1923.In the 1950s Lilly became involved with the Vincentian Motor Missions.-Works:* J. L...
.
4Second Catholic Edition released 2006.
Sacred Name translations
These Sacred Name BiblesSacred name Bibles
The term Sacred Name Bibles and the term sacred-name versions are used in general sources to refer to editions of the Bible that are usually connected with the Sacred Name Movement...
were all done with the specific aim of carrying into English the actual Name of God as they were in the originals. Most have been done by people from the Sacred Name Movement
Sacred Name Movement
The Sacred Name Movement is a movement within Adventism in Christianity, propagated by Clarence Orvil Dodd from the 1930s, that claims to seek to conform Christianity to its "Hebrew Roots" in practice, belief and worship. The best known distinction of the SNM is its advocacy of the use of the...
. They are distinguished by their policy of transliterating Hebrew-based forms for sacred names, such as "Yahweh", "YHWH", etc.
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| ERB | Rotherham's Emphasized Bible Emphasized Bible Rotherham's Emphasized Bible is a translation of the Bible that uses various methods, such as "emphatic idiom" and special diacritical marks, to bring out nuances of the underlying Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts... |
1902 |
| SNB | Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible | 1976 |
| HNB | Holy Name Bible | 1963 |
| SSBE | Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition is a Sacred Name Bible which uses the names Yahweh and Yahshua in both the Old and New Testaments . It was produced by Jacob O. Meyer, based on the American Standard Version of 1901 and it contains over 977 pages. The Assemblies of Yahweh printed 5,500 copies... |
1981 |
| SN-KJ | Sacred Name King James Bible | 2005 |
| SSFOY | Sacred Scriptures, Family of Yah Edition | 2000 |
| TWOY | The Word of Yahweh | 2003 |
| TS98 | The Scriptures '98 Version | 1993, 1998 |
| HRV | Hebraic-Roots Version | 2004 |
| TB | The Besorah (a plagiarized copy of The Scriptures 1998) | 2008 |
| TBE | Transparent English Bible | In progress |
Septuagint translations
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Charles Thomson's The Holy Bible, Containing The Old And New Covenant, Commonly Called The Old And New Testament: Translated From The Greek | 1808 | |
| Brenton's English Translation of the Septuagint Brenton's English Translation of the Septuagint This version of the Old Testament was a translation of the Septuagint by Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brenton and published by Samuel Bagster & Sons, Ltd., London, in 1844.- External links :*http://www.ccel.org/bible/brenton/*http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/ioscs/brenton/... |
1851 | |
| ABP | Apostolic Bible Polyglot Apostolic Bible Polyglot The Apostolic Bible Polyglot , originally published in 2003 is a Bible translation by Charles VanderPool. The ABP is an English translation with a Greek interlinear gloss and is keyed to a concordance. The numbering system, called "AB-Strong's", is a modified version of Strong's concordance... |
2003 |
| AB | The Apostles' Bible | 2004 |
| OSB | Orthodox Study Bible Orthodox Study Bible (Eastern Orthodox) The Orthodox Study Bible is an English-language translation and annotation of the Christian Bible, published by Thomas Nelson. In addition to the Eastern Orthodox Christian biblical canon, it offers commentary and other material to show the Eastern Orthodox Christian understanding of... |
2007 |
| NETS | New English Translation of the Septuagint New English Translation of the Septuagint The New English Translation of the Septuagint and the Other Greek Translations Traditionally Included under That Title is a modern translation of the scriptures used by Greek-speaking Christians and Jews of antiquity. The translation was sponsored by the International Organization for Septuagint... |
2007 |
| EOB | Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible is an English language edition of the Bible published and controlled by Greek Orthodox Christians with limited copyright control and within a collaborative framework. It has not yet been published.-Textual basis:... |
In progress |
HOB Holy Orthodox Bible
Simplified English Bibles
There have been a number of attempts to produce a Bible that greatly simplifies the English. (Some of these versions are also listed in other categories: for example, the NIrV is also found under the NIV section). These are translations that are not necessarily a very dynamic translation, but go beyond simply everyday English into a restricted vocabulary set, often aimed at non-native speakers of English.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| BBE | Bible in Basic English Bible in Basic English The Bible In Basic English is a translation of the Bible into Basic English. The BBE was translated by Professor S. H. Hooke using the standard 850 Basic English words. 100 words that were helpful to understand poetry were added along with 50 "Bible" words for a total of 1,000 words total... |
1949 |
| BWE | Bible in Worldwide English Bible in Worldwide English The Bible in Worldwide English is a New Testament Bible in easy-to-read English. This New Testament was originally prepared by Annie Cressman, who died in 1993. She was a Canadian Bible teacher in Liberia in West Africa... [New Testament only] |
1969 |
| NLV | New Life Version New Life Version The New Life Version of the Bible is a simplified English language translation by Gleason and Kathryn Ledyard.The translation was born out of the Ledyards' missionary work in the Canadian Arctic to First Nations populations, who did not always speak English fluently. The NLV uses a limited... (Gleason Ledyard) |
1986 |
| SEB | Simple English Bible Simple English Bible The Simple English Bible was an attempt to present the Bible in easy to understand, modern English. It was translated by International Bible Translators and the Bible Translation Committee included F. Wilbur Gingrich, Jack P. Lewis, Hugo McCord, Clyde M. Woods, S. T. Kang, Gary T. Burke, and Milo... (Dr Stanley Morris) |
1980 |
| ERV | Easy-to-Read Version Easy-to-Read Version The Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version is an English translation of the Bible done by the World Bible Translation Center. It was originally published as the English Version for the Deaf by BakerBooks.... (previously English Version for the Deaf) |
1989 |
| NCV | New Century Version New Century Version The New Century Version of the Bible is a revision of the International Children's Bible. The ICB was aimed at young readers and those with low reading skills/limited vocabulary in English. It is written at a 3rd grade level and is both conservative and evangelical in tone. The New Testament was... |
1991 |
| NIrV | New International Reader's Version New International Reader's Version The New International Reader's Version is an English language translation of the Christian Bible. Translated by the International Bible Society on the same philosophy as the New International Version, but written in a simpler form of English, the NIRV seeks to make the Bible more accessible for... |
1998 |
| EEB | EasyEnglish Bible | 2001+ |
Translations exclusively published by Jehovah's Witnesses
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| NWT | New World Translation | 1950 |
Translations exclusively published by the Latter Day Saints movement
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| JST | Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible The Joseph Smith Translation , also called the Inspired Version , was a revision of the Bible by Joseph Smith, the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. Smith considered this work to be "a branch of his calling" as a prophet. Smith was murdered before he ever deemed it complete, though most of... |
1830 |
Adaptive retellings
Some versions have been labelled "adaptive retelling" as they take many liberties with the form of the text.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Black Bible Chronicles Black Bible Chronicles Black Bible Chronicles is a two-volume set of "adaptive retelling" of the Bible. Black Bible Chronicles: From Genesis to the Promised Land is a 190-page "interpretation" of the Pentateuch. Book 2, titled Rappin' With Jesus: The Good News According to the Four Brothers, was released a year later... |
1993, 1994 | |
| The Cotton Patch version (various portions of the New Testament done by Clarence Jordan Clarence Jordan Clarence Jordan , a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, was the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest Georgia and the author of the Cotton Patch translations of the New Testament. He was also instrumental in the founding of Habitat for Humanity... ) |
||
| The Aussie Bible; also More Aussie Bible by Kel Richards Kel Richards Kevin Barry "Kel" Richards is an Australian author, journalist and radio personality.Richards has written a series of crime novels and thrillers for adult readers which includes The Case of the Vanishing Corpse, Death in Egypt and An Outbreak of Darkness.Richards presented ABC NewsRadio's weekend... |
2003 | |
Other translations
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Fenton | The Holy Bible In Modern English Ferrar Fenton Bible The Holy Bible in Modern English, commonly known as the Ferrar Fenton Bible, was one of the earliest translations of the Bible into "modern English" .-Origins:... (by Ferrar Fenton) |
1903 |
| MNT | A New Translation Moffatt, New Translation Moffatt, New Translation is an abbreviation of the title, "The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments, a New Translation" by James Moffatt.... (by James Moffatt James Moffatt James Moffatt was a theologian and graduate of Glasgow University.Moffatt trained at the Free Church College, Glasgow, and was a practising minister before becoming Professor of Greek and New Testament Exegesis at Mansfield College, Oxford in 1911. He returned to Glasgow in 1915 as Professor of... ) |
1926 |
| Lamsa | Lamsa Bible Lamsa Bible Formally titled The Holy Bible from Ancient Eastern Manuscripts, the Lamsa Bible first appeared in 1933... (by George Lamsa George Lamsa George M. Lamsa was an Assyrian author. He was born in Mar Bishu in what is now the extreme east of Turkey. A native Aramaic speaker, he translated the Aramaic Peshitta Old and New Testaments into English.-History and views:Lamsa was a member of the Assyrian Church of the East... ) |
1933 |
| AAT | An American Translation An American Translation The Bible, An American Translation consists of The Old Testament translated by a group of scholars under the editorship of J.M. Powis Smith, and The New Testament translated by Edgar J... (by Smith and Goodspeed Edgar J. Goodspeed Edgar Johnson Goodspeed was an American liberal theologian and scholar of Greek and the New Testament. He taught for many years at the University of Chicago, whose collection of New Testament manuscripts he enriched by his searches... ) |
1935 |
| BV | Berkeley Version Berkeley Version In 1945, years before the NIV, Zondervan published a new translation of a New Testament called The Berkeley Version. It would later expanded to the entire Bible, and eventually receive a name change: The Modern Language Bible: The New Berkeley Version in Modern English.According to... |
1958 |
| AMP | Amplified Bible Amplified Bible The Amplified Bible is an English translation of the Bible produced jointly by The Zondervan Corporation and The Lockman Foundation. The first edition was published in 1965. It is largely a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901, with reference made to various texts in the original... |
1965 |
| Knoch | Concordant Literal Version Concordant Literal Version The Concordant Version is an English translation of the Bible compiled by the Concordant Publishing Concern , which was founded by Adolph Ernst Knoch in 1909. The principal works of the CPC are the Concordant Literal New Testament with Keyword Concordance and the Concordant Version of the Old... (by Adolph Ernst Knoch Adolph Ernst Knoch Adolph Ernst Knoch was the author of numerous theological writings and a Bible publisher.Knoch founded the Concordant Publishing Concern and the Concordant Version of the Bible.-Life:... ) |
1966 |
| MLB | The Modern Language Bible Modern Language Bible The Modern Language Bible carries the subtitle, The New Berkeley Version in Modern English; however, only the New Testament was revised.According to the preface: Approximately twenty-five years have passed since The Berkeley New Testament first appeared in 1945. During this quarter century, the... (New Berkeley Version) |
1969 |
| TSB | The Story Bible The Story Bible The Story Bible is a fiction book by Pearl S. Buck summarizing the whole Bible in two separate volumes: Vol. 1, The Old Testament, and Vol. 2, The New Testament, while particularly emphasizing literal elements and fables. It is described as a paraphrase.... |
1971 |
| BECK | An American Translation Beck's American Translation Beck's American Translation is an abbreviated version of "The Holy Bible: An American Translation" by William F. Beck... (by William F. Beck William F. Beck William F. Beck was a Lutheran minister and translator of the Bible.-Works:* New Testament * Old Testament draft completed by Elmer Smick and Erich Kiehl. Published together with the New Testament as "An American Translation" 1976.* The Bible - Second edition revised by Dr. Phillip B.... ) |
1976 |
| LITV | Green's Literal Translation Green's Literal Translation Green's Literal Translation is a formal equivalence translation of the Christian Bible by Jay P. Green, Sr. First published in 1985, it became integrated into the 1986 edition of his Hebrew-English-Greek work called "The Interlinear Bible".... (by Jay P. Green Jay P. Green Jay P. Green, Sr. was an ordained minister, Bible translator, publisher, and businessman.Green was born in Ennis, Kentucky. He earned degrees from Washington University in St... ) |
1985 |
| The Clear Word The Clear Word The Clear Word, originally published in March 1994 as the Clear Word Bible, is an English-language "devotional paraphrase of the Bible expanded for clarity"... (Seventh-day Adventist paraphrase) |
1994 | |
| Anointed Standard Version | 1995 | |
| CJB | Complete Jewish Bible Complete Jewish Bible The Complete Jewish Bible is an English translation of the Bible by Dr. David H. Stern. It consists of both Stern's revised translation of the Old Testament plus his original "Jewish New Testament" translation in one book. The Old Testament translation is a paraphrase of the 1917 Jewish... |
1998 |
| TMB | Third Millennium Bible Third Millennium Bible The Third Millennium Bible , also known as the New Authorized Version, is a 1998 minor update of the King James Version of the Bible... |
1998 |
| RcV | Recovery Version Recovery Version of the Bible The Recovery Version is a study Bible published by Living Stream Ministry, used primarily in the Local churches.The primary translation of the Recovery Version is in English, and there are also partial and complete editions in other languages, including Chinese , Indonesian , Spanish , Portuguese ,... (Living Stream Ministry Living Stream Ministry Living Stream Ministry , founded in 1968 by Witness Lee, is a non-profit corporation based in Anaheim, California, within the Local churches... ) |
1999 |
| ABP | Apostolic Bible Polyglot Apostolic Bible Polyglot The Apostolic Bible Polyglot , originally published in 2003 is a Bible translation by Charles VanderPool. The ABP is an English translation with a Greek interlinear gloss and is keyed to a concordance. The numbering system, called "AB-Strong's", is a modified version of Strong's concordance... |
2003 |
| VW | A Voice In The Wilderness Holy Scriptures | 2003 |
| AB | The Apostles' Bible | 2004 |
| HCSB | Holman Christian Standard Bible Holman Christian Standard Bible The Holman Christian Standard Bible is a modern English Bible translation from Holman Bible Publishers. The first full edition was completed in March 2004, with the New Testament alone having been previously published in 1999.- Beginnings :... |
2004 |
| CAB | The Complete Apostles' Bible | 2005 |
| ACV | A Conservative Version (NT only in print OT & NT Internet versions) | 2005 |
| NEV | New European Version (NT only in print OT & NT Internet versions) | 2011 |
| NJV | The New Jubilees Version (The Beloved and I: The Sacred Scriptures in English Verse, McElwain) | 2005+ |
| ARTB | Ancient Roots Translinear Bible (Old Testament Only) | 2006 |
| The Literary Bible (by David Rosenberg)(Old Testament Only) | 2009 | |
| CEB | Common English Bible Common english bible The Common English Bible is an English translation of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, including the deuterocanonical books or apocrypha included in Catholic Church and Orthodox Church canons. The English used is intended to be at "a comfortable level for over half of all English readers,"... (expected to be complete in 2011) |
In progress |
| MGB | The Manga Bible | In progress |
| TEB | Transparent English Bible | In progress |
| ISV | International Standard Version International Standard Version The International Standard Version is a new English translation of the Bible for which the New Testament has been published and the Old Testament is being translated.-The Project:... |
In progress |
| Jubilee2000 | English Jubilee 2000 Bible | |
| Murdock | James Murdock's Translation of the Syriac Peshitta | |
| EOB | Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible is an English language edition of the Bible published and controlled by Greek Orthodox Christians with limited copyright control and within a collaborative framework. It has not yet been published.-Textual basis:... |
In progress |
New Testament
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Jefferson Bible Jefferson Bible The Jefferson Bible, or The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth as it is formally titled, was Thomas Jefferson's effort to extract the doctrine of Jesus by removing sections of the New Testament containing supernatural aspects as well as perceived misinterpretations he believed had been added by... , or The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, by Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence and the Statute of Virginia for Religious Freedom , the third President of the United States and founder of the University of Virginia... |
1895 | |
| The Epistles of Paul in Modern English (includes Hebrews), by George Barker Stevens | 1898 | |
| The Twentieth Century New Testament | 1902 | |
| Weymouth New Testament Weymouth New Testament The Weymouth New Testament , otherwise known as The New Testament in Modern Speech or The Modern Speech New Testament, is a translation into "modern" English as used in the nineteenth century from the text of The Resultant Greek Testament by Richard Francis Weymouth from the Greek idioms used in it... (New Testament in Modern Speech) |
1903 | |
| Centenary New Testament (by Helen Barrett Montgomery Helen Barrett Montgomery Helen Barrett Montgomery was an American social reformer, educator and writer. In 1921 she was elected as the first woman president of the Northern Baptist Convention . She had long been a delegate to the Convention and a policymaker... ) |
1924 | |
| The Four Gospels, by E. V. Rieu E. V. Rieu Emile Victor Rieu CBE was a classicist, publisher and poet, best known for his lucid translations of Homer, as editor of Penguin Classics, and for a modern translation of the four Gospels which evolved from his role as editor of a projected Penguin translation of the Bible... , Penguin |
1952 | |
| The Authentic New Testament, by Hugh J. Schonfield Hugh J. Schonfield Hugh Joseph Schonfield was a British Bible scholar specializing in the New Testament and the early development of the Christian religion and church. He was born in London, and educated there at St Paul's School and King's College, doing postgraduate religious studies in Glasgow, Doctor of Sacred... |
1955 | |
| Phi / PME | Phillips New Testament in Modern English Phillips New Testament in Modern English The Phillips New Testament in Modern English is an English translation of the New Testament of the Bible translated by Anglican clergyman J. B. Phillips. While the translation is not well known it has many ardent fans including Os Guinness, Chuck Swindoll, and the late Ray Stedman. Corrie ten... and Four Prophets Four Prophets Four Prophets is a modern translation from Hebrew sources of the books of Amos, Hosea, First Isaiah and Micah by scholar J. B. Phillips. Phillips also translated The New Testament in Modern English. The remainder of the Old Testament was never completed.... (by J. B. Phillips) |
1958 |
| The Simplified New Testament, by Olaf M. Norlie Olaf M. Norlie Olaf Morgan Norlie , also referred to as O. M. Norlie, was a Lutheran minister, educator and scholar. He was a prolific author who is most remembered as the translator of the Simplified New Testament.-Background:... |
1961 | |
| WET | Wuest Expanded Translation Wuest Expanded Translation The Wuest Expanded Translation is a literal New Testament translation that follows the word order in the Greek quite strictly.For example, John 1:1–3 reads:-External links:**... (by Kenneth Wuest Kenneth Wuest Kenneth Samuel Wuest was a noted New Testament Greek scholar of the mid-Twentieth century. He is sometimes referred to as Dr. Kenneth Wuest, though it is unclear if this title refers to an earned Ph.D.... ) |
1961 |
| The New Testament: a New Translation, by William Barclay William Barclay William Barclay may refer to:*William Barclay , Scottish jurist in the 16th and early 17th centuries*William Barclay *William Barclay *William Barclay , 20th century theologian and writer of Bible commentaries... |
1968 | |
| TransLine, by Michael Magill | 2002 | |
| CPG | Cotton Patch Gospel Clarence Jordan Clarence Jordan , a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, was the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest Georgia and the author of the Cotton Patch translations of the New Testament. He was also instrumental in the founding of Habitat for Humanity... by Clarence Jordan Clarence Jordan Clarence Jordan , a farmer and New Testament Greek scholar, was the founder of Koinonia Farm, a small but influential religious community in southwest Georgia and the author of the Cotton Patch translations of the New Testament. He was also instrumental in the founding of Habitat for Humanity... |
1968–1973 (4 vols) |
| The Four Gospels, by Norman Marrow, ISBN 0-9505565-0-5 | 1977 | |
| The Original New Testament, by Hugh J. Schonfield Hugh J. Schonfield Hugh Joseph Schonfield was a British Bible scholar specializing in the New Testament and the early development of the Christian religion and church. He was born in London, and educated there at St Paul's School and King's College, doing postgraduate religious studies in Glasgow, Doctor of Sacred... , ISBN 0-947752-20-X |
1985 | |
| int-E | The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures by The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society | 1985 |
| McCord's New Testament Translation of the Everlasting Gospel by Hugo McCord Hugo McCord Hugo McCord was a preacher and biblical scholar within the Churches of Christ in America. He produced his own translation of the New Testament , titled The Everlasting Gospel, which he affectionately called the Freed-Hardeman Version .McCord attended a number of schools: Freed-Hardeman College ,... |
1988 | |
| A Fresh Parenthetical Version of the New Testament by B. E. Junkins ISBN 0761823972 | 2002 | |
| God's New Covenant: A New Testament Translation God's New Covenant: A New Testament Translation God's New Covenant: A New Testament Translation is a modern English translation of the New Testament Greek Scriptures. It was translated and edited by German-Jewish Christian writer and philosopher Heinrich Walter Cassirer... by Heinz Cassirer Heinz Cassirer Dr. Heinz W. Cassirer was a Kantian philosopher, the son of a famous German philosopher, Ernst Cassirer. Being Jews, the Cassirer family fled the Nazis in the 1930s. Heinz went to University of Glasgow working with Professor H. J. Paton, who persuaded him to write a book on Kant's third... , ISBN 0-8028-3673-9 |
1989 | |
| Jewish New Testament, by David H. Stern David H. Stern Dr. David Harold Stern is an Israel-based theologian. He is the third son of Harold Stern and Marion Levi Stern.Stern's major work is the Complete Jewish Bible, his English translation of the Tanakh and New Testament... |
1989 | |
| Gaus | The Unvarnished New Testament Unvarnished New Testament The Unvarnished New Testament was translated by Andy Gaus as an attempt to produce a translation of the New Testament that was simpler and more straightforward than most Modern English Bible translations... by Andy Gaus |
1991 |
| The New Testament, by Richmond Lattimore Richmond Lattimore Richmond Alexander Lattimore was an American poet and translator known for his translations of the Greek classics, especially his versions of the Iliad and Odyssey, which are generally considered as among the best English translations available.Born to David and Margaret Barnes Lattimore in... , ISBN 0-460 87953 7 |
1996 | |
| TCE | The Common Edition New Testament The Common Edition New Testament - Overview :The Common Edition New Testament 1999, is a standardized edition made to reflect the common word and punctuation choices of translations most frequently used in English speaking churches. As stated in its introduction, the purpose is a text that can be publicly read before audiences... |
1999 |
| COM | The Comprehensive New Testament | 2008 |
| ALT | Analytical-Literal Translation | 1999? |
| A New Accurate Translation of the Greek New Testament, by Julian G. Anderson ISBN 0-960-21284-1 | 1984 | |
| The Voice ISBN 1418534390 | 2008 | |
| JNT | Jewish New Testament by David H. Stern | 1989 |
| The Source New Testament With Extensive Notes on Greek Word Meaning, by Dr A. Nyland ISBN 0980443008 | 2004 | |
| The Last Days New Testament, Ray W. Johnson | 1999 | |
| The Kingdom New Testament: A Contemporary Translation, N T Wright | 2011 | |
Hebrew Bible
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| The Wisdom Books in Modern Speech (Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Lamentations, and Song of Songs), John Edgar McFadyen John Edgar McFadyen John Edgar McFadyen B. A. , M. A., D. D. a Scottish theologian, was professor of language, literature and Old Testament theology in the University of Glasgow. He was born in Glasgow and died in 1933.... |
1917 |
| Four Prophets (Amos, Hosea, Micah, Isaiah), J.B. Phillips | 1963 |
| Job Speaks (Job), David Rosenberg | 1977 |
| The Book of J (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Deuteronomy), Harold Bloom Harold Bloom Harold Bloom is an American writer and literary critic, and is Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University. He is known for his defense of 19th-century Romantic poets, his unique and controversial theories of poetic influence, and his prodigious literary output, particularly for a literary... and David Rosenberg |
1990 |
| A Poet's Bible A Poet's Bible A Poet's Bible: Rediscovering The Voices of the Original Text is a 1991 partial translation of the Old Testament of the Hebrew Bible, and some related apocrypha, into English, by David Rosenberg... (Psalms, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Maccabees, Job, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, Jonah, Ruth, Esther, Judith, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah), David Rosenberg |
1991 |
| The Book of Job, Stephen Mitchell | 1992 |
| The Five Books of Moses, Everett Fox Everett Fox Everett Fox is a scholar and translator of the Hebrew Bible, a graduate of Brandeis University. He is currently the Allen M. Glick Professor of Judaic and Biblical Studies and director of the program in Jewish Studies at Clark University.... |
1995 |
| The Lost Book of Paradise: Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis and related apocrypha), David Rosenberg | 1995 |
| Genesis, Stephen Mitchell | 1996 |
| The Book of David (2 Samuel), David Rosenberg | 1998 |
| Give us a King! (1, 2 Samuel), Everett Fox Everett Fox Everett Fox is a scholar and translator of the Hebrew Bible, a graduate of Brandeis University. He is currently the Allen M. Glick Professor of Judaic and Biblical Studies and director of the program in Jewish Studies at Clark University.... |
1999 |
| The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, Martin Abegg, Peter Flint, Eugene Ulrich Eugene Ulrich Doctor Eugene Charles Ulrich is the John A. O'Brien Professor of Hebrew Scripture and Theology in the Department of Theology at the University of Notre Dame. He is Chief Editor of the Biblical texts of the Dead Sea Scrolls and one of the three General Editors of the Scrolls International... |
1999 |
| The David Story (1, 2 Samuel), Robert Alter Robert Alter Robert Bernard Alter is an American professor of Hebrew language and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967.-Biography:... |
2000 |
| The Five Books of Moses, Robert Alter Robert Alter Robert Bernard Alter is an American professor of Hebrew language and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967.-Biography:... |
2004 |
| The Bible with Sources Revealed The Bible with Sources Revealed The Bible with Sources Revealed is a book by American biblical scholar Richard Elliott Friedman dealing with the process by which the five books of the Torah came to be written... , Richard Elliott Friedman Richard Elliott Friedman Richard Elliott Friedman is a biblical scholar and the Ann and Jay Davis Professor of Jewish Studies at the University of Georgia. He joined the faculty of the UGA Religion Department in 2006. Prior to his appointment there, he was the Katzin Professor of Jewish Civilization: Hebrew Bible; Near... |
2005 |
| The Book of Psalms, Robert Alter Robert Alter Robert Bernard Alter is an American professor of Hebrew language and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967.-Biography:... |
2007 |
See also
- Bible translationsBible translationsThe Bible has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Indeed, the full Bible has been translated into over 450 languages, although sections of the Bible have been translated into over 2,000 languages....
- for a view of translation into languages other than English. - Bible errataBible errataThroughout history, printers' errors and peculiar translations have appeared in Bibles published throughout the world.-Manuscript Bibles:-The Book of Kells, circa 800:...
- List of English Bible translations
- Jewish English Bible translationsJewish English Bible translationsJewish English Bible translations are English translations of the Tanakh according to the masoretic text, in the traditional division and order of Torah, Nevi'im, and Ketuvim...
- Bible version debateBible version debateThere have been various debates concerning the proper medium and translation of the Bible since the first translations of the Hebrew Bible into Greek and Aramaic...
- List of Bible verses not included in modern translations
External links
- The Gender-Neutral Bible Controversy
- Translations of the Bible Into English
- An extensive list of English translations
- OSIS User Manual Appendix D provides standard abbreviations for many translations.