The SSB is designed specifically for you, the reader. You have likely read or tried other translations, but you may find the SSB the easiest and most enjoyable of them all. Why is that, you might ask?

 

More than 100 English Bible translations exist worldwide, each aiming to render the original text in a formal, mediating, or functional style. The list below groups several well-known translations by their general approach—formal, mediating, or functional—along with the reading level their sentences tend to suit (easy, medium, or challenging).

 

Formal equivalence (word-for-word) translations:

 

• King James Version (KJV)

• New King James Version (NKJV)

• English Standard Version (ESV)

• New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition (NRSVUE)

• New American Standard Bible (NASB)

• New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)

 

Mediating/balance translations:

 

• New International Version (NIV)

• Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

 

Functional equivalence (thought-for-thought) translations:

 

• New Living Translation (NLT)

• Common English Bible (CEB)

 

Like many readers, you may have had no idea there were so many different translations, the difference between formal and functional equivalence, or that reading levels were even a factor in translation. With so many options—each formatted for different scriptural equivalences and reading levels (easy, medium, and challenging)—it’s no wonder Christians buy so many Bibles, trying to find the one they can read and understand.

 

So where does the SSB fit among these translations? In truth, it stands on its own. Word-for-word (formal) translations like the KJV are prized for their accuracy, but they are usually the hardest to read, because staying faithful to the original means preserving the word order, long sentences, and unfamiliar idioms of the ancient Hebrew and Greek—patterns that do not match the rhythms of modern English. Older translations like the KJV are harder still, because they also carry the archaic English of the seventeenth century—words and phrasings such as “thee,” “thou,” and “digged” that few readers use today. By contrast, the translations that are easiest to read are usually thought-for-thought (functional), which often move further from the original wording. The SSB refuses to make that trade. It is grounded in the accuracy of both the KJV and the Hebrew Masoretic Text, so the reader keeps the word-for-word faithfulness of a formal translation—yet that trusted text is rendered in clear, modern English rather than the archaic language of the KJV, and it reads at the easy level. The SSB accomplishes this not by changing the meaning of the words, but by presenting them with proven techniques used in educational institutions—outline formatting, chunking, visual charts, and more—so the reader can study the Bible in depth and truly understand it. In other words, the SSB offers the accuracy of the most formal translations and the readability of the easiest ones at the same time—a combination few other Bibles provide.

 

So why build on the KJV in particular? The SSB uses the KJV as its baseline because it is one of the most trusted English Bibles ever produced—believers around the world consider it among the most accurate translations available, and it remains one of the most important and beloved books in the English language. By starting from the KJV, the SSB preserves the wording readers already know and trust; it simply makes that trusted wording easier to follow. For generations, many have longed to study the KJV but found its language so difficult that reading it felt like reading a foreign tongue. The SSB removes that barrier, modernizing the KJV’s language and formatting so that readers of every age can understand God’s Word as it speaks to them.

 

To appreciate the SSB, it helps to know where the KJV came from. In 1604, King James I of England commissioned a new English translation of the Bible. Over the next seven years, about 47 scholars, working in six committees, carefully translated the Scriptures—the Old Testament from the Hebrew and the New Testament from the Greek—while drawing on the faithful English Bibles that had come before. Their work was published in 1611 and became known as the KJV. For more than 400 years, the KJV has been treasured as one of the most accurate and influential English Bibles ever produced, and it remains the baseline the SSB builds upon.

 

So why look to the Masoretic Text at all? When the King James translators rendered the Old Testament, they worked from the Hebrew Masoretic Text—the same Hebrew foundation the SSB honors today. Because the Old Testament of the KJV itself rests on this Masoretic Hebrew, the SSB treats the Masoretic Text as the authoritative source for the Old Testament. In the rare places where the KJV’s English differs from the Hebrew behind it—often because a Hebrew word can be read more than one way—the SSB follows the Masoretic reading and explains the difference in a bracketed note. For example, in Genesis 49:6 the KJV reads that Simeon and Levi “digged down a wall,” while the Masoretic Hebrew reads “hamstrung an ox”; the SSB follows the Masoretic and notes it. In this way, the SSB stays faithful to its KJV baseline and to the original Hebrew at the same time, so the reader can trust that the text is as accurate as it is readable.

 

But what is the Masoretic Text, and where did it come from? The Masoretic Text is the traditional Hebrew Bible, carefully preserved and standardized by Jewish scribes known as the Masoretes, who worked between the seventh and tenth centuries AD in places such as Tiberias. These scribes did not change the sacred words; rather, they safeguarded the ancient consonantal text—already centuries old, and later confirmed by discoveries such as the Dead Sea Scrolls—by adding vowel markings and notes so the text would be read and pronounced correctly for generations to come. The oldest complete copy that survives, the Leningrad Codex, dates to about AD 1008.

 

It also helps to be clear about what the SSB is and is not. The SSB is not a new translation of the Bible made directly from the original Hebrew and Greek. Instead, it is a study Bible built upon the KJV: the SSB takes the trusted words of the KJV and reformats, clarifies, and modernizes them so that readers of every age can understand what they are reading. When this book speaks of “the SSB translation,” it means this careful reworking of the KJV for readability—not a fresh rendering of the ancient languages. In this way, the reader can trust that they are still reading the KJV, only in a form that is far easier to follow.

 

Throughout this work, we also compared the KJV against many other translations. This comparison highlighted the numerous differences among them and the confusion caused by formal or functional translations that each aimed at different reading levels. Studying these other translations—each measured against a KJV word, sentence, or paragraph—helped shape our understanding of what God intended to convey through the KJV. Wherever another translation differed completely from the KJV, the KJV wording was retained. Again and again, using the KJV as the baseline and comparing it with other translations only confirmed the KJV’s authority; maintaining the KJV was therefore extremely important. This approach helps convey the text’s underlying ideas clearly, ensuring the SSB is never misleading or confusing to modern readers.

 

Formatting Philosophy

 

Reformatting a book like the KJV is no easy task. At The Sunday School Bible, LLC, we have spent many hours meticulously reading every word of every sentence of every chapter of every book to ensure that the meaning of this important and well-respected text is never altered. The SSB study Bibles could not have been completed and carried to readers of all ages around the world without God’s light shining on our effort. This work could by no means have been the labor of one person; the day-to-day drive and focus to produce the SSB before the Lord’s return could only have been inspired and guided by God.

 

We have reviewed each word and sentence in the KJV hundreds of times to ensure readability and clarity. To do this, we first transcribed the entire KJV onto 8.5-by-11-inch paper and then double-spaced every sentence, so that each one could be read and understood on its own. We discovered that each sentence was profoundly meaningful when read by itself—and even more so when read in the context of the phrases, paragraphs, and chapters around it.

 

As we studied each word and sentence for readability, we also read for understanding. Often, sentences were easy to read but didn’t make sense, or they made sense but were very difficult to read. Therefore, we analyzed the parts of each sentence that caused reading delays or gaps in understanding and focused on resolving those issues. We often had to restructure or reformat a sentence, use synonyms, and consult other biblical translations and footnotes to identify alternative meanings for the same word or sentence.

 

Every formatting choice in the SSB is guided by how people actually read, remember, and understand. Educators have long known that learners absorb more when large blocks of text are broken into smaller, manageable pieces—a method called chunking. The SSB applies this throughout: long KJV sentences are separated into short sense-lines and bulleted lists, quotations are set apart and indented, sentences are double-spaced so the reader can focus on one thought at a time, and the book is kept to a comfortable length so it never feels overwhelming.

 

Learners also understand and remember more when information is presented in more than one way at once—words paired with pictures, a principle educators call dual coding. That is why the SSB pairs its written genealogies with visual genealogy charts and gathers scattered details into summary tables the reader can take in at a glance. The SSB also uses color and symbols to guide the reader’s eye to what matters most—small capitals for God, red for His spoken Word, purple for the bloodline of Jesus, and a dagger for His appearances in Genesis—so the most important truths stand out on the page. Each of these methods has one purpose: to help the reader not only read the Bible, but understand and remember it. The unique features described below all grow out of these principles.

 

 

Unique Features

 

Easy-to-Read Layout

 

Limited page count: The SSB focuses on the reader and, therefore, aims to ensure the book's size is not intimidating at a glance. Thus, the SSB uses limited page counts to ensure each book is inviting to pick up and read. Furthermore, readers feel a sense of accomplishment and confidence upon completing each book, motivating them to begin the next book of the Bible. Again, everything about the SSB is designed with the reader in mind.

 

The 11-point font and single-column layout: Most Bibles are printed in a small 7- or 8-point font packed into two columns, which many readers find hard on the eyes. The SSB instead uses a comfortable 11-point font in a single-column outline format, making the text far easier to read. The thicker paper also holds up to highlighters and pens without ink bleeding through to the next page—and it resists the tearing that leaves so many well-used Bibles held together with tape.

 

Double-space: The SSB uses double spacing between sentences to help the reader focus on one sentence at a time. This allows readers to focus on the meaning of each sentence and to write notes between sentences. Underlining, circling, and highlighting words and phrases are now as easy as they were with a high school or college textbook—perhaps even easier.

 

Outline format and lists: When reading the standard Bible, especially the KJV, the reader encounters many commas and semicolons within each sentence. Many Bible versions have updated these sentences to modern English. However, the SSB attempts to retain the KJV sentence structure as much as possible to preserve the narrative's power. Therefore, the SSB separates each element listed between commas and semicolons into bulleted lists. These lists help readers categorize each element discussed and classify them. Ultimately, readers flow easily through these lists rather than getting lost in lengthy sentences. Using an outline format helps readers move through the material more quickly and learn more effectively. The SSB uses a simple, unordered bullet style rather than a numbered or lettered outline. Each element of a sentence is set on its own line and marked with a solid round dot (•); when a phrase depends on the one above it, that phrase is indented beneath it and marked with an open circle (o), so the reader can see at a glance which words belong together. The SSB chose plain bullets over numbers or letters (1, 2, 3 or A, B, C) on purpose: the parts of a Bible sentence are usually equal pieces of a single thought, not a ranked or step-by-step list, and numbering them would imply an order or importance the text never intended. The round dot simply sets each piece apart, and the indented circle shows how the pieces relate—a gentle, familiar form of the sentence-mapping taught in schools, without the clutter.

 

Speaker identification and indented quotes: The SSB separates all quoted text and clearly identifies the speaker and the addressee. This format change makes reading the Bible as easy as reading a movie script. Standard Bible translations lack clarity in this area. Often, sentences use pronouns (he, him) to indicate the participants in the conversation. However, this quickly becomes confusing without the appropriate individual names. To ensure clarity about who is speaking and to whom, the SSB replaces pronouns with the individual’s name. This format ensures clarity and understanding while enhancing sentence flow. For example, unlike the standard Bible text, which may read “He said to him,” the SSB clarifies this by replacing it with “Joseph said to Jacob.” This minor but powerful difference keeps the reader engaged in the story without interrupting the reading pace to clarify who said what to whom. Fluid reading is a key part of the SSB.

 

Table of Contents and Index

 

Contents section: Everyone understands that the contents section is a valuable way to identify chapters in lengthy books. However, the SSB uses the contents as a learning tool for readers. Not only does the SSB include chapter references, but it also includes topical section references. To further enhance learning, the SSB includes story sections. Bible stories often begin in the middle of a chapter and end in the middle of another chapter. Therefore, relying only on chapters and topics is insufficient for the SSB. The SSB incorporates the contents into the stories, even when a story begins in the middle of a chapter. For example, the stories of Cain and Abel, Noah, and Abraham all begin at the start of a chapter. However, the story of Jacob and Esau begins in the middle of Genesis 25, specifically at Genesis 25:19. To help readers easily locate stories that start in the middle of a chapter, the SSB incorporates this element into its structure. Sunday school teachers and Bible study participants will love this feature. 

 

Concordance-like index: The SSB uses a concordance-like index to help readers research and find names, places, verbs, and God’s Word. Most, if not all, Bibles have a limited number of words in their indices. This makes it difficult for readers to quickly locate the keywords of interest. Therefore, the SSB has added key statements to its index, including those related to God, names, locations, and numerous other terms. This concordance-like index adds a dynamic not found in most Bibles. Providing readers with quick access to keywords in the Bible is critical to the learning process and enhances their understanding of what God is telling them.

 

Notes, Numbers, Weights, and Measures

 

Note brackets: Although footnotes are used in most texts, the SSB tries to ensure readers do not have to stop and search for a reference to the sentence they are reading. Therefore, when a note is needed to clarify a sentence, the SSB adds a bracketed note to maintain a steady pace for the reader. An example of an SSB note bracket appears in Genesis 6:4, where the KJV describes giants on the earth in those days and after. The SSB clarifies this for the reader and helps build their knowledge before reading further by adding a note like the following:

 

[Note: The Bible associates the following names and/or tribes with giants: Nephilim, Rephaim, Emim, Zamzummim, the Anakim tribe, and the Amorite tribe.]

 

By adding this note to the text, the reader understands that when reading about these additional tribes, they can associate them with giants.

 

Along with full notes, the SSB sometimes adds a brief clarification directly inside a sentence. A short explanation of a word appears in brackets—for example, “from between his feet [descendants]”—and an alternate spelling of a name appears in parentheses—for example, “Zidon (also spelled Sidon).” One special title appears in Genesis 48:16, where Jacob blesses Joseph and speaks of “the Angel (The Redeemer)”—the divine Angel Who redeemed him. Because the Hebrew there uses a title standing alone rather than the usual “messenger of the Lord,” the SSB sets it in small capitals as a name of God and explains it in a note.

 

Numeric numbers: The SSB follows a numerical style that pairs the spelled-out word with its numeral for numbers zero through ten and uses numerals only for numbers 11 and above. In narration, the numeral for zero through ten appears in parentheses—for example, two (2). Inside a spoken quotation, the same numeral appears in brackets instead—for example, two [2]—so the reader can tell at a glance whether they are reading the narrator’s words or a person’s spoken words. Ordinal numbers are written as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so on. This style provides readers with immediate clarity, making it easier to recognize numerical repetition and its significance, and to quickly identify patterns and the importance of measurements, statistics, time, dates, age, scores, and monetary values.

 

Weights and measures: The SSB presents all weights, measurements, and currency in the U.S. customary system so the text reads smoothly, without the reader having to stop and look up the size of a cubit, shekel, or omer. At the same time, the SSB serves readers around the world: after each U.S. measurement, it adds in parentheses both the metric equivalent, for readers who use the metric system, and the original biblical unit, for readers familiar with the ancient Near Eastern measures still used in places such as Israel. In this way, every reader—whether they picture feet, meters, or cubits—can see exactly what the text describes.

 

For example, in Genesis 6:15, the KJV states that Noah’s Ark will be

 

• 300 cubits,

• the breadth of it is 50 cubits, and

• the height of it is 30 cubits.

 

Reading this for understanding forces the reader to research the size of a cubit, thereby interrupting their reading pace. The SSB corrects this by giving the U.S. measurement first, followed in parentheses by the metric equivalent and the original biblical unit:

 

• 450 feet long (137 meters; 300 cubits),

• 75 feet wide (23 meters; 50 cubits), and

• 45 feet high (14 meters; 30 cubits).

 

Naming Conventions

 

People with the same name: The fact that many people in the Bible share the same name shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Just as many people today are named Joseph, Tom, Bill, and so on, the Bible is no different. However, when the same name is used for different people, reading the Bible requires the reader to pause and identify which individual the text refers to. This investigation slows or stops the reader’s pace while they confirm which person is meant. The SSB understands this and has addressed the issue by assigning a unique number to each person with the same name. For example, Genesis refers to two Enochs: one in Genesis 4:17, the son of Cain, and another in Genesis 5:18-24, the Enoch whom God took. To help readers easily distinguish between the two Enochs, the SSB clarifies the second Enoch as Enoch[2]. When multiple individuals share the same name, the SSB adds [3], [4], and so on to the end of the name. In this format, the reader’s pace does not slow because they know which individual they are reading about. Additionally, these names are listed in this format in each genealogy chart to provide a visual aid for the reader.

 

People with multiple names: Throughout Scripture, God—and occasionally a king—gives a person a new name to mark a covenant, a promise, or a turning point in their life. In a standard Bible, this can confuse readers, who may wonder whether the old name and the new name belong to two different people. The SSB solves this by joining the original name and the new name with a slash and using that combined form from the moment the new name is given through the rest of the book. In this way, the reader always knows exactly who is being discussed, even many chapters later. For example, when God renames Abram to Abraham in Genesis 17:5, the SSB writes Abram/Abraham from that point forward. The same is true for Sarai/Sarah (Genesis 17:15), Jacob/Israel (Genesis 35:10), and Benoni/Benjamin (Genesis 35:18). The convention also applies when someone other than God gives the new name—for instance, Joseph/Zaphnathpaaneah, the Egyptian name Pharaoh gave to Joseph in Genesis 41:45. Please note that the slash marks a renaming only; it is separate from the purple bold text that highlights Jesus’s bloodline. A renamed person may or may not belong to that bloodline.

 

Honoring the Lord our God

 

†Christ in Genesis (Christophanies): Long before Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem, many scholars and church traditions believe He appeared in the Old Testament—moments known as Christophanies, or appearances of the pre-incarnate Christ. In Genesis, these appearances are most often tied to a figure called the Angel of the Lord, Who speaks as God and accepts worship as God. The SSB does not ask the reader to simply accept this; instead, it marks the passages where this identification is most widely accepted so the reader can study them directly. At each of these moments, the SSB sets the figure’s title in small capital letters and places a small dagger (†) beside it, and it prints the figure’s spoken words in red, just as it does for the words of God. A short legend and a summary table titled “Christ in Genesis” follow this Introduction, listing each passage so the reader can find and compare them. In this way, the SSB helps the reader see for themselves where, many believe, Jesus Christ steps onto the pages of the very first book of the Bible.

 

Names of the Lord our God: The desire to know God and to study every line of the Bible led to many hours of study. Through this research, we discovered that in Scripture, God is called by many names. The more we researched, the more critical these specific names for God became. To help readers feel a connection to God, the SSB explicitly identifies the names of God throughout the KJV text. For example, in Genesis 1, God (Elohim) is used. In Genesis 2, the terms "Lord" (Yahweh) and "God" (Elohim) are used. In Genesis 4, the Lord (Yahweh) is used. In Genesis 15, the terms "Lord" (Adonai) and "God" (Yahweh) are used. Reading the Bible is powerful in itself, and identifying the different names used in the original text in the KJV elevates the reader’s understanding of God and the importance of His names in Scripture.

 

Three of these names are especially important to understand. The first is the personal name of God: the four Hebrew letters YHWH, usually written as Yahweh. This is not a title but a name—the name God revealed to Moses—and it belongs to Him alone. The second is Elohim, the ordinary Hebrew word for “God.” Unlike Yahweh, Elohim is a general word; the surrounding nations used this very same word for their many gods. The third is Adonai, meaning “Lord” or “Master,” a title of authority and honor. So when Scripture says “the Lord our God,” it is really saying “Yahweh is our Elohim”—naming Him personally as Yahweh, and then declaring that this one God is ours, in a world that worshiped many gods.

 

How, then, can a reader tell whether a verse means the one true God or simply a god in general—especially since ancient Hebrew had no capital letters at all to mark the difference? The answer is that the distinction never came from capitalization; it comes from the actual word written in the text. Wherever the Hebrew uses the four letters of Yahweh, it is the personal covenant name; wherever it uses Elohim, it is the general word for God. Even that general word is not truly ambiguous in the Hebrew: although Elohim is plural in form, its grammar shows which meaning is intended. When it refers to the one true God, the verbs and descriptions around it are singular—the Bible’s very first sentence says “Elohim created,” using a singular verb for a single Creator—while for the many gods of the nations the surrounding words are plural. So the grammar and the context together make plain whether a verse speaks of the God of Israel or the gods of other peoples. Yahweh and Elohim are simply different words, then, and the Hebrew scribes preserved them with great care. The Masoretic Text—the carefully guarded Hebrew Bible described earlier in this Introduction—kept every one of these words exactly as written, so a translator can always see which name stands in each verse. In fact, the scribes so revered the name Yahweh that they would not even pronounce it aloud, reading “Adonai” in its place. Because the King James translators worked from that Masoretic Hebrew, they knew precisely where the text said Yahweh, where it said Elohim, and where it said Adonai. To carry that difference into English, they printed Yahweh as “Lord” in small capital letters, while rendering Elohim as “God” and Adonai as “Lord.” The small capitals are only an English signpost for a distinction that was always there in the original.

 

The same is true of the Greek. Ancient Greek, like Hebrew, did not use capital and lowercase letters the way we do today, yet the Greek Scriptures used a single word, Kyrios (“Lord”), to stand for Yahweh, and the scribes even marked the sacred names with a special shortened form to set them apart from ordinary words. So when the New Testament writers called Jesus “Lord” (Kyrios), a reader who knew the Greek Old Testament would recognize what was being claimed: they were giving Jesus the very word that stood for Yahweh. This is one reason the SSB marks the appearances of the pre-incarnate Christ in Genesis, described above—the Lord who appears in those passages bears the covenant name, and the New Testament gives that same name to Jesus.

 

Therefore, the SSB repeatedly conveys the original names in parentheses to ensure the reader comprehends the gravity of each sentence by the name used. The SSB employs this method of identification to enhance the presence of God in the text, transforming the reading into a personal mentoring experience with God, thereby differentiating the Bible from a typical book.

 

Small capital letters: The SSB honors God and Jesus Christ by spelling their names in small capital letters. The main reason for small capitals rather than large capitals is that small capitals are easier to read. Large capitals tend to be harder for readers to read and can sometimes imply yelling or an elevated tone. Therefore, the SSB uses small capitals to ensure reading is fluid while maintaining a high level of honor. Small capitals are not limited to God’s names. The SSB also sets in small capitals the pronouns that refer to God—such as I, me, and my when God speaks of himself, and he, his, and who when they point back to God—as well as the titles of God, such as Lord, Almighty, Judge, Shepherd, Stone, and Redeemer. In this way, every reference to God—whether his name, a pronoun standing in for him, or a title describing him—is given the same honor on the page.

 

Red text: The red-letter edition of the Bible was first published in 1899. The red text acknowledges the blood Jesus Christ shed for our sins, as Jesus states in Luke 22:20: “This cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” These red-letter editions are extremely valuable to readers seeking the exact words Jesus spoke. In our research, however, we could not find an equivalent highlighting of the words God spoke, which was concerning. We conducted extensive research and were disappointed to find that few, if any, Bible translations color-code the words God spoke. We wanted to know God on a personal level and therefore wanted to know exactly what He said, to whom He said it, when He said it, why He said it, and how He said it. However, we could not find a translation that presented the text in this way. Therefore, because we believe in the Trinity and want to ensure we did not miss an opportunity to honor the Lord (Yahweh), our God (Elohim), we also wanted to highlight His spoken Word in red text. Therefore, the SSB highlights in red text the spoken Words of both God and Jesus Christ. The SSB understands that red-letter edition loyalists may find this offensive, but the SSB believes this red text format will only honor God more. Honoring God is the purpose of the SSB.

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Because Genesis and the other Old Testament books were written before Jesus Christ’s earthly ministry, the red text in them marks the direct spoken words of God. A few points help the reader follow it: when a person repeats God’s exact words, those quoted words are also shown in red, because they remain God’s words; when the Angel of the Lord speaks and declares Himself to be God—as in Genesis 31—His words are shown in red as well; and the pronouns God uses of Himself within His red speech are set in small capitals, just as His name would be.

 

Jesus’ Bloodline and Genealogy Charts

 

Jesus’ bloodline in purple text: The purple bold text highlights the direct bloodline of Jesus Christ. When reading the Bible, it is essential to understand who God chose for this critical lineage. Only those in the direct line are highlighted—so, for example, Judah is shown in purple, but his brothers, who are not in the line, are not. The key mothers of the line are highlighted as well, including Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Tamar. The SSB incorporates this purple-highlighted feature to help readers gain a deeper understanding of God’s Word as they read, and to see at a glance how God preserved the promise of the Messiah from one generation to the next. Enhancing the reader’s knowledge, understanding, and wisdom as they read is the focus of the SSB.

 

Genealogy charts: Genealogies in the Bible are often overlooked or simply too complex to comprehend. Not only are the names difficult to say, but many names are repeated. This challenge is compounded because of the two-column format and small text. Even the most confident Bible-reading Christians admit to passing over genealogies because reading them is so complicated. Therefore, the SSB has solved this problem. Recognizing that readers learn in different ways and learn best when multiple presentation methods are used, the SSB not only lists genealogies in an easy-to-understand text format but also adds genealogy charts after each section that visually restate, in a graphical format, what was just read. This method ensures the reader is not lost in the translation and instead learns the genealogy, enabling them to better understand the Bible. Unbeknownst to many, genealogies in the Bible are critical, and most of those listed in these genealogies are referenced in subsequent chapters or books.