The first goal of a translation must be to convey accurately and clearly the meaning of the original.

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There are two main types of Bible translations: “word-for-word’’ and “thought-for-thought.’’ A “word-for-word’’ translation attempts to translate each Hebrew or Greek word into a corresponding English word. A “thought-for-thought’’ translation seeks to express the basic thoughts of each sentence or paragraph from the original language in simple up-to-date English without being tied to translating every word.

   The New Jerusalem Version is primarily an update of the 1901 ASV, WEB and “The Holy Scriptures According to the Masoretic Text,’’ published in 1917 by the Jewish Publication Society. Both translations are considered to be highly reliable “word-for-word’’ translations based on the Masoretic Text, and comparable to the KJV. The Brit Chadashah (New Covenant) is mainly based on the Byzantine Majority Text (M-text).

   Footnotes in the New Jerusalem Version list additions, changes, and omissions relative to the authoritative Majority Text (M-Text). "NU" refers to the Nestle-Aland and "TR" refers to the "Textus Receptus" or "Received Text."