<DIV>The <I>NRSV</I> first appeared in 1989 and has received the widest acclaim and broadest support from academics and church leaders of any modern English translation. Rooted in the past, but right for today, the <I>NRSV</I> continues the tradition of William Tyndale, the <I>King James Version</I>, the <I>American Standard Version</I>, and the <I>Revised Standard Version</I>. Equally important, it sets a new standard for the 21st Century. The <I>NRSV</I> stands out among the many translations because it is "as literal as possible" in adhering to the ancient texts and only "as free as necessary" to make the meaning clear in graceful, understandable English. It draws on newly available sources that increase our understanding of many previously obscure biblical passages. These sources include new-found manuscripts, the Dead Sea Scrolls, other texts, inscriptions, and archaeological finds from the ancient Near East, and new understandings of Greek and Hebrew grammar.</DIV>