The Covenant
Rendering
A modern English translation of the Bible — Old Testament and New Testament — translated directly from the original Hebrew and Greek, with every decision documented.
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Search across all 66 books, Extended Library traditions, concordance data, and cross-references. Every answer cites specific verses you can click to read.
See It In Action
One verse. Three traditions. 2,300 years of reading.
TCR shows you the Hebrew, the modern rendering, and how ancient communities read the same passage — the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Aramaic Targum, and Jerome's Latin Vulgate, all in one place.
כִּי־יֶ֣לֶד יֻלַּד־לָ֗נוּ בֵּ֚ן נִתַּן־לָ֔נוּ וַתְּהִ֥י הַמִּשְׂרָ֖ה עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וַיִּקְרָ֨א שְׁמ֜וֹ פֶּ֠לֶא יוֹעֵ֞ץ אֵ֣ל גִּבּ֗וֹר אֲבִיעַד֙ שַׂר־שָׁלֽוֹם׃
For a child is born to us, a son is given to us, and the dominion rests upon his shoulder. His name is called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace.
KJV For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
How other traditions read this verse
Dead Sea Scrolls (1QIsaiah-a, 125 BCE) theological
The four throne names read identically in the scroll and the medieval Masoretic text. This confirms that "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace" is not a late addition — the text was stable over a thousand years before the oldest Masoretic manuscript.
Targum Jonathan (Aramaic, 1st–5th c. CE) messianic
"...and he has taken the Torah upon himself to keep it; and his name is called from before the Wonderful Counselor, the Mighty God, who lives forever: the Messiah, in whose days peace shall increase upon us."
The Aramaic synagogue tradition explicitly identifies this child as the Messiah — but attributes the divine names to God speaking about the child, rather than as names of the child.
Latin Vulgate (Jerome, 405 CE)
"...et vocabitur nomen eius Admirabilis Consiliarius Deus Fortis Pater futuri saeculi Princeps pacis"
Jerome's Latin gave Western Christianity its theological vocabulary for this verse. Deus Fortis ("Mighty God") became a key text for affirming Christ's divinity. Princeps pacis ("Prince of Peace") entered the liturgical tradition and has been sung for sixteen centuries.
The Challenge
Many modern translations are under copyright
Popular translations like the NIV, ESV, and NASB require licensing fees or permission to display on websites, in apps, or in educational materials.
Developers, educators, and Bible study builders often have limited options — especially when they need modern English with open licensing.
The Solution
A scholarly, free rendering anyone can use
The Covenant Rendering is translated directly from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (Old Testament) and the SBL Greek New Testament (New Testament) — the same authoritative source texts used by the ESV, NASB, and most modern translations. Every translation decision is documented in the notes.
Released under CC-BY-4.0 — free to use, share, and build upon with attribution.
Design Principles
What makes TCR different
Formal Equivalence
Word-for-word from the Hebrew and Greek wherever English allows. Reading level targets 9th–10th grade — comparable to the ESV — without sacrificing accuracy for accessibility.
Fully Transparent
Every translation decision is documented. Translator notes explain why words were chosen, what alternatives were considered, and where interpretive tension exists.
Developer Friendly
Clean JSON with structured fields: Hebrew, KJV, modern English, notes, and key terms. Build Bible study tools, apps, or research utilities without licensing friction.
Ecumenical & Unaffiliated
No denominational agenda. Translation decisions follow the text and scholarly consensus, not theological tradition. Every interpretive tension is noted openly.