In the beginning Elohim created the heavens and the earth. And the earth had become waste and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: and the Spirit of Elohim moved upon the face of the waters. And Elohim said, Let there be light: and there was light.
For Yahweh so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes on him should not perish, but have eternal life.
The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition (SSBE) is an English-language Sacred Name Bible translation that consistently restores the personal names Yahweh and Yahshua throughout both the Old and New Testaments. It was produced under the direction of Jacob O. Meyer, founding and directing Elder of the Assemblies of Yahweh, and first published in 1981.[1]
The translation is based primarily upon the American Standard Version of 1901, a version frequently cited by scholars for its textual precision and adherence to the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition contains approximately 977 pages and was initially printed in an edition of 5,500 copies.[1] It has since been continuously used as the standard Bible text in all Assemblies of Yahweh worship services, educational programs, and publications, and has also been adopted by some adherents within the Sacred Name Movement.
History
Early use and motivation
In the early years of his ministry, Jacob O. Meyer commonly preached from the King James Version, verbally restoring the Sacred Names by substituting “Yahweh” for “Lord” and “Yahshua” for “Jesus.” Over time, Meyer expressed concern that widely used English translations obscured essential elements of the original Hebrew and Greek texts, particularly the personal Name of the Heavenly Father and the authentic name of the Messiah.
Throughout this time, Elder Meyer longed for the opportunity to produce a scholarly version of the Bible, with correct use of the Sacred Names and with translation errors corrected to give a good representation of the historically accepted Hebrew and Greek base texts.
The King James Version was increasingly viewed by many scholars as textually outdated, particularly in light of advances in manuscript evidence and textual criticism during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Newer translations such as the American Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, and New International Version reflected these developments. The publication of the Jerusalem Bible in 1966 marked a significant step by restoring the name Yahweh in the Old Testament, though it did not retain the Sacred Name in the New Testament, rendering it a limited Sacred Name Bible. Other translations, such as the Anchor Bible, exhibited similar limitations. The absence of a fully consistent Sacred Name translation was a principal motivation behind the SSBE project.
Textual foundation
As Meyer studied Hebrew, Greek, and the original manuscripts, he came to conclude that many doctrinal misunderstandings originated not from the inspired texts themselves, but from later translation traditions and theological conventions. For this reason, he selected the American Standard Version as the primary English base text, citing its reputation among scholars as one of the most literal and textually faithful English translations available.
In the SSBE, terms considered inconsistent with the underlying Hebrew and Greek were corrected. For example, references to the Messiah’s execution avoid the term “cross,” instead using “stake” or “pole,” reflecting the Greek terms stauros and xylon. The translation methodology sought to preserve linguistic accuracy, historical fidelity, and reverential tone.
The American Standard Version published in 1901 was probably the most accurate translation work ever put into print. It maintains the delicate balance of providing a very literal translation while simultaneously preserving a fair amount of ethnic idiom evident in the text.
—Preface, Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition
Collaborative effort
In order to promote unity of belief and practice, Meyer proposed that all members of the Assemblies of Yahweh read from a single, standardized Bible text. In an annual report delivered during the Feast of Tabernacles in 1980, he outlined the vision for producing a unified Sacred Name translation.
When the assembled brethren would read from the Bible, in unison, there was anything but a unified sound.
Funding was raised through international donations, supplemented by a bank loan. Editing and review were conducted manually throughout 1981, prior to the widespread use of personal computers, with assistance from Assemblies of Yahweh staff and students of the Obadiah School of the Bible. The Sacred Names Yahweh and Yahshua were restored throughout the text, along with Hebrew titles such as Elohim, Eloah, and El. Obsolete Shakespearean English forms were updated to reflect twentieth-century usage.
Indeed this was an ambitious undertaking for a small organization with limited resources, but Elder Meyer assured all that were present that Yahweh would provide and the work would press forward in faith.
Photograph of the spine view of two Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition Bible's, a Sacred Name Bible translation published by the Assemblies of Yahweh.
The manuscripts were completed in 1981, and the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition went to press later that year. Copies were delivered to the International Headquarters between December 1981 and January 1982. Since its release, the SSBE has remained the official Bible of the Assemblies of Yahweh and is displayed at the Bethel Meeting Hall altar table, traditionally opened to Psalms 101–103.
The Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition has been the standard and accepted Bible used in all Assemblies of Yahweh worship services and publications since its release.
Supporters of the Sacred Name emphasize the consistent presence of the Tetragrammaton (יהוה) in the Hebrew Scriptures, where it appears approximately 7,000 times. While some claim that the pronunciation was lost, major scholarly reference works affirm that the pronunciation “Yahweh” was historically known.
The true pronunciation of the name YHWH was never lost. Several early Greek writers of the Christian era testify that the name was pronounced Yahweh.
—Encyclopaedia Judaica, vol. 7, pp. 679–680 (1971)
The Assemblies of Yahweh maintain that the Name should be transliterated rather than replaced with titles, citing scriptural prohibitions against invoking other names in worship (e.g., Exodus 23:13; Joshua 23:7; Psalm 16:4; Psalm 44:20–21).
Yahshua
The Assemblies of Yahweh teach that the original Hebrew name of the Messiah is properly rendered Yahshua (יהושע), meaning “Yahweh is salvation.” This understanding is derived from both linguistic analysis of the Hebrew text and theological considerations concerning the use and preservation of the Sacred Name. The name "Jesus" is only a few centuries old with the letter "J" being invented only in the 15th - 16th century.
While the form Yeshua is commonly advanced as the correct Hebrew name of the Messiah, the Assemblies of Yahweh contend that this form reflects a later Jewish linguistic convention in which the syllable “Ye” was substituted for “Yah.” This substitution is understood to have arisen from a misapplication of the Third Commandment, wherein Jewish scribes and speakers sought to avoid vocalizing elements of the Sacred Name, even when embedded within proper nouns. As a result, names that originally contained the theophoric element “Yah” were altered to obscure its presence.
The explanation of the Messiah’s name is directly connected to Matthew 1:21, which states that “he shall save his people from their sins.” The Assemblies of Yahweh explain that the subject performing the act of salvation is Yahweh Himself, while the verb “save” reflects one of the Hebrew roots for salvation, most notably yashaʿ. When combined with the abbreviated form of the Sacred Name (יה), the resulting construction yields the name Yah-shua, meaning “Yahweh saves” or “Yahweh is salvation.” This theological and grammatical structure is seen as consistent with established Hebrew naming conventions throughout the Scriptures.
Most English Bible translations render the Messiah’s name as “Jesus,” a form that developed through successive transliterations from Hebrew into Greek (Ἰησοῦς), then Latin (Iesus), and finally English. The Assemblies of Yahweh maintain that this process resulted in a name that neither reflects the original Hebrew pronunciation nor preserves the meaning inherent in the Sacred Name. The alternative English transliteration “Jehoshua” is also rejected, as it relies upon Hebrew vowel points that were introduced between approximately 600 and 900 C.E., long after the original consonantal text had been established.
The Assemblies of Yahweh apply a consistent methodological principle to both the Name Yahweh (יהוה) and the name Yahshua (יהושע), rejecting later vowel insertions that produce hybrid forms such as “Jehovah” and “Jehoshua.” According to Hebrew grammar authorities and historical sources, including Josephus in The Jewish War (Book 5, Chapter 5, Section 7), the first three letters of the Tetragrammaton function as vowels rather than consonants. When the Sacred Name appears within a personal name, it is consistently abbreviated to the form “Yah” (יה), never the full Tetragrammaton.
Because these letters are vowels, the Assemblies of Yahweh maintain that pronunciations such as “Yehu” or “Jeho” are linguistically impossible. Instead, the phonetic value corresponds to a single syllable rendered as “Yah.” Jacob O. Meyer explained that the Hebrew letter waw (ו) serves to extend the preceding vowel sound, producing the vocalization “Yahw,” rather than a consonantal insertion.
Therefore, the first three letters are pronounced as one syllable, and waw draws out the hay so that instead of a short exhalation as is normal at the end of the hay, the sound emerges as YAHW. Try saying it to yourself.
—What Is the Messiah’s Name?, by Elder Jacob O. Meyer
The final two letters of the Messiah’s name, שע, are pronounced “shua,” as attested by Strong’s Concordance #8668. When combined, the full name Yahshua accurately reflects both Hebrew grammar and the salvational meaning conveyed in the Gospel accounts.
In explaining the purpose behind restoring the Sacred Names throughout the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition, Meyer wrote:
However, the text of this volume was maintained in strict majesty of expression as befits the Word of our Heavenly Father Yahweh and His Son, Yahshua the Messiah. We have not resorted to the modern corrupt slang common in American English. While striving to make the text of the Bible more understandable for the modern reader, the majesty with which the Bible should be comprehended was not sacrificed; therefore, this text emphasizes our need to think of our Heavenly Father and Messiah on a higher level.
—The Sacred Name Broadcaster, January 2012, p.21
Notable aspects
Preface section
Preface
The SSBE includes an extensive preface outlining the historical, linguistic, and theological basis for restoring the Sacred Names. It documents scholarly objections to the rendering “Jehovah,” frequently described in academic literature as a mispronunciation or artificial hybrid form. [5][6][7][8]
Meyer wrote in the Sacred Name Broadcaster:
We as humans cannot choose the name which we personally wish to call him. He has already named himself! [9]
Also, "the best transliteration of this name into English is spelled Yahweh, and is so pronounced".[9] They therefore reject the English titles for God's name, claiming to trace such titles etymologically to the worship of other deities.[citation needed]
Corrected terms and glossary
A “Pure Religious Vocabulary” section addresses the etymology of commonly used theological terms, encouraging readers to examine their origins critically and to verify claims through independent study, following the example of the noble Bereans. [10]
Here are just some of the corrected terms used along with their definitions:
Christ - A Greek term which translates "anointed." Some scholars have linked it with the Hindu idol Krishna.[11] The Greeks actually had no ceremony for installing leaders by pouring oil on them as did the Israelite's, therefore, the word Christ was not comprehended by the masses. As a corrupted form, it is not used by the True Worshipers, who have found it to convey a distorted picture of the Hebrew Messiah.
God - a term used to indicate any object of worship, but commonly employed to designate the Almighty. It is clearly linked etymologically with the worship of fortune, good luck, also a molten image.[12]
Gospel - Specifically, either one of the first four books of the New Testament or in general, the good news of the salvation in Yahshua the Messiah. Its use is avoided by the True Worshiper because of its etymological link to "God". The Greek word euaggelion, which it translates actually means "Good News" or "Glad Tidings".
Jesus - A Greek-Latin name assumed to be that of the Hebrew Messiah and Savior. Its use is studiously avoided by all followers of Yahshua, whose Name means "Yahweh is salvation".
Lord - A common term for "master, ruler." Its use is equated with that of the Hebrew word "baal" [13] - a pagan unacceptable word to the True Worship and abhorred by Yahweh
Church - a term commonly equated with any religious group. Tracing etymologically to the pagan idol Circe, it also denotes a building rather than a group of people. It bears no relationship to the Greek ecclesia, "a called out assembly of believers".
The glossary of terms briefly traces and presents the etymology of words used frequently by Christian theologians that the translator and scholar Meyer claims are pagan in origin.[14]
As of 2016[update], the Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition had undergone seven printings: 1981, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2008. Copies are held in libraries in both the United States [15] and England,[16][non-primary source needed] and the SSBE is used at the Dalet School and Obadiah School of the Bible in Bethel, Pennsylvania. The translation is also available in digital formats, including Kindle editions. It has a 4.7 / 5 star rating on Amazon.
Chamberlin, William J., Catalogue of English Bible Translations: A Classified Bibliography of Versions and Editions Including Books, Parts, and Old and New Testament Apocrypha ... and Indexes in Religious Studies
Meyer, Jacob O., The Memorial Name Yahweh, U.S.A, Bethel PA: Assemblies of Yahweh
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