Daily Bible Reading Podcast

JEREMIAH 44-45:
After all Jeremiah's messages of doom, he was able to give a comforting message to the Judeans who had been through so much. He might have thought, “At last I get to preach good news.” The Lord said through him, “I feel sorry for all you have had to suffer. Stay here. I will make the king of Babylon take pity on you. Don't fear the Babylonians.” That's the very thing the people had longed to hear for years. But even at this point, they break their promise and don’t listen to Jeremiah! After that, when he had been forcibly taken off to Egypt with the others, Jeremiah predicted that Nebuchadnezzar would come and defeat Egypt also.

PROVERBS 8a:
For the last two days we heard the wisdom of a father to his sons. Today Lady Wisdom speaks.

1CORINTHIANS 16:
Yesterday we finished the Resurrection Chapter, and today we see glimpses of the life of the early church through Paul’s final words.

NLT Translation note:
1Cor. 16:10 When Timothy comes, [please] don’t intimidate him. He is doing the Lord’s work, just as I am.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

JEREMIAH 42-43:
I have always found it fascinating what Jeremiah experienced in the aftermath of the fall of Judah's kingdom to the king of Babylon. It is interesting to me that he was led away in chains along with everyone else captured. But the king of Babylon had heard of him and left instructions about him. And it is a shame what happened to Gedaliah. Evidently Jeremiah was not around at that point to warn him.

PROVERBS 7:
The father instructing his son continues from yesterday’s reading. This is one of the most colorful chapters in God’s Word. If you haven’t read this before, prepare yourself to be shocked! 

1CORINTHIANS 15b:
Yesterday we read the first part of this famous Resurrection Chapter. The first part displays Paul's rigorous logic about the fact of Christ’s resurrection. The second part deals with the kind of body we will have after the Resurrection. All of this chapter holds wonderful promises for us.

Let’s consider a few verses we will reread today dealing with being baptized for deceased people: We do not find evidence that the practice was widespread or that it continued. Constable’s Notes for this section (lumina.bible.org) cites information that there was a pre-Christian mystery religion in the area of Corinth that practiced proxy baptism on behalf of dead relatives. Some early Corinthian Christians may have carried this practice over into their new faith, or Paul may simply have been using this local pagan religious practice as an example in order to say, “What is the point of doing that if the dead will not be raised to life?” Paul does not mention this practice in order to encourage it, but to strengthen his point: The resurrection of all believers is a promise that follows logically from Christ’s resurrection.

NLT Translation notes:
1Cor. 15:2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you[. Otherwise, it was useless that you became believers in the first place! //—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.///unless you never believed it in the first place.]
[This is a difficult place to interpret what Paul meant, and I think at least 3 possibilities deserve consideration, and all seem to me to be equally possible.]
29 If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why [have some people done that//do it] unless the dead will someday rise again?

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

JEREMIAH 40-41:
Yesterday we heard of Jeremiah being put in a dry but muddy well, and being rescued by the faithful official, Ebed-melech. And we heard the terrible and painful result of Zedekiah's cowardly failure to do as repeatedly instructed by the Lord.

Ezekiel— who was about 20 years younger than Jeremiah, prophesied about Zedekiah:

Ezek 12:12 NLT “Even Zedekiah will leave Jerusalem at night through a hole in the wall, taking only what he can carry with him. He will cover his face, and his eyes will not see the land he is leaving.
13 Then I will throw my net over him and capture him in my snare. I will bring him to Babylon, the land of the Babylonians, though he will never see it, and he will die there.

PROVERBS 6:
In yesterday’s chapter we heard a clear theme:

Prov. 5:15 NLT Drink water from your own well—
share your love only with your wife.

The teaching in today’s passage is insistent:

Prov. 6:20 NLT My son, obey your father’s commands,
and don’t neglect your mother’s instruction.

1CORINTHIANS 15a:
In yesterday’s reading of chapter 14 Paul wrapped up the theme about spiritual gifts that he started in chapter 12. Note that at the end he became vehement and insistent, signalling that he knew there would be people who would argue with him. I want to underline: Paul was the apostle of the Lord who wrote 13 books of our New Testament. Every church and Christian fellowship should take these instructions seriously. If we don't, we fall into the trap of thinking we are wiser than Paul (and we can even say, the Holy Spirit). However, those who seek spiritual gifts in a way that is not self-glorifying will find that the Spirit of the Lord still gives authentic gifts.

NLT Translation notes:
1Cor. 15:2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you[. Otherwise, it was useless that you became believers in the first place! //—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.///unless you never believed it in the first place.]
[This is a difficult place to interpret what Paul meant, and I think at least 3 possibilities deserve consideration, and all seem to me to be equally possible.]
29 If the dead will not be raised, what point is there in people being baptized for those who are dead? Why [have some people done that//do it] unless the dead will someday rise again?

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

JEREMIAH 38-39:
Yesterday we heard of persecution against Jeremiah, his being imprisoned so that he had his secretary, Baruch convey his messages, and then his being imprisoned in the dungeon at Jonathan’s house. And today he is put in a muddy cistern.

PROVERBS 5:
Today’s chapter of Proverbs has a clear theme. Here is a verse from the middle that typifies that theme:

Prov. 5:15 NLT Drink water from your own well—
share your love only with your wife.

1CORINTHIANS 14:
This chapter gives Paul’s conclusions about spiritual gifts— the theme he started in chapter 12.

NLT Translation note:
1Cor. 14:38 But if you do not recognize this, you yourself [are not/should not/will not] be recognized.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

JEREMIAH 36-37:
In yesterday's reading in Jeremiah, he gave more specific warnings to King Zedekiah. And then we heard of the inspiring example of the Recabites.

PROVERBS 4b:
Yesterday in the first half of chapter 4, we heard again about Lady Wisdom. I highlight these important words:

Prov. 4:7 GNT Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do. Whatever else you get, get insight.
10 Listen to me, my child. Take seriously what I am telling you, and you will live a long life.
11 I have taught you wisdom and the right way to live.
12 Nothing will stand in your way if you walk wisely, and you will not stumble when you run.

Solomon introduces some of these words saying that he was taught them by his father, which would be, of course, King David. It is interesting to consider that we could be hearing some of David's wisdom in those verses.

1CORINTHIANS 13:
Spiritual gifts are important! They are sovereignly given by the Holy Spirit. We will be happiest and the most productive in our ministries when we function in accordance with our gifting from God. Every believer is given a gift, and chapter 12 portrays with clear analogies how the gifts are to used in the context of the body. So don’t assume that you can go off anywhere outside your local body and use your gift. My experience is that gifting can change a bit based on what local body you are participating in. The Holy Spirit can loan a gift to you at any time. The gifts are to help us function as a unified body, NOT to divide us— as so sadly has happened again and again. Selfishness is diametrically opposed to spiritual gifts. So, as important as spiritual gifts are, there is something more important, as we will hear today.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

JEREMIAH 34-35:
In yesterday’s reading, Jeremiah bought a field according to the Lord’s instructions. Under the circumstances, that seemed a futile thing to do. He prayed, and the Lord used the situation as a backdrop for wonderful promises to the nation of Israel.

In chapter 33:3 we heard a frequently quoted verse which says,

Jer. 33:3 NLT Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come.

Please do NOT rip a verse like this out of context and then boast that you have become a prophet like Jeremiah. There are some wonderful verses in God’s Word that we should be very careful about ‘claiming’ as applying to us. See what the ‘remarkable secrets’ ‘about things to come’ are by re-reading that chapter! 

I highlighted a verse earlier in Jeremiah where the coming Righteous King was named, ‘The Lord Our Salvation.’ In yesterday’s reading it was the city of Jerusalem that is so named.

Jer. 33:16 NLT In that day Judah will be saved
and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this will be [Jerusalem’s/its] name:
‘The LORD is Our Righteousness.’

There is no conflict in this. The Lord is emphasizing something! Keep it in mind.

PROVERBS 4a:
Proverbs 3 extolled the virtues of Lady Wisdom and ended with various nuggets of wisdom. Here are verses that stood out to me from that chapter:

NLT Prov. 3:21 My child, don’t lose sight of common sense and discernment.
Hang on to them,
…
24 You can go to bed without fear;
you will lie down and sleep soundly.
25 You need not be afraid of sudden disaster
or the destruction that comes upon the wicked,
26 for the LORD is your security. …

1CORINTHIANS 12:
Yesterday’s chapter has two clear parts. 

NLT has given this helpful section heading for the first section of chapter 11, verses 2-16: Instructions for Public Worship. The section includes Paul’s instruction about head coverings for women in worship services. 

I think it behooves us to pay attention any time an apostle becomes emphatic or vehement in his language. Verse 16 is a case in point:

1Cor. 11:16 NLT But if anyone wants to argue about this, I simply say that we have no other custom than this, and neither do God’s other churches.

I therefore feel that we cannot just write off what Paul was saying as no longer relevant because it seems not to fit in our culture. Yes, this section certainly is discordant with our modern culture. But I maintain that this should make us pay closer attention to it. God’s Word consistently shows that our Creator wants men and women to have different roles, not just in worship services, but in marriage and in life itself. Beside the God-designed role-differences between men and women, note that Paul gives another reason for his instructions: Angels are present and watching our public services. What angels think about the roles of men and women has probably not shifted to fit our modern culture.

For anyone who thinks that verse 15 means that long hair can substitute for the ‘covering’ Paul intends in the previous verses, please see the footnote found for that verse in the NET.

The second section is the often-quoted teaching about the Lord’s supper. My opinion is that ‘honoring/discerning the body of Christ’ in 11:29 is about recognizing the symbolism of the Lord’s body in the communion elements, not about the united and universal church as the ‘body of Christ’. 

The Lord’s Supper should never be allowed to become a routine event. I have visited a church where communion was taken without explanation, like serving oneself coffee and doughnuts at a buffet while everyone else is singing. Instead, the Lord’s supper should be a solemn, dignified, and thought-provoking time. Beware that failure to give proper respect to the Lord’s body and blood can cause the church to come under the Lord’s discipline, which according to verse 30 can result in physical weakness, sickness, and even death.

NLT Translation note:
1Cor. 12:29 Are we all apostles? [No.] Are we all prophets? [No.] Are we all teachers? [No.] Do we all have the power to do miracles?  [No.]

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

JEREMIAH 32-33:
In yesterday’s reading we heard some of Jeremiah’s most important words:

Jer. 31:33-34 NLT … this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,” says the LORD.
“I will put my instructions deep within them, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. … I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins.”

When you think about it, what God has always wanted is rather simple: He would like to be our God, and He would like us to be— and act like, His people.

PROVERBS 3b:
Let’s read verses 5-8 as a reminder, because these represent the core of Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:5‭-‬8 NLT
5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart;
do not depend on your own understanding.
6 Seek his will in all you do,
and he will show you which path to take.
7 Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom.
Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.
8 Then you will have healing for your body
and strength for your bones.

1CORINTHIANS 11:
In chapter 10 Paul wrapped up his discussion about food offered to idols. And an important part is to learn from what happened to Israel. Finally he summarized:

1Cor. 10:31 NLT “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32 Don’t give offense to Jews or Gentiles or the church of God.”

NLT Translation notes:
Prov. 3:14 For [she,] wisdom[,] is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold.
15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with [Lady Wisdom//her].
====
1Cor. 11:3 But there is one thing I want you to know: The head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is [the] man [(her husband or her father)], and the head of Christ is God.
5 But a woman dishonors her headc if she prays or prophesies without a covering on her head, for this [would be//is] the same as shaving her head.
6 Yes, if she refuses to wear a head covering, she should cut off all her hair! But since it is shameful for a woman to have her hair cut [short] or her head shaved, she should wear a covering.
8 For the first man didn’t come from woman, but the first woman came from man.
9 And [the first] man was not made for [the first] woman, but [the first] woman was made for [the first] man.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

JEREMIAH 30-31:
Yesterday we heard more of Jeremiah’s struggle against false prophets. And now so many centuries later, in our day, the false message is what people desire to hear, even though the truth is actually better for us and much better for our preparation. 

There is an often quoted verse from yesterday’s reading. I think it is good to bear in mind that this was NOT spoken to the Jews left behind in Israel's land, but was part of the letter to the exiles in Babylon. 

Jer. 29:11 NLT For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen.

I think it is great to pray to the Lord and ask that He would treat you the same way as the exiles in Babylon. I don’t think it is good to rip this verse out of context and claim it as applying directly to you. However, regarding our future and hope, and how God listens to us when we pray, there are many other verses, especially in the New Testament, that we can claim.

PROVERBS 3a:
In yesterday’s reading we heard that following the path of wisdom is the way of common sense, and that leads one to avoid reckless sin of all kinds. It is best to follow the example of godly people. Lady Wisdom appears again in today’s chapter in verses 13-18. Look for the pronouns ‘her’ and ‘she’ in most translations. 

1CORINTHIANS 10:
In chapter 8, we heard that Christians who have ‘superior wisdom’ sometimes need to give up their ‘rights’ for the sake of not causing their brothers and sisters to fall or be tempted. (Often not really ‘rights’, but privileges we get too possessive about.) And that led Paul in chapter 9 to talk of the rights he and Barnabas had given up for the Gospel.

NLT Translation notes:
Jer. 31:17 There is hope for your future,” says the LORD.
“Your children will come [back] again to their own land.
====
Prov. 3:13 Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,
the one who gains understanding.
14 For [she,] wisdom[,] is more profitable than silver,
and her wages are better than gold.
15 Wisdom is more precious than rubies;
nothing you desire can compare with [Lady Wisdom//her].
18 Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;
happy are those who hold [on to] her tightly.
====
1Cor. 10:4 and all of them drank the same spiritual water. For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and [by that, I mean that] that rock was Christ.
20 No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are [actually] offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons.
24 Don’t [just] be concerned for your own good but for the good of others.
28 (But suppose someone tells you, “This meat was offered to an idol.” [Then] Don’t eat it, out of consideration for the conscience of the one who told you.
29 It might not be a matter of conscience for you, but it is for the other person.) [So now, someone is sure to ask, “[:/For] why should my freedom be limited by what someone else thinks?
30 If I can thank God for the food and enjoy it, why should I be condemned for eating it?[”]

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

JEREMIAH 28-29:
In yesterday's reading we moved from more poetic content to the story of Jeremiah being opposed by priests, other prophets, and royal officials. Remember that God has promised that he will protect Jeremiah in the face of opposition, and this certainly was put to the test. At the end of yesterday's reading, we heard how Jeremiah prophesied that more valuable articles would be taken away from the Temple, and that they would be brought back eventually. When we read the book of Ezra, we will hear that this prophecy was fulfilled.

PROVERBS 2:

Yesterday's reading in Proverbs contained the first speech of Lady Wisdom, the personification of God's wisdom. Not every language uses personification, and one that never uses personification  is Indonesian. In translating Proverbs into Indonesian, we needed to say, “Wisdom is like a teacher who does x, y, and z.” Even in English, it can seem strange when Wisdom builds a house, calls out to people who pass by, and does other human actions.

1CORINTHIANS 9:
In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul began his explanation about whether Christians can eat food left over from sacrifices to idols. To me it is another sign of inspiration and God-given wisdom that Paul did not just give a rule to answer this question.

NLT Translation note:
1Cor. 9:10 Wasn’t he actually speaking [about/to] us? Yes, it was written for us, so that the one who plows and the one who threshes the grain might both expect a share of the harvest.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I have been back from Indonesia for over a month now, and my life has slowly calmed down to the point where I can make a podcast again. If you listened to my last update, sent from my hotel room in Jakarta, and prayed for me, I want to say Thank You! The Lord answers prayers! If you would like to see a follow-up to my prayer requests from my last update, a link to our recent prayer letter is here in the episode notes. LINK

Heads up, people: I have some cool downloads for this episode. You can see all the links to those in the episode notes.

In my last update, I mentioned that I would share something about my article in Indonesian which started out with the title, The Heritage of the King James Version. After John Wycliffe, the first famous English Bible translator, I learned a bit more about William Tyndale. He fled for his life, and finally was betrayed and cruelly martyred in 1536. But his work greatly influenced Bible translations after him. One estimate says that 84% of the KJV shows influence from Tyndale. Beyond that, through subsequent translations, Tyndale’s influence is still felt. Bringing this home to the present day, if you read the ESV, Tyndale’s influence is discernible in that Bible. How amazing and I think this shows God’s fingerprints: The first Bible translator martyred is still influencing our Bible translations.

Before the KJV, there were two English translations of note: The first is the Great Bible, authorized by Henry the VIII. This was translated by Miles Coverdale. It was called ‘great’ because of its size. King Henry's Secretary of State, Thomas Cromwell, directed the clergy to provide “one book of the Bible of the largest volume in English, and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church that ye have care of, whereas your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it.” Note that this means that Cromwell and the king did not consider that parishioners might want their own copy! Coming only three years after Tyndale’s incomplete translation, Coverdale primarily revised and corrected Tyndale’s work. Coverdale translated the remaining books of the OT from the Latin Vulgate, not from the Hebrew.

The second precursor to the KJV that I want to mention is the Geneva Bible. It was published in 1560, 51 years before the KJV. Under the reign of Mary Queen of Scotts, when protestants were persecuted and more than 300 were martyred, many protestant theologians fled to various places in Europe. In particular, many fled to Geneva, where John Calvin was in the later years of his life. In 1557 they formed a committee to translate the Bible. Just a year later, Queen Elizabeth I gained the throne of England, and the dedication of the Geneva Bible was addressed to her.

The Geneva Bible scored an amazing number of FIRSTS:

• It was the first English Bible translation that was translated entirely from the original languages, Hebrew and Greek.
• It was the first Bible translated by a committee instead of by a lone individual.
• The Geneva Bible was the first to be printed in an easy to read Roman font.
• The Geneva Bible was the first study Bible, with Bible maps, and explanatory notes on every page. Note also that these notes were written by leading scholars of the Reformation.
• This was the first printed Bible with chapter and verse numbers.
• The Geneva Bible was the first one to use italic font for words that were added to complete English grammar, differentiating those words from all those that were direct translations of the source text.
• This Bible was printed in versions that were small enough to be easily carried and inexpensive enough that ordinary believers could own a copy.

The Geneva Bible (and not the KJV) is the Bible that was used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne, and John Bunyan (the writer of The Pilgrim’s Progress, 1678). This is the Bible that in 1620 was carried to America on the Mayflower. Twenty-four copies of this Bible are housed in libraries and museums in America. If you are interested in the Puritans and what the protestant reformers believed, get the Geneva Bible.

Facsimile copies of the Geneva Bible are available to buy, one of the 1560 edition, and the second of the 1591 edition. I have already given away my facsimile of the 1560 edition. However I have found a complete PDF that contains the complete 1560 edition, and the link for downloading it is here in the episode notes. (This PDF is only 259 MB because it is a black and white scan.) If you don’t want to learn to read the antique font in the PDF, Biblegateway displays the Geneva Bible complete with its footnotes.

However, when King James came to the throne of England, he did not like the Geneva Bible. One of the issues was those excellent study notes I mentioned above. You see, some of the notes contain critical remarks about what ‘kings or queens shouldn’t do’. (This is no wonder, seeing what the authors had been through!) James decreed that the new translation would not have any study notes. 

It is an odd quirk of history, that the KJV has so dominated in its influence, because in its time it was 

• not considered the most exact translation,
• not considered poetic in its style,
• not considered as the only authoritative Bible.

But it became the dominant Bible in England and eventually in the USA partly because its printing was authorized by the Crown, thereby suppressing the printing of the Geneva Bible. However, beyond doubt, the King James Bible has been, and still is, the world's most influential book. I will not take the time here to list its many influences over our English language and culture (as such praises can be found all over the Internet), but I highlight one influence not normally mentioned: The KJV has exerted a huge influence over Bible translations into the world’s languages.

Most of the time, Bible readers of this time do not realize that what is sold as a King James Version they use is not really the same as the original KJV. That is why a better name for the modern editions of the KJV is the Authorized Version. You can download a PDF of the whole KJV 1611 first edition here. (The whole Bible is 1.8 GB because this scan is in color.) [naked link: https://archive.org/details/1611TheAuthorizedKingJamesBible/page/n5/mode/2up]

One of the differences between the normal Authorized Version and the real 1611 KJV is that the Authorized Version won’t contain the Preface entitled The Translators to the Reader. If you think that you’re good at understanding King James English, I challenge you to read the original Preface. To make it easier to download, I have linked a copy of just the preface HERE. When you discover how difficult it is to read the original font and spelling, I have linked a PDF that contains the KJV Preface with modern spelling HERE. Unfortunately, what we need is a modern language translation of this important document, with footnotes explaining references to events, literary figures, or customs common to that era that leave modern readers in the dark.

Back in the 1980s, I wrote a letter to a special friend and supporter because he and his family had joined the King James Only movement. My short article with quotes from the Preface was later reprinted and used by Wycliffe Bible Translators. The letter is linked HERE, and it explains why the King James translators themselves would not have agreed with the King James Only movement.

There is so much more to discuss about the history of Bible translation up to our times, which will someday be in the article I was writing in Indonesian. For now I want to jump to a notable Bible translator who is now largely forgotten. His name is Richard Francis Weymouth (1822-1902). Weymouth was a school teacher, an authority on literature, a published linguist, and a published Greek scholar. His NT in Modern Speech was published posthumously by his secretary in 1903.

Weymouth was WAY ahead of his time. He realized that all the English translations published up to 1900 retained the wooden literalisms of Tyndale, making them hard to understand. He set out to make the first ever natural-sounding English translation, that is a translation that would make it sound like Paul and other NT writers had written in English, instead of Greek. 

So Weymouth made the first ‘meaning based translation’, although that term and terms like ‘dynamic equivalence’ had not yet been coined. His NT in Modern Speech is wonderfully accurate and still sounds amazingly modern, given that it was first published in 1903. It was not until 1966 that the Good News Translation appeared. The Weymouth NT was published in two forms, one with footnotes, one without. If you are going to read this NT, be sure to get a copy with the footnotes. It is not hard to find used copies. You can download a copy here for free (9.7 MB), complete with the footnotes. (It is available in the MyBible app, but without the footnotes.) A prettier copy, evidently in higher resolution is found here (48.2 MB). Recordings of ten books of the Weymouth NT are read quite dramatically and available for free download through LibreVox.

Now turning to news about the NLT side of the Daily Bible Reading Podcast: Tyndale House Foundation changed their years-old copyright policies, so that they now have a policy for podcasts. I am thrilled that they have granted permission for my NLT Daily Bible Readings to still be made available. As per their request, the complete copyright notice has been placed at the end of the episode notes for every podcast. I will read it here:

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations in these podcasts are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I will be slowly adding brief audio summaries of the notice to every podcast.

I give a shout out to my volunteer secretary, Vicky Pool, who has done the job of putting that copyright notice at the end of 365 episode notes. She’s also the one who makes sure that episodes are published every single day. So thank you to Vicky!

I have been thinking about the wonderful privilege God gives us in listening to our prayers. Here are some verses that I have been thinking about:

Hebrews 11:6 Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for anyone who approaches Him
must believe that He exists
and that he rewards those who seek Him.

Psalm 145:18 The LORD is near to all who call out to Him,
to all who call out to Him sincerely.

Matthew 6:6 When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Psalm 95:6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down; 
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!

The Bible also tells us to “pray without ceasing.” So we can’t always be praying in our secret room and can’t always be kneeling while praying. However, when we have important things to pray about, I think it is a good idea to do just what these verses say. Our God is awesome, and we should approach Him in full reverence and with the utmost honor and respect. 

Gale and I send our greetings to you and say:
May the Lord bless YOU ‘real good’!