« | Psalm 87 | » |
1 The city God built stands on the holy mountains.
2 The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the other places of Jacob.
3 Great things are said about you, O city of God.
4 I will say that Rahab and Babylon are among those who know Me. Look, Philistia and Tyre and Ethiopia say, "This one was born there."
5 But it will be said of Zion, "This one and that one were born in her." And the Most High Himself will make her strong.
6 The Lord will write in the book of the people, "This one was born there."
7 Then those who sing and those who play music will say, "All my wells of joy are in you."
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.