Released 25 years ago, the still successful The Living Bible now has 40 million copies in print, but Tyndale House Publishers hopes that the New Living Translation will bridge "the gap between Bible study and life in the '90s." It does, for two reasons.
The NLT is an actual translation based on dynamic equivalence, striving for the balance between accuracy and the same evocative power as the original. The Living Bible is a paraphrase. While accurate in context, it cannot assert the scholarly foundation that this new translation can.
Also, The Living Bible is on an eighth grade reading level. The NLT is on the sixth grade level. This, by no means, implies that it talks down to its readers, or that it is not intended for an adult market. It means that the editors have deliberately chosen understandable modern-day expressions ("one bushel . . . for every sixty you harvest") over more archaic phraseologies ("a sixth of an ephah from each homer").
Regardless of one's age or education or whether the Scriptures are read or heard, unpretentious language makes for better understanding. Footnotes are provided to indicate the original Hebrew and Greek.
Other distinguishing features include the effort made by the publishers to incorporate more gender-free language than is available in most other texts. "People" and "human" are used instead of the generic "man." God, however, is maintained as a traditional male entity. As a study Bible, the print is appropriately sized and the margin space is wide enough for personal observations, ensuring that the NLT is bound to be a favorite among Bible students of all ages.
What impresses one the most is that the historical sections read as easily as the narratives, causing one to lose oneself in the unfolding Bible text without being interrupted by unfamiliar terms and antiquated language. It is powerful the way the biblical adventures seem to come alive with more action, plot twists, and characterizations than many of today's bestselling novels. Calling the Bible a "page turner" is perhaps an odd accolade for this holy book, but a read through this translation will prove it to be a refreshing, clear, and succinct Bible for the 21st century.
There are a few passages which are exceptionally notable: The entire book of Job takes on the eerie authenticity of a lively Bible scholarsŐ convention. The statements in Hebrews 11 (on faith), I Corinthians 13 (on love), and Proverbs 1:8-19 (SolomonŐs advice to young people) are unusually clear and beautifully moving. The Song of Songs is as fresh and emotional as any modern stage play; it would be captivating to see it performed onstage. The concrete descriptions of such enterprises as the building of the Tabernacle and the Temple create vivid mental pictures.
The NLT basic version includes extra features such as charts, diagrams, indexes, full-color maps, the words of Jesus in red letters, and a section called "Bible Verse Finders," which makes it easy to find biblical examples of current topics of interest from Abortion to Money to Worship. For example, Exodus 18:13-26 lists how "delegating work can alleviate stress" in the workplace. The translation is also available in surprisingly numerous variations and bindings including Life Application Study Bible, Touch Point Bible, New Believers Bible, One Year Bible, and two audio versions.
Powerful. Emotive. Relevant. The New Living Translation has all the makings of a bestseller. To paraphrase a statement from the movie Field of Dreams: "Write it, and they will read."
Clay Stafford has taught at the University of Tennessee and the University of Miami, FL.
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