F.O.G Bible Project Updates
Ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Διὰ τοῦτο πᾶς γραμματεὺς μαθητευθεὶς τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν ὅμοιός ἐστιν ἀνθρώπῳ οἰκοδεσπότῃ ὅστις ἐκβάλλει ἐκ τοῦ θησαυροῦ αὐτοῦ καινὰ καὶ παλαιά.
And He said to them:
“Therefore every scribe who has been discipled for the Kingdom of the skies is like a master of the House, who brings out of his treasury—things new and old.”
Matthew 13:52
The F.O.G
What am I working on now?
Landed on this page first? Read the Origin Story first
09-20-2025
I am going to be honest with you.
I have never worked harder in my life as I am right now after having a coffee with Jesus on September 1st 2022. That first year was an incredible journey of falling in love with the Word all over again and it wasn’t uncommon for me to have a Bible on my lap for up to 18 hours a day.
Which led to work on the F.O.G Bible officially beginning on September 2023—marking the one-year anniversary of my divine coffee. The first book drafted was Ruth, and the entire New Testament was drafted February 10th, 2024. Just four days later, on Valentine’s Day, I launched this brand-new social learning and community website—fittingly, because God is Love. ❤️
I am now working on the new F.O.G Greek and Hebrew Lexicon so as to refine my draft translation of the Greek New Testament. I invite you to join me in this journey, exploring His Words more deeply in the beauty and richness of their ancient context.
But let me be clear now.
Every reputable English Bible translation agrees on the core truths of the glory and majesty of the risen Lord Jesus, the Messiah, or as I like to call Him, יהוה (Yahweh) ישוע Yeshua. He is the King of kings, and will soon return to establish a literal “on earth as it is in Heaven” Kingdom. That day will be the best day of our lives, and I can’t wait! Come Lord Jesus!
However, the only truly perfect “word-for-word” Bible, free from any scribal “issues” or biases, is found in the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts in which His words are recorded. This is simply a fact, as any translator or native speaker will confirm.
So let’s talk about what the F.O.G Bible is based on and the translation process.
The F.O.G Bible is Based On
NASB 1995
If you’re looking for a “Word-for-Word” Bible translation that makes more sense to modern readers, the NASB 95 is the current gold standard and the main Bible being used for this project. It is excellent for maintaining consistency in translation throughout the Bible. I have very few criticisms of it; however, one thing I do miss compared to the NLT is the use of modern-day measurements and dates. For example, the NASB will simply write “ephah,” a term unfamiliar to most of us, when it means 22 liters or 5.81 gallons. For the F.O.G Study Bible, I want such measurements to be readily available in the text itself—not just in the footnotes—to reduce “brain fatigue” and make understanding easier.
KJV 1900
You could say this project began when He instructed me to write down all His “red-letter” words, which I did using the King James Version (KJV). The KJV Bible is known for its regal poetic rhythm and is considered one of the most accurate “word-for-word” translations for English speakers. It is also the most widely sold Bible version and, as a result, one of the most frequently quoted. I love the King James Bible, but the 412-year-old English can make it challenging for modern readers to grasp important theological nuances. That’s why I turned to another Bible translation, the NASB, which was created and first published in 1971 during the height of the Jesus People movement.
YLT
The Young’s Literal Translation (YLT), first published in 1862 by Robert Young, is a Bible version celebrated for its strict adherence to the original Hebrew and Greek texts. Known for its commitment to a word-for-word translation philosophy, it seeks to render the Scriptures as faithfully as possible to the original manuscripts, preserving verb tenses, sentence structure, and idiomatic expressions. Unlike dynamic equivalence translations, which prioritize readability in modern languages, YLT remains unapologetically literal, sometimes at the expense of natural English fluency.
NLT
I highly recommend the New Living Translation for anyone looking to experience the Word of God in a fresh and engaging way. Its use of modern-day English, along with specific dates like “August 13th, 586 BC,” helps transport readers back in time, making the Bible’s stories and lessons feel vivid and alive. While the NLT is excellent for readability, it isn’t a traditional study Bible, as it doesn’t strictly maintain the original wording and phrasing; instead, it uses contemporary language to convey the core message of the text. That said, it remains one of my top choices for those looking to read it alongside the F.O.G Study Bible.
AMPC
The Amplified Classic Edition, is a favorite resource of those who want to uncover the deeper layers of meaning found in the ancient original words. It excels in providing amplified or expanded definitions of key words and phrases in the text. However, like the NASB 1995, the AMPC does not provide modern measurements and dates. Additionally, while the “wordy amplifications” enrich the study experience, they can also make the text less readable and more challenging to quote. Despite these points, the Amplified Classic is an excellent choice for those looking to dive deeper into God’s Word, offering a unique blend of translation and commentary that enriches personal study.
CJB
The Complete Jewish Bible has been a revelation! Published by Messianic Jews who love ישוע (Yeshua). This translation keeps the Jewish context of the Bible including Jewish names of people, places and concepts. Every time I read it, I am reminded of Jesus’ words: “Salvation is of the Jews,” which really just means Him. The modern church owes a huge debt of gratitude to the Jewish scribes who faithfully preserved the mysterious truths of Yahweh Elohim for us for millenia. I highly recommend the CJB for anyone looking to gain a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and the Jewish context of the Bible. However, like the NLT, it is not designed to be a study Bible, but rather to broaden your perspective on Scripture.
F.O.G Bible Project Aims
Names of God
The sacred name יהוה (YHWH) appears 6,720 times in the Hebrew Bible, almost three times more often than the word אֱלֹהִים (Elohim, God). In English, it is written as YHWH, which is a transliteration of the Hebrew יהוה (Yahweh).
According to rabbinic tradition, this name is pronounced in a soft, breathy way. In Hebrew, this conveys the profound meaning of “the Breath of Life Himself.”
Most English Bibles translate this name as “THE LORD.” However, I prefer to use “יהוה (Yahweh)” because our אֱלֹהִים (Elohim) is a loving Father who wants His children to know Him by all His names.
What greater proof of this love could there be than Him sending Himself in the flesh and blood of ישוע (Yeshua) to die for our sins? So that all who believe in Him will be saved! No questions asked.
To honor these New Covenant marriage vows between God and a purified humanity, I will use Hebrew-to-English transliteration to help readers pronounce the original names of God. These names and titles include El-Shaddai (God Almighty or The All-Sustaining One) and יהוה (Yahweh) Tsidqenu (Yahweh our Righteousness). Praise God!
Jewish Roots
My heart deeply longs for the Jewish people to believe in their Messiah, ישוע (Yeshua)! This desire must be supernatural because, after all, I’m a British English-speaking Frenchman, born in South Africa, and now living in New Zealand—I’m not Jewish! Quite a story, I know!
The Fear of God (F.O.G) Bible is designed to speak directly to my Jewish friends, showing them that God is indeed their loving Abba who wants to be known personally through ישוע (Yeshua) and His רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ (Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Spirit) within them. Yes, the rabbis were right in saying the Messiah was expected 2,000 years ago. But no, you didn’t miss Him because of any unworthiness. He did come, but His own people didn’t recognize Him as the Messiah because they were expecting a political leader to overthrow Rome. His first mission, however, was spiritual—to overthrow the Adversary. Rest assured, His second coming will bring the political rule you desire, with His iron scepter guiding the nations. What an incredible day it will be when the King governs the world!
With this in mind, the F.O.G Bible incorporates Hebrew terms and sometimes even script to communicate these truths to my Jewish friends while also revealing the fascinating mysteries of Jewish context to non-Jews.
To simplify ‘Lingo’
Our modern Bibles have gone through many layers of translation—from the original Hebrew and Aramaic to Greek, then Latin, and finally to English. While the essential message of salvation has been wonderfully preserved, some of the deeper mysteries concerning spiritual authority and closeness to God’s throne have become clouded. This is especially true with the introduction of Latin religious terms that made sense over a millennium ago but can be confusing today. A classic example of this is ‘Repent or repentance‘ which is from the Latin translation of the Greek word metanoia, which itself is based on the Hebrew concept of teshuvah, which simply means ‘Return or turn back!’ As in return to God! If you know what’s good for you. The concept of a return is so much simpler and beautiful, by echoing the Prodigal Son story, and does not have the connotations of ‘Repent you filthy scum!’ that so many people associate with, “Repent!”
So when a simpler and more accurate word or phrase exists that better conveys the meaning of a “religious word,” it will either replace the original term or have an explanatory note (in brackets) next to it. Another example, the term “saints” is often misunderstood. To maintain the original Jewish understanding—where “holy ones” are those declared holy by the Holy One—we replace “saints” with “holy ones.” You will find many such adjustments throughout the F.O.G Bible to bring clarity and understanding to readers.
To condense wording
When translating ancient texts into English, certain words need to be added to make the text understandable. If you compare the KJV or even the ‘gold standard’ NASB with the original Hebrew and Greek texts, including their word order, you might be surprised by the differences! For example, the word translated ‘pregnant’ is actually – ‘having in the belly!’
This is true to such an extent, that you might even be tempted to view highly accurate “Word-for-Word” translations like the NASB as paraphrases at times. This is not an error, but simply the nature of translation, even between modern languages—let alone translating an ancient text that lacks punctuation!
Rest assured, this does not change the core message of truth in our Bibles. However, the Fear of God (F.O.G) Bible will sometimes use a more “ancient” style by reducing the number of added English words. Unnecessary words will also be removed; for example, the KJV’s “an hundred and forty-four thousand” becomes simply “144,000.” The goal is to create a text that feels both authentic in its ancient style and easy to read.
Modern Measurements
By using modern dates and measurements, readers can better visualize and follow what is happening in the text.
For example, when Ruth receives a generous provision from Boaz while gleaning in his field, it is described as an “ephah.” In the F.O.G Bible, this will be presented as “ephah (22L)” using UK measurements to clearly illustrate how abundant her provision was.
In the F.O.G. Paraphrase, the same will be shown using US measurements, such as “ephah (5.81 gallons),” to cater to different readers. This dual approach ensures the Bible is accessible and understandable to both UK and US audiences.
Transparency
One morning, I was overwhelmed with a deep reverence for Yahweh, which made me realize the immense responsibility I carry as His “reborn scribe.”
In response to this calling, every verse in this Bible translation is open for your comments—a feature that is likely a first in Bible translations. Whether you’re an expert in ancient languages or simply someone who loves Jesus and wants to share how a verse impacted you, all your thoughts are valued and appreciated.
The only requirement is that you need to have an account and be logged in to comment on any and all pages of this website.
To Embrace Poetry
Did you know that biblical scholars estimate that up to 40% of the Bible is poetry? And it’s not just any poetry—it’s יהוה (Yahweh)-inspired, ancient poetry that is both unique and, at times, quite mysterious. This translation seeks to preserve some of these distinctive expressions, especially in the wisdom and prophetic books, while offering explanations in brackets or footnotes when needed.
However, not every phrase will be explained. The King James Version has shown us that lines like “The Spirit of God moved on the face of the waters” can still resonate deeply with us today without additional clarification.
To Embrace Love
I conclude with this key aim because it honors יהוה (Yahweh’s) ❤️ heart of love for you. Understanding this will open the doors and floodgates of revelation in your Bible reading.
In the Hebrew Bible, certain keywords and phrases are deliberately repeated to make you recall other parts of Scripture. When you notice these recurring phrases, you’ve found a golden nugget or gemstone that can lead to a deeper understanding of יהוה (Yahweh)’s righteousness and justice.
Our goal is to preserve these consistent words and phrases as much as possible, not only in the Hebrew texts but also in the ‘Greek-westernized’ New Testament (Covenant). This approach will serve as a powerful study tool for comparing the ‘old’ and ‘new’ covenant vows that God has made with humanity through Jesus.