The Complete Jewish Bible

Each year I read through the Bible. Five or six years ago, I started intentionally using a different translation or version each year. I've read through the New Living Translation, New International Version, The Narrated Bible (chronological, from the NIV), the English Standard Version, and one or two others. I like 'em all.

But I absolutely, positively LOVE this one. It's the work of Dr. David Stern, and it's delightful. Among other things, The Complete Jewish Bible:

- follows the Hebrew Bible order of the Tanakh's books, the order with which Yeshua (Jesus) was familiar
- makes no separation between "Old" and "New" Testaments
- corrects misinterpretations in the New Testament resulting from anti-Jewish theological bias
- offers the original Hebrew names for people, places, and concepts, using easy-to-read English transliterations
- focuses on Messianic prophecy
- gives the traditional weekly and holiday synagogue readings, plus relevant readings from the "B'rit Hadashah" (New Testament).

It was especially helpful to read the Hebrew terms in such passages as the following:

Elohim stands in the divine assembly;
there with the elohim, he judges (Psalm 82:1).

On the first day for matzah, when they slaughtered the lamb for Pesach, Yeshua's talmidim asked him, "Where do you want us to go and prepare your Seder?" (Mark 14:12).

In the countryside nearby were some shepherds spending the night in the fields, guarding their flocks, when an angel of ADONAI appeared to them, and the Sh'khinah of ADONAI shone around them (Luke 2:8).

These are just a few examples, of course, but it was such a delight to read, and it will give any reader not only a fresh perspective but a deeper and broader appreciation for the Jewishness of Jesus and the Biblical authors--something that is too easily missed in every other English translation.

I couldn't more highly recommend it.