Translator: Josh James

Eight years ago, minister Josh James began working towards his goal of crafting his own translation of the New Testament. Instead of finding existing versions lacking, Josh wanted to honor the work of translators before him by again endeavoring to render the Gospel of Christ into modern English.

The result of these eight years of labor is The Word: A Reader’s Translation of the New Testament. This new version of the New Testament is not meant to be used in teaching, preaching, or Bible study, but rather to be read devotionally.

The translation contains no chapter or verse breaks; reading Acts is like reading a novel! And Josh has taken great pains to preserve/recreate the tone and style of the original author (e.g., Luke sounds polished and sophisticated; Peter is more common; John is simple, yet abstract).

The Word is based upon the 27th edition of Nestle-Aland’s Novum Testamentum Graece (which is virtually identical to the UBS Greek New Testament), which was the primary Greek text used for this translation. Other texts were consulted (and at times preferred), but primarily this one was used.

About the Translator: Josh James is a graduate of Freed-Hardeman University with a degree in Bible and an emphasis in biblical languages. He has served in ministry since 2005. He loves spending time with his favorite people (his wife and children), and you’ll typically find him messing with either a guitar, computer, or Rubik’s cube in his free time.