Endorsements & Testimonials

“My family are Bible readers, but the younger members of our family always relied on me explaining what the text of Scripture meant. Not anymore. Now with The Best News Ever young children can read God’s Word in a translation made especially for them. The Best News Ever is accurate in language, readable for the youngest readers, and fun for the whole family.”

“I am impressed with the overall quality and consistency of this translation. I always employ the evaluative tool of 'meaning added' and 'meaning lost' when evaluating a translation. A quality translation seeks to add as little meaning as possible and lose as little meaning as possible. Here we encounter a fine example of a translation that retains as much meaning as possible and introduces as little meaning as possible within the constraints of vocabulary and structures that young children can understand. I am happy to recommend this translation.”

"This version of the Bible is an ideal book for children as they begin to read the Bible. It is also helpful to those learning English as a second language. The adult reader, familiar with Scripture, will see old truths and events in a new way. Personally, I found The Best News Ever a delight to read."

“The Best News Ever version has been such a blessing to the children at my church. For our 4th-5th grade Sunday School class, we used TBNE Proverbs for our Bible Study time. The kids in class mentioned they can understand the version better. A boy really liked that there was ‘uh-oh’ in the translation and thought it was funny, which kept their attention. It was clear that there was better and deeper comprehension of Proverbs among the children with this version. For Christmas, every child at our church was given TBNE Proverbs, and after some months a few children mentioned they read TBNE Proverbs regularly. It helps that the font is big and the book is thin/easy to carry. I would recommend every family to own a set and read TBNE together! It’s exciting to see when children understand Scriptures in a translation that speaks to their hearts!”

"Biblical illiteracy continues to rise as 36% of the emerging generation identifies itself as having no religious affiliation. Jan Harthan has put together a great tool that makes the Bible more accessible for children and those with smaller vocabularies while assuring the meaning of the Scripture has not been lost. My own 12-year-old loves using The Best News Ever because it is easier to understand. I highly recommend parents and grandparents give this resource to their children and use it when reading to both their children and pre-teens."

"Imagine a family with three generations around the kitchen table reading the Bible. Which Bible translation works for everyone? Open and read The Best News Ever."

"I have been privileged for 64 years now in helping people get an understandable Bible in their language. Hundreds of languages in every continent now have a Bible that they understand. But being a father, a grandfather, and a great-grandfather, I am more than blessed to see what Jan Harthan has done in translating a Bible for first-reads. My six-year-old great-grandson is now able to begin his reading life reading God's Word."

The Psalmist said in Psalm 119:103, "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" This kind of heart for God, his Word and his Son evidences the work of the Spirit. It is his to make alive and to transform. However, he uses means, and one of those that he uses in young readers' hearts is The Best News Ever. I commend this good work that captures the substance of the text while reducing the number of words, which is a helpful assist to children and their comprehension. It is an expression of loving them in an understanding way, while pointing them to Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life.

I am happy to heartily recommend Jan Harthan’s writing to you. My teenage son and I have read her The Best News Ever--Proverbs together one-on-one, and our family uses it sometimes around the family table. The language is accurate yet readable and easy to understand for young minds in today’s world. Get a copy for your family!

“The Best News Ever has been a blessing to my own family. As we did a Summer Bible Reading Challenge at our church this past year, my 6-year-old son, who was an emerging reader, was able to fully participate and accomplish his goal of reading the book of Mark. He was able to understand the simple but accurate language of the text. This allowed us to have some wonderful discussions about the important truths and lessons from Jesus’ life.”

"Beginning with the title, The Best News Ever, this Bible translation for children is truly some great news for parents and children alike. Just try to find a Bible translation for children that is both focused on verbal inspiration and yet not reduced to summarized paragraphs with pictures, then you will be up against an impossible task. Jan Harthan has the special ability of communicating the entire content of the Bible on a child's level. You may even find the simple vocabulary and sentence structures appealing to adult readers as well. I believe The Best News Ever will be a blessing to your whole family."

"The Best News Ever is a theologically relevant translation of the biblical text offered to those of limited reading ability. The Bible becomes more than a collection of stories and puts the text itself into the hands of those who can finally read it for themselves. May these words inspire those of all ages to follow Jesus."

"Clarity! When communicating, clarity is essential. This is what I love about Jan's translation, The Best News Ever. Not only have our teachers used it in our children's ministry, but (shhh!) I have used it with our adults as well."

I'm studying 2 Corinthians now, and your translation is wonderful. It's like washing a window. I can see clearly now!

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh my do I love it!!!!!!!

Keep going, Jan, on The Best News Ever. God will bless your work as he already has as more and more children and adults read the Bible for the first time with understanding.