Imagine Jesus of Nazareth telling you his story, in his own words. 

This literal translation phrases the Gospels in the first-person so you can experience just that. 

“Startlingly direct”  “Intensely personal”  “A deeply intimate encounter”

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Imagine the Lord telling you his story, in his own words. See Christ's world from his point of view and understand what it was like to be him through this version's intimate, first-person perspective.
Experience the Messiah speaking personally to you. Are your Bible reading times less than exciting? Jesus First-Person is an intensely emotional experience that will change you forever. How could Jesus himself, talking directly to you, be anything less?

Sample Pages

Lose yourself in the greatest drama of all time. Find yourself walking alongside Jesus and his disciples down the seashore, through villages, and into homes, watching his social interactions with surprise, gasping together at the miracles, so caught up in the story you can’t put it down.

Sample Quotes

“She gave birth to me, her firstborn son. She wrapped me in bands of cloth and laid me in a feeding trough, because there was no room for us in the inn.”

“All the crowd sought to touch me, for power came out of me and healed them all.”

“A woman named Martha received me into her house. She had a sister called Mary, who was sitting at my feet and listening to my word.”

“I said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They told me, ‘Master, come and see.’ I wept.”

“She wet my feet with her tears, kissed my feet, and anointed them with the perfume.”

“One of my disciples, whom I loved, was at the table, leaning against my chest. He leaned back and asked me, ‘Master, who is it?’”

“I took bread, and when I had given thanks, I broke and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is my body which is given for you. Do this in memory of me.’”

“I turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered my word, how I said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows you will deny me three times.’”

“They spat in my face and beat me with their fists, and some slapped me, saying, ‘Prophesy to us, you Anointed One! Who hit you?’”

“They crucified me there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left. I said, ‘Father! Forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing!’”

“When I had risen early on the first day of the week, I appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom I had cast out seven demons.”

“I was received up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. They went out and preached everywhere, while I worked with them and confirmed the word by the signs that followed.”

“For God so loved the world that he gave me, his unique Son, that whoever believes in me should not perish, but live forever.”

Have the face-to-face encounters you always longed for. Where do you spend time with God? See yourself there with your Lord sitting across from you, intimately sharing his life. So real you can see the expressions on his face, hear the tone of his voice, and feel his gaze.

365 Readings

Could you imagine Jesus spending five minutes a day speaking personally just to you? 

That’s why Jesus First-Person is broken up into 365 readings. 

Will you let him? Start tomorrow! 

Daily devotional for women and men, teens and children. Jesus First-Person is divided into 365 readings so you never miss that date with the lover of your soul again. Regardless of your age, he will meet you where you’re at. Join our movement journeying through the Gospels every year!

Translation

We believe that the Gospels are the inspired Word of God and are to be handled with the highest care and deepest reverence. 

Jesus First-Person (JFP) is a literal translation of the Bible, similar to the NASB or ESV. Like these popular word-for-word versions, JFP has its roots in the RV/ASV, the only authorized update to the KJV. Aside from using simpler language, the only substantial difference between JFP and the ASV is that, instead of referring to Messiah in the third-person (he, him, his) these accounts are phrased in the first-person (I, me, my). 

Are such adjustments acceptable? We believe so for three reasons: 1. The actual meaning of the text has not been changed, only the perspective. 2. Messiah was telling his story to/through these four authors as they were moved by the Holy Spirit to write. 3. The Gospels themselves use slightly different phraseology depending on the audience: Matthew speaks of "the Kingdom of Heaven" while Mark and Luke phrase this "the Kingdom of God". 

We were concerned that a word-for-word translation would sound unnatural and not the way the Master would sound if he were a native English speaker telling his story. But we decided to err on the side of the original text, trusting that the voice of Jesus will be heard clearly by those who desire it. A more natural English translation may also be forthcoming so please sign up for emails to get the release announcement. 

This is hardly an exhaustive treatment of the rigorous process and detailed principles behind this translation but we hope that it has helped to answer some of your biggest questions. 

Always wanted to read through the Bible in one year? Start with the story of Jesus Christ. The pages before the Gospels are the Bible that Jesus read and the pages following are all about him. Jesus First-Person won’t just get you started reading Scripture daily, it’ll also inspire you to read more! It really is the perfect ‘Bible in a year’ devotional.

Translator

My deepest passion is to know and follow Jesus as closely as I can. That was how Jesus First-Person happened—I longed to hear the Master himself, telling me his story, through the Gospels. So I began phrasing it in my mind that way as I read. I felt like I was on the verge of an incredibly deep experience, but I couldn't get lost in the story because my mind was busy rephrasing everything. And so Jesus First-Person was born. Read more of my story here:

Better than a red-letter Bible, more than a daily study Bible. This book may be printed in black ink but the red-letter power behind its first-person perspective will resonate right through you. Likewise, Jesus First-Person isn’t just an ideal word-for-word study Bible—its startlingly direct tone makes every chapter a riveting encounter.

Start Group

What if you started a Jesus First-Person reading/discussion group? Not only would it deepen your friendships, but it would also give you a place to invite non-believers! That's what Yeshua Groups is: a network of groups getting together to tell the stories of Scripture and talk about them, campfire-style. If you're not sure how to start a group, or don't know what the best discussion questions are, this website has it all. 

Learn Hebrew

You're here because you desire to get closer to Jesus. Holy Language Institute helps people get closer to Messiah and become more authentic disciples through Hebrew, the language of the Bible that Jesus read. Learn the Hebrew alphabet, pray the Hebrew names of God, and so much more in our "Hebrew Quest" course.

Jesus is calling you to himself. Why not answer his call and step into the adventure? Order your copy of Jesus First-Person and prepare for a breath-taking encounter with the Messiah himself!

ORDER Here!

Imagine the Rabbi telling you his story, in his own words. See the world from Yeshua Ben-Yosef’s point of view and understand what it was like to be him as, finally, history’s most controversial Rabbi speaks for himself.

Yeshua First-Person

In addition to Jesus First-Person, we also offer Yeshua First-Person: a Hebrew names version, written for religious Jews and others seeking to encounter Yeshua in his original Jewish context. Get a copy for your Jewish friend?