My 4th Bible

Not long ago I completed my fourth reading of the Bible. The translation I read this time was a version of the Contemporary English Vervsion (CEV) which I had been given in 1997 at the ELCA Lutheran National Youth Gathering in New Orleans. The picture accompanying this post is not the same cover as my Bible, but I think it is the same text.

All four that I've read are fairly common protestant translations that have had either the official or tacit endorsement of the ELCA church I grew up in. However, one can still notice differences when comparing reading experiences. According to the translators of this version, it was designed primarily to be read aloud, and thus uses simple language and relatively short sentences. There's not much in the way of footnotes, except the very basic notes on alterative translations. There is nothing in the text to indicate a footnote and the reader has to guess about when the read them.

For someone hoping to get a real learning experience out a Bible--including historical, cultural, and political context--I can't say I would much recommend this version. It's very bare bones--exactly the type of thing you might imagine is being given away at a Lutheran national youth gathering. In this case, you get what you pay for.