Dear friends of the World English Bible:

Today, Deuteronomy reached the "essentially done" stage. The only formats that are currently updated are the new HTML layout, USFM, and USFX of all three editions of the World English Bible (WEB, WEBBE, and WEB:ME).

The folder full of emails to review that suggest changes to the World English Bible is down to 816 messages, ranging in date from 10/11/2001 to 10/6/2009. These suggestions range from extremely valuable, correct, and insightful to just plain wrong and promoting some heresy instead of sound Bible translation. Some are hard to figure out. Some are easy. Some just ask questions. Given the age of those emails, I won't normally answer them except in broad generalities to this list, but just prayerfully verify, consider, and accept or reject the suggestions. The size of the messages range from a first pass edit of a whole book (thank you, James) to a comment about a typo or grammar issue in one specific verse. Some of those messages repeat the suggestions found in other messages, and some suggest corrections that have already been made or that are on my list of language updates to make. I feel bad about the magnitude of the backlog, but that is one consequence of working on this very part time until recently. The good news is that the backlog is shrinking, and the good suggestions that pass the verification and prayer phase are making a positive impact on the quality of the World English Bible.

Right now, proofreading comments are still appreciated, as always, but I would prefer if they are about the "essentially done" books (Genesis - Deuteronomy, Esther - Song of Songs, Hosea - Malachi, and the New Testament), and if they are about either obvious typos, seriously awkward wording, or any apparent departure in meaning from other good Bible translations (or the original languages) that isn't covered by a footnote. (I already know where major manuscripts differ, and have put footnotes there.) Proofreading should be done from the HTML version on the web site at http://eBible.org/web/, http://eBible.org/webme/, or http://eBible.org/be/, so that it is from the current version.

I'm splitting my work time between:

• Proactive editing of the World English Bible (making changes like quote mark addition that I already know need to be done)
• Reactive editing of the World English Bible (evaluating, praying about, and possibly making suggested changes or an alternate edit in response to an emailed suggestion)
• Programming to create more electronic formats of the World English Bible and hundreds of other Bible translations
• Preparing Scripture translations in other languages for posting on the Internet in various formats
• Preparing and posting audio Scriptures
  
• Communication -- necessary to keep the above going
  

The most frequently asked questions are "When will the whole World English Bible be done?" and "Can I buy a printed version of the whole World English Bible?" The answer to the second question is that we are planning a print run after the whole World English Bible is done. The answer to the first question is that you should stay tuned to either of the two mailing lists that I'm posting this message to if you want to be among the first to be informed when a real date is known and cleared with the Author.

Thank you for your faith in God, patience with me, and prayers.