The TLB, or The Living Bible, is a paraphrase of Scripture first published in full in 1971. It restates the biblical text in everyday English so that a reader can follow the story and its ideas without much study, which makes it a common first Bible for children, new readers, and people who find older English hard going. It suits a devotional or family reading habit well. It is less suited to close word study, because a paraphrase trades exact wording for clarity, and the translator’s interpretation shows through in nearly every sentence.
Background
The Living Bible was the work of Kenneth N. Taylor, who began it as a way to explain passages to his own children at home. What started as a private effort grew into a published project, and the full Bible appeared in 1971 under the Tyndale House imprint. Taylor drew on the original Hebrew and Greek, but he worked as a writer translating meaning rather than as a committee checking each word against the source languages.
Over the following decades the TLB remained popular in homes and churches, especially among readers who wanted a warm, plainspoken voice. Its later revisions and the newer Tyndale paraphrase traditions have carried the same goal forward, though the text you find on a shelf today may differ in small ways from the 1971 edition. Checking the edition’s title page is a good habit before comparing it with another version.
Translation Method
Most English Bibles fall somewhere on a spectrum. At one end, formal equivalence aims to keep the original word order and terms as closely as English allows. At the other end, a paraphrase rewrites the passage as a fresh English composition that tries to capture what the author meant. The TLB sits firmly at the paraphrase end. It often expands a short Hebrew or Greek phrase into a full sentence and swaps unfamiliar terms for modern equivalents.
That choice shapes the reading experience. Narrative passages, letters, and parables tend to flow naturally, and a reader rarely stumbles over archaic grammar. The cost is that the paraphrase makes interpretive decisions for you, sometimes settling questions that scholars still debate. Use the TLB as a doorway into the text, then consult a more literal translation when a particular word or doctrine matters to your study.
Reading Level and Style
The TLB is written at a plain, conversational level that most readers, including younger ones, can follow without help. Sentences are short and direct, and the rhythm feels closer to good storytelling than to a formal document. Many people find that they read more of it in one sitting than they would of a more literal version, simply because the effort is lower.
The same simplicity has a trade-off. Poetry, especially the Psalms and the prophetic books, can lose its layered imagery when every figure of speech is restated in plain terms. A psalm meant to be sung or prayed slowly may read more like a summary. If you value the texture of the original poetry, keep a second Bible nearby for those books.
A Verse to Compare
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd: I shall lack nothing.
(WEB)
This familiar opening shows the paraphrase approach clearly. A word-for-word translation keeps the picture of the Lord as shepherd and the speaker’s claim that nothing is lacking, leaving the image for the reader to unpack. The TLB tends to restate that image in a more conversational way, drawing out the personal sense of being cared for. Both approaches convey the same confidence, but the paraphrase says more of the meaning in its own voice, while the literal version lets the metaphor work on its own.
Who Should Use It
The TLB is a strong choice for children, for someone reading Scripture for the first time, and for a family devotional where clarity matters more than precision. It is also useful for a quick, relaxed read of a whole book, giving you the storyline and emotional force of a passage. Many readers keep it as a companion alongside a more literal translation, moving between the two as they read.
Its limits are real. If you plan to write a sermon, study a key term, or argue a point of doctrine, a paraphrase cannot serve as your main text, since its wording is already one interpreter’s reading. Treat the TLB as a clear window onto the passage, and pair it with a translation that stays nearer the original words when careful study is the goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the TLB a translation or a paraphrase?
It is a paraphrase. Kenneth Taylor rewrote the Bible in everyday English to convey its meaning rather than to match the original words one by one. That makes it very readable but less suitable for detailed word study.
Is the TLB good for children?
Many families use it for children because the language is simple and the stories move quickly. It works well as an early reader’s Bible. As children grow, a more literal version can help them see the richer detail of the original text.
Should I use the TLB for serious study?
It can be a helpful supplement, but it is not ideal as your primary text for study or teaching. Because the paraphrase reflects the translator’s interpretation, compare key passages with a more literal translation before drawing firm conclusions.
