I got so tired of people who quoted the bible in a manner I considered unlikely that I visited a bookstore and bought three. Hugh Schonfield's translation of the New Testament is the only one I've read so far. Schonfield re-ordered the books into the order in which they were originally written. He hunted down the earliest manuscripts he could find for this translation. Of great value are his extensive historical notes that give the reader a context in which to place familiar biblical events. He also notes sections that were added to the original text at a much later time and sometimes speculates on the reason for the additions. Because of Schonfield's careful scholarship and accessible style, I was able to read the New Testament as if it were a novel. I don't particularly care to engage anyone in argument over the meaning of specific scripture, but I feel up to the task of making my personal judgments based on a source that I find credible. ( )