The New Living Translation (NLT) is a popular English Bible translation that was first published in 1996 by Tyndale House Publishers. The NLT aims to translate the meaning of the original biblical texts into clear, natural English that is easily understandable by modern readers. Here is a detailed overview of the New Living Translation:
Translation Philosophy
The NLT is considered a thought-for-thought or meaning-based translation, rather than a strict word-for-word translation. The translators sought to convey the meaning and intent of the original biblical writers in a way that sounds natural in conversational English. They employed principles of dynamic equivalence translation, where the translators examine the words and grammar of the original languages and then translate those concepts into natural equivalent terms in the target language. The goal is for readers to comprehend what the biblical writers originally wanted to communicate to their audiences.
As a meaning-based translation, the NLT does not follow a strictly literal, word-for-word translation philosophy. While accuracy to the original text is still a high priority, the NLT translators felt a literal rendering may not make sense or sound natural to modern English readers. So they opted for dynamic equivalence to make the translation easy to understand, while preserving the original meaning as much as possible.
Translation Process
The New Living Translation was first undertaken by 90 Bible scholars from various theological backgrounds and denominations. The translation team was led by Dr. Kenneth N. Taylor, who was also the founder of Tyndale House Publishers. Dr. Taylor had previously paraphrased biblical passages into simple English in his popular Living Bible paraphrase of 1971.
For the NLT, Dr. Taylor and the translators started with the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek biblical texts. They analyzed grammar, word choices, literary style, idioms, and nuances of meaning in the original languages. Special care was taken in difficult or ambiguous passages to determine the author’s intent based on context and scholarly research into the historical-cultural backgrounds. The translators then composed a thought-for-thought translation using clear, natural English, revising and reworking it multiple times to ensure accuracy.
In the four-step translation process, biblical scholars first made an exegetical analysis of the original languages to determine the author’s meaning. Then an intermediate Greek or Hebrew text was composed to convey this meaning. Next, English translators shaped this text into clear, idiomatic English. Finally, multiple English style editors polished the translation for readability.
The NLT also involved a trans-denominational team of 50 English stylistic reviewers from major Christian denominations. They offered suggestions and feedback about clarity, readability, and literary style to ensure the NLT sounds smooth and natural to a broad English readership.
Translation Spectrum
The New Living Translation generally falls on the dynamic equivalence end of the translation spectrum. It is less literal than more word-for-word versions like the King James Version or English Standard Version, but more literal than an extreme paraphrase like The Message. The translators aimed for a balance between the two extremes – keeping some literalness from source languages, but using natural phrasing in the receptor language. Their goal was the “optimal equivalence” that transfers both the words and thoughts from the original texts.
Compared to its predecessor the Living Bible, the NLT moved further away from paraphrase toward a translation approach. The Living Bible was a one-man paraphrase by Kenneth Taylor, while the NLT was the work of 90 translators striving for accuracy to the original texts. The NLT is nearly as readable as the Living Bible but adheres more closely to the phrasing and grammar of the Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic.
Reading Level
Most translations of the Bible are written at a high school or college reading level. The NLT vocabulary and sentence structure are simplified to be accessible for middle school readers and below. The translators endeavored to make the Bible understandable even for young children and new readers. At the same time, the language does not feel overly simplified or talk down to adult readers.
The NLT is reported by Tyndale House Publishers to have a 7th-8th grade reading level. The vocabulary is approximately 860 words, compared to the 1,200-1,400 word vocabulary of other common versions like the New International Version or English Standard Version. The simplified language makes the NLT a popular choice for children, teens, new believers, and adults who struggle with Bible reading.
Goals and Intended Audience
The NLT preface states the translation goals as:
- A readable, understandable translation suitable for personal devotions, application, and memorization.
- A translation that reflects solid biblical scholarship and the doctrines of historic orthodox Christianity.
- A balanced translation that avoids personal interpretive paraphrase yet captures the full meaning of the writers.
The intended audience of the NLT is both longtime believers and new seekers of the faith who want an easy-to-comprehend English Bible. It removes stumbling blocks that often frustrate readers, like archaic language or confusing grammatical structures. The translators sought to unfold the meaning of Scripture in a smooth, engaging manner, while retaining accuracy and clarity.
Textual Basis
The NLT translators used the most reliable ancient manuscripts and latest scholarly research as the basis for their translation. For the Old Testament, this was the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia and Dead Sea Scrolls. For the New Testament, it was the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece and various Greek New Testament editions.
The translation’s Preface states that at times the NLT renders a passage differently than more literal versions, not because of textual variations, but because of textual meaning. The translators analyzed difficult texts to determine the author’s intended meaning in context, even when this requires flexibility with English words.
Like most modern translations, the NLT contains footnotes with alternative manuscript readings and explanatory notes. It uses italics to indicate words not directly present in the original source texts but implied by the context.
Accuracy
Extensive effort was made by the NLT translators and reviewers to ensure accuracy and faithfulness to the original biblical texts. The meaning-based NLT is not as literal as formal equivalence versions, but the peer-review process sought to keep interpretation by the translators to a minimum. The NLT Preface acknowledges that absolute perfection is unattainable in any translation, but rigorous steps were taken to make this an accurate and trustworthy English Bible.
Critics argue that meaning-based translations like the NLT sometimes veer too far from literal wording. But the NLT translators counter that a literal form does not guarantee accuracy if the English wording is awkward, confusing, or misleading to modern readers. They opted for optimal equivalence where both the meaning and articulation of the original text are conveyed clearly.
Gender Language
A distinctive of the NLT is its use of gender-inclusive language for humanity. Man or mankind are translated as people, humans, human beings, or everyone. The third-person plural pronouns (they, them, their) are often used in place of the generic masculine singular (he, him, his).
For God, the NLT maintains the masculine pronoun usage found in the original texts, except where the context clearly refers to both male and female. The translators felt it was essential to follow scriptural language to convey theological truths about God’s personhood.
The NLT preface acknowledges disagreement among Christians regarding pronoun usage but says translators were guided by the original contexts. The goal was to avoid imposing cultural changes on the Bible but remove potentially misleading use of masculine terms.
Reception and Criticism
As a meaning-based translation, the New Living Translation has faced some criticism from those favoring formal equivalence approaches. There are disagreements about passages where the NLT offers interpretations or paraphrases the text. Critics argue key theological terms are not always translated consistently. Some claim accuracy is compromised for readability, or theological biases have been imposed on the text.
On the other hand, many readers praise the NLT for making Scripture accessible to a broader audience. Through simplifying the language, it aids understanding and application for those intimidated by traditional Bible versions. Most feel it maintains accuracy on major theological doctrines while making even difficult passages clear. The translation philosophy has proven effective at conveying the essence of biblical meaning to modern readers.
The NLT has ranked consistently high on Bible sales charts, indicating its popularity for personal reading and study. Significant numbers of pastors, churches, and new believers have embraced it as their primary Bible. Its combination of understandability and scholarship makes it appealing across demographic groups.
Availability and Versions
The New Living Translation is available in numerous print, digital, audio, and app formats. Different editions exist for various reading needs:
- Text editions – The main NLT text in various binding styles from numerous Christian publishers.
- Study and application Bibles – NLT text with supplementary articles, notes, devotionals, and study tools.
- Specialty formats – Large print, compact, giant print, loose-leaf, gift, pew, and outreach editions.
- Audio formats – Audio CDs and streaming audio of the NLT text narrated or dramatized.
- Digital access – Apps, ebooks, online, and software versions for various devices and platforms.
- Children’s editions – Comic book, adventure, study, and easy reader NLT Bibles for kids.
- Reference tools – Concordances, dictionaries, atlases, lexicons, and commentaries based on the NLT.
The text of the NLT has remained unchanged since its latest update in 2007. Occasional minor edits have been made to study notes in various NLT editions. The current NLT comprises both Old and New Testaments and includes introductory articles about the translation.
Copyright
The text of the New Living Translation itself is copyright 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. This copyright extends to all NLT print, audio, digital, and app formats. Permission is granted by the publisher to quote up to 500 verses without written approval.
Study notes, supplemental articles, and helps in various NLT editions may fall under separate copyrights by the respective publishers. Permission should be obtained for reproducing content beyond just the NLT text itself.
The NLT text has been licensed by Tyndale House Publishers to various Christian publishing companies and Bible organizations. This allows wide distribution while maintaining a standard NLT text across the editions.
Translation Team
The New Living Translation was translated and edited by the following primary team of Biblical scholars:
- Dr. Kenneth N. Taylor – Original translator and editor.
- Dr. John R. Kohlenberger III – Old Testament editor.
- Dr. James A. Swanson – New Testament editor.
- Dr. Jack M. Sorenson – Executive editor.
Additional contributors included:
- Fifty biblical scholars from various church denominations serving as translators and reviewers.
- A trans-denominational team of fifty English stylistic reviewers.
- Twenty-five leading NLT users reviewing for readability as an English version.
This broad representation from many backgrounds helped the NLT gain wide acceptance across Christian groups. Their common goal was effective communication of God’s Word for modern readers.
History
The New Living Translation has its roots in Eugene A. Nida’s principles of dynamic equivalent translation developed in the 1960s and 70s. Nida, a linguist, argued meaningful communication in receptor languages and cultures was more important than strictly literal forms.
Kenneth N. Taylor applied Nida’s ideas in his Living Bible paraphrases starting in 1962. He reworded passages from the American Standard Version into simple expressions to help his children understand the Bible.
As these Living Bible portions became popular, Tyndale House Publishers printed and released the complete Living Bible in 1971. This bestselling paraphrase encouraged Taylor and Tyndale House to undertake a meaning-based translation that would maintain closer accuracy to the original texts.
Work on the New Living Translation began in 1989 under Dr. Taylor’s leadership. The first section released was the Gospel of John in 1993. The entire New Testament came out in 1996, followed by the full Bible in 2004. Minor refinement edits were done for the 2007 text edition that is still used today.
Over its three decades of existence, the NLT has consistently ranked among the top five bestselling English Bible translations. As of 2022, Tyndale House Publishers reports total NLT sales of over 150 million copies worldwide. Its popularity continues to grow and impact Bible reading around the globe.
Translation Choice Factors
There are many factors to weigh when choosing a Bible translation for personal use or ministry purposes. Here are some key considerations regarding the New Living Translation:
- Readability – The NLT is exceptionally clear and readable but less literal than formal versions.
- Vocabulary – Uses a smaller vocabulary suitable for all ages and reading skill levels.
- Accuracy – Generally faithful to the original texts though less literal than some translations.
- Interpretation – Aims to avoid personal bias but uses meaning-based translation.
- Language – Natural, smooth English with some gender-inclusive language.
- Acceptance – Broad usage across denominations though criticized by some as too paraphrased.
The NLT is a major contributor to the Bible translation spectrum. For those desiring an accurate yet easy-to-read English Bible, it has become a translation of choice.