A brand-new translation of the Bible � praised by Britain's archbishop of Canterbury, that nation's senior Christian voice � flatly contradicts traditional core Christian beliefs on sex and morality. [more...]

Chapter 1

Jesus, God's Chosen, has an impressive pedigree. His ancestors include Abraham, (2-16) Isaac, Jacob, Judah and his daughter-in-law Tamar; Rahab (the Caananite prostitute), Ruth and Boat, King David and Bathsheba (the wife David stole from Uriah), King Solomon, and many other kings, priests and leaders. Jesus came from this line through Joseph, husband of Mary. They were the parents of Jesus, God's Chosen. (17) In all there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the time of the exile in Babylon, and fourteen from then to Jesus.

(18) This is how Jesus, God's Chosen, was born. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph. She was pregnant before they were married. This was the work of God's Spirit. (19) Joseph, her fianc�, was a good man. He did not want to expose Mary to a public scandal, so he thought to break off the engagement without making any fuss. (20) When he had almost made up his mind to do this, he had a message from God in a dream.

"Joseph, remember you're a descendant of David. There's no need to have any worries about marrying Mary. This baby has been planned by God's Spirit. (21) It's going to be a boy and you must call him Jesus. He will be a healer and cure people of their wrongdoing."

(22) The birth of Jesus reminds us of words spoken by one of God's speakers in times past:

(23) "A young woman will become pregnant and give birth to a son. He will be the sign that God is with us."

(24) When Joseph woke up, he took God's advice and got married to Mary that very day. (25) They didn't have sex until the baby boy was born. Joseph called him Jesus.

Chapter Two

Jesus was born in Bethlehem during the reign of Herod the Great. Some members of an eastern religion who studied the stars travelled to Jerusalem. (2) They asked, "Where's the new baby who will lead God's people when he grows up? We've seen a new star which tells us he's been born. We want to pay our respects to him. " (3) This news put Herod into a state of panic which frightened the people of Jerusalem. (4) Herod called together the religious leaders and the experts in the old books and asked them where God's Chosen was likely to be born. They turned his attention to Bethlehem, quoting words from one of God's speakers:

(6) "Bethlehem, there's no reason for you to think you are not important. You are going to be the birthplace of someone who will lead my people like a shepherd."

(7) Herod had a private meeting with the star-gazers, and found out from them the precise time the star appeared. (8) Then he gave them directions for Bethlehem and said, "Do your best to find the little boy. I would like to pay him my respects too." (9) When they had heard what Herod had to say, they continued their journey. They spotted the new star again. It seemed to move on in front of them and then hover over the house where the boy lived. (10) They got very excited by this. (11) They went inside the house and met him and his mother and expressed their pleasure at the honour they felt. They took out from their luggage the presents they had brought with them including money, medicine and perfume. (12) They had a hunch it would be a mistake to go back to Herod, so they took a different route back home.

(13) When the star-gazers had gone, someone sent by God came to Joseph during the night with the message, "You had better get your wife and little boy out of Bethlehem right away. Egypt would be the best place to make for. Don't come back until I get word to you that it's safe. Herod is sending out a search party. He's bent on murder! " (14) So Joseph that very night fled with his family as refugees to Egypt. (15) They lived there until Herod's death. This calls to mind God's words in the old books, "I brought my people out of Egypt."

(16) When Herod realised the star-gazers had given him the slip, he went berserk. He sent his soldiers to kill the children in Bethlehem and the villages nearby who were two years old and younger. He used the information he had from the star-gazers to work out about how old the child would be. (17) The people of Bethlehem experienced what Jeremy had spoken about in years gone by.

(18) In ancient Ram a noise is heard,
Wailing, loud and wild;
Rachel has lost her little ones
And will not be consoled."

(19) After Herod had died, Joseph had another message from God. (20) "It's safe now for you to go back to your own land. Those who wanted to kill your little boy have died." (21) So Joseph took his family back to Palestine. (22) But when he found out that Herod's son, Archie, had succeeded his father as ruler in the south of the country, Joseph was afraid to go back to Bethlehem. He was guided instead to Galilee in the north. (23) The family set up home in the town of Nazareth. That's why Jesus is sometimes called "The Nazarene".

Chapter Three

It was the time when John the Dipper started speaking in the desert. (2) "Change your ways", John shouted. "God's New World will be here any day now!" (3) Isaiah, one of God's speakers, talked about John the Dipper. He said,

"Listen for the 'Voice' in the desert, shouting, "Repair the road for God; straighten out the bends!"

(4) John had a simple lifestyle, wearing only a camel skin with a leather belt and eating carob nuts and tree sap. (5) People from the south of the country and the city of Jerusalem were attracted by the message and responded by admitting their faults and being dipped by John in the river Jordan.

(7) But when John saw many from the strict set and their rivals from the wealthy free and easy set coming to be dipped, he said, "You poisonous snakes! I see you're wriggling out of the cornfield now harvesting is about to start!" (8) Let's see some change in your behaviour! (9) Don't rely on the fact that Abraham is your ancestor to save you from trouble. God can make new children for Abraham out of people you've no more regard for than these stones! (10) The chopper is ready; it will strike at the very roots of your religion and society. Every institution which has outlived its usefulness will be pulled down and disposed of, like rotten wood on a bonfire. (11) I'm dipping you in the water, inviting you to change. But someone is coming more able than me. I'm not fit to carry his sandals. He will drench you with God's Spirit and that will be like fire. (12) When corn has been harvested the grain has to be separated from the useless husks. That's going to happen to you. The one who is coming will do the job thoroughly. He'll store the grain in his barn and the rubbish left over he'll put on the fire until it's burnt to nothing.

(13) Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to see John. He asked to be dipped by him. (14) John tried to put him off. He said, "It doesn't make sense. You should be dipping me!" (15) But Jesus said, "Please do it! It's best we stick to the rules for the time being." So John gave way.

(16) After Jesus had been dipped in the river and was climbing up the bank, there was a sudden gap in the clouds and he experienced the coming of God's Spirit. She was like a pigeon flying down and perching on him. A voice from overhead was heard to say, "This is the one I love and I'm delighted with him."

Chapter Four

Jesus felt he needed to spend some time in the desert to be clear in his mind which direction his life should take. (2) He went without food for about six weeks. By then he was near to starvation. (3) The thought came to him, "If I am God's Chosen One, all I need to do is to order these stones to become bread." Then he remembered some words from the old books, "People cannot live just on bread. They need God's words as well." (5) Then he had another idea. He saw in his mind's eye the temple in Jerusalem. (6) "Perhaps if I were to jump off the highest point I could prove I come from God? It should work like the song,

"God has friends who only wait
To lift you when you fall;
Soft your feet will touch the ground
Without a scratch at all."

(7) But then Jesus thought again of some other words from the old books, "You must not push God too far." (8) Then his mind formed another picture. This time he seemed to be looking down from a very high mountain on all the countries of the world. (9) Jesus thought, "All this could easily be mine. All I have to do is to be cunning and gain the support of the right people." Jesus quickly dismissed these ideas. He thought "These are the ways of evil. The old books tell us the only one we should try to please is God.

(11) Then Jesus felt at peace. Some of God's helpers arrived to look after him.

(12) News came to Jesus that John the Dipper had been put in prison. So Jesus went back to Galilee. (13) He left his home in Nazareth and took up lodgings in Capernaum-on-Sea, close to the border with Syria. It's as if the words of Isaiah, one of God's speakers in days gone by, were coming true.

"Country of the northern tribes,
En route for the Sea,
Astride the Jordan river,
Heathen Galilee;
Though you sat in darkness,
Great is now your light;
God will change death's shadows
Into dawning bright."

(17) It was then Jesus started to say to people, "Turn your backs on wrongdoing. The New World is on its way!"

(18) One day Jesus was walking along the edge of Lake Galilee. He saw two brothers, Simon (nicknamed Rocky) and Andrew, casting a net into the sea. They ran a fishing business. (19) Jesus called out to them, "How would you like to be my friends and fish for people?" (20) They left their nets and went with Jesus straightaway. (21) A little further on he saw another pair of brothers, James and John, Zebedee's sons. They were with Zebedee in the boat, mending their nets. At once, they said goodbye to their father and became friends of Jesus.

(23) Jesus went on a tour of Galilee, teaching in the places of worship and telling everyone the good news about the New World. He cured all kinds of illnesses among the people he met. (24) He became famous in Syria and people from that country brought their sick people across the border to him. He cured people with infections, muscle pains, mental disorders and those who had lost the use of their limbs. (25) Great crowds of people flocked to him from every part of Palestine, north, south, east and west.