New English Bible

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July 1, 2026

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The New English Bible is a translation of the Bible into British English, first published in its entirety in 1970. It was produced by an interdenominational committee representing major Protestant churches in the British Isles, with Roman Catholic observers.12

This translation was a completely fresh version from the original languages, departing from the tradition of "biblical English" and archaisms. It aimed to render the text into contemporary English idiom while avoiding fleeting modernisms, except for the use of "thou" and "thy" when addressing God. The New English Bible was a commercial success, selling rapidly upon its release.2

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biblical literature
The New English Bible
The idea of a completely new translation into British English was first broached in 1946. Under a joint committee representing the major Protestant churches of the British Isles, with Roman Catholics appointed as observers, the New Testament was published in 1961, and…
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The idea of a completely new translation into British English was first broached in 1946. Under a joint committee representing the major Protestant churches of the British Isles, with Roman Catholics appointed as observers, the New Testament was published in 1961, and…
Read More

textual criticism
…the Bible (1952) and the New English Bible (1970) both incorporate readings of the Old Testament unknown before 1947, the year in which early biblical manuscripts—the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls—were discovered in the caves of Qumrān.
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…the Bible (1952) and the New English Bible (1970) both incorporate readings of the Old Testament unknown before 1947, the year in which early biblical manuscripts—the so-called Dead Sea Scrolls—were discovered in the caves of Qumrān.
Read More

biblical literature
Textual criticism
…Standard Version (1952) and the New English Bible (1970) have continued to use the Masoretic text as their Old Testament basis.
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…Standard Version (1952) and the New English Bible (1970) have continued to use the Masoretic text as their Old Testament basis.
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