Game Wave - Family Fun for All!

Talk about fun! You’ve got to check out Game Wave. This is a family video game for the entire family (until the kids win). The company’s game philosophy is very straightforward; keep it simple. The idea is for you to be able to turn on your Game Wave, insert a game, and have six people who have never played it before become masters in minutes.

That doesn’t mean the games are easy. Their titles will challenge even the most enthusiastic gamers while exercising their brains at the same time.
Keeping it simple also means not having to wait for turns. In all of their games all the players are engaged all the time. They believe watching someone else have all the fun isn’t that much fun, so in a Game Wave game everyone plays all the time.

Designed for kids, parents and grandparents alike, their family games are divided into four categories: Trivia Games, Word Games, Numbers Games and Puzzle Games.

They invite you to check out their existing game titles. They also have many more exciting games in development and each one of those will provide a fun, interactive experience for you and your friends and family.

What the Media is saying about Game Wave
Extreme Kids"After playing it was, 'We will keep the Game Wave system in the family room.' The other systems can go in the kid’s rooms or game rooms. Great family fun!"
Click here for more from Extreme Kids

GamerDad"This is not the gaming console your kids are looking for. But it just might be the one your family wants." Click here for more from GamerDad

About.com:Fatherhood - Five out of Five Stars"For a great family interactive experience that will attract gamers and non-gamers alike, the GameWave has it all. It has become a welcome addition to our family's quality time tool box."Click here for more from Fatherhood

Toronto Star writes the Game Wave "outdoes its competition in a meaningful way.""Perhaps there is room for kinder, gentler, more socially responsible gaming."
Click here for more from The Toronto Star

Washington Times says Game Wave blows away the competition"The curvy Game Wave console allows families and friends — those not enamored by titles such as Halo, Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty — to play together and interact in kinder video-game realms."
Click here for more from The Washington Times

New York Times reports the Game Wave "Expands the Action...”"Every member of the family can have an equal chance to win..."Click here for more from The New York Times

Today's Parent reviews 4 Degrees which comes with the Game Wave“It is quite extraordinary and it is, without a doubt, the best trivia game I’ve ever played.”
Click here for more from Today's Parent

Game Wave on G4TechTVThe G4TechTV Channel in Canada is airing HotTech product reviews on the Game Wave Click here to watch video from G4TechTV Canada

Game Wave DVD system lets families play together"Game Wave's combination of music, videos, narration and multimedia breathes life into trivia games in a way that this new generation can embrace." - Jinny GudmundsenClick here for the full story on USATODAY.com

Awards & Recognition
Game Wave Awarded the National Parenting Center's Seal of Approval In their review, the council remarks: "Brilliantly designed and engineered, the system impressed our testers from the start." Click here for the complete review from the National Parenting Center's web site.iParenting Media Awards recognises the Game Wave as an Outstanding Product of 2006

"The curvy new console is ready to entertain at family gatherings and parties – places where traditional video games never go. Game Wave ™ combines the group interaction of traditional board games with the excitement of interactive video."Click here to visit the Award Winner page for the Game Wave.

About iParenting Media Awards:The iParenting Media Awards is the only consumer awards program certified by ISO 9001:2000, the internationally recognized standard of quality assurance.
"iParenting is celebrating its 10-year anniversary as a leader in providing parents with the best information. It is an honor and a responsibility to let them know which products resonated with our reviewers," says Alvin All, Chief Executive Officer of iParenting Media. "We evaluated wonderful items in our Outstanding Products Call for Entry, but only the ones that exceeded the high evaluation standards we set earned the iParenting Media Award."

To see a complete line of Game Wave, click here!

To see other Christian games, click here!

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May God Richly Bless Your Life!

Dr. Gary Chapman, Marriage, Love and Relationships

This week’s feature author is Dr. Gary Chapman. When one speaks of relationships and love, the fist name that comes to the Christian mind is Gary Chapman. Dr. Gary Chapman seeks to fulfill his call to the ministry as a pastor, speaker, and author. He speaks extensively throughout the U.S. and internationally on marriage, family, and relationships. The government of Singapore invited him to present his marriage seminar there and the Chaplain’s Office of NATO issued a special invitation for Dr. Chapman to speak to the NATO forces in Germany. Other engagements have taken him to England, Africa, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Mexico and Hong Kong. Sales exceeding 5 million copies earned him the Platinum Book Award from the Evangelical Publishers Association for The Five Love Languages, which has been translated into over thirty-six languages. Twenty-seven other books and five video series are also among his publications.
On the home front, Dr. Chapman is Senior Associate Pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He and his wife, Karolyn, have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Love is a Verb
From the best-selling author of The Five Love Languages comes an inspiring collection of forty true stories displaying love in action. Couples, singles, parents, and leaders will benefit and grow relationally as they learn to put the love principles found here into action-packed verbs. The stories you'll read in Love Is a Verb are written by real-life couples, parents, children, and friends. Each of these real and heartfelt accounts are followed by insightful lessons in which Dr. Gary Chapman shows you how to apply these love transforming, relationship-building principles.
Because love isn't just a feeling.Love is a choice, and love is something we all need to do.Love is a verb.


The Five Love Languages
Are you and your spouse speaking the same language? While love is a many splendor thing, it is sometimes a very confusing thing, too. And as people come in all varieties, shapes, and sizes, so do their choices of personal expressions of love. But more often than not, the giver and the receiver express love in two different ways. This can lead to misunderstanding, quarrels, and even divorce. Quality Time, Words of Affirmation, Gifts, Acts of Service, Physical Touch; Dr. Gary Chapman identifies five basic languages of love and then guides couples towards a better understanding of their unique languages of love. Learn to speak and understand your mate's love language, and in no time you will be able to effectively love and truly feel loved in return. Skillful communication is within your grasp!Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. In a friendly, often humorous style, he unpacks each one. Some husbands or wives may crave focused attention; another needs regular praise. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their "love tank." Some partners might find physical touch makes them feel valued: holding hands, giving back rubs, and sexual contact. Chapman illustrates each love language with real-life examples from his counseling practice.

How do you discover your spouse’s – and your own – love language? Chapman’s short questionnaires are one of several ways to find out. Throughout the book, he also includes application questions that can be answered more extensively in the beautifully detailed companion leather journal (an exclusive Outline set). Each section of the journal corresponds with a chapter from the book, offering opportunities for deeper reflection on your marriage.

Although some readers may find choosing to love a spouse that they no longer even like –hoping the feelings of affection will follow later– a difficult concept to swallow, Chapman promises that the results will be worth the effort. "Love is a choice," says Chapman. "And either partner can start the process today." --Cindy Crosby. This text refers to the Outline Exclusive Journal & Paperback Book Set.


Love as a Way of Life
Each day involves countless interactions with others–not only among family and friends but also with neighbors, coworkers, even telephone solicitors. An attitude of love may not be your top priority in some of these encounters. But what if the ancient maxim “love your neighbor as yourself” applied to everyone, including those you meet in the most ordinary circumstances?

By giving love, instead of grabbing for it, you’ll become the person others want to love in return, no matter what their role in your life.

Relationship expert Dr. Gary Chapman applies the seven characteristics of authentic love to family life, friendship, the workplace, and beyond. Eye-opening personal assessments uncover relational strengths and weaknesses, while real-life stories and ideas for building habits of love will inspire you to grow into the complete person you were meant/created to be.

Capture a vision that will transform your relationships and make your corner of the world a better place–by choosing Love As a Way of Life. Includes self-tests; practical ideas; and a discussion guide for churches and ministry groups.

Desperate Marriages
Countless couples today face major marital struggles. Dr. Gary Chapman communicates genuine hope for every marriage–even for those with deeply rooted wounds. Chapman provides positive steps for dealing with spouses who are:
Workaholics
Controlling
Uncommunicative
Physically, verbally, or sexually abusive
Unfaithful
Alcoholic or drug-abusing
Depressed
Irresponsible


For a complete listing and offering of Dr. Chapman material, click here!

For offerings of other marriage, relationship materials, click here!

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May God Richly Bless Your Life!

What is a Concordance?

When the word “concordance” is thrown out, many people look at the size, type print and become very intimidated. This should not be. A concordance is a useful tool from the most advanced Bible scholar to the one just opening the scriptures for the first time. Written below is general information about concordances beginning with the man who it is believed put together the first, James Strong. I hope that after you read this you will be more comfortable with the concordance. You can view the various concordances available at Emmaus Road Christian Store.

James Strong, scholar, was born in New York City, on August 14, 1822. His father, Thomas, came from England to this country in 1815. James was left an orphan at an early age, and at age 17 began the study of medicine, but the failure of his health led to its abandonment. He was graduated at Wesleyan in 1844; taught two years in Poultney, Vermont, and then failing health again compelled his retirement to a farm in Newtown, Long Island. Eighteen months later he settled at Flushing, where he followed biblical studies. He held various local offices, took an active interest in the development of tile town, and projected and built the Flushing railroad, of which he was president. He gave gratuitous private instruction to classes in Greek and Hebrew, which led to his first literary labor, the preparation of brief manuals of Greek, Hebrew, and Chaldee grammar, which were afterward published (1856-1869). From 1858 until 1861 he was professor of biblical literature and acting president of Troy University, where in the former year he delivered an inaugural on "Scholastic Education and Biblical Interpretation" (Troy, 1859), and he then returned to Flushing to engage in public improvements. Since 1868 he has been professor of exegetical theology in Drew Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey. Wesleyan gave him the degrees of D. D, and LL. D. in 1856 and 1881 respectively. James Strong traveled in Egypt and Palestine in 1874, and is a member of the American branch of the Palestine exploration committee. He is also tied to one of the Old Testament company of the committee for the revision of the authorized version of the Bible. In 1872 he was a lay delegate to the general conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He is the author of "A New Harmony and Exposition of the Gospels" (New York, 1852); " Harmony in Greek" (1854); "Scripture History delineated from the Biblical Records and all other Accessible Sources" (Madison, New Jersey, 1878); " Irenics, a Series of Essays showing the Virtual Agreement between Science and the Bible" (New York, 1883); and "The Tabernacle of Israel in the Desert" (1888). He has edited, for the American edition of Lange's commentary, the parts on "Daniel" (1876) and "Esther" (1877), and published a "Literal Translation of Ecclesiastes" (1877) The chief work of his life is the "Cyclopmdia of Biblical, Theo-logical, and Ecclesiastical Literature" (10 vols., 1867-'81 ; supplement, 2 vols., 1885-'7). In the preparation of the first three volumes of this work, which was begun in 1853, he was the associate of its projector, Dr. John McClintock (q. v.), who took charge of the theological part, while he attended to the department of biblical literature, but since the death of Dr. McClintock Dr. Strong has had sole charge. He has also prepared various question manuals for Sunday-schools and Bible classes, based on his " Harmony of the Gospels," several of which were edited by Daniel P. Kidder, D. D. (New York, 1853-'4), and with Orange Judd and Mrs. Julia M. Olin lessons for every Sunday in the year (4 vols., 1862-'5), on the plan afterward used in the " International Lessons."

A Concordance
A concordance is a very useful tool for studying the Bible. Made up of word lists and formatted in alphabetical order, under each word there is a series of verses where that word can be found.

The original Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, for example, takes every single word of the KJV and lists where it can be found in the scriptures. Each word has been assigned a number, and each number represents the word in the original Hebrew or Greek. Using a lexicon or other word study dictionary, the numbers can be used to locate the word and read the Hebrew or Greek definition.

Concordances are great for topical studies or to locate a scripture verse according to words when the chapter and verse can’t be recalled.


The Strong's Concordance is a very useful tool for studying the scriptures. It takes every single word of the King James Version and lists where each word can be found in the scriptures. It is useful for locating scripture verses that you know the words to, but don't know the book, chapter and verse.
For example, let's say that you know of a verse that says our hairs are numbered. You could look up the word "numbered" in a Strong's Concordance and it would give you a listing of all the verses that contain the word "numbered". You would then find Matthew 10:30, where Yahushua said that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered". You can find the Strong's Concordance in most any bible bookstore (See the graphic to your right).
Also beside each verse reference there is a number. That number represents a Hebrew word (if in the Old Testament) or Greek word (if in the New Testament). In the back of the book it lists Hebrew and Greek words used to translate the bible into English. Each has a a number beside them so that we may only need to know the number to locate a Greek or Hebrew word. Then we can do a word study by reading the meaning of the original word. Whenever I refer to a number in the Strong's concordance, you can look up the number for yourself in the Strong's Lexicon or other lexicons that use Strong's numbers to verify everything.
One thing to keep in mind is that while the Strong's Concordance is fairly reliable in its lexicon definitions, it is relying on 19th century scholarship. One of the best ways to determine the true meaning of a word is look up that word in a Hebrew or Greek Lexicon to see how it was translated in various places (See below). Also, Hebrew especially has various verb forms, tenses and stems that can have different meanings. The Strong's Lexicon doesn't do much to address this, but others (such as the Brown Driver Briggs that the online concordance uses) have more detailed definitions for each verb stem.

To view Strong Concordances, Click Here!

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May God Richly Bless Your Life!

Things Not Seen - Christian Apparel

"Things Not Seen was placed on my heart in November of 2006," said CEO, Robert Taylor.

At that time, and after many discussions with trusted mentors, friends, and much prayer, Robert had the faith that the endeavor would become a reality, but the issue of when was up to God. He had this planned long before Robert ever came into existence, and only He knew when.

In August of 2007, Things Not Seen was born.

The mission of the company has always been:
"To Evangelize to the World the Message of Jesus Christthrough our line of Christian Clothing and Accessories."

In 2008, TNS grew to be carried nationally by many wonderful stores and begin expanding into international markets.

Our name is derived from an incredible passage in Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV):"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Listen for that still, small voice as God is always with you! Embrace your Faith...It is a TRUE gift from God.

May Things Not Seen Clothing and Accessories bring you much joy, and allow you to...

To View "Things Not Seen" products, Click Here!

To View Christian Apparel, Click Here!

For Savings on all of your Christian Product Needs, visit Emmaus Road Christian Store at www.emmaus-road.com

May God Richly Bless Your Life!

Point of Grace

This week’s Christian artist highlight is “Point of Grace.” The group originated in 1991 calling themselves “Say So” as a quartet forming at Ouachita Baptist University. The foursome traveled the country singing and self-promoting their group. The original group consisting of Shelly Breen, Denise Jones, Terry Jones and Heather Payne quickly caught the attention of Word Records and in 1993 they changed their name to “Point of Grace.” Since their inception they have been considered one of the top Christian recording groups. From 1993 to 2003 the group has had five Gold Albums (their fist being self titled, Point of Grace) and two Platinum Albums. At the close of 2003 Terry Jones left the group to be with her family. Leigh Cappillino was chosen as her replacement. In 2008 Heather Payne followed suite. She has yet to be replaced.

True talent really knows no boundaries; so it’s no surprise at all to those who have followed Point of Grace’s groundbreaking success in the gospel market that the gifted group has recently seen their audience expand to the country music arena with the poignant hit “How You Live (Turn Up the Music).” The beautiful ballad is the centerpiece of Point of Grace’s “How You Live Deluxe Edition,” featuring a newly recorded acoustic version of the multi-format hit.


“We couldn’t have planned it. It’s a natural progression for our music,” observes Point of Grace’s Shelley Breen of the group’s organic move onto the country charts. Though some artists might tweak their sound to appeal to a new audience, Point of Grace has simply continued to make the same positive, life-affirming music distinguished by soaring harmonies and compelling lyrics.

“What we’ve always been doing as Point of Grace, we are finding that country music is beginning to embrace even more, especially lyrically,” continues Breen. “Many of the lyrics you hear on country radio are so much more faith-based. There is definitely a place there now for the music that we’ve been singing for a long time.”


The readily identifiable sound has fueled one of the most successful careers in gospel music. Point of Grace has sold more than five million albums, won eight Dove Awards and received two Grammy nods. They’ve earned two platinum and five gold albums and have scored more than two dozen No. 1 hits at Christian radio, among them “Steady On,” “The Great Divide” and “Circle of Friends.”

Most recently, the talented trio has been busy in the studio recording three new songs to add to the deluxe edition of their award-winning “How You Live” project. The title track took home the Gospel Music Association’s Dove Award for Country Recorded Song of the Year. They reprise that hit on the new collection as well as serve up two new tunes---“I Wish” and “King of the World.”

“The first time we heard ‘King of the World’ we all cried,” says Jones. “All three of us have incredible fathers and we’re thankful to have a song that pays tribute to them. There just aren’t a lot of songs out there that highlight the true importance of a father’s role in a girl’s life.”

Among the other new offerings on the Deluxe Edition is a song titled “I Wish”, produced by Nathan Chapman. Nathan’s career launched with his production of the triple platinum debut country album by Taylor Swift. The song was penned by Cindy Morgan, who also wrote “How You Live.” “We love her,” gushes Jones. “She’s very much where we are in life. She’s a mom with kids. She is able to put all the things that we feel in our hearts onto paper.”

Breen and Cappillino agree.“Up tempos are really hard to come by, we heard ‘I Wish’ and we all just fell in love with it,” says Cappillino, who began her career singing in a duo with Karen Fairchild of Little Big Town. “’I Wish’ is one of those songs that you can so relate to. It’s about the things in your heart that you yearn to see happen.”

The deluxe edition also includes a new acoustic rendition of “How You Live”. The groups’ signature harmonies take center stage as Breen, Jones, and Cappillino offer up a more intimate version of the thought-provoking hit. “It’s just a reminder to savor life and make the most of it,” says Cappillino. “It’s a great song with a great message and we’re just enjoying the fact that country music has embraced it.”

“The very first time we performed the new acoustic version was at the Grand Ole Opry,” adds Breen. “To stand on that stage and have those legendary players behind us was a night we’ll never forget.”

In addition to recording their new deluxe edition of “How You Live,” Point of Grace has also been in the studio working with producer Brown Bannister on an upcoming Christmas project that will combine songs from their two previous holiday collections—1999’s “A Christmas Story” and 2005’s “Winter Wonderland”—along with a new version of the classic “Tennessee Christmas.”“At first we were a bit daunted by it,” Breen says of the challenge in recording the Amy Grant hit.“She has been a huge musical influence in each of our lives, so we wanted to make her proud. It’s been 25 years since she first recorded it. Our version is true to the original, but it’s never been recorded as a group, so there will be a lot of harmonies.”

The same enthusiasm that led college friends to form a vocal group still permeates every performance today---even though the women of Point of Grace are now juggling their music career with the demands of marriage and motherhood. What keeps them doing it? “We’re trying to support our shopping habits,” says Breen as they all dissolve with laughter. “Being on the road gets in your blood and honestly at this point, it is about the music and encouraging people. This is what we do. We’re so lucky to love our jobs.”

They are also happy to be singing for old friends who’ve been fans for years and for the new fans they’ve made during this latest chapter of their career. “This is a new audience who might have never turned on a Christian radio station because they don’t know about it or they don’t have it in their area,” says Cappillino. “For us to be able to bring some hope in their life through our music, it’s just huge for us.”

“Above anything else, it’s very rejuvenating,” adds Breen. “When you’ve done what you do for 15 years, the great part is you get better at it. You get better at communicating with people, and get better on stage because of the amount of time you put into it. Normally when people are at their best, they’ve been doing it for so long, their audience size is shrinking and not as many people get to see the best of them. I’m just excited that a whole new audience will get to see us. We definitely will continue to make Christian records. It’s very important to us, but it’s a great thing that these new doors have opened to take our music to a wider audience. It’s a blessing to wake up every day and do what we get to do.”

Point of Grace music on sale by clicking here!

Interested in Christian music by clicking here!

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May God Richly Bless Your Life!

Dr. Don Colbert M.D. (Health and Nutrition)

One of the most well known Christian health practitioners is Dr. Don Colbert. His insight into health and nutrition has dramatically changed the lives of countless people, all for the better. This week’s health and nutrition article will feature Dr. Colbert. His books may be obtained at Emmaus Road Christian Store.

Don Colbert, M.D., is board certified in family practice and anti aging medicine. He is the Medical Director of the Divine Health Wellness Center in Orlando, Florida where he has treated over 40,000 patients. Dr. Colbert is an internationally known expert and prolific speaker on integrative medicine (a combination of traditional and alternative medicine).

Dr. Colbert has also become affectionately known as “The Doctor to God’s Generals. “ Don Colbert, M.D. has been featured on Fox News, ABC World News, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, BBC, Readers Digest, News Week, Prevention Magazine, and many others. He's the best-selling author of over 40 books including What Would Jesus Eat, The Bible Cure Series, as well as The Seven Pillars of Health (a New York Times best-seller) that together have sold over 4 million copies.

Many of Dr. Colbert's books are required reading at many medical schools around the world. Dr. Colbert is also the president of Divine Health Inc.


Eat This and Live
Today we have an abundance of options when it comes to the food we eat. But all foods are not created equal. In fact, some food should not even be labeled food but rather “consumable product” or “edible, but void of nourishment.”

In Eat This and Live! Dr. Don Colbert provides a road map to help you navigate this often treacherous territory. Based on the key principles for healthy eating in Dr. Colbert’s New York Times best seller, The Seven Pillars of Health, this practical guidebook to food includes “Dr. Colbert Approved” foods and restaurant menu choices, along with helpful tips, charts, and nutrition information that will make it easier for you to stay healthy and lose weight.


Seven Pillars of Health
What you can do for yourself concerning your health, God will not do. It’s up to you to do it now. Most diseases are caused by unhealthy lifestyles, poor diet, lack of exercise, stress, and inadequate sleep. This book, based on best-selling author Dr. Don Colbert’s life message, reveals seven fundamental principles that will enable people to walk in and enjoy the health God intended. Dr. Colbert explains the body’s vital need for:
Water
Sleep and rest
Living food
Exercise
Detoxification
Supplements
Coping with stress
Dr. Colbert, who conducts comprehensive seminars in churches based on the subject of this book, presents a non-condemning, life-giving approach to optimal health. His well-respected life plan outlined in The Seven Pillars of Health will help people make healthy choices one day at a time!


Toxic Relief
Dr. Don Colbert provides an easy-to-understand and comprehensive explanation of the toxic battle you’re in. He also exposes risk factors and provides alternative solutions for living free from cancer, heart disease, liver disease, diabetes and more. You may be an average American who is overfed and undernourished, which means you are probably toxic, but there is hope. Detoxify your body with Dr. Colbert’s medically sound and proven program of juice fasting. Deep cleansing your body right down to the cellular level will renew your vitality, restore your energy, reclaim your health, shed toxic fat, lengthen your life and give you a healthy glow you haven’t had in years. Let Dr. Colbert escort you to healthier living—body, mind and spirit, and experience toxic relief today!

To see a complete list of Dr. Colbert’s books, Click Here!

To see other health and nutritional items, Click Here!

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May God Richly Bless Your Life!

Bible Translations

I talk to many people who are looking to purchase a new Bible. Many of my shoppers are unfamiliar with the different translations available. They want to perhaps purchase a Bible based on the type of Bible their parents have or perhaps their minister. While these are two important criteria, they are not the most important. This article will examine the various Bible translations without prejudice. It is not my intent to persuade you or to push you in any particular direction. When asked, “which translation is the best?”, I simple tell them ‘the one you like.’

Contemporary English Version (CEV)
Reading Level: Grade 5.6
The Contemporary English Version (New Testament, 1991, full Bible, 1995) "was begun in 1984 by the American Bible Society. The mandate for the ABS translation team was to craft a translation that was biblically accurate, reader friendly, and understandable—even for first-time Bible readers. Among special concerns were ease of reading without sounding 'childish,' comprehensibility when read aloud, modern formatting, quality of style, and literary value. An international, interdenominational group of over 100, including translators, English language experts, and biblical authorities [comprised] the CEV translation team" (Thomas Nelson brochure). In general, it employs natural and uncomplicated English.

God's Word
In 1936, Dr. William F. Beck "started the task of diligently searching and studying the best available manuscripts of the Old and New Testaments in the original languages. ... Once he accurately comprehended the text, he made every effort to express its meaning in a way that communicated God's thoughts in an unambiguous and easy-to-understand form.
"Beck's aim was accuracy of meaning and the absolutely clear expression of that meaning for all the English readers of his day. ... But language tends to change even within the lifetime of translators. ... It has now been over 50 years since Beck began his ... work. ... But already in 1978 the question had arisen: should Beck's translation just remain a pioneer effort or is it worthy of an updated revision? A team of Bible scholars and pastors felt that the above-mentioned translation was worth the hours of time needed to revise it in order to produce a superior product. Thorough revision/translation work began in 1982" (from the Preface to God's Word to the Nations: New Testament). The first edition appeared in 1988, with minor revisions in 1989 and 1990. "God's Word" has yet to receive broad recognition or be widely distributed.

King James Version (KJV)
Reading Level: Grade 12
This, the most famous of English versions, is named after King James I of England who initiated the work. It is basically a revision of previous translations: Tyndale's, Coverdale's, the Great Bible and the Geneva Bible. Over fifty scholars worked on the project, which started in 1607. It was finished in 1611.
"The King James Version, known in England as the Authorized Version because it was authorized by the king, has become an enduring monument of English prose because of its gracious style, majestic language, and poetic rhythms. No other book has had such a tremendous influence on English literature." (Comfort, pp. 48-49)
However, the KJV translators had access to only a few ancient manuscripts. Since their day many older manuscripts have been discovered, resulting in a more reliable Greek and Hebrew text. In addition, many words in the KJV are now obscure; others cannot be traced back to the most reliable manuscripts. While IBS is glad to provide the historic KJV, we feel the NIV is both more accurate and more readable for today's audience.

The Living Bible
Reading Level: Grade 8.3
"In 1962 Kenneth Taylor published a paraphrase of the New Testament Epistles. ... The entire Living Bible was published in 1971. .. Using the American Standard Version as his working text, Taylor rephrased the Bible into modern speech—such that anyone, even a child, could understand the message of the original writers. In the preface to The Living Bible Taylor explains his view of paraphrasing:
'... to say as exactly as possible what the writers of the Scriptures meant, and to say it simply, expanding where necessary for a clear understanding by the modern reader.'
"Even though many modern readers have greatly appreciated the fact that The Living Bible made God's Word clear to them, Taylor's paraphrase has been criticized for being too interpretive. But that is the nature of paraphrases—and the danger as well.
"The Living Bible has been very popular among English readers worldwide" (Comfort, pp. 75-76).

The Message
Reading Level: Grade 8.5
The Message, published in 1993 by NavPress, is a free, highly colloquial and interpretive translation/paraphrase of the New Testament by Eugene H. Peterson. An earlier form of the book of Galatians appeared in 1988 under the title Traveling Light.
"This version of the New Testament in a contemporary idiom keeps the language of the Message current and fresh and understandable in the same language in which we do our shopping, talk with our friends, worry about world affairs, and teach our children their table manners. The goal is not to render a word-for-word conversion of Greek into English, but rather to convert the tone, the rhythm, the events, the ideas, into the way we actually think and speak" (from the Introduction).

New American Bible
Reading Level: Grade 6.6
"The first American Catholic Bible to be translated from the original languages is The New American Bible (not to be confused with the New American Standard Bible). Although this translation was first published in 1970, it was updated in 1991. The New American Bible has short introductions to each book of the Bible and very few marginal notes. Kubo and Specht provide this description of the translation:
'The translation ... is simple, clear, and straightforward and reads very smoothly. It is good American English, not as pungent and colorful as the N.E.B. [New English Bible]. Its translations are not striking but neither are they clumsy. They seem to be more conservative in the sense that they tend not to stray from the original' [p. 165, Kubo and Specht, So Many Versions?). "
(Comfort, p. 82-82)

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Reading Level: Grade 11
"The Lockman Foundation, a nonprofit Christian corporation committed to evangelism ... organized a team of thirty-two scholars to prepare a new revision [of the American Standard Version of 1901]. These scholars ... strove to produce a literal translation ... in the belief that such a translation 'brings the contemporary reader as close as possible to the actual wording and grammatical structure of the original writers' "' [from the preface].
"After the New American Standard Bible was published (in 1963 for the New Testament and 1971 for the entire Bible), it received a mixed response. Some critics applauded its literal accuracy, while other sharply criticized its language for hardly being contemporary or modern.
"On the whole, the New American Standard Bible became respected as a good study Bible that accurately reflects the wording of the original languages yet is not a good translation for Bible reading" (Comfort, pp. 77-78)
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New International Reader's Version (NIrV)
Reading Level: Grade 3.5
The New International Reader's Version (NIrV, 1996) "is a new Bible version developed to enable early readers to understand God's message. Begun in 1992 and co-sponsored by Biblica and Zondervan Publishing House, the New International Reader's Version is a simplification of the New International Version (NIV), today's most popular translation of the Bible. " (from the NIrV "Sample Booklet").
The NIrV was designed to make the Bible clear and understandable to early readers, and can be read by a typical fourth grader. For this reason, it is also of value to the millions for whom English is a second language. It intends to be distinguished by five fundamental characteristics—readability, understandability, compatibility with the NIV, reliability and trustworthiness. It serves as a natural stepping-stone to the NIV when the time is right.

New International Version (NIV)
Reading Level: Grade 7.8
"The New International Version is a completely new rendering of the original languages done by an international group of more than a hundred scholars. These scholars worked many years and in several committees to produce an excellent thought-for-thought translation in contemporary English for private and public use. ...
"The translators of the New International Version sought to make a version that was midway between a literal rendering (as in the New American Standard Bible) and a free paraphrase (as in The Living Bible). Their goal was to convey in English the thought of the original writers. ... The New Testament of the New International Version was published in 1973, and the entire Bible, in 1978. This version has been phenomenally successful. Millions and millions of readers have adopted the New International Version as their 'Bible.' Since 1987 it has outsold the King James Version, the best-seller for centuries—a remarkable indication of its popularity and acceptance in the Christian community. The New International Version, sponsored by the [International] Bible Society, ... has become a standard version used for private reading and pulpit reading in many English-speaking countries" (Comfort, pp. 79-81).

Jerusalem Bible
"The first complete Catholic Bible to be translated from the original languages is The Jerusalem Bible, published in England in 1966. ...This Bible, which includes the Apocrypha and Deuterocanonical books, contains many study helps—such as introductions to each book of the Bible, extensive notes on various passages, and maps. The study helps are an intricate part of the whole translation because it is the belief of Roman Catholic leadership that lay people should be given interpretive helps in their reading of the sacred text. The study helps in The Jerusalem Bible were translated from the French, whereas the Bible text itself was translated from the original languages. ... The translation of the text ... is considerably freer than other translations, such as the Revised Standard Version, because the translators sought to capture the meaning of the original writings in a 'vigorous, contemporary literary style'" [from the preface] (Comfort, pp. 81-82).

New King James Version (NKJV)
Reading Level: Grade 8.5
The New King James Version (1982) is a revision of the King James Version, called for primarily due to the same reasons given for the New Revised Standard Version. It retains the elegant literary style of the KJV, but is easier to read.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Reading Level: Grade 6.3
The New Living Translation (Tyndale, 1996) is a "thorough revision" of The Living Bible. "More than ninety scholars from various theological backgrounds and denominations [were involved] ... with the goal that it be exegetically accurate and idiomatically powerful.
"Most significantly, the New Living Translation is not a paraphrase but a translation. Every verse has been carefully compared to the most reliable editions of the Hebrew and Greek texts in an effort to make a translation that accurately conveys the meaning of the original texts" (from the Preface to the review copy of Romans).

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
Reading Level: Grade 8.1 (but Zondervan says it's actually 10.)
"The New Revised Standard Version [was] published in 1990. ... In the preface to this revision, Bruce Metzger, chair-person of the revision committee, wrote:
'The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible is an authorized revision of the Revised Standard Version, published in 1952, which is a revision of the American Standard Version, published in 1901. ... The need for issuing a revision of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible arises from three circumstances: (a) the acquisition of still older biblical manuscripts, (b) further investigation of linguistic features of the text, and (c) changes in preferred English usage' (Comfort, p. 85).

Revised English Bible
" (1989) ... is a radical revision of the New English Bible" (Comfort, p. 85).
Revised Standard Version (RSV)
"The organization that held the copyright to the American Standard Version ... authorized a new revision in 1937. "The New Testament was published in 1946; and the entire Bible with the the Old Testament, in 1952.
"The principles of the revision were specified in the preface to the Revised Standard Version:
'The Revised Standard Version is not a new translation in the language of today. It is not a paraphrase which aims at striking idioms. It is a revision which seeks to preserve all that is best in the English Bible as it has been known and used throughout the years.
"This revision was well received by many Protestant Churches and soon became their 'standard' text. ... Evangelical and fundamental Christians, however, did not receive the Revised Standard Version very well—primarily because of one verse, Isaiah 7:14...." (Comfort, pp. 66-67). The RSV has now been replaced by the NRSV.

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