The Holy Bible: A Purified Translation
The Holy Bible: A Purified Translation is a New Testament edition published in 2000. A year earlier, 40,000 copies of the Gospel of John from this translation were mailed to Southern Baptist pastors. It was translated by Stephen Mills Reynolds and published by the Lorine L. Reynolds Foundation as a memorial to his wife.
Reynolds, who studied at Miami University, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton University, and Columbia University, had previously served on the translation committee of the New International Version (NIV). The preface says the translation is “purified of errors that have misled people, in some cases for centuries.” The main change claimed is a stance against drinking alcohol: Reynolds argues Christians should refrain from alcohol and become teetotalers. He explains some of his translation decisions in the Journal of Ethics and Bible Translation (1995).
The Purified Translation has received mixed reviews, with attention paid to how it translates oinos, the Greek word traditionally rendered “wine.” The book includes notes on his translations of Micah 2:11 and Proverbs 23:31. In 1999 it was reported that there was a plan to finish the entire Bible by 2004, but that did not happen. The translation avoids using “thee” and “thou,” instead using “you” with a grave accent to indicate singular you (you`), while a normal “you” indicates plural.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:51 (CET).