PREFACE TO THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE

In the history of English Bible translations, the King James version is the most prestigious. This time honored version of 1611, itself a revision of the Bishop’s Bible of 1568, became the basis for the English revised version appearing in 1881 (New Testament) and 1885 (Old Testament). The American counterpart of this last work was published in 1901 as the American Standard Version. Recognizing the values of the American Standard Version, the Lockman Foundation felt an urgency to update it by incorporating recent discoveries of Hebrew and Greek textual sources and by rendering it into more current English. Therefore, in 1959 a new translation project was launched, based on the ASV. The result is the New American Standard Bible.

The American Standard Version (1901) has been highly regarded for its scholarship and accuracy. A product of both British and American scholarship, it has frequently been used as a standard for other translations. It is still recognized as a valuable tool for the study of other Scriptures. The New American Standard Bible has sought to preserve these and other lasting values of the ASV.

Furthermore, in the preparation of this work numerous other translation have been consulted along with the linguistic tools and literature of biblical scholarship. Decisions about English renderings were made by consensus of a team composed of educators and pastors. Subsequently, review and evaluation by other Hebrew and Greek scholars outside the Editorial Board were sought and carefully considered.

The Editorial Board has continued to function since publication of the complete Bible in 1971. Minor revisions and refinements, recommended over the last five years, are presented in this edition.

GENESIS

The Creation

1:1 aIn the beginning bGod ccreated the heavens and the earth. 2 And the earth was 1 aformless and void, and bdarkness was over the 2surface of the deep; and cthe Spirit of God dwas 3moving over the 2surface of the waters. 3 Then aGod said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. 4 And God saw that the light was agood; and God bseparated the light from the darkness. 5 And aGod called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And bthere was evening and there was morning, one day.

6 Then God said, “Let there be 1an aexpanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And God made the 1expanse, and separated athe waters which were below the 1expanse from the waters bwhich were above the 1expanse; and it was so. 8 And God called the 1expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.

9 Then God said, “aLet the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let bthe dry land appear”; and it was so. 10 And God called the dry land earth, and the agathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good. 11 Then God said, “Let ...