Holy Bible: Young's Literal Translation

Young’s translation of the Bible seeks to render the original Hebrew and Greek texts as literally as possible. As Young saw it, any change in meaning, verb tense, article usage, etc. would nullify whatever value the Bible had. In the preface to the second edition of his translation, he wrote that, should someone alter but one thing, “the Word of God is made void by the traditions of men.” During Young’s time, people used his translation as a biblical study tool especially, and some still use updated versions of it for similar purposes today. For those who cannot read Hebrew or Greek, this translation—arguably the most literal English translation to date—can give them at least a sense of the nuances of the biblical languages.

Kathleen O’Bannon
CCEL Staff