God's Word: Text Edition / God's Word / Burgundy Bonded Leather

Rating:
Summary: Clarity is its strength
Review: I have enjoyed reading this translation of the Bible. Its greatest strength as a translation is its clarity. The translators have used a "closest natural equivalent translation" approach. This means that they have tried to translate the meaning of phrases into 21st century English. Their greatest achievement is to make smaller, more manageable sentences, instead of following Greek and Hebrew syntax. As for gender language, when referring to a generic person, the translators have preferred to use "person" with a generic "he." For example, Psalm 1 reads: "Blessed is the person...he is like a tree..." This is more clear than the NRSV's plurals, but more precise (and sensitive) than using "man." The translators also tried to explain theological terms rather than using big words (for example, "have God's approval" instead of "justified"). This works on the whole. My only exception would be their substitution for being raised up (when referring to the resurrection). Luke 18:33b reads: "But on the third day he will come back to life." I believe this does not quite adequately express the idea of being resurrected. Overall, this is a great translation. It is more readable than some translations (even the NIV), but more accurate than others (the NLT). Recommended especially for newcomers and younger readers.

Rating:
Summary: Clarity is its strength
Review: I have enjoyed reading this translation of the Bible. Its greatest strength as a translation is its clarity. The translators have used a "closest natural equivalent translation" approach. This means that they have tried to translate the meaning of phrases into 21st century English. Their greatest achievement is to make smaller, more manageable sentences, instead of following Greek and Hebrew syntax. As for gender language, when referring to a generic person, the translators have preferred to use "person" with a generic "he." For example, Psalm 1 reads: "Blessed is the person...he is like a tree..." This is more clear than the NRSV's plurals, but more precise (and sensitive) than using "man." The translators also tried to explain theological terms rather than using big words (for example, "have God's approval" instead of "justified"). This works on the whole. My only exception would be their substitution for being raised up (when referring to the resurrection). Luke 18:33b reads: "But on the third day he will come back to life." I believe this does not quite adequately express the idea of being resurrected. Overall, this is a great translation. It is more readable than some translations (even the NIV), but more accurate than others (the NLT). Recommended especially for newcomers and younger readers.