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The American Bible Society is an interdenominational, non-profit, donor-supported ministry whose mission is to make accurate and affordable translations of the Bible available to everyone. Founded in New York City in 1816, ABS is dedicated to presenting the Bible in compelling ways so that people can experience life in its fullness through faith in Jesus Christ. ABS is responsible for a number of "firsts": the first Bibles provided to the U.S. military in 1817, the first pocket Bibles for soldiers during the Civil War, and the first Bibles in hotels. The society extends its outreach internationally through the United Bible Societies (UBS), a fellowship of 126 international groups, and was instrumental in founding this global fellowship in the interest of efficiency and making a greater impact. In 1999 alone, more than 63 million copies of the Society's publications were distributed throughout the United States and the world.

The CEV was published by the American Bible Society in response to an urgent need for a translation that would reach those many millions who are not reading the Bible. The goal was a serious translation-not a paraphrase-combining historical and scholarly accuracy with contemporary language that everyone can understand. Here is a Bible that speaks to all people, wherever they might be on their spiritual journey. It's easy to read yet allows for a deeper connection to God. Never before has there been a Bible that speaks so clearly to the heart and the mind of each reader.

RELIABLE-The CEV is an accurate translation of the biblical languages concerned primarily with the faithfulness to the meaning of the text. Over a period of ten years, more than one hundred individuals contributed toward the creation and crafting of the CEV. Key people within this group were translation consultants of the United Bible Societies, which is the most experienced Bible translation organization in the world. Each book underwent a series of thorough reviews before final approval was granted by the American Bible Society's board of trustees. It is this review process that ensures the reliability of the CEV.

READABLE-The CEV was crafted to be read aloud without stumbling, heard without misunderstanding, and listened to with enjoyment. While attention to choice of words and sentence length helps promote readability, the creators of the CEV also employed the following criteria:

- Is it easy to read aloud?
- Is it easy to listen to?
- Are the words and sentence structures familiar?
- Does it capture and hold the reader's interest?
- Are the thoughts easy to follow andunderstand?

Attention to these details has produced a text that is easy to read and understand without unnecessary jargon and ambiguity getting in the way.

RELEVANT-The CEV reveals the relevance of God's Word. Because the language is uncomplicated and contemporary, the reader is able to comprehend the true meaning of the Bible. The CEV is not merely an ancient text to be studied for its historical relevancy; it is the living, breathing Word of God that speaks to readers today.