Version Information
Uncompromising simplicity marked the American Bible Society's (ABS) translation of the Contemporary English Version (CEV) that was first published in 1995. The text is easily read by grade schoolers, second language readers, and those who prefer the more contemporized form. The CEV is not a paraphrase. It is an accurate and faithful translation of the original manuscripts.
The CEV began as a result of studies conducted by biblical scholar Dr. Barclay M. Newman in 1984 into speech patterns used in books, magazines, newspapers, and television. These studies focused on how English was read and heard, especially by children. This led to a series of test volumes being published in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The CEV New Testament was released in 1991, the 175th anniversary of ABS. The CEV Old Testament was released in 1995 and the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books were published in 1999.
The translators of the CEV followed three principles; that the CEV:
- must be understood by people without stumbling in speech
- must be understood by those with little or no comprehension of "Bible" language
- must be understood by all.
"The drafting, reviewing, editing, revising, and refining the text of the Contemporary English Version has been a worldwide process extending over a period of slightly more than ten years. It has involved a wide variety of persons beyond the core team of ABS translators and the consultant experts who have worked closely with the team. The creative process has also involved scholar consultants and reviewers representing a wide range of church traditions and with expertise in such areas as Old Testament, New Testament, Hebrew language, Greek language, English language, linguistics, and poetry. In all, this process involved more than a hundred people in the various stages of the text creation and review process. And it is this process, carried out in constant prayer for the guidance of the Spirit of God, that guarantees the accuracy, integrity and trustworthiness of the CEV Bible" (from Creating and Crafting the Contemporary English Version: A New Approach to Bible Translation—New York: American Bible Society, 1996).
- 1 Chronicles 1
- 1 Chronicles 2
- 1 Chronicles 3
- 1 Chronicles 4
- 1 Chronicles 5
- 1 Chronicles 6
- 1 Chronicles 7
- 1 Chronicles 8
- 1 Chronicles 9
- 1 Chronicles 10
- 2 Chronicles 1
- 2 Chronicles 2
- 2 Chronicles 3
- 2 Chronicles 4
- 2 Chronicles 5
- 2 Chronicles 6
- 2 Chronicles 7
- 2 Chronicles 8
- 2 Chronicles 9
- 2 Chronicles 10
- 2 Chronicles 11
- 2 Chronicles 12
- Deuteronomy 1
- Deuteronomy 2
- Deuteronomy 3
- Deuteronomy 4
- Deuteronomy 5
- Deuteronomy 6
- Deuteronomy 7
- Deuteronomy 8
- Deuteronomy 9
- Deuteronomy 10
- Deuteronomy 11
- Deuteronomy 12
- Ezekiel 1
- Ezekiel 2
- Ezekiel 3
- Ezekiel 4
- Ezekiel 5
- Ezekiel 6
- Ezekiel 7
- Ezekiel 8
- Ezekiel 9
- Ezekiel 10
- Ezekiel 11
- Ezekiel 12
- Ezekiel 13
- Ezekiel 14
- Ezekiel 15
- Ezekiel 16
- Genesis 1
- Genesis 2
- Genesis 3
- Genesis 4
- Genesis 5
- Genesis 6
- Genesis 7
- Genesis 8
- Genesis 9
- Genesis 10
- Genesis 11
- Genesis 12
- Genesis 13
- Genesis 14
- Genesis 15
- Genesis 16
- Genesis 17
- Isaiah 1
- Isaiah 2
- Isaiah 3
- Isaiah 4
- Isaiah 5
- Isaiah 6
- Isaiah 7
- Isaiah 8
- Isaiah 9
- Isaiah 10
- Isaiah 11
- Isaiah 12
- Isaiah 13
- Isaiah 14
- Isaiah 15
- Isaiah 16
- Isaiah 17
- Isaiah 18
- Isaiah 19
- Isaiah 20
- Isaiah 21
- Isaiah 22
- Jeremiah 1
- Jeremiah 2
- Jeremiah 3
- Jeremiah 4
- Jeremiah 5
- Jeremiah 6
- Jeremiah 7
- Jeremiah 8
- Jeremiah 9
- Jeremiah 10
- Jeremiah 11
- Jeremiah 12
- Jeremiah 13
- Jeremiah 14
- Jeremiah 15
- Jeremiah 16
- Jeremiah 17
- Jeremiah 18
- Psalm 1
- Psalm 2
- Psalm 3
- Psalm 4
- Psalm 5
- Psalm 6
- Psalm 7
- Psalm 8
- Psalm 9
- Psalm 10
- Psalm 11
- Psalm 12
- Psalm 13
- Psalm 14
- Psalm 15
- Psalm 16
- Psalm 17
- Psalm 18
- Psalm 19
- Psalm 20
- Psalm 21
- Psalm 22
- Psalm 23
- Psalm 24
- Psalm 25
- Psalm 26
- Psalm 27
- Psalm 28
- Psalm 29
- Psalm 30
- Psalm 31
- Psalm 32
- Psalm 33
- Psalm 34
- Psalm 35
- Psalm 36
- Psalm 37
- Psalm 38
- Psalm 39
- Psalm 40
- Psalm 41
- Psalm 42
- Psalm 43
- Psalm 44
- Psalm 45
- Psalm 46
- Psalm 47
- Psalm 48
- Psalm 49
- Psalm 50
- Psalm 51
- Psalm 52
- Psalm 53
- Psalm 54
- Psalm 55
- Psalm 56
- Psalm 57
- Psalm 58
- Psalm 59
- Psalm 60
- Psalm 61
- Psalm 62
- Psalm 63
- Psalm 64
- Psalm 65
- Psalm 66
- Psalm 67
- Psalm 68
- Psalm 69
- Psalm 70
- Psalm 71
- Psalm 72
- Psalm 73
- Psalm 74
- Psalm 75
- Psalm 76
- Psalm 77
- Psalm 78
- Psalm 79
- Psalm 80
- Psalm 81
- Psalm 82
- Psalm 83
- Psalm 84
- Psalm 85
- Psalm 86
- Psalm 87
- Psalm 88
- Psalm 89
- Psalm 90
- Psalm 91
- Psalm 92
- Psalm 93
- Psalm 94
- Psalm 95
- Psalm 96
- Psalm 97
- Psalm 98
- Psalm 99
- Psalm 100
- Psalm 101
- Psalm 102
- Psalm 103
- Psalm 104
- Psalm 105
- Psalm 106
- Psalm 107
- Psalm 108
- Psalm 109
- Psalm 110
- Psalm 111
- Psalm 112
- Psalm 113
- Psalm 114
- Psalm 115
- Psalm 116
- Psalm 117
- Psalm 118
- Psalm 119
- Psalm 120
- Psalm 121
- Psalm 122
- Psalm 123
- Psalm 124
- Psalm 125
- Psalm 126
- Psalm 127
- Psalm 128
- Psalm 129
- Psalm 130
- Psalm 131
- Psalm 132
- Psalm 133
- Psalm 134
- Psalm 135
- Psalm 136
- Psalm 137
- Psalm 138
- Psalm 139
- Psalm 140
- Psalm 141
- Psalm 142
- Psalm 143
- Psalm 144
- Psalm 145
- Psalm 146
- Psalm 147
- Psalm 148
- Psalm 149
- Psalm 150