Overview

The Open English Translation is a unique new, open-licensed English Bible translation with two parts. In the left column will be the Literal Version, designed to help you “peek” into the original languages and get an idea what is actually written there. The right column will have the easy to read and understand Readers’ Version written in modern English. Actually it’s intended that you’ll read the Readers’ Version, and when you think, “Does it really say that?”, then you can move your eyes across and get a good idea of what words are actually there in the original language.

For more, see the old site.

OET Readers’ Version

This side of the page (so to speak) is designed to express the meaning of each sentence (as scholars can best understand it) in good, clear, readable modern English. Here the measurements of Noah’s barge (yes, a more modern word than ark) would be in familiar units like metres or feet so that the size can be easily visualised by the reader.

More details here.

OET Literal Version

This side of the page is designed to give you insights into what is actually written in the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. So the measurements of Noah’s box (yes, actually chest would also be a good literal translation, except that saying Noah’s chest could be misunderstood) would be given in the original cubits, and ideal for a study of numbers in the Bible. And when you get to the Box of the Agreement, the Hebrew text starts to make sense in your mind.

More details here.

OET Editions

As well as the two completely different versions of the actual translated text shown above, the Open English Translation will also have different editions. These are different ways that the texts are published, such as whether the Old Testament books are presented in the typical Christian Bible book order, or in the traditional Jewish book order, or in chronological or some other order.