THE HOLY BIBLE

The Master Standard Version (MSV) was prepared with a single aim: to present Holy Scripture in language that can be read and understood with ease, while remaining faithful to the meaning of the sacred text.

This edition is a careful revision of the American Standard Version of 1901 - a translation long admired for its accuracy and now in the public domain. Its language has been renewed for the reader of today. Archaic and difficult expressions have been replaced with words in common use, and long, involved sentences have been recast for clarity, always with care to preserve the sense of the original. The aim throughout has been readability without any loss of accuracy or dignity.

Volume IV: The Wisdom and Poetic Books contains five books - Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon - gathering the poetry and wisdom of Israel: the trial of Job and the answer of God out of the whirlwind; the Psalms, in which the whole life of the soul is brought before God in praise, lament, and thanksgiving; the counsel of Proverbs for daily conduct; the searching questions of Ecclesiastes; and the Song of Solomon.

What sets this edition apart

• Modern vocabulary and sentence structure, faithful to the meaning of the original
• Pronouns referring to God - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - are capitalized
• The divine name YHWH is rendered "Yahweh" throughout, and "Lord" is retained where it renders the Hebrew title Adonai
• No contractions, preserving the formal tone that belongs to Holy Scripture
• Poetry set in measured verse lines, with the Psalm superscriptions preserved
• Section headings throughout to mark the movement of the narrative and the divisions of thought
• Clearly numbered chapters and verses, in a generous 7 x 10 page format

Whether for personal reading, family devotion, study, or the life of the Church, the Master Standard Version offers Scripture that is inviting on the page and clear to the ear.

The Master Standard Version is being published in eight volumes:

I. The Law
II. The Historical Books, Part I: Israel and the Kingdom
III. The Historical Books, Part II: Exile and Restoration
IV. The Wisdom and Poetic Books
V. The Major Prophets
VI. The Minor Prophets
VII. The Gospels and Acts
VIII. The Epistles and Revelation

Translated and edited by Hegumen Abraam Sleman.