As far as I am concerned this is the best bible there is.
I have several and I always go back to this one.

for anyone desiring to fully follow our Lord and Saviour,and not follow religious practices taught by men or women,then this is the bible for you. Knowing,and studying,the Jewish roots and background for the Christian faith,and that our Lord and Saviour was a Jewish Rabbi,not any of the denominations that people try to make Him out to be,will surely equip anyone who desires to follow Yeshua(Jesus),in a deep and fullfilling way.

I have no idea why it took me ten years to find the "Complete Jewish Bible." This is the first time I have seen a New Testament with the text presented, footnoted, and cross-referenced from a Jewish perspective. Why is that important? Because Jesus was a Jewish man, who taught Jewish people in a Jewish context. Virtually all of his earliest disciples were Jewish, as were the members of the fledgling Christian movement.

Unfortunately, as a result of the failed Bar Kokhba rebellion in 135 CE, the Jewish Christian movement ceased to exist and only Gentile Christians remained. There is nothing inherently wrong with being a Gentile Christian. But their Greco-Roman world had little understanding of the Torah, Nevi'im, Ketuvim, Mishna, or Qabbalah (still in oral form at that time) that Jesus used or may have used. By the fourth century, Christianity became orthodox, the state religion, the Jews were the enemy, and the message of Jesus twisted to suit political purposes.

Though Dr. Stern is not a Bible scholar, he is a brilliant man, and he made a substantial contribution Bible studies with this work. Most helpful, in my view, are his references from the B'Rit Hadashah (NT) to the Tanakh (OT) which are more comprehensive and insightful than those found in the vast majority of Bibles.

Serious Bible students have several versions of the Bible on their shelves. The Complete Jewish Bible should be one of them.

Don't waste your money on this translation, it is every bit as bad as the christian translations if not worse...

The translation plays musical chairs with words, for example, it takes the fathers name which is spelled Yod-Hey-Waw-Hey in Aramaic and Hebrew and then translates it to Adonai which is spelled spelled Aleph-Dalet-Nun-Yod, the problem is Adonai is already used in the bible so because the change the fathers name to adonai they then have to change adonai to lord to make it read right.

If you want a better translation that does not play musical chairs with words buy "The Scriptures" by "Institute for Scripture Research" (ISR) instead. You can buy it right here on Amazon. I have owned them both and found the Complete Jewish unfit for me and my house.

1.Text
The Bible is very easy to read. The flow is so good that I often read several chapters in one go - something that does not occur when I read other versions.

2. Print & Binding
Excellent.

3. Summary
This is truly one of a kind. Gives this reader a completely new perspective of the faith.

It's incredible how easy it is to understand. He avoids using ridiculously awkward and outdated language like the Kings James version. More importantly, this Bible reveals the true nature of its source. Other Bibles don't give such revealing and interesting information.

This is a great addition to my other study bibles. It is well done and really brings understanding in so many ways.

The Complete Jewish Bible includes a public domain version of JPS Tanakh and Stern's translation of the Brit Hadashah (New Testament).

I really enjoyed his New Testament translation as it uses Hebrew names and words through out. This helps punctuate and makes the scripture more powerful.

This is a good Bible and it very useful for those who are studying scripture from a Jewish perspective.

Bonded leather and does not have a ribbon marker.

Overall this Bible is highly recommended.

This is by far the best version of the Scriptures. David Stern gets the proper meaning across by using the correct English word to go with what would be said in Hebrew of the OT. As for the New Testament is was such a blessing to see Yeshua the real name of the Messiah. The NT has a much better read when we see the real names and the real Holy Days. I Highly recommend this translation to one and ALL.

Dr. Stern has done a tremendous job of restoring the Jewishness to the Bible that has been lost over the years from Greek to Latin to Outdated English (King James Version). For example, the New Testament is essentially Jews writing to other Jews (the modern term is Messianic Jews) but reading most translations one would seldom come away with that perspective. Dr. Stern has corrected that translation drift.

The physical construction of the book is excellent too. The paper is very fine but tough. The binding is soft and flexible, made for many years of carry and reading.

This Bible is a fascinating read. It has the texts translated from original Hebrew and there are surprizes for the interested reader of the Scriptures! I am very pleased with my purchase which was here before I knew it and in excellent condition.

I had the soft cover of this version of the Bible...it got so worn out that it had to be replaced...I am sooo glad i found this one to replace it...I don't have to worry about the cover ripping off or getting bent in my backback.I also love the tranlation!A great version of the Bible.

A few yrs ago I reviewed NLT bible and I feel a need to correct my previous review by saying the Complete Jewish Bible is the very best translation I have ever read. It translates from Hebrew, and translates meanings differently than the Greek meaning of Hebrew words .

This is what I personally use. Love it. Use it. Keep it. Enjoy it. The perfect study Bible for anyone wanting a clear and concise version. You won't want to put it down.

When I picked up this bible I had no idea what to expect. I began by reading the introduction. This is very important in understanding the writings. I find this book to be very easy to read and I love the way they use the Jewish names. It gives me a greater understanding of the G-d that I serve.

I bought this Bible for someone else but already had it myself. A great addition for anyone who reads the Word of God. I'm reading through Psalms and enjoying it so much. I highly recommend "The Complete Jewish Bible".

I am enjoying my new Bible and the service from Amazon is great.I buy all my books and Bibles from Amazon.I can trust them to ship my orders on time and the used books are just like new.
thanks A.J Texas.

One my favourite Bible translation I recommend this Bible to every Christian to have copy of this one of the brilliant masterpiece

As an Christian/Evangelical who's read the KJV, NKJV, NIV, and NASB (still read this), I find the CJB the easiest to read and understand. It's the Word of God as it's meant to be read and understood; it's straightforward and to the point, and beautifully Jewish in voice. I thoroughly enjoy reading the CJB.

This Bible will correct alot of the so called contradictions that people say are in the bible. This bible puts all the books in their correct order as written in history. The English bible or King James version is not in correct order. This is why many say it contradicts itself, when it does because the books alone are not in order. This bible will allow the Jew to see how Christ is the true son of God and our Jewish Messiah. I am Jewish and a believer. It has helped me to reach out to other Jew;s the correct way and not scare them away. Most Jews do not trust Christians after the persecution in Spain by the Church and Christian's, and during the Crusades. This Bible will help.

I like this Bible a lot. I wouldn't consider it an academic translation, but it is nice for reading. One of the things that I like about this translation is that the translator is upfront about their agenda. Stern writes, "My first purpose is, as I said, to restore the unified Jewishness of the Bible..."(xv).


Stern, David H. Complete Jewish Bible. Clarksville, MD: Jewish New Testament Publications, 1998.

Any bible that refers to a Messiah having already arrived is not Jewish. It is not a Jewish belief.

This is a Christian bible. If you are interested in a Jewish bible, see the Jewish Publication Society's translation. Another great Jewish bible, with commentary, is the Jewish Study Bible. These are both great Jewish bibles.

This is a fine Jewish translation. Reviewers who make statements like "Christianity is not Jewish," or "the New Testament has no place in Jewish worship," are either misinformed or are trying to mislead you.
Such reviewers tend to misunderstand the very meaning of the word "Christian." The root of the word "Christian" is "Christ;" the word "Christ" is a Latinized and finally Anglicized version of the Greek word "Christos," which is a direct translation of the Hebrew word "Mashiach." (The word "Christian," in a correctly understood, literal sense, means a follower of the Jewish Mashiach/Messiah/Christ--a uniquely Jewish concept). These titles--Christ, Christos, and Mashiach--all signify the same exact thing: "Messiah," which literally means "the annointed one," a title which (in the Old Testament/Tanakh) was applied primarily to three kinds of people (prophets, priests, and kings), all three of which would have their ultimate fulfillment in the person of THE Messiah (that's right, the Messiah was to be a priestly, prophetic king). Rabbinic scholars tend to deemphasize the priestly role of the Messiah. By "priestly role" I mean "intercessory," and all things pertaining to making atonement for sins through the sacrificial system, which centered around the Temple. Emphasizing the royal/political office of the Messiah, while ignoring or deemphasizing the priestly office of the Messiah is an approach which is fundamentally flawed. In other words, if you ignore the priestly and prophetic functions of the Messiah, you will be unlikely to recognize the Messiah. Note that in the Torah (the 5 books of Moses) the word "mashiach" is applied to only one kind of person: the priest! Surely, God was trying to tell us something--that the Messiah would be priestly, and would fulfill the ultimate meaning and significance of the sacrificial system and its officiating priesthood. You may ask then, how can the Messiah--who must be of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David (which Jesus is)--be a priest, if the priest had to be not only a Levite but a descendant of Kohath? God Himself answers this question in Psalm 110:4: "The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.'" This special priestly order (the order of Melchizedek) was specially set aside by God for the Messiah, who would make atonement for the sins, not only of the Jewish people but of the world, through his own blood: "...He would render Himself as a guilt offering..." (Isaiah 53:10). That's what the entire sacrifiicial system with its officiating priesthood had been pointing to all along (the book of Hebrews deals with this in detail, including all things pertaining to the priestly order of Melchizedek).

Therefore it was entirely appropriate for Stern to substitute the word "Messiah" (or "Mashiach") every place that the word "Christ" occurs in the New Testament. After all, this is a translation, not a transliteration, and the goal of translation is to carry over actual meaning from one language to another. "Christos" means "Messiah," and therefore it SHOULD BE translated as "Messiah." Whether you regard Jesus as the Messiah or not is beside the point. Be assured, however, that Jesus is, indeed, the Jewish Messiah: According to Daniel 9 (read the whole chapter, IN CONTEXT PLEASE), the priestly and prophetic offices/ministries of the Messiah had to be fulfilled before the destruction of the 2nd Temple. The 2nd Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.; Jesus fulfilled the relevant priestly and prophetic offices of the Messiah before the 2nd Temple was destroyed; Jesus is thus the only candidate for Messiah. Therefore if Jesus is not the Messiah then there is no Messiah. So, if the Messiah comes, be assured it will be a "second coming," since the Messiah had to (and did) come before the 2nd temple was destroyed. When Jesus comes again he will fulfill all things pertaining to the royal office of the Messiah, and will reign as a priestly king, "after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6 et al.).

Finally, you may ask, if Jesus is the JEWISH Messiah, then why do so many Gentiles follow him? The answer: according to the Bible, if the Gentiles did not follow him, then he COULD NOT be the Messiah: In Isaiah 49, God calls on His ideal Servant the Messiah (himself metaphorically called "Israel" in verse 3, since the Messiah is the ideal representative and embodiment of Israel) to be a light to the Gentiles: "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the Gentiles so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). The destiny of Israel was to know God and to make God known--to be a light to the Gentiles by bringing knowledge of the one true God to the ends of the earth. This ultimate destiny of Israel has been fulfilled through Israel's ideal representative, the Messiah. Just ask yourself a few questions: who is the most famous Jew who has ever lived? Through what Jew has the knowledge of the God of Israel gone to the ends of the earth to the Gentiles? If not for Jesus, would the Gentile world even know anything about the concept of Messiah?

This is a fine Jewish translation. Reviewers who make statements like "Christianity is not Jewish," or "the New Testament has no place in Jewish worship," are either misinformed or are trying to mislead you.
Such reviewers tend to misunderstand the very meaning of the word "Christian." The root of the word "Christian" is "Christ;" the word "Christ" is a Latinized and finally Anglicized version of the Greek word "Christos," which is a direct translation of the Hebrew word "Mashiach." (The word "Christian," in a correctly understood, literal sense, means a follower of the Jewish Mashiach/Messiah/Christ--a uniquely Jewish concept). These titles--Christ, Christos, and Mashiach--all siginfy the same exact thing: "Messiah," which literally means "the annointed one," a title which (in the Old Testament/Tanakh) was applied primarily to three kinds of people (prophets, priests, and kings), all three of which would have their ultimate fulfillment in the person of THE Messiah (that's right, the Messiah was to be a priestly, prophetic king). Rabbinic scholars tend to deemphasized the priestly role of the Messiah. By "priestly role" I mean "intercessory," and all things pertaining to making atonement for sins through the sacrificial system, which centered around the Temple. Emphasizing the royal/political office of the Messiah, while ignoring or deemphasizing the priestly office of the Messiah is an approach which is fundamentally flawed. In other words, if you ignore the priestly and prophetic functions of the Messiah, you will be unlikely to recognize the Messiah. Note that in the Torah (the 5 books of Moses) the word "mashiach" is applied to only one kind of person: the priest! Surely, God was trying to tell us something--that the Messiah would be priestly, and would fulfill the ultimate meaning and significance of the sacrificial system and its officiating priesthood. You may ask then, how can the Messiah--who must be of the tribe of Judah and a descendant of David (which Jesus is)--be a priest, if the priest had to be not only a Levite but a descendant of Kohath? God Himself answers this question in Psalm 110:4: "The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, 'You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.'" This special priestly order (the order of Melchizedek) was specially set aside by God for the Messiah, who would make atonement for the sins, not only of the Jewish people but of the world, through his own blood: "...He would render Himself as a guilt offering..." (Isaiah 53:10). That's what the entire sacrifiicial system with its officiating priesthood had been pointing to all along (the book of Hebrews deals with this in detail, including all things pertaining to the priestly order of Melchizedek).

Therefore it was entirely appropriate for Stern to substitute the word "Messiah" (or "Mashiach") every place that the word "Christ" occurs in the New Testament. After all, this is a translation, not a transliteration, and the goal of translation is to carry over actual meaning from one language to another. "Christos" means "Messiah," and therefore it SHOULD BE translated as "Messiah." Whether you regard Jesus as the Messiah or not is beside the point. Be assured, however, that Jesus is, indeed, the Jewish Messiah: According to Daniel 9 (read the whole chapter, IN CONTEXT PLEASE), the priestly and prophetic offices/ministries of the Messiah had to be fulfilled before the destruction of the 2nd Temple. The 2nd Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D.; Jesus fulfilled the relevant priestly and prophetic offices of the Messiah before the 2nd Temple was destroyed; Jesus is thus the only candidate for Messiah. Therefore if Jesus is not the Messiah then there is no Messiah. So, if the Messiah comes, be assured it will be a "second coming," since the Messiah had to (and did) come before the 2nd temple was destroyed. When Jesus comes again he will fulfill all things pertaining to the royal office of the Messiah, and will reign as a priestly king, "after the order of Melchizedek" (Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 5:6 et al.).

Finally, you may ask, if Jesus is the JEWISH Messiah, then why do so many Gentiles follow him? The answer: according to the Bible, if the Gentiles did not follow him, then he COULD NOT be the Messiah: In Isaiah 49, God calls on His ideal Servant the Messiah (metaphorically called "Israel," since the Messiah is the ideal representative and embodiment of Israel) to be a light to the Gentiles: "It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also make You a light of the Gentiles so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth" (Isaiah 49:6). The destiny of Israel was to know God and to make God known--to be a light to the Gentiles by bringing knowledge of the one true God to the ends of the earth. This ultimate destiny of Israel has been fulfilled through Israel's ideal representative, the Messiah. Just ask yourself a few questions: who is the most famous Jew who has ever lived? Through what Jew has the knowledge of the God of Israel gone to the ends of the earth to the Gentiles? If not for Jesus, would the Gentile world even know anything about the concept of Messiah?

Throughly enjoyed reading a Jewish version of the bible. Better than any Christian versions

I found this translation to be closer to the Word that Christ would have read and the gospels closer to the true meaning of Christ words.

...those who adhere to the so-called "word of god" in the BABYLONian Talmud screech when honest Jews like David Stern take that entirely seriously, and integrate the Truth about Him with the Tanakh (the REAL Word of God), which Jesus Christ fulfilled and completed.

God Bless the author for this work of Love and sincerity.

This is our 6th purchase of this bible. It is so much easier to read. If you are going back to the Hebrew roots of the faith, all the Hebrew terms in ths bible are very helpful. I love how the books have the Hebrew names like B'resheth for Genisis.Even the names of the prophets,disciples and more are in the Hebrew.So for Elijah, It will read Eliyahu.For the name of the messiah it will be listed at Yeshua. Also I love that in the Brit Hadasha ( New Testament) the words that are quotes from the Tanakah ( Old Testament) are bolded with footnotes. This shows the continuity from one end of God's word to the other. Another feature that I enjoy is the list of weekly Torah portion readings are listed, as well as the Haftorah and even the scriptures for Brit Hadasha. This bible really displays the "Hebrew" mindset and the wording is very easily understood.An additional treat is in Tehillim (Pslams) 119. The poetry like style of this Psalm, along with the Hebrew Alep Bet that is incorporated into every stanza is not hidden, but displayed! This is wonderful!
I have purchased this bible for each member of our family. We have a great collection of other bibles, but this is the family favorite! I highly recommend this bible to all friends and family.

To the person who asked how there could be a Jewish new testament. This is my reply: what would you call a book written to Jews, by Jews (save one), about a Jew, a rabbi of that era (and in my opinion - the greatest rabbi who ever lived)? This is a Jewish book. It is shameful that we don't generally see that today.

As a Messianic Jew David H. Stern's Complete Jewish Bible (and his Jewish New Testament Commentary) have been amoung the most useful resources at my synagogue. The CJB clearly shows the complete Torah Portions along with the Haftarah Readings, but it does more than that! It even shows Dr. Stern's recommended B'rit Chadashah (Renewed Covenant) selections. The CJB has an extreamly through introduction explaining how his translation and commentary came to be and a great service not only to Messianic Judaism but also to many of my non-Jewish friends in their churches. The Complete Jewish Bible can even be used as a study bible with the various features found inside. For anyone (Especially if you benefit from the New JPS Tanakh Bible) the Complete Jewish Bible with the Jewish New Testament Commentary are valuable editions to someone's personal library wheather they be serious students of the Holy Scriptures or just want to "get their toes wet."

~Yochanan
Dallas, Texas

Please explain how "The New Testament" became part of the Jewish Bible? It's impossible.

Excellent COMPLETE JEWISH BIBLE. This is very interesting to study this Jewish Bible. I have been reading my Holy Bible of King James Version. But I'm not a Jewish. I'm a Presbyterian, Protestant and Methodist.

I love this book. I love the word of God and I was raised in a Christian home from age 14 on through however since 2006 I've been studying the Jewish faith. I like the Complete Jewish Bible because it has both faith intertwined. I also enjoy this because it gives me weekly scriptures through the Parshah and also holidays in the Jewish faith and also a lot of Hebrew names and words and pronunciation. I recommend it.

Great bible, I wished it had been based on King James rather then the NIV though.

The Complete Jewish Bible by David Stern is an excellent version of the Written Word. This Bible makes you study as you read the passages and look up the English meaning of the Hebrew names and words that are used. It is for me a pure joy to sit with the CJB along side other versions of the Bible for reading and study. It has enhanced and enlarged my understanding of both the Tanakh and the B'Rit Hadashah greatly.

This is a great interfaith resource for Jewish-Christian couples exploring Messianic Judaism.

I really want to like this bible but mine is falling apart and I have not owned it for long.

This is NOT a REAL Jewish Bible. This is a Christian Bible with Jewish terms in it. This is a Messianic based type work of the "christain bible" for those who follow and believe in jesus.

This is a paraphrase of the entire Bible using Jewish terms for catagories (such as proper names, priests, and terms such as 'last days') that those of us who are not Jewish are not familiar with. For me it is expanding my appreciation of the Jewish roots of Christianity. For a Jewish person it would connect the Torah with the "New Testament".

David Stern does an incredible job on translating this version of the Bible. Because Stern is Jewish, he has recovered much of the lost Jewish idioms that were once in the Apostolic writings. For Messianic Pastors (Rabbis), this Bible is very useful; having included the Parashah (Torah reading portions), Haftarah (other readings of the Tenach), and Brit Hadashah (New Testament reading portions), a rabbi or pastor can correlate to the scripture readings that have been a part of Jewish religious practices for centuries (including the days of Yeshua (Jesus)).

Stern incorporates the Jewish names of places and people, and gives the order of the Tenach (Old Testament) according to Jewish canonization. He also has a glossary, and dictionary of the Hebrew words and names he uses, as well as gives an overview in Hebrew pronounciation of letters.

You do not need to be Jewish, nor have a past education in Jewish studies to grasp the depth of this Bible. In talking with many non-Jewish believers, they see this Bible as introducing the Jewish roots of Christianity which have been long lost through antiSemetism, and other cultural adaptations.

All Jewish believers and non-Jewish beleivers should have this Bible on top of their bible studie's list!

Teacher, Adrian A. Bernal

I haven't read the bible in a long time but this bible is really interesting. Passages are written in sentences, like in a regualy book and they read like stories. This makes the chapters easier to read and understand. I do have a bit of trouble with the Hebrew names but I have made of list, in the back of the bible, of the ones used most often so I just refer to that if I get stuck.

I would highly recommend this bible.

This is a wonderful english version of the Bible as Old and New Testaments are presented.The words are incredible.
First I read familiar passages then I read from my NIV. It lacked. I must hasten to add however, that the Jewish Bible does not add content.

I have used many versions of the Bible, and this is my hands-down favorite. The concepts are clear; the stories are easy to follow; the language is up-to-date. My young children have waded through some other modern translations, and they prefer this one as well. The principles and abstract ideas that soar over their heads while reading other versions of the Bible are more easily grasped with this one. You will need to become familiar with Hebrew versions of people's names and books of the Bible, and the Old Testament book order is slightly different than in traditional Christian versions. However, for us, that just makes it more fun, and there is an easy-to-use glossary if truly you're stumped. I wholeheartedly recommend this translation.

I'm a baby Christian, beginning to understand my grafting to the Jewish roots. Well, I own a KJV, an ASV, plus this Bible. When I couldn't grasp the message in the KJV (old english can be hard to read), I'd go to the ASV, but sometimes that didn't help either. I have read thru a few other versions, like the NIV and such, but they were so choppy to read, God's Word was being butchered. I've probably had this Complete Jewish Bible for a month or so before I cracked it open. Wow, I love it. In the beginning, I'd bounce back and forth between it and the KJV or the ASV to see how close the message stayed intact. I find it faithful. It is so readable and understandable that I will perhaps make it my "main" Bible. I have the hard back edition, because they hadn't come out with the leather bound edition at the time. But what I wish they'd do is make a leather bound in large print soon!

Can I say enough? Probably not. Can I say enough to persuade you to buy this book? Perhaps. This is such a great Bible translation. This Bible offers much that other English translations have been lacking in for years.

First, people interested in this Bible will want to know what's different about this Bible from other Bibles. There are several things different about this Bible from the versions you may be used to. I'll try to be short.

1. The Old Testament (Tanakh) is translated from the Masoretic Hebrew text, not from the Septuagint. Many of you may be shocked to realize, but virtually all of the English versions available (yes, including the King James Version) are not translated from the Hebrew, but from the Greek Septuagint, which was translated in roughly 247-221 B.C. While generally this does not create problems, it is quite obvious that translating once is much more accurate than translating twice.

2. Stern retains the transliterated (or, written in English, instead of Hebrew) names for people, places, and some important Jewish key words. For some, this may seem tedious at first, but I assure you that it is not particularly troublesome. It is very easy from context to know of what person you are reading, and often the transliterated names are actually spelled very similar or identical to what you are used to in other Bibles. Furthermore, Stern includes a very useful glossary in the back of the Bible for you to look up any of the transliterated Hebrew names and terms.

3. The books of the Old Testament in this Bible are not in the same order as in other English versions. This results from the translation from the Septuagint, referred to earlier. The order of the books in other English Bibles was derived from the Greek Septuagint (if you want to know more about that topic, you might want to check out The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah). This follows the Hebrew canonical order, separating the scriptures into the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. Since there is no Hebrew canonical order for the New Testament (since it is not considered scripture by Judaism), the New Testament, or B'rit Hadashah, is in the same order as you are used to.

4. Despite the transliterated Hebrew words, this Bible is surprisingly easy to read. The format is very simple, even informal at times, and results in a very comfortable read. However, it does not over-simplify the text, as other English versions are sometimes guilty of doing.


Finally, a personal note. Before obtaining this Bible, I still almost exclusively used the KJV for my personal Bible study, though I often used other versions in teaching (I teach an adult Bible Study class at my church). The reason for favoring the KJV was simply that other, newer versions are often guilty of simplifying the text, and NOT just the grammar. Many parts of Biblical text are NOT simple, and should not be treated as such. However, the GRAMMAR may be simplified and modernized greatly. This Bible achieves both--modernization of the language (no thees thous or shalts), but retains the textual import of difficult passages. Now, I use the CJB almost exclusively in both my personal Bible Study and in my mid-week class. Several of my students and family have purchased the Bible after being introduced to it by myself.

The bottom line is simply this: the CJB makes the Bible come alive in a new way. It makes the characters feel real, personal, alive. With its retention of Hebrew concepts in the New Testament, it shows us what a great disservice we lent ourselves when we divorced Christianity from Judaism.

Mr. Stern has the right to believe what he wants.
But he is dishonest.
This is not the Jewish Bible, but rather the Christian Bible as it contains the New Testament.
A person who pretends to be religious should not be trying to 'induce and convert others' in this way.

.

Jewish people are extremely intelligent and can make their own conclusions in what is true and what is treife by reading what G-d has revealed in scripture and then comparing other teachings to it. Instead of listening to people with an agenda (like the false prophets of baal in the Tanakh) People need to read for themselves and compare what is written in the Tanakh - G-d's standard of truth.

Instead of reading the comments of people trashing something they likely have not read, a Good Jew would read the CJB asking HaShem to reveal His truth and compare it with scripture and decide for themself what is true and what is treife.

There are two groups of those trashing the CJB:

1) rabbinic Jews who have not read it for themselves and, like the false prophets of baal in the Tanach, do not want their Jewish brothers to follow Truth. The false prophets killed G-d's True prophets and these Jews would do the same instead of allowing people to hear and see the truth and decide for themselves.

2) anti-Semites who believe the church has replaced Israel. They believe in bible perversions that say they are G-d's chosen people. Yeshua said those who call themselves Jews and are not (they do lie) will be judged severely:

Revelation 3:9 Behold, I give of the synagogue of Satan, of them that say they are Jews, and they are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.


Bottom line: read for yourself asking HaShem to reveal the truth to you. Compare the CJB with different version - many free ones online including the JPS Tanakh and the KJV (or download e-sword and many versions for FREE and compare with the CJB) Do not believe the lies of those with hidden agendas. You are smart enough to ask G-d to reveal the truth to you and follow His guidance on what is Truth and what is treife. Do not follow man, follow the G-d of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - He will reveal His truth to you.

So much for commenting on the comments, now to comment on the CJB:

I wish Stern would have had footnotes about the errors in the JPS Tanakh. Like all the Masoretic translations, the JPS Tankah contains several errors. One that is rarely commented on (although is a well known error) is the name and age mistranslation in 2 Chronicles chapters 21 and 22. Chapter 22 has Ahaziah (called Jehoahaz in chapter 21) ruling at age 42 which meant he was two years older than his father Jehoram who's age was given in chapter 21 (he was 32 when he began to rule and ruled 8 years) The correct name and age of Ahaziah/Jehoahaz is given in 2Kings. The error is not present in the Septuagint translations. Nevertheless, Stern had commented on many of the errors and explained why he chose to use the Masoretic / JPS translation. For anyone who says it is "deceptive" to use Hebrew names in the Jewish Tanakh, one has to wonder if they have something wrong with them or whether their statements are used to deceptively disparage the CJB.

The translation of the Bri't Hadashah (new covenant) is the best I have ever seen. It holds extremely close to the Greek - much than any other translation. It shows the Jewish Jesus (Yeshua) and His Jewish followers without placing an anti-Semite slant on scripture as many poor / dishonest translations do. Bottom line is Yeshua and His disciples were (and Yeshua still is) JEWISH and followed the Jewish traditions and customs as well as the Torah. Many rabbincs of that time acknowledged Yeshua as Rabbi and He was a pharisee that held to the teachings of Hillel. Yeshua was against those with views that opposed Hillel (the sudduces who did not even believe in a resurrection) because they did not hold to the teachings of Torah. Some of the pharisees were ultra orthodox and placed burdens on the people that G-d never placed on them. It was the extra traditions and fences that Yeshua opposed, not the Torah. Yeshua said to love G-d (and if you love G-d, you would obey His Torah) Yeshua came as the Cohen Gadol to intercede with us with the Father and to shed His own blood to atone for our sins so His interceding for us is acceptable because our sins are washed away through His blood sacrifice. Again, Yeshua (Jesus) is Jewish and His followers were Jewish - so how is it "deceptive" to use their Hebrew names??? Again, it is only called "deceptive" in order to deceptively disparage a book that most of those who wrote negative comments had not even read!

Yeshua was known as the son of Joseph because Joseph was Mary's husband so He is Yeshua ben Joseph
Yeshua was from King David's line so He is also Yeshua ben David. Since He is the Messiah, He is:

Messiah ben Joseph AND He is Messiah ben David One Messiah, two comings ---- once as Messiah ben Joseph to suffer and atone for the sins of the world, and when He returns, it will be as Messiah ben David to rule and reign.


Nobody will force you to accept the CJB as the truth - although to be honest about your opinion of it, you need to read it yourself otherwise your opinion is just a refelction of someone elses opinion - and that is dishonest.

This is my favorite Bible for reading and comparison, though I turn to the NIV for serious study. I love the Jewish flavor of David Stern's translation, and find it particularly helpful to have along at church. My copy looks quite worn from being hauled around.

There are some drawbacks to it however. If you are not at all familiar with Hebrew, this Bible will be difficult going in some places. Thankfully, I had been attending Messianic Jewish services for several years before obtaining this Bible, and so found the Hebrew names and phrases surmountable even when not readily apparent. Also, the Old Testament is arranged in the traditional Jewish order, and I often find this confusing. Usually I end up using the table of contents in order to locate Old Testament books.

For small group study, I would not be without this Bible for comparison. It often shows up where traditional translations have missed understanding the Jewish thought contained in given passages. This gives me a springboard to introduce people to the Jewish roots of their faith.

Overall, I highly recommend this Bible as an addition to your personal library.

Reading this Bible is to immerse yourself in the concepts and flourishes of the early Church, which was almost completely Jewish. The rich Hebrew connotations come through in this version to the degree that you feel it might have been an endeavor of the JPS. The only negative is that the author chose to replace "Yahweh" with "Adonai" (but using small caps, the same way most versions replace The Name with "Lord" -- his rationalization is that Jewish people do not pronounce the Name, and "we're not sure if it is the best spelling," thus placing tradition higher than the Bible, but again, almost all translators commit the same transgression). All in all, however, a wonderful work, bringing out fresh understanding, and lighting a candle for the Western mind of Jewish thinking.