New English Translation

The NET Bible ® (acronym for New English Translation) is a free, on-line English translation of the Bible, funded by the Biblical Studies Foundation.

The New English Translation, like the NIV, is a completely new translation of the Bible and not an update or revision of an old one, like the RSV. The translation is undertaken by twenty biblical scholars who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. It was conceived informally in November 1995 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the US at the annual meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Many of the conceivers of the project eventually became part of the translation team, which were claimed to be non-sectarian and evangelical.

The translation project originally started as an attempt to provide an electronic version of a modern translation over the Internet and on CD-ROM without cost.

The translation is most notable for its lengthy footnotes, its open translation process, and its availability on the internet, even before it is complete. The first complete translation is still to be completed; it is currently in its 2nd Beta version. It may be downloaded free of charge.