Common English Bible

The Common English Bible is a large cross-denominational translation project, completed in 2011 and sponsored by an alliance of denominational publishers, designed for both public reading and broad accessibility. In scope it covers the complete Bible, including editions with the Apocrypha, and it was translated from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, working from modern critical texts. Its translation philosophy is functional and accessible while retaining a scholarly balance, and it is categorized as a fresh translation rather than a revision of an earlier English version. Among its distinctive features is the participation of scholars drawn from Catholic, Protestant, and evangelical traditions, a collaborative pattern that has become common in English Bible work since the middle of the twentieth century. It is used in worship, study, and devotional reading across a range of churches, particularly within mainline Protestant bodies associated with its sponsoring publishers.