The New Testament, Second Edition

"""Good translations take risks and let you read a familiar text as though for the first time. This irresistibly colloquial and energetic version of Christian Scripture keeps up a flow of linguistic vigor and sheds much fresh light: both the narratives of the Gospels and the arguments of the Epistles are presented with memorable vividness, and the rendering of the Book of Revelation is a genuine tour de force. There are definitely some high-risk decisions, but the overall impression is of a text that is wonderfully and confidently alive."" --Rowan Williams, Anglican bishop, former Archbishop of Canterbury ""Now more than ever, when sacred texts are too often used as weapons of terror, there is a need to make the gospel message of love and justice accessible. Michael Straus does this in his translation of the New Testament. Michael's scholarship and passion bring the New Testament alive for a skeptical world in need of a trusting word."" --Kelly Brown Douglas, Dean of Episcopal Divinity School, Union Theological Seminary ""This is a pearl of great price."" --James Diggle, Emeritus Professor of Greek and Latin, University of Cambridge ""There is no question that we live in an age when words matter. They have the power to inspire and to incite, to create and to destroy, to mobilize and to suppress. Straus has taken a text that has done all of this throughout its history and has given it fresh expression, nuanced meaning, and befitting urgency. At times he chooses literal accuracy, and at times he takes poetic license, all the while remaining faithful to original context and intent, even as he attempts to capture its relevance for this present age. This translation is not only elegantly innovative, but it also brims with the vigor and revolutionary spirit so present at the moments of its original composition. It is a gift apt for an age when words matter supremely."" --Javier A. Viera, Vice Provost, Dean of the Theological School, Drew University ""I have used this translation in my church and Bible studies and the response has been electric. The parishioners hear the Scripture being spoken to them in an entirely fresh way. In a world that hungers for authenticity, Michael Straus has blended a brilliant knowledge of Greek with a genius for the English language to produce a Holy Scripture as powerful as it is irresistible."" --Janet Broderick, All Saints Episcopal Church, Beverly Hills, California"