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“Jesus spoke to the people again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me won’t walk in darkness but will have the light of life.’” John 8:12 Common English Bible (CEB) (@CommonEngBible)

Blessed Christmas!

“We’re delighted the Common English Bible is receiving such early overwhelming support and acceptance,” says Paul Franklin, PhD, associate publisher. “We see this as confirming our decision to create an academically rigorous yet naturally understandable translation for 21st century English readers; a translation from the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek that’s built on common ground.”

The best seller achievement comes at the same time the completion of the Common English Bible after four years of translation work was named one of the top 10 religion stories of 2011 as decided by leading religion journalists in the 30th annual Religion Newswriters Association survey.

The Common English Bible is a collaboration of 120 Bible scholars and editors, 77 reading group leaders, and more than 500 average readers from around the world. The translators – from 24 denominations in American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities – represent such academic institutions as Asbury Theological Seminary, Azusa Pacific University, Bethel Seminary, Denver Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, Seattle Pacific University, Wheaton College, Yale University, and many others.

The Common English Bible is written in contemporary idiom at the same reading level as the newspaper USA TODAY—using language that’s comfortable and accessible for today’s English readers. More than half-a-million copies of the Bible are already in print, including an edition with the Apocrypha. The Common English Bible is available online and in 20 digital formats. A Reference Bible edition and a Daily Companion devotional edition are now also available. Additionally, in 2012, Church/Pew Bibles, Gift and Award Bibles, Large Print Bibles, and Children’s Bible editions will be in stores, joining the existing Thinline Bibles, Compact Thin Bibles, and Pocket-Size Bibles, bringing the total variety of Common English Bible stock-keeping units (SKUs) to more than 40.

More than 140 international bloggers are currently participating in the three-month long “Thank You-Come Again-I Promise” blog tour (from November 2011 through January 2012). The tour’s Twitter hashtag is #CEBtour. The complete tour schedule, and information about joining the tour, is available at CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour.

Visit CommonEnglishBible.com to see comparison translations, learn about the translators, get free downloads, and more.

The Common English Bible is sponsored by the Common English Bible Committee, an alliance of five publishers that serve the general market, as well as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Chalice Press), Presbyterian Church (USA) (Westminster John Knox Press), Episcopal Church (Church Publishing, Inc.), United Church of Christ (The Pilgrim Press), and The United Methodist Church (Abingdon Press).

For a media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interview with Paul Franklyn, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com at 1.800.927.1517.

The completion of the new Common English Bible (http://CommonEnglishBible.com) translation is among the top 10 religion stories of 2011 as decided by leading religion journalists in the 30th annual Religion Newswriters Association survey.

The Common English Bible (Twitter @CommonEngBible – http://twitter.com/CommonEngBible) is newsworthy for several reasons:

·         Its objective: the Common English Bible uses a natural English vocabulary to clearly and freshly communicate the ancient sacred text in a world where 9,000 new words & meaning revisions are added yearly to the English lexicon.

·         Its speed: the Common English Bible took only four years to accomplish – a phenomenal feat when compared with other recent modern English Bible translations that took 10-17 years to complete.

·         Its efficiency: the Common English Bible was able to be completed so rapidly due to the translation process using an online project management database that permitted more than 200 collaborators (translators, editors, and field testers) to communicate immediately. The project was constructed in a workflow matrix with more than 400 overlapping parts.

·         Its breadth: the Common English Bible is a collaboration of 120 academic scholars and editors, 77 reading group leaders, and more than 500 average readers from around the world who joined together to clearly translate the Bible’s original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages directly into 21st century English.

·         Its balance: the Common English Bible translators – from 24 denominations in American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities – represent such academic institutions as Asbury Theological Seminary, Azusa Pacific University, Bethel Seminary, Denver Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, Seattle Pacific University, Wheaton College, Yale University, and many others.

·         Its understandability: The Common English Bible is written in contemporary idiom at the same reading level as the newspaper USA TODAY—using language that’s comfortable and accessible for today’s English readers.

·         Its uniqueness: the Common English Bible is the only translation to combine highly respected ecumenical biblical scholarship necessary for serious study with field-tested responsiveness to 21st century clear communication requirements for comprehensive clarity.

·         Its contractions: the Common English Bible is the only translation to extensively use contractions where the text warrants an engaging conversational style (although contractions are not used in divine or poetic discourse).

·         Its cartography: the Common English Bible is the only translation that includes exclusive, detailed color maps from National Geographic, well known for its accurate topographical map making.

·         Its acceptance: the complete Bible, including an edition with the Apocrypha, released in August 2011. More than half-a-million copies of the Bible are already in print. It’s also available online and in 20 digital formats. A reference Bible edition and a daily companion devotional edition are now also available.

More than 140 international bloggers are currently participating in the three-month long “Thank You-Come Again-I Promise” blog tour (from November 2011 through January 2012). The complete tour schedule, and information about joining the tour, is available at CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour (http://www.CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour). The tour Twitter hashtag is #CEBtour (http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23cebtour).

Visit CommonEnglishBible.com to see comparison translations, learn about the translators, get free downloads, and more.

The Common English Bible is sponsored by the Common English Bible Committee, an alliance of five publishers that serve the general market, as well as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Chalice Press), Presbyterian Church (USA) (Westminster John Knox Press), Episcopal Church (Church Publishing, Inc.), United Church of Christ (The Pilgrim Press), and The United Methodist Church (Abingdon Press).

For a media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interview with Paul Franklyn, associate publisher, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com at 1.800.927.1517.

During every minute of the day, people around the globe are actively using the YouVersion Bible App to engage with Scripture. YouVersion held a live webcast Nov. 30 to announce key statistics.

The Common English Bible (@CommonEngBible) has been downloaded through YouVersion more than 60,000 times in the last four months and live-streamed to thousands more mobile devices.

The following Infographic shares a quick look at what happens in just one minute in the YouVersion (@YouVersion) (#YouVersion) community.

Happy Thanksgiving!

More than 130 bloggers will begin Sunday to contribute to a 3-month blog and Twitter tour for the new Common English Bible (http://CommonEnglishBible.com) translation. The “Common English Bible Thank You-Come Again-I Promise” tour extends from November through January, honoring National Bible Week (11/20-27), Thanksgiving (11/24), Advent (11/27-12/24), Christmas (12/25), and New Year’s celebration (1/1-30). The complete tour schedule, participation details, and list of bloggers with links to their blogs are available at CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour (http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour). New bloggers may continue to join throughout the tour.

Background information on the Common English Bible is available at http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/newsroom. Badges that can be placed on blogs are available at http://j.mp/uvrxBL. 

The CEB Twitter stream is @CommonEngBible (http://twitter.com/CommonEngBible). The tour Twitter hashtag is #CEBtour (http://twitter.com/#!/search/%23cebtour). Bloggers will be writing posts around the above seasonal events, including commenting on verses from the Common English Bible, reviewing the Bible translation itself, interviewing the translators or associate publisher behind the translation, or discussing the translation with their readers.

Known for being “built on common ground,” the Common English Bible is a collaboration of 120 academic scholars and editors, 77 reading group leaders, and more than 500 average readers from around the world who joined together to clearly translate the Bible’s original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages into 21st century English. More than half-a-million copies of the Bible are currently in print. It’s also available online and in 20 digital formats.

For a media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interview with Paul Franklyn, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com or Diane Morrow, dmorrow@tbbmedia.com, at 1.800.927.1517.

An international network of bloggers will soon contribute to a three-month blog tour for the new Common English Bible (http://CommonEnglishBible.com) translation. The “Common English Bible Thank You-Come Again-I Promise” tour extends from November through January, honoring National Bible Week, Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas, and New Year’s celebration. The complete tour schedule, and information about joining the tour, is available at CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour (http://CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/blogtour). Background information about the Common English Bible is available at CommonEnglishBible.com/CEB/newsroom.

The Twitter hashtag for the tour is #CEBtour.

Beginning Nov. 20 and running through January, the tour is an opportunity for bloggers to join together in writing posts around upcoming seasonal events using the Common English Bible (Twitter @CommonEngBible – http://twitter.com/CommonEngBible), including commenting on verses from it, reviewing the Bible translation itself, interviewing the translators or associate publisher behind the translation, or discussing the translation with their readers.

“This tour is designed to help bloggers coordinate for their readers the thoughtful consideration of the biblical expressions of gratitude, waiting for the coming of Christ, and personal renewal,” says Paul Franklyn, PhD, associate publisher for the Common English Bible. “What better time to consider these themes than during Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year? And in what better manner than with a scholarly Bible translation that’s easily comprehendible to the majority of English readers?”

Participating bloggers in the tour will receive a copy of the leather-like Thinline Bible DecoTone Tan/Brick Red edition, suggested themes, topics, and verses on which to write, an invitation to interview Bible scholars, and badges to place on their blogs indicating their involvement. Bloggers will have the opportunity to offer to their readers a free copy of the softcover edition: one copy per week for every week the bloggers write a blogpost that includes mention of the Common English Bible during the tour.

Known for being “built on common ground,” the Common English Bible is a collaboration of 120 academic scholars and editors, 77 reading group leaders, and more than 500 average readers from around the world who joined together to clearly translate the Bible’s original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages into 21st century English. More than half-a-million copies of the Bible are currently in print. It’s also available online and in 20 digital formats.

Among the more than 120 bloggers scheduled so far for the tour are:

·         Bruce Reyes-Chow (http://reyes-chow.com/) – Bruce Reyes-Chow

·         Corybanter II (http://caspianrex.posterous.com/) – Cory Howell

·         Deep Breathing for the Soul (http://keriwyattkent.com/soul/) – Keri Wyatt Kent

·         Flowing Faith (http://www.flowingfaith.com/) - Mari-Anna Stålnacke

·         GodHungry (http://godhungry.org/) – Jim Martin

·         Inspiring Followers of Jesus to Live Love (http://margotstarbuck.blogspot.com/) – Margot Starbuck

·         (Ir)Regular Christian (http://www.irregularchristian.com/) – Casey Taylor

·         Jennifer Grant (http://www.jennifergrant.com/) – Jennifer Grant

·         A Journeyman’s Catalog (http://mattlipan.blogspot.com/) – Matt Lipan

·         LeadFollower (http://leadfollower.wordpress.com/) – Tony Johnson

·         Mike Slaughter (http://mikeslaughter.com/blog) – Mike Slaughter

·         Nicole Unice (http://www.nicoleunice.com/blog/) – Nicole Unice

·         Only Wonder Understands (http://onlywonder.com/) – Jay Voorhees

·         The Parson’s Patch (http://theparsonspatch.com/) – Mark Stevens

·         A Peculiar Prophet (http://willimon.blogspot.com/) – Will Willimon

·         Ponderings on a Faith Journey (http://pastorbobcornwall.blogspot.com/) – Robert Cornwall

·         Posts from the Blog of an (un)Tamed Cynic (http://johnvest.com/) – John Vest

·         Preacher Smith (http://preachersmith.com/) – David Smith

·         Rev. Brent L. White (http://brentwhite.wordpress.com) – Brent White

·         Salvaged Faith (http://salvagedfaith.blogspot.com/) – Katie Dawson

·         Shekinah Glory (http://pastorofdisaster.wordpress.com/)  – Brian Merritt

·         Spirit Stirrer (http://spiritstirrer.org/) – Juan Huertas

·         Storied Theology (http://www.jrdkirk.com/) – J. R. Daniel Kirk

·         Whitby Forum (http://www.whitbyforum.com/) – Carolyn Custis James

·         Willis Wired (http://www.williswired.com/) – Randy & Joleen Willis,

“When we say ‘built on common ground,’ we mean that the Common English Bible is the result of collaboration between opposites: scholars working with average readers; conservatives working with liberals; teens working with retirees; men working with women; many denominations and many ethnicities coming together around the common goal of creating a vibrant and clear translation for 21st century readers, with the ultimate objective of mutually accomplishing God’s overall work in the world; in essence, helping Bible readers live on common ground,” says Paul Franklyn, PhD, associate publisher for the Common English Bible.

The Common English Bible is written in contemporary idiom at the same reading level as the newspaper USA TODAY—using language that’s comfortable and accessible for today’s English readers. It’s available—with and without the Apocrypha—in multiple editions and bindings. Information about the Common English Bible is available on its website, Twitter stream, Facebook page, and video.

Combining scholarly accuracy with vivid language, the Common English Bible is the work of 120 biblical scholars from 24 denominations in American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities, representing such academic institutions as Asbury Theological Seminary, Azusa Pacific University, Bethel Seminary, Denver Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, Seattle Pacific University, Wheaton College, Yale University, and many others.

Additionally, more than 500 readers in 77 groups field-tested the translation. Every verse was read aloud in the reading groups, where potentially confusing passages were identified. The translators considered the groups' responses and, where necessary, reworked those passages to clarify in modern English their meaning from the original languages. In total, more than 700 people worked jointly to bring the Common English Bible to fruition; and because of the Internet and today’s technology it was completed in less than four years.

Visit CommonEnglishBible.com to see comparison translations, learn about the translators, get free downloads, and more.

The Common English Bible is sponsored by the Common English Bible Committee, an alliance of five publishers that serve the general market, as well as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Chalice Press), Presbyterian Church (USA) (Westminster John Knox Press), Episcopal Church (Church Publishing, Inc.), United Church of Christ (The Pilgrim Press), and The United Methodist Church (Abingdon Press).

For a media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interview with Paul Franklyn, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com or Diane Morrow, dmorrow@tbbmedia.com, at 1.800.927.1517.

The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) is this Sunday, Nov. 13.

Christian martyrdom is an ongoing worldwide crime. In too many countries, Christians face violence, imprisonment, and death for declaring allegiance to Jesus Christ.

According to Open Doors USA (@OpenDoors), the top 10 most oppressive countries for Christians are North Korea, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Maldives, Yemen, Iraq, Uzbekistan, and Laos. See the list of 50 (pdf).

To give biblical perspective leading up to IDOP, the following verses are taken from the Common English Bible (http://CommonEnglishBible.com) (@CommonEngBible, http://facebook.com/groups/CommonEnglishBible, http://facebook.com/LiveTheBible, http://vimeo.com/commonenglishbible):

“So we cried out for help to the LORD, our ancestor’s God. The LORD heard our call. God saw our misery, our trouble, and our oppression.” Deuteronomy 26:7 (CEB)

“The LORD is a safe place for the oppressed— a safe place in difficult times.” Psalm 9:9 (CEB)

“Sing praises to the LORD, who lives in Zion! Proclaim his mighty acts among all people! Because the one who avenges bloodshed remembers those who suffer; the LORD hasn’t forgotten their cries for help.” Psalm 9:11-12 (CEB)

Have mercy on me, LORD! Just look how I suffer because of those who hate me. But you are the one who brings me back from the very gates of death so I can declare all your praises, so I can rejoice in your salvation….” Psalm 9:13-14 (CEB)

“Let all those who are suffering eat and be full! Let all who seek the LORD praise him!” Psalm 22:26 (CEB)

“Speak out on behalf of the voiceless, and for the rights of all who are vulnerable.” Proverbs 31:8 (CEB)

[Jesus said:] “If the world hates you, know that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. However, I have chosen you out of the world, and you don’t belong to the world. This is why the world hates you.” John 15:18-19 (CEB)

[Jesus praying:] “I gave your word to them and the world hated them, because they don’t belong to this world, just as I don’t belong to this world. I’m not asking that you take them out of this world but that you keep them safe from the evil one.” John 17:14-15 (CEB)

“We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Romans 5:3-4 (CEB)

“Who will separate us from Christ’s love? Will we be separated by trouble, or distress, or harassment, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?... But in all these things we win a sweeping victory through the one who loved us. I’m convinced that nothing can separate us from God’s love in Christ Jesus our Lord: not death or life, not angels or rulers, not present things or future things, not powers or height or depth, or any other thing that is created.” Romans 8:35, 37-39 (CEB)

“In fact, anyone who wants to live a holy life in Christ Jesus will be harassed.” 2 Timothy 3:12 (CEB)

“You know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” James 1:3 (CEB)

“Those who stand firm during testing are blessed. They are tried and true. They will receive the life God has promised to those who love him as their reward.” James 1:12 (CEB)

“Look at how we honor those who have practiced endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job. And you have seen what the Lord has accomplished, for the Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” James 5:11 (CEB)

“You have shown endurance and put up with a lot for my name’s sake, and you haven’t gotten tired.” Revelation 2:3 (CEB)

“Pray continually.” 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (CEB)

For a media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interview with its associate publisher, Dr. Paul Franklyn, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com or Diane Morrow, dmorrow@tbbmedia.com, at 1.800.927.1517.

By the time early church scholar St. Jerome died more than 1500 years ago, he had laboriously translated the Bible into Latin, taking more than 20 years working within the confined technology of the late 4th century. Considered the patron saint of all translators, today the Feast of St. Jerome is celebrated Sept. 30 as International Translation Day to highlight the degree of difficulty in translating from one language to another.

Electricity, the Internet, and instant global communication have allowed immense strides in communicating across languages, including new Bible translations like the Common English Bible (http://CommonEnglishBible.com), in which 120 academic scholars and editors, 77 reading group leaders, and more than 500 average readers from around the world joined together to clearly translate, in record time, Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek languages from thousands of centuries ago into the English of today. See an interactive Google Map showing the locations of the translators (http://j.mp/p5aiO0).

“Even the usual Bible translation schedule is not for the timid,” says Paul Franklyn, PhD, associate publisher for the Common English Bible (@CommonEngBible – http://twitter.com/CommonEngBible). “Accomplishing it in less than four years requires extra stamina – and modern technology.” Less than four years is phenomenal when compared with other recent modern English Bible translations that took 10-17 years to complete.

Already in its third printing after only one month in stores, the popular new Common English Bible is known for being “built on common ground.”

“When we say ‘built on common ground,’ we mean that the Common English Bible is the result of collaboration between opposites: scholars working with average readers; conservatives working with liberals; teens working with retirees; men working with women; many denominations and many ethnicities coming together around the common goal of creating a vibrant and clear translation for 21st century readers, with the ultimate objective of mutually accomplishing God’s overall work in the world,” says Franklyn.

Translation efficiency was possible by using an online project management database that permitted more than 200 collaborators (translators, editors, and field testers) to communicate immediately. The project was constructed in a workflow matrix with more than 400 overlapping parts.

“Translators and editors of previous Bible translations typically met face-to-face twice a year to debate and vote on challenging passages,” says Franklyn. “By contrast, Common English Bible editors worked by consensus in real-time and deferred any difficult decision to the senior editor for a particular testament.”

The online project management database that was used was first constructed to handle the development of the New Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, which contains 8400 articles from more than 1000 contributors in 40 countries. “The system is relatively easy to understand as an online document management application with archiving, version control, scheduling, reports, and workflow. If such a login system is not used, the project can quickly collapse into confusion by trying to manage by email,” says Franklyn.

The translation tool used by Common English Bible editors is the BibleWorks software. Franklyn says that platform was chosen “because we could add the emerging Common English Bible translation into the Bibleworks translation database. This allowed for rapid searching and contributed significantly to a more consistent vocabulary across the translation. It also helped identify traditional vocabulary in older translations that we no longer use in common English.”

Franklyn says BibleWorks is being used to also generate a Bible concordance. “A programmer is working with us to develop a new cross-reference system for the reference edition of the Common English Bible, as well as a ‘phrase concordance’ that’s required for a more functional translation,” says Franklyn. These tools will also become enhancements for future BibleWorks releases.

Another technical tool used by the Common English Bible editors is the Dale Chall readability software. According to Franklyn, Edgar Dale and Jeanne Chall are two reading scholars who developed the most accurate reading measurement formula based on a math computation as well as a comparison to vocabulary word lists that are sorted by grade level in standardized testing.

“Previously the Dale Chall method for measuring readability would work on samples of no more than 400 words. We asked that the program be modified so it could process a readability score and vocabulary assessment for entire books of the Bible,” explains Franklyn. “Each document was measured on the first draft and last draft. Bear in mind that readability is a measurement of the clarity of the translator. It does not reflect on the intelligence of the reader.”

The Common English Bible is written in contemporary idiom at the same reading level as the newspaper USA TODAY—using language that’s comfortable and accessible for today’s English readers.

Also facilitating the rapid translation process was attention given to tagging. “Because our text was well tagged from the beginning in Microsoft Word documents (each text was tagged as soon as the first draft arrived), we were able to complete the XML tagging in the OSIS schema for of the whole Bible in about 4 weeks after we exported from Adobe InDesign typesetting,” says Franklyn.

“Our use of technology was very practical. We used a software tool if it helped us get the job done efficiently. We did not try to chase impulsive or esoteric possibilities that computer tools sometimes inspire for translators,” says Franklyn. “It’s possible to tag a Bible text too extensively, with expectations that someday a scholar could do interesting computerized data mining. That sort of data mining would be fun someday, but not when the real job is to complete a Bible translation containing 930,000 words.”

The complete Common English Bible debuted online and on 20 digital platforms in June, and in paperback format in mid-July. Six other editions, including one with the Apocrypha, are now in stores. The Common English Bible totals 500,000 copies in print, including the New Testament-only editions released a year ago.

Media coverage of the launch of the Common English Bible has included TIME magazine, USA TODAY, The Tennessean, Seattle Post Intelligencer, The Toronto Star, Florida Today, Orlando Sentinel, The Christian Post, Associated Baptist Press, Read The Spirit, and others, along with reviews by bloggers. Information about the Common English Bible is also available on its website, Twitter stream, Facebook page, and video.

Combining scholarly accuracy with vivid language, the Common English Bible is the work of 120 biblical scholars from 24 denominations in American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities, representing such academic institutions as Asbury Theological Seminary, Azusa Pacific University, Bethel Seminary, Denver Seminary, Princeton Theological Seminary, Seattle Pacific University, Wheaton College, Yale University, and many others.

Additionally, more than 500 readers in 77 groups field-tested the translation. Every verse was read aloud in the reading groups, where potentially confusing passages were identified. The translators considered the groups' responses and, where necessary, reworked those passages to clarify in modern English their meaning from the original languages. In total, more than 700 people worked jointly to bring the Common English Bible to fruition; and because of the Internet and today’s technology it was completed in less than four years.

Visit CommonEnglishBible.com to see comparison translations, learn about the translators, get free downloads, and more.

The Common English Bible is sponsored by the Common English Bible Committee, an alliance of five publishers that serve the general market, as well as the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) (Chalice Press), Presbyterian Church (USA) (Westminster John Knox Press), Episcopal Church (Church Publishing, Inc.), United Church of Christ (The Pilgrim Press), and The United Methodist Church (Abingdon Press).

For a media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interview with Paul Franklyn, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com or Diane Morrow, dmorrow@tbbmedia.com, at 1.800.927.1517.

Ten years ago this Sept. 11, terrorists flew commercial planes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and a failed attempt that crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. These suicide attacks of horrific carnage stunned the world and caused many to turn for consolation to spiritual faith and sacred scriptures. For this tenth anniversary, the following Bible verses of solace are taken from the Common English Bible (http://CommonEnglishBible.com) (@CommonEngBible), the newest modern English translation releasing this month.

I’ve commanded you to be brave and strong, haven’t I? Don’t be alarmed or terrified, because the LORD your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 (CEB)

My God is my rock — I take refuge in him! — he’s my shield and my salvation’s strength, my place of safety and my shelter. My savior! Save me from violence! 2 Samuel 22:3 (CEB)

But you, LORD, are my shield! You are my glory! You are the one who restores me. Psalm 3:3 (CEB)

I will lie down and fall asleep in peace because you alone, LORD, let me live in safety. Psalm 4:8 (CEB)

The LORD is a safe place for the oppressed — a safe place in difficult times. Psalm 9:9 (CEB)

The LORD is my solid rock, my fortress, my rescuer. My God is my rock — I take refuge in him! — he’s my shield, my salvation’s strength, my place of safety. Psalm 18:2 (CEB)

God! His way is perfect; the LORD’s word is tried and true. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. Psalm 18:30 (CEB)

Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no danger because you are with me. Your rod and your staff — they protect me. Psalm 23:4 (CEB)

Hope in the LORD! Be strong! Let your heart take courage! Hope in the LORD! Psalm 27:14 (CEB)

All you who wait for the LORD, be strong and let your heart take courage. Psalm 31:24 (CEB)

We put our hope in the LORD. He is our help and our shield. Psalm 33:20 (CEB)

Turn away from evil! Do good! Seek peace and go after it! Psalm 34:14 (CEB)

The LORD loves justice. He will never leave his faithful all alone. They are guarded forever, but the children of the wicked are eliminated. Psalm 37:28 (CEB)

Why, I ask myself, are you so depressed? Why are you so upset inside? Hope in God! Because I will again give him thanks, my saving presence and my God. Psalm 43:5 (CEB)

Oh, I must find rest in God only because my hope comes from him! Psalm 62:5 (CEB)

LORD of heavenly forces, those who trust in you are truly happy! Psalm 84:12 (CEB)

I say to the LORD, “You are my refuge, my stronghold! You are my God — the one I trust!” Psalm 91:2 (CEB)

The person whose hope rests on the LORD their God — is truly happy! Psalm 146:5 (CEB)

LORD, show us favor; we hope in you. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in times of distress. Isaiah 33:2 (CEB)

Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength; they will fly up on wings like eagles; they will run and not be tired; they will walk and not be weary. Isaiah 40:31 (CEB)

I know the plans I have in mind for you, declares the LORD; they are plans for peace, not disaster, to give you a future filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 (CEB)

Be happy in your hope, stand your ground when you’re in trouble, and devote yourselves to prayer. Romans 12:12 (CEB)

Dear friends, let’s love each other, because love is from God, and everyone who loves is born from God and knows God. 1 John 4:7 (CEB)

For a media review copy of the Common English Bible and to schedule an interview with Paul Franklyn, associate publisher, please contact Audra Jennings, ajennings@tbbmedia.com or Diane Morrow, dmorrow@tbbmedia.com, at 1.800.927.1517.