The New Testament: A Translation

This is what is missing in all or most of the Christian religions. The New Testament as close to original as possible. As a student I discerned dissonance between King James and what the teacher said. I am long s UK nce done with both of those and this translation is great.Looking for a similar translation of the Torah aka Old Testament.

In my opinion, this is the most literal translation of the New Testament. The New Testament was (largely) written in bad Greek; this translation preserves the sense of the original better than any other English translation. This means that it doesn't have the literary quality of the King James Version, nor would it be easy to use in the liturgy.I grew up as a fundamentalist Protestant, and spend forty years reading the King James Bible. Once I became Eastern Orthodox, it became more difficult to read the New Testament without being assaulted by Protestant theology. I retreated to the gospels, and avoided reading any of the books attributed to Paul.My problem was that Protestants translate the New Testament in a way that accorded with their theology. Thus, none of the Protestant translations are purely literal or accurate. In addition, most of the translations were done by committees, and represent the lowest common denominator. The dumbest, least-qualified, or most doctrinaire members of the committee control the final product.For me, the benefit of David Bentley Hart's translation is that he is scrupulous in avoiding translating the text through any doctrinal traditions. Yes, DBH is Eastern Orthodox, but he has no problem with expressing views that differ from the majority view. For example, he avoids using the Anglo-Saxon term 'hell' as a replacement for Hades, Sheol, Tartarus, or Gehennah (the Vale of Hinnom). He also makes the distinction between Aiônios and Aïdios: the first means an age or cycle of time, and the second means everlasting. In the New Testament, Aiônios refers to us while Aïdios describes God. (Their are rare exceptions.)DBH's translation allows me to read the entire New Testament again. The phrasing is distinctive enough that it allows me to enjoy the works of Paul and Peter, and I can even read John's Apocalypse without being bushwhacked by Dispensationalism. It is also nice to read a translation that doesn't present the gospel as being saved from an angry and vengeful God.

I like the way the translator left the odd tenses present in the Greek as they were. (I can’t read Greek so I have to trust the translator in that.) This does convey a greater sense of urgency that I imagine the original writers must have felt as they wrote it out the first time.

I’ve often wondered why the Greek word Christ was never translated into English. It means “the anointed“. In this innovative translation it is indeed translated and that simple change forced me to look at entire sections of the book differently. It’s particularly effective in Paul’s letters. This is definitely a worthwhile translation.

I'm not Christian. I'm a lot more ecumenical in terms of accepting paths to the mountain top. I just can't choose one, because I think that none of us - believers and non-believers - have the slightest idea what is going on in this life. If one thing makes you whole, then go for it. Just don't deny others their path. I read this in chronological order, rather than written order. The further Jesus gets from the original stories, the wider the books get. It's an interesting perspective.

It’s so nice to have a Bible where someone talks about their choices and doesn’t just translate based on dogma. Love the translation of “world” as “cosmos.” It really fundamentally changes some of my orientation to the scope of what is being portrayed. Thank you!

Finally a translation that didn't just "accept" translation tradition, and went back to the manuscripts. Awesome!

I was impressed with the language used in this translation, which reflects the grandeur, gravity, and style of the King James Version while maintaining a modern tone that resonates with today's culture. This translation avoids taking a stance on any particular ideology, theology, or dogma, instead allowing each author's unique voice to shine through. Reading the Gospels, I felt transported into the scene, observing the events as a fly on the wall. For example, Luke's story of the Annunciation of the Theotokos (God-bearer) was particularly moving and beautifully written.I highly recommend this translation to anyone looking for a refreshing, serious, and skillfully translated version of the New Testament.

I love this version.

I have already read JNT Wright's personal translation of the New Testament; so did not know what to expect from David Bentley Hart's version. It is, I think, much more 'true' to the Koine Greek text than is Wright's; because the latter was aiming at rendering it as contemporary prose. Furthermore, Hart's translation is chock full of explanations about words he regards as 'significant', because they may have led to ambiguites and misunderstandings over the centuries: so it is vastly more helpful to anyone preparing a homily or sermon. Hart also compares other ways in which words have been translated, in a manner which leaves little room for the 'scriptural literalist' to hide. If I only had access to one English translation of our scriptures, it would be David Bentley Hart's.

The condition of the book was dirty and in a poor condition

This translation takes you back 2000 years, into the raw and urgent world of the first Christians. Familiar NT passages suddenly take on new meaning. It's like reading the whole new testament for the first time. Brilliant.