New English Bible, New Testament

by Cambridge Bible

The New English Bible, completed in 1970, was the culmination of more than twenty years' work by scholars and literary advisers representing the major Protestant churches of the British Isles. An authoritative translation made directly from the best Hebrew and Greek texts and founded on all the resources of contemporary scholarship, it aimed to present the full meaning of the original in clear and natural modern English. This approach marked a departure from the prevailing Bible translation philosophy and to this day the NEB has a significant place in the history of the Bible in English. The New English Bible is now reissued in this classic 'Library Edition' format to coincide with the reissue of the complete Cambridge Bible Commentaries series, which was itself based on the NEB text.

Genres: Philosophy, Theology, Religion

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Few of us have heard of the New English Bible let alone read much of it. A friend recommended it to me a few years ago as a useful tool for studying New Testament Greek. Having finally gotten around to reading its translation of the New Testament, the NEB certainly is beneficial from that point of view. One important point to remember is that it was not an update of the Authorised Version nor was it meant to replace it. From a literary perspective, it is unsuitable for public reading in church services. Much of the heat could be taken out of the KJV-only debate if people on both sides would admit that some translations are good as aids to study, but not for public reading.

[Joe Bruno · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found a copy at the Goodwill and bought it because of the translation and the single column layout. I have some familiarity with the Bible, a relic of youthful life adventures to strange and unusual places. That is a story for another forum though. I didn't study this, I just read it.

Not all english tranlations of the New Testament are the same. In my religious phase of life I was in a church that used the New American Standard Bible, a very literal translation, kind of clunky, not flowing. Of course, I have read the King James as well, there is some real beauty in that language, but is can be hard to read and troublesome to understand. I never liked the NIV, it seems soulless to me. Holman is ok, and newer, I have it on my Kindle. ESV is supposed to be good too.

This translation is pretty good I think. It came out in the 1960s, that is this version, and it has been revised since. I felt as if it has some of the majesty of the KJV and was as understandable as the NASB, yet still had a nice flowing feel to it. If someone had never really read the Bible and wanted a translation that was easy to read this would not be a bad choice, this or the ESV or the new Holeman, the Christian Standard Bible.

But hey, it is still the Bible. It is still filled with violence and blood and misogyny and unsubstantiated claims. There is a lot of bickering and it describes a belief system that in no way resembles the religion practiced in 21st century America. This time through I was struck by how whack-a-mole crazy Paul was and how christianity is more about the stuff he talks about than it is the stuff attributed to Jesus.

Anyway, I think it important for a literate person, no matter their beliefs, to read some of the New Testament now and again. It sure doesn't describe the kind of Christianity practiced in the US today, but it is important to know what christianity is about. It is the most pervasive philosophy in our culture, waning or not.

Goodwills always have bibles in their book section and every translation can be found online for free. I like this New Testament because it is not too big and is printed single column.

[Michael David · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a guideline to life, the book is one of the best; as literature, I still like it. :)

[Terragyrl3 · Rating 5 out of 5]

No way I can “ book review” such a foundational text! So I’ll talk about my motivations instead. I took up a challenge to read the four gospels over December. It proved an eye-opening experience and led me to just keep reading. Mind you, I’m coming to this with zero formal Christian education. I was struck by how much Jesus was trying to reform Jewish religious law. All the emphasis on simple foods (locusts, honey, fish, wine, bread) was an attempt to demonstrate that a community could take control of its own religious expression, outside the onerous dietary and slaughtering rules of the organized faith. And what got Jesus in trouble was not preaching in the wilderness, but turning over the money-changers’ tables in the temple. That cut into established money streams, which set all the rest in motion. All the emphasis on getting him to declare himself the Messiah (and he nimbly refusing to do so) was a legal ruse, to make him sound like an heir to the house of David, which would be a gauntlet thrown down to Rome, essentially saying “The Old Rulers of Israel are wresting control from Rome!” These are a few of the insights I had. I highly recommend reading the New Testament, even if you are a questioner or an atheist. The historical and mythic reverberations are deeply woven throughout our culture.

[Wyatt Reu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Five stars for the NT itself but four for the NEB. As T.S. Eliot lamented upon its publication (perhaps to hyperbole) it is a fumbling and muddled work at times. I picked it out from a bookstore (before I knew jack about different editions) mostly for aesthetic/formal reasons (full page prose formatting, minimal notes, wide margins for annotation, hardcover, and solid paper pages) and because it was published by Oxford/Cambridge press. Certainly not as bad as some editions on the market today — and the translation is not bad enough to sully the wonders of the original text — but a reader is much better off, for literary and spiritual purposes (despite its archaic flavor), with a copy of the King James.

[Bender · Rating 5 out of 5]

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[Mame · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite translations.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scripture