Recovery Version

The Recovery Version is a study Bible and English language translation of the New Testament and Holy Bible published by Living Stream Ministry.

First published in 1985, the Recovery Version of the New Testament was created in response to the publishers of the American Standard Version of the Bible who refused to allow the Living Stream Ministry to insert footnotes into their text. These footnotes are taken from the ministries of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, written specifically for the Recovery Version for a greater understanding and experience of the text. This version of the New Testament has become the standard version of the "local churches" as its translation is used at their conferences and weekly services.

A devotion to and love for the Bible has made possible a broad range of good translations which have rendered immense help to serious students who have not been able to translate the Scriptures on their own. Both Watchman Nee and Witness Lee desired to study the bible thoroughly so that the Lord would open the Word richly among us. While Watchman Nee at times translated short portions of the Scriptures for his messages, it was Witness Lee who realized the great benefit in translating the Bible.

In 1974, as he embarked upon the life-study of the Bible, he initiated the work of translating the New Testament into English, directing a small team of brothers and sisters to translate from the original language as the life-study progressed through the entire New Testament. The issue of this effort was the Recovery Version of the New Testament, which was published in its current revised form in 1991.

In 1989, as Witness Lee proceeded to release his life-study of the Old Testament, he again directed a new translation endeavor in English, this time of the Old Testament, and again from the original languages. As the work proceeded book by book, Witness Lee reviewed the translation and made numerous improvements and suggestions, both prior to publication and during his use of each book during his life-study trainings. The Recovery Version translation of the Holy Bible, containing both Old Testament and New Testament was published in February 1999. In 2004 they published an edition complete with footnotes.

Features

• An outline of each book, both at the beginning of the book and embedded within the text
• Introductory information giving a concise historical background of each book
• The subject of each book providing an overview and point of the book
• Over 9,000 extensive footnotes - New Testament count
• Over 13,000 cross-references - New Testament count
• Charts and maps
• Text embodying extensive research into the meaning of the original languages and expressing this meaning accurately

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth -- Genesis 1:1

But the earth became waste and emptiness, and darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was brooding upon the surface of the waters. -- Genesis 1:2

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life. -- John 3:16