GW - 1995
God's Word
(Today's Bible Translation)
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This translation, which is the work of God's Word to theNations Bible Society, fills the need to communicate clearly to contemporaryAmericans without compromising the Bible's message. It employed full-timeBible scholars and full-time English editorial reviewers. It uses naturalgrammar, follows standard punctuation and capitalization rules, and isprinted in a single column.

The theory followed by the Bible Society's translatorsis closest natural equivalent translation. The first consideration wasto find equivalent English ways of expressing the meaning of the originaltext. The second consideration was readability. The third considerationwas to choose the natural equivalent that most clearly reflects the styleof the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek text.

In prose, this translation looks like other works of literature.Poetry is instantly recognized by its format. It capitalizes the firstletter in proper nouns and sentences and in all letters of the word LORDwhen it represents Yahweh. It does not capitalize any pronouns(except I and unless they begin sentences). In passages that applyto all people, it tries to use gender-neutral language so that all readerswill apply these passages to themselves. If a passage focuses upon an individual,it does not use plural nouns and pronouns to avoid the gender-specificpronouns he, him, and his. It avoids using difficult theologicalterms, substituting words that carry the same meaning in common English.However, some traditional theological words are contained in footnotesthe first time they occur in a chapter.

World Publishing (1995)

[Tyndale House, Cambridge, UnitedKingdom]

Genesis1: 1, 2

In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earthwas formless and empty, and darkness covered the water. The Spirit of Godwas hovering over the water.

 
 

John1: 1 - 3

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word waswith God, and the Word was God. He was already with God in the beginning.Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists wasmade without him.

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