Common English Bible

by Common English Bible

Take a fresh look at the Bible while you experience a new translation. The Common English Bible combines a commitment to both accuracy and readability. The result is a new version of the Bible the typical reader or worshipper is able to understand with ease. Written in today's modern English, the Common English Bible was created through the careful work of 120 leading biblical scholars from 24 faith traditions and thorough field tests by 77 reading groups. The CEB Thinline edition is highly portable yet easy to see with generous 9-point type and a convenient trim size that is also thinner than an inch. Available in Softcover, DecoTone simulated leather, and bonded EcoLeather bindings. FEATURES: 5 3/8" x 8 3/8" 9 point type 1264 pages Two-column setting with black letter text Presentation page In-text subject headings Study and reading helps Topical index 8 pages of full-color maps exclusively from National Geographic ENDORSEMENT: Our reading group was transformed by this experience of reading and commenting on the Common English Bible. It s significant that people from age 15 to 85 were so fired up by reading the translation. - Eileen Parfrey, Springwater Presbyterian Church, Estacado, Oregon

Genres: Reference, Religion, Christianity, Christian, Nonfiction, Christian Non Fiction, Scripture

1189 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is God’s Word, aka the best book ever written. What else do I need to say?

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, to start with, I was expecting the entire bible, but instead I was presented with the book of Mark. That's okay, because Mark was more than enough to explore the features of this study Bible.

After being presented with an introduction, this version started on with the text proper, the verses were presented with other notes and verses that support what is being said. The 2nd verse referred to prophecy and several verses and references were present that support the reference to prophecy. Other versus were presented with clarifying statements taken from the Greek New Testament. The text also points out parallel text from the other Gospels. The version itself is clear and easy to read. I am not a big fan of adding words to make the verse smoother and easier to understand. When Christ feed the crowds, his instruction was to seat people in groups "as if they were having a banquet".

I have other study bibles, and other versions of the Bible. I have copies of them on my Kindle so I am able to go back and forth comparing what is being said and how it is being said between the various versions of the Bible. This could very well become a new tool in my go-to books and I look forward to having it a part of my arsenal.

Pick it up when you have the chance. I think it will make a good first study Bible if not another you can add to your resources.

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, it's not that I've actually read the whole thing, I just want to move it of my "currently reading" list so it doesn't stay there forever.
I am enamored of the Common English Bible. I love it especially because I admire the way the Psalms are rendered. That's sort of my test case for all translations and paraphrases. Do the Psalms still feel poetic without being obscure? I want to use them in worship and frequently paraphrase them myself because even in the NRSV, the vocabulary is the kind most of us have to stop and ponder to be sure what we're saying. That just doesn't happen in worship, when we read these things quickly in a piece of the liturgy.
What I would really like is a paper copy with print I can read. For the Psalms, I'm using the Kindle version, and I have a paperback copy in my office that I'm planning to share in our Bible Study to offer an alternative to the NRSV and the NIV. I got a copy for my daughter as her Confirmation gift (leatherbound, very nice quality). You can read more about the CEB here.

[Christopher Good · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eight out of ten.

This year, I've become much more strongly convinced of the intrinsic power and value of the Word of God. And the Common English Bible has helped me connect with some of it in a new way.

Disclaimer: I read only the Bible itself, not the study guides.

The overall tone of this Bible translation is fairly easy-going. As far as literal translation goes, it ranks below median; it's more accurate than some contemporary translations (CEV, MSG, NLT), but not as textually reliable as more traditional versions such as NRSV or NIV.

However, I enjoyed reading it. The grammar and syntax used are natural, and much more consistently pleasant than the NIV or CEV. Rarely did I feel that I was being condescended to by the simple language. While I wouldn't give the CEB's Wisdom literature the glowing endorsement another reviewer has, I'm again willing to grant that it's better than other contemporary translations.

Things I didn't like? Some particular translational choices, especially the "Son of Man" idiom rendered "Human One". I didn't like the change of "blessed" to "happy" or "favored" - though it seems justifiable enough in many cases. Did God really ask Job about a hippopotamus and a crocodile? I'd like to single out the epistle to the Hebrews as one book that felt very poorly translated in general.

Having said all that, I feel the CEB is relatively clean, elegant, and doctrinally unbiased. While I'm going back to ESV in the new year, I'd definitely recommend this Bible to anyone looking for a solid contemporary translation.

[Melinda Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This translation has been around a few years but was a refreshing read. I still prefer the NRSV in some places but the CEB caused me to pause over the passages I would glance over for familiarity. Loved the change of Son of Man to Human One, and a few others. There are some places it is not as strong, but overall a good translation. I have the Wide Margin version for journaling along with the Study Bible. Read this version from Genesis to Revelation in 2021 via the 5 Day Bible Reading Plan.

[David T]

bible review

I had never read the whole thing in one go, so this year I followed a 365 day reading plan. Sometimes I bopped into other translations for a few days, but mostly this one.

My past with this book: there were parts I know I had not seen. was assigned snippets in my political philosophy and classical literature core classes in college, read more chunks decades later when I decided the Gospels were culturally important so it was about time I read them and...PLOT TWIST, ended up becoming Christian after being raised in no faith and a couple of decades of adulthood.

Content: Some of it is tedious and lame and devoid of spiritual/philosophical meaning (hey, if you want to know EXACTLY how to layout the courtyard and interior of the prayer tent that housed the Ark, it is in there in painstaking detail over and over again. If you want to know how much people were in each tribe and numbers of livestock to be sacrificed at particular times...it is in there too.
or hear lavish descriptions of crazy amounts of wood and brass and silver and gold in Solomon's temple.


Some of it is some pretty cool stories. Family intrigue (fI think Jacob and Esau's mom Rebekah was *not* a kind partner to her husband) , generational grudges, manifest destiny type directives, Some good stories that make you think and a whole lot of bloodshed. Game of Thrones level stuff, only not as detailed (papyrus and sheepskin was probably too expensive in the day). there are even exhortations towards ethnic cleansing/genocide, and parts about being kind to strangers. Plenty in there to justify whatever you want to do, sadly. Parts of Numbers, Judges and Kings were pretty harsh.


Then there are bits of poetic imagery that are nice. some Psalms are truly lovely, though many in the first dozens are rough. Then the prophets who are mostly "Hey, life sucks o because you keep not keeping the sabbath and marrying foreign women, but it will get better eventually". Acknowledgement that people weren't following the rules for a loooong time before God sent to kick your ass, because God is patient....until God isn't and then the grudge lasts a looooong time.

then there are wild visions like in Daniel and Revelations. There is lots of thought and scholarship on what some of this may have been metaphors for (like political commentary!) and how much if any was added by later authors. I will leave that to you to look into.

Proverbs was smattered throughout the plan with never more than maybe 10ish individual proverbs at a time. This is good because they are often unrelated, and just reading a few day gives them. change to soak in some. Some are indeed wise counsel with nothing to do with any particular belief system . SoI was looking forward to this part. I was surprised the first few chapters are, over and over "Hey, listen to your Dad. He has lived and knows what he is talking about." With repeated remonstrations against not dating and marrying foreign women, no matter HOW hot. they are. That got old, but eventually it came around.

IF you are of faith, definitely worth a read, and if you are not, some chunks are universally good reading, and more of it is important to understand references in western culture. And then there are detail parts you need not look at really (census readouts for instance.)


There is ample mysogyny in some books, (and places where women are celebrated and do very heroic things too). There is prejudice and there is also tolerance, depending on what books you are reading and which parts you choose to pay heed to.

The way I look at ALL of it, is it was written down by men whose minds were products of their environment and who had knowledge of certain things about. the world. Regardless of whether you believe it was divinely inspired, the words went through these very human filters. I think a lot of content speaks to the times in which it was written...and the folks who edited down all the material floating around into as single book. They made choices what to include and not for their own reasons. There is plenty of room to believe those choices were guided by God or other forces...or that these choices were just people being human.


I see the Bible as a guidepost to help us be closer to and in communion with God. It is that last part that matters. The tools we use to get there are only tools, and it does not matter much which ones we use.



Revised Version (voice‑preserving, minimal style change)

I’d never read the whole Bible straight through, so this year I followed a 365‑day plan. Sometimes I dipped into other translations for a bit, but mostly stuck with this one.

My past with this book: there were whole sections I’d never seen. I’d been assigned snippets in political philosophy and classical literature classes in college, then read more decades later when I decided the Gospels were culturally important. (Plot twist: I ended up becoming Christian after a childhood with no faith and a couple decades of adult life.) that was all I had really read.

Content: Some of it is tedious, repetitive, and not exactly rich in spiritual meaning. If you want exact measurements for the prayer tent that housed the Ark, they’re in there. Repeatedly. If you want census numbers, livestock counts, or lavish descriptions of Solomon’s building materials, you’re covered.

Some of it is genuinely interesting storytelling: family intrigue (Rebekah was not a kind partner to Jacob and Esau's dad, Isaac), generational grudges, national directives, and a whole lot of bloodshed. Game of Thrones level ugly, just less detailed because papyrus and sheepskin weren’t cheap. You get everything from exhortations toward ethnic cleansing to commands to be kind to strangers. There’s material to justify almost anything. Numbers, Judges, and Kings have some especially rough stretches.


There’s plenty of misogyny in some books, and also places where women are celebrated and do heroic things. There’s prejudice and there’s tolerance. It depends on which book you’re in and which passages you focus on.

Then there’s poetic imagery. Some Psalms are truly lovely, though plenty in the early ones are nasty ("God help me! Kill my enemies in horrible ways to boot"). The prophets mostly say, “Life is terrible because you keep breaking the rules, but eventually things will improve.” Acknowledgement that people weren't following the rules for a long time before God sent to kick your ass, because God is patient....until God isn't and then the grudge lasts a long time, but it will be or that is why things are better.

And then you get the wild visions in Daniel and Revelation. There’s a lot of scholarship on what these might have been metaphors for (including political commentary) and how much was added later. I’ll let you explore that if you want.

Proverbs were sprinkled throughout the reading plan, never more than a few at a time, which is good because they’re often unrelated and need time to sink in. Some are genuinely wise and not tied to any particular belief system. I’d been looking forward to this section, so I was surprised that the opening chapters are basically, “Listen to your father; he knows things,” plus repeated warnings not to date or marry foreign women, no matter how attractive they are. That theme gets old fast, but eventually Proverbs gets to the good material.

If you’re a person of faith, the Bible s worth reading. If you’re not, there are still sections that stand on their own, and a lot of it helps you understand references in Western culture. And then there are the parts (e.g census lists) you can skip.

The way I see all of it: these texts were written down by men shaped by their environments and limited by what they knew about the world. Even if you believe the words were divinely inspired, they still passed through very human filters. Much of the content reflects the time in which it was written and the people who later decided what to include. You can believe those choices were guided by God, or by human priorities, or both.

I see the Bible as a guidepost and tool we can use help us feel closer and in communion with God. That’s what matters. The tools we use to get there are just tools, and it doesn’t matter much which ones we pick.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I like the Common English Bible (CEB). I like its tone, which is more conversational than the NRSV and NIV. Occasionally, it uses colloquialisms, which set a different tone than the rest of the CEB. I like the fact that it uses contractions and that the phrase that is usually rendered "Son of Man" now becomes "Human One." I like the "faithfulness of Jesus" where earlier translations have "faith in Jesus," although the translation is not consistent throughout.

I do not like how it renders some of the terms that have been rendered "sodomites," as in the NRSV. 1 Cor 6:9 lists among those who won't inherit the kingdom "both participants in same-sex intercourse"! We really don't know what that term means. Also, I'm not sure about the translation "selfishness" for the Greek term normally translated "flesh."

I commend those who had a hand in bringing this translation into the light. I think that I will stick with my NRSV, but the CEB is an earnest attempt to share the Word in 21st-century words.

[Abby]

Friends, I am reading the whole bible in a year! Having grown up Catholic, I basically never really read the bible, but important to get educated!

[Fr. River]

This is an excellent translation. It is contemporary, easily readable, and brings to life the words of Scripture

[Catie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read through the Bible this year, chronologically! Was really great. I don't think I'd do it every year because it's a lot to take in, but I'm so glad I did it.

[Mechthild · Rating 4 out of 5]

A study Bible using a paraphrase translation approach

Being the owner of various Study Bibles in different languages (German, English, French) based on different translations (Luther, NLT, NIV, ESV, La Bible du Semeur, Segond 21) and being the owner of the CEB New Testament and CEB Psalms for Kindle, I was interested in the approach that this study Bible uses. The translation which is used for the CEB Study Bible is between a paraphrase (e.g., being used for "The Message") and a thought-for-thought approach (e.g., being used for the "New International Version). The CEB Study Bible is published by Abingdon Press.
I was provided with a sample from the publisher through NetGalley that consists of the Introduction to and the Gospel of Mark, as well as excerpts from Exodus (parts of the introduction, chapter 7:13-19 and 26:24-37) and excerpts from Leviticus (Introduction, chapter 6:18-23). The sample provides also a part of the pages that are usual in Bibles such as "unique features" (e.g., the article about "The Authority of Scripture" by Joel B. Green), reliability, relevance, editorial board, contributors, editors, and translators. Very sadly samples of the maps are missing.
The text of the study Bible is presented in a simple column with the cross-references in the outside margins (whereas other study Bibles use a two-column approach and place the cross-references in between the columns). Some people consider the single-column approach favorable for a more easy readability, but in my opinion it depends also on personal preferences. The study notes are placed underneath the Bible text in two columns. The "Side-bar Articles", e.g., about God's Kingdom in Mark 3 are placed on a pale blue background between the Bible text and the study notes. I was missing the little maps in the study notes, e.g., about Jesus' ministry that can be found in other study Bibles such as the "New Life Application Study Bible - New Living Translation" or the "La Bible avec notes d'étude Vie Nouvelle - Segond 21".
Since I am not a mother-tongue English speaker (that would be German) and since I am neither a Hebrew nor a Greek scholar, I trust the quality of the translation to the over 110 scholars from the 22 faith traditions who have worked on this study Bible. In any case I have discovered that the CEB Study Bible contains far more cross-references than the CEB New Testament - Kindle version.
I recommend this Study Bible for those who want to use a study Bible that is easy understandable and has a good readability. For those who prefer a "thought-for-thought" approach a study Bible based on the NIV, NLT, or a similar translations is recommended whereas for those who prefer a "word-for-word" translation, my recommendation would be a study Bible based on the KJV, ESV, or a similar translations.

This book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge. The reviewer was under no obligation to offer a positive review.
#CEBStudyBible #NetGalley

[Scott Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The review copy only contained a few chapters so this review is based on what was available to the writer and not the entire book. A fair proportion of the sample copy contained the introduction and reference material with only a very small proportion of the sample being the actual chapters of the Study Bible.

The CEB Study Bible seemed to contain some nice quality photos and images of locations and items referenced in the text. The Chart of Major Offerings was an interesting summary of the types of tributes mentioned in the book of Leviticus.

Overall it was too hard to write a comprehensive review on the Study Bible due to the limited amount of the actual book given in the sample provided.

[Breath of Life · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am going to get this out of the way, I Am and Always Will Be A King James Version Gal! But this Bible is awesome. I had my daughter, who is not a King James Version gal, to pick a couple of her favorite verses and read them out of this version. She did and was impressed that she could understand and like the way this one was written. I also spoke to my daughter n law who also likes the King James Version like me, and had her do the same. She was also impressed as to:

To read the rest of my review: https://breathoflifebookreviews.blogs...

[Steven Bullmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really, really appreciate the sidebars and footnotes that reflect the thoughts, sermons, and teachings of John Wesley. It added value to my reading of Scripture to read it vicariously through the founder of my denomination. My only complaint is some of the translation choices made by the CEB; particularly translating "Son of Man" as "the human one." I've met lots of human beings in my lifetime; none of them look, act, or talk like the "Son of Man" in Daniel or the Gospels. Whatever the original intent of the description, I'm pretty sure it was not to express the human side of Deity.

[Jason Muckley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Common English Study Bible (CEB) includes introductions to each book with a helpful timeline to key events that occur. It has some pictures of the landscape as well. This version is a very "readable" version with many tools and tips to further improve understanding. There are many cross-references for verses and other complementary verses that support each verse.

The Bible was put together by a number of scholars who assisted in the interpretation as well. This is a great version to get a new perspective on God's Word.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over all, I really like the way this translation makes sense of certain passages--particularly NT ones. It often put familar verses in a fresh way. There are other translation or editorial calls that found frustrating (son of man=human one, leviathan and behemoth in Job=crocodile and hippopotamus, etc). However, this will be a good translation to consult alongside other translations or read for enjoyment.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a serviceable translation of scripture. I don't think it is as good as the NRSV and is just as prone to some clunky renderings of the text. However, if someone is looking to read a translation that situates itself outside the King James tradition, then this is an excellent place to start.

[CD]

The Book

The Common English Bible is a hybrid common language translation of the Christian Bible. It was first published in 2010 and 2011 by the Common English Bible Committee. This work draws from 117 scholar/translators from 22 denominations/Christian traditions. The Common English Bible website, yes Virginia a Bible with it own web page, lists even more scholar/translators and denominations than the first press pre-releases to other publishers and vendors. CEB itself credits 118 biblical scholars, the website ups the number to 120 translators and 24 denominations.

Maps included are from the National Geographic. They cover Israel in the Late Bronze Age, Exodus, the United Monarchy, Babylonia and Israel, the Roman Empire, Palestine and Jerusalem at the time of Jesus (2 maps), and Paul's Journeys.

The Translation

Two months nearly have passed since I first starting reading through this latest version of the Bible. It is not my 'first dance' with this work so as a disclaimer I'll just say I did not read every word in this version and most certainly did not read it in order. Certain books and chapters that are personal favorites or are generally accepted as critical were my first concern. But I read a lot and will read probably most all of it plus some books and chapters again in the months to come this year.

First, there's no "In the Beginning" in the beginning. Genesis starts off without the familiar and widely known phrase, but God still pronounces light in the familiar English form. The CEB translators and compilers made several decisions about readability and modern vernacular as the basis for their transliteration instead of translation. 'In the beginning' is one of many phrases and formulations that fall by the way in this verbal equivalence and common language Bible.

The Sources and Manuscripts used by the compilers are themselves fairly new or even in progress translations and collections of primary sources at the time of publication of the CEB. A list of Abbreviations and Terms fronts the Preface and includes notes for the reader as to primary/secondary sources used as 'tie breakers' (like all works of this type) to arrive at the final published writing. The recent vintage of this work allows for and makes use of modern and recent scholarship including the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Hybrid/equivalence/transliterations all have tradeoffs as do direct verbatim translation forms of the Bible. In many cases the works we know in English (or another modern current day language) are themselves compiled from numerous sources or alternative versions of the same part of a biblical book. From this the CEB board made several interesting choices about how to present this work. Included are previously unusual items such as the inclusion of contractions mimicking modern speech and communication. Where the bible might use a cubit, a modern measurement has been substituted that for the sake of understandability.

Naming and other conventions of address including familiar forms such as the Son of Man are replaced by a different and according to the CEB Board a more accurate translation. 'Human One' is now the preferred and chosen term.

Even the 'Amens' as some groups call them in prayers are omitted as they don't have any existence in the original texts. The 'Amens' were definitely known (well know additions documented by the scholars at the time of the KJV) to have been included for the purposes of that portion of the bible to also be a prayer book too. After all, in the early centuries after Guttenberg started moving type around, there were still few books available. So compilation was acceptable and 'needed'. CEB is quite consistent in this usage in the portions of the book that I scanned (not skimmed!).

Even the normal formulations of the Lord's Prayer undergoes some minor modification, including the Amens. Strangely, John 3:16 is as unchanged as anything even if it is an archaic formulation. that is easy to understand.

Reviewers Commentary on the Common English Bible

There has been no star valuation placed on this book as it falls outside of my criteria for each rating level. Since I've read many times the Bible in various bits and pieces and numerous commentaries I'll not try to assign it to a range of terrible to life changing. Their are first timers who will find the form of this book may allow them to assign such a rating.

This bible dispenses with many of the grand literary traditions and the poetry that has inspired and influenced other literature to say nothing of peoples traditions for centuries. It is none the less an interesting attempt to again make the Bible readable. Attempts over the years to do similar have in some cases only opened discussions anew in ways that did not always have the effect intended by the latest editors. The rise of the modern Evangelical movement was in no small part driven by among other things the Good News Bible.

The Common English Bible is certainly a work that those who wish to continue to be conversant with Christians and Christianity in 10-20 years will want to familiarize themselves with alongside the versions they have previously read.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Favorite Bible that I go to first. I love the Wesley and Methodist doctrine, theology and stories in the study part. As well as Charles Wesley's hymns throughout. This is CEB but Leather. Nice colors and good for men or women. However, touch of Pink makes me love it most!

[Kalina Kelley · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really a big fan of these types of study Bibles. I like the whole Bible but with boys of information in the margins or at the bottom of the page. This was like a devotional type book. Maybe that's what the intent was but anyway not for me.

[Austin Hill · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting, new translation, which always helps read things with fresh eyes. But it wasn’t my favorite. I didn’t like how “blessed” was translated to “happy” in the Psalms and Matthew 5, for example. Just some stuff like that. It is very readable, though.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

This transition claimed to use more inclusive language for God and God’s people. While it is an improvement over prior translations, I think it could have gone further and still remain true to the original text.

[Robin Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audio edition of this Bible. It’s the Common English Bible, and common it is. This makes it listenable and charming in its own way. I thoroughly enjoyed this audio Bible and noticed many things I had missed in reading with my eyes.

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The CEB translation is easy to read and follow. Although this isn’t my favorite Bible translation, it is well done and very easy to follow!

[Beth SHULAM · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best versions of the Bible for easy reading because of the modern English translation.
This is the version I keep with me in my purse and goes everywhere with me.

[Michael · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely awful, worst Bible translation I've ever read

[Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I missed some of the poetry of the NRSV but so appreciate the readability and quirkiness of this translation. Read the whole Bible in 2022 in the 5 Day Reading Plan.

[LWF · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like the way this Bible reads

[Lizzie Bryce · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 recommend. Such a good protagonist. Spoiler alert: he doesn’t actually die.

[Gigi · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good version to read cover to cover. I give MYSELF five stars because I read it cover to cover!!!