First nations bible (and women)

Have you heard of the First Nations Version of the New Testament? Is it any different than all the others? I think so.

I've recently been getting into some Native American reading. Of course I was intrigued by this First Nations Version. There is a link HERE to download a sample. Not only do I really like it, but it seems to be a lot clearer!

Just one example is their treatment of Matthew 5:27-32. The NIV uses the headings "Adultery" (vv. 27-30) and "Divorce" (vv.31-32), and reads like this:

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. ³¹ “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ ³² But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

One major difference in the FNV is the heading. They combine both sections as simply "Honoring Our Women." They also use special set-apart italicized notes throughout and put it above or below the text for better flow, rather than in footnotes. Here they point out: "Most women in the time of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) were dominated by men and were often treated like property and looked down on with disrespect. In those days men would "put away" their wives without divorcing them, leaving them destitute and unable to properly remarry."

This, then, is how the text of Matthew 5:27-32 reads in the FNV:

²⁷ So he said to the men, "You have heard the saying, 'You must not have sexual relations with another man's wife.' ²⁸ But I tell you this, any man who looks at a woman and wants his way with her has already done so in his heart.

"This is not how the Great Spirit wants us to see our sisters. ²⁹ If your right eye sees in this way - gouge it out and throw it away! ³⁰ If your right hand does harm to her - cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose a part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into the Valley of Smoldering Fire.

³¹ "Drawn from the Water (Moses) said, 'If you put away your wife you must give her divorce papers.' ³² Let me tell you why. Anyone who puts away his wife without giving her divorce papers makes her unfaithful when she remarries, unless she was unfaithful already. Then anyone who marries her is having sexual relations with another man's wife."

To me, this makes it unmistakably clear just what Jesus is talking about. You can't twist it to try and say something else. He's talking about men respecting their wives.

Anyway, I know it's only one section of a pretty big book, but I like what they've done here and suspect - though not likely perfect - it will be helpful to many people. You should at least check out the free pdf sampler.