« | Genesis 2 | » |
1 So the heavens and the earth were completed, and all that is in them.
2 On the seventh day God ended His work which He had done. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
3 Then God honored the seventh day and made it holy, because in it He rested from all His work which He had done.
4 This is the story of the heavens and the earth when they were made, in the day the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
5 Now no bush of the field was yet on the earth. And no plant of the field had started to grow. For the Lord God had not sent rain upon the earth. And there was no man to work the ground.
6 But a fog came from the earth and watered the whole top of the ground.
7 Then the Lord God made man from the dust of the ground. And He breathed into his nose the breath of life. Man became a living being.
8 The Lord God planted a garden to the east in Eden. He put the man there whom He had made.
9 And the Lord God made to grow out of the ground every tree that is pleasing to the eyes and good for food. And He made the tree of life grow in the center of the garden, and the tree of learning of good and bad.
10 Now a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden. And from there it divided and became four rivers.
11 The name of the first is Pishon. It flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12 The gold of that land is good. Bdellium and onyx stone are there.
13 The name of the second river is Gihon. It flows around the whole land of Cush.
14 The name of the third river is Tigris. It flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates.
15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work the ground and care for it.
16 The Lord God told the man, "You are free to eat from any tree of the garden.
17 But do not eat from the tree of learning of good and bad. For the day you eat from it you will die for sure."
18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a helper that is right for him."
19 Out of the ground the Lord God made every animal of the field and every bird of the sky. He brought them to the man to find out what he would call them. And whatever the man called a living thing, that was its name.
20 Adam gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field. But there was no helper found that was right for Adam.
21 So the Lord God put the man to sleep as if he were dead. And while he was sleeping, He took one of the bones from his side and closed up the place with flesh.
22 The Lord God made woman from the bone which He had taken from the man. And He brought her to the man.
23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. She will be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and his mother, and will be joined to his wife. And they will become one flesh.
25 The man and his wife were both without clothes and were not ashamed.
The New Life Version (NLV)
The New Life Version (NLV) is a unique English translation of the Bible designed to be exceptionally easy to read and understand. First published in 1969, the NLV was created by Gleason Ledyard, a missionary and linguist, to make the Scriptures accessible to people who have limited English proficiency or are new to the language. Ledyard’s aim was to provide a Bible that even those with minimal education could read and comprehend, thus opening the door for a wider audience to engage with the biblical texts.
A defining characteristic of the New Life Version is its use of a limited vocabulary of about 850 basic English words, along with some necessary theological terms. This restricted vocabulary ensures that the language remains simple and straightforward, making the text accessible to young readers, new Christians, and those for whom English is a second language. The translators also avoided idiomatic expressions and complex sentence structures, further enhancing clarity and understanding. This makes the NLV a particularly valuable resource for educational and missionary work.
The NLV also emphasizes faithfulness to the original texts, despite its simplified language. The translation aims to maintain the integrity and message of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts. By carefully choosing words that accurately convey the meaning of the original texts while ensuring simplicity, the NLV provides a balance between accessibility and fidelity. Additionally, the NLV includes explanatory footnotes and cross-references that help readers understand the context and deeper meanings of the passages, making it a useful tool for both personal study and group teaching.
However, the New Life Version is not without its critics. Some scholars and traditionalists argue that the limited vocabulary and simplified language can lead to a loss of nuance and depth found in the original texts. They suggest that the NLV’s focus on simplicity may sometimes oversimplify complex theological concepts. Despite these criticisms, the New Life Version remains a valuable translation for its intended audience, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that helps a wide range of readers engage with the Scriptures and grow in their faith.