« | Genesis 7 | » |
1 The LORD told Noah: Take your whole family with you into the boat, because you are the only one on this earth who pleases me.
2 Take seven pairs of every kind of animal that can be used for sacrifice and one pair of all others.
3 Also take seven pairs of every kind of bird with you. Do this so there will always be animals and birds on the earth.
4 Seven days from now I will send rain that will last for forty days and nights, and I will destroy all other living creatures I have made.
5 Noah was six hundred years old when he went into the boat to escape the flood, and he did everything the LORD had told him to do. His wife, his sons, and his daughters-in-law all went inside with him.
6 (SEE 7:5)
7 (SEE 7:5)
8 He obeyed God and took a male and a female of each kind of animal and bird into the boat with him.
9 (SEE 7:8)
10 Seven days later a flood began to cover the earth.
11 Noah was six hundred years old when the water under the earth started gushing out everywhere. The sky opened like windows, and rain poured down for forty days and nights. All this began on the seventeenth day of the second month of the year.
12 (SEE 7:11)
13 On that day Noah and his wife went into the boat with their three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and their wives.
14 They took along every kind of animal, tame and wild, including the birds.
15 Noah took a male and a female of every living creature with him,
16 just as God had told him to do. And when they were all in the boat, God closed the door.
17 For forty days the rain poured down without stopping. And the water became deeper and deeper, until the boat started floating high above the ground.
18 (SEE 7:17)
19 Finally, the mighty flood was so deep that even the highest mountain peaks were almost twenty-five feet below the surface of the water.
20 (SEE 7:19)
21 Not a bird, animal, reptile, or human was left alive anywhere on earth.
22 The LORD destroyed everything that breathed. Nothing was left alive except Noah and the others in the boat.
23 (SEE 7:22)
24 A hundred fifty days later, the water started going down.
The Contemporary English Version (CEV)
The Contemporary English Version (CEV) is a modern Bible translation that aims to make the scriptures accessible and understandable to a broad audience, including children and those with limited English proficiency. Published by the American Bible Society in 1995, the CEV emphasizes clarity, readability, and ease of comprehension. Unlike more literal translations, the CEV uses a thought-for-thought translation philosophy, which focuses on conveying the original meaning of the text in a way that is clear and straightforward for contemporary readers.
One of the key features of the CEV is its use of everyday language and simple sentence structures. The translators avoided theological jargon and archaic terms, instead opting for language that is commonly used in daily conversation. This makes the CEV particularly well-suited for public reading, educational settings, and outreach programs where the audience might not be familiar with traditional biblical language. The translation strives to communicate the essence of the biblical message without the barriers that complex language can sometimes create.
The CEV also pays special attention to cultural sensitivity and inclusivity. The translators sought to avoid expressions and idioms that might be misunderstood or offensive in different cultural contexts. Additionally, the CEV includes gender-neutral language where appropriate, aiming to make the text more inclusive while still remaining faithful to the original manuscripts. This approach helps ensure that Bible teachings are accessible to a diverse global audience, promoting understanding and acceptance across different cultures and communities.
Despite its strengths, the CEV has faced some criticism from those who prefer more literal translations. Critics argue that the CEV emphasises on simplicity and readability which can sometimes result in a loss of nuance and depth found in the original languages. Some theologians and scholars believe that the thought-for-thought approach may oversimplify complex theological concepts. Nevertheless, the Contemporary English Version remains a valuable resource for many readers, offering a clear and approachable rendition of the Bible that is particularly effective for those new to the scriptures or those seeking a more accessible way to engage with the biblical text.