New Ground English Translation
Understand the Bible like the first audience did.
The Bible in everyday English, with the customs, history and original words its first readers knew set beside each verse. Tap a marked word to read them without leaving the passage.
20So he got up and went back to his father. While he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, threw his arms around him, and kissed him.
- word notes
- 43,689
- books
- 66
- chapters
- 1,189
- verses
- 31,103
What the first readers knew
The first readers knew things the words alone can’t tell you.
When John writes that Jesus “had to go through Samaria,” his readers knew many Jewish travelers went the long way around it. When Paul calls believers adopted, a Roman reader knew adoption canceled a person’s old debts. No English wording can carry that, so NGET puts it in a note beside the verse.
Right where you’re reading
Tap a marked word and the note opens on the same page. You don’t have to set the Bible down for a commentary or a chat window.
Background, then out of the way
A note gives the history, the custom or the original word, and stops. It doesn’t tell you how to apply the passage.
Room to stay with the passage
With your questions answered where they come up, you can keep reading, pray through what’s in front of you, and get to its main point.
Familiar words, said plainly
Some Bible words have lost their meaning for most readers. NGET says what they meant.
Every choice is written down in public guidelines, and every changed word keeps its original term in a note beside the text.
See all the words we explain- Instead of graceundeserved kindnessThe Greek charis means a gift nobody earned.
- Instead of repentrethink everythingMetanoia is a change of mind and direction, more than feeling sorry.
- Instead of eternal lifelimitless lifeLife without limit, in how long it lasts and in how full it is.
- Instead of Christthe OneChristos is a title, “the anointed one,” and not a last name.
- Instead of Holy Spiritthe Breath of GodRuach and pneuma both mean breath, wind, and spirit.
- Instead of baptizesubmergeBaptizō was an everyday word for plunging something under water.
Not sure where to begin?
Four good places to start
How NGET is made
From the source languages
Every verse is translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek under published guidelines, so you can check why any word was chosen.
Read the guidelinesDrafted by AI, checked by people
Anthropic’s Claude drafted each chapter. People are reviewing them one at a time, and every chapter shows whether its review is done.
About the projectFree to use
Licensed CC BY 4.0. Quote it, print it, read it aloud, or build on it with the free API.
Developer API