The Bible in Living English
| The Bible in Living English | |
|---|---|
| Full name | The Bible in Living English |
| Abbreviation | By |
| Complete Bible published | 1972 |
| Copyright | Copyright 1972 Watchtower Society |
|
At the beginning of God's creating the heavens and the earth the earth was a blank chaos, and there was darkness over the surface of the deep; and God's Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters. And God said "Let there be light," and there was light. For God so loved the world that he gave his only son that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life. | |
The Bible in Living English is a translation of the Bible by Steven T. Byington. He translated the Bible on his own for about 45 years from 1898 to 1943 but was unable to have it published during his lifetime. After he died in 1957, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society acquired the publication rights, but the translation was not published until 1972.[1]
A notable characteristic of this translation was the use of God's name, which Byington translated Jehovah in the Old Testament. Byington states in his preface: “The spelling and the pronunciation are not highly important. What is highly important is to keep it clear that this is a personal name. There are several texts that cannot be properly understood if we translate this name by a common noun like Lord, or, much worse, by a substantivized adjective”.
References
- ↑ Paul, William (2003), English Language Bible Translators, Jefferson, NC and London: McFarland and Company, p. 42
External links
- The Bible in Living English Translated by Steven T. Byington
- holybible.com - Jehovah's Witnesses Versions
- Jehovah's Witnesses official website - God's Name and Bible Translators at the Wayback Machine (archived July 17, 2011)
- Ballard Vale United Church - Steven T. Byington biographical information at the Wayback Machine (archived September 29, 2007)