« | Psalm 126 | » |
1 (A song for worship.) It seemed like a dream when the LORD brought us back to the city of Zion.
2 We celebrated with laughter and joyful songs. In foreign nations it was said, "The LORD has worked miracles for his people."
3 And so we celebrated because the LORD had indeed worked miracles for us.
4 Our LORD, we ask you to bless our people again, and let us be like streams in the Southern Desert.
5 We cried as we went out to plant our seeds. Now let us celebrate as we bring in the crops.
6 We cried on the way to plant our seeds, but we will celebrate and shout as we bring in the crops.
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.