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A paraphrase, on the other hand, is concerned about the accuracy in translating thoughts, to express something the way the authors would if they had been writing in English. This "paraphrase translation," as I call it, is understood more accurately by the average reader than are the standard modern translations such as the New International Version, the New American Standard, and others. These are excellent, especially the NIV, but they leave much to be desired in getting across the original thought to the average reader of English. Both kinds of translation are needed. I use the Living Bible for my devotional reading because I get so much more out of it, but in a Sunday school class I like to take along a standard translation, too.

Were the pressures of translation related to the partial loss of voice that you have experienced?

I was under great pressure, having been brought up with such a huge reverence for the Bible. One fears a mistake will be made. The committed paraphrase-translator, trying to insure accuracy of thought, has a far greater pressure upon his spirit than does the person doing a word-by-word or phrase-by-phrase translation.

Whether this is the cause of my voice problem, no one seems to be sure. It broke while I was giving a luncheon talk—I believe it was in Portugal—about 15 years ago, and it gradually deteriorated until I could hardly use it at all. Now, however, it is improving, although it still comes and goes. I suspect probably it is as one doctor told me, "Some people get ulcers, and some people get a psychosomatic disorder that can affect the voice." Emotions can make the voice falter, and emotional pressure during 16 years of paraphrasing can produce severe impairments.

How did your own children respond to the Living Bible?

My older children were not brought up on the Living Bible, because it did not exist during their formative years. The younger half of the tribe (I have 10 children) have frequently expressed appreciation and enjoy it very much—as do some of the older children.

The children were one of the chief inspirations for producing the Living Bible. Our family devotions were tough going because of the difficulty we had understanding the King James Version, which we were then using, or the Revised Standard Version, which we used later. All too often I would ask questions to be sure the children understood, and they would shrug their shoulders—they didn't know what the passage was talking about. So I would explain it. I would paraphrase it for them and give them the thought. It suddenly occurred to me one afternoon that I should write out the reading for that evening thought by thought, rather than doing it on the spot during our devotional time. So I did, and read the chapter to the family that evening with exciting results—they knew the answers to all the questions I asked!

What financial arrangements were made once the Living Bible began to sell? Were you tempted to use the royalties for your own gains, especially since you have 10 children?

Margaret and I have always been "missionary minded" and anxious to honor God in all we do. Since the Bible is the Word of God and God is the author, it seemed logical that he should get the royalties for his work. So we set up a foundation to receive the royalties from the first printing (2,000 copies) and any succeeding editions that might be called for. I have wondered, had I known at the time how huge the royalties would become, whether I would have been quite so "devoted"; but I think I would have.

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June (Web-only) 2005, Vol. 49