« | Psalm 105 | » |
1 Praise the LORD and pray in his name! Tell everyone what he has done.
2 Sing praises to the LORD! Tell about his miracles.
3 Celebrate and worship his holy name with all your heart.
4 Trust the LORD and his mighty power.
5 Remember his miracles and all his wonders and his fair decisions.
6 You belong to the family of Abraham, his servant; you are his chosen ones, the descendants of Jacob.
7 The LORD is our God, bringing justice everywhere on earth.
8 He will never forget his agreement or his promises, not in thousands of years. *
9 God made an eternal promise
10 to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
11 when he said, "I'll give you the land of Canaan."
12 At the time there were only a few of us, and we were homeless.
13 We wandered from nation to nation, from one country to another.
14 God did not let anyone mistreat our people. Instead he protected us by punishing rulers
15 and telling them, "Don't touch my chosen leaders or harm my prophets!"
16 God kept crops from growing until food was scarce everywhere in the land.
17 But he had already sent Joseph, sold as a slave into Egypt,
18 with chains of iron around his legs and neck.
19 Joseph remained a slave until his own words had come true, and the LORD had finished testing him.
20 Then the king of Egypt set Joseph free
21 and put him in charge of everything he owned.
22 Joseph was in command of the officials, and he taught the leaders how to use wisdom.
23 Jacob and his family came and settled in Egypt as foreigners.
24 They were the LORD's people, so he let them grow stronger than their enemies.
25 They served the LORD, and he made the Egyptians plan hateful things against them.
26 God sent his servant Moses. He also chose and sent Aaron
27 to his people in Egypt, and they worked miracles and wonders there.
28 Moses and Aaron obeyed God, and he sent darkness to cover Egypt.
29 God turned their rivers into streams of blood, and the fish all died.
30 Frogs were everywhere, even in the royal palace.
31 When God gave the command, flies and gnats swarmed all around.
32 In place of rain, God sent hailstones and flashes of lightning.
33 He destroyed their grapevines and their fig trees, and he made splinters of all the other trees.
34 God gave the command, and more grasshoppers came than could be counted.
35 They ate every green plant and all the crops that grew in the land of Egypt.
36 Then God took the life of every first-born son.
37 When God led Israel from Egypt, they took silver and gold, and no one was left behind.
38 The Egyptians were afraid and gladly let them go.
39 God hid them under a cloud and guided them by fire during the night.
40 When they asked for food, he sent more birds than they could eat.
41 God even split open a rock, and streams of water gushed into the desert.
42 God never forgot his sacred promise to his servant Abraham.
43 When the Lord rescued his chosen people from Egypt, they celebrated with songs.
44 The Lord gave them the land and everything else the nations had worked for.
45 He did this so that his people would obey all of his laws. Shout praises to the LORD!
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.