Editing Recovery Version (section)

==Translation==

The Recovery Version is a recent translation of the Bible from the revised 1980 edition of the Hebrew Scriptures, ''[[Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia]]'',<ref>Würthwein, Ernst. ''The Text of the Old Testament: An Introduction to the Biblia Hebraica''. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1995.</ref> and the Nestle-Åland Greek text as found in ''[[Novum Testamentum Graece]]'' (26th edition).<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.recoveryversion.org/translation.html|title = Translating the Bible}}</ref> The translators believe that the understanding of the Bible has progressed in the past two thousand years, in part due to "philological and exegetical scholarship that makes more precise the meaning of the biblical words or phrases or practices" and in part due to an accumulation of Christian experience.<ref>Harrelson, Walter. "Recent Discoveries and Bible Translation." ''Religious Education'' 85.2 (1990): 190.</ref> This understanding forms the basis of this translation, with guidance from major authoritative English versions.

The Recovery Version claims to avoid biases and inaccurate judgments and to express the message of the Bible in English as accurately as possible. As such, it departs from traditional renderings in certain passages.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Paul|first1=William|title=English Language Bible Translators|date=May 2009|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0786442430|page=141}}</ref> Its translation is essentially literal/word-for-word/formal equivalent, seeking to preserve the wording of the original Hebrew or Greek text and the personal style of each biblical writer. Its translation is intended as transparent; interpretive ambiguities present in the original text are left unresolved in this translation for the readers to consider. The Recovery Version renders the Tetragrammaton as ''[[Jehovah]]'' throughout the Old Testament.

The Bible is not always easy to understand.  Look at the translation of Genesis 1:1-2 in the right box (click show to see it).  God spoke about His creation of the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1:1.  In verse 2 He said “But the earth became waste and emptiness, and darkness was on the surface of the deep…”.  That was not the earth that God created as He explained in Isaiah 45:18 “For thus says Jehovah, / Who created the heavens — / He is the God / Who formed the earth and made it; / He established it; / He did not create it waste, / But He formed it to be inhabited: / I am Jehovah and there is no one else;”.  So, what happened?  The Recovery Version of the Bible (RVB) tells you in its translation and footnotes without burying you in unnecessary details so let’s examine it.

Go to this website, www.recoveryversion.bible,  and examine it.  The application will recognize the kind of computer/phone being used and optimize the output for it.   It worked fine using an iPad, a Mac and an iPhone.

On a computer which has a large screen it provides an active screen that displays the RVB’s features.  Press the Quick Tour down arrow, and click Sample Text.  Then click the Genesis page and the first 10 pages on Genesis can be seen just as they are on a printed copy of the RVB.  Scroll down to GENESIS 1:2 and read the footnotes under it starting with 1.5.  Then continue on the next page.  They explain what happened during God’s creation in more detail based on verses in Job, Isaiah, Ezekiel, etc.  After reading these verses and the commentary you will know why God made the earth waste and empty in Genesis 1:2 and brooded on the situation.

If you don’t have a computer, use an iPhone or similar device and select Menu, Quick Tour, Sample Text, and Genesis text.  Then scroll down and read Genesis 1, its footnotes, and Genesis 1:2 with its footnotes.  

Last year the App Store on iPhones had the Holy Bible Recovery Version with footnotes on it.  It was very inexpensive and provides an excellent study Bible serious Christians will want to have.  They can read it anywhere.  It may be available for most computers and phones.