Review: Common English Bible - Thinline Bible

I love the English language, and I love how with subtle shifts in words you can sometimes bring more meaning and relevance to a passage. Especially in translation this is true.

That being said, I love collecting translations of the bible, and recently I was provided with one for my review. The Common English Bible is new to me, but a welcome addition to my reference shelf. The philosophy of translation was to balance literal, word-for-word translation with cultural meaning, and I think it does a good job.

Here is as example:

My son went to a Vacation Bible School (VBS) on the March Break. He came home the first day with his memory verse, and the wording was not quite what I expected. He says:

“Proverbs 3:5 ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart; don’t rely on your own intelligence.’”

Intelligence! What was that? The word just flew out at me as he said it. I had to know what translation used that word. I went through several other translations and all of them used the word ‘understanding’. To me, the word ‘intelligence’ said the same thing, but would resonate more with the people of today.

I also do a lot of work with the tweens (9-12ish) young people in my church, and I have been using the CEB during our teaching times. I have been writing a daily devotional for them, and this is one of my translations of choice. It is edgy, modern and meaningful for reading.

Here is Psalm 23:1-3:

The Lord is my shepherd.
I lack nothing.
He lets me rest in grassy meadows;
he leads me to restful waters;
he keeps me alive.
He guides me in proper paths
for the sake of his good name.

Love that part in verse 2. Rather than “He restores my soul” as in more common usage, they translate as “He keeps me alive.”

It is just a fresh look on the Scriptures without changing their meaning. It is the subtle nuances that make it interesting. Pick up a copy and do some comparing of the CEB to the translation you are most comfortable with. 

I was provided a complimentary copy of the Common English Bible for review.