Barclay Newman, a translator on the teams for both the Good News Bible and the Contemporary English Version, translated passages of the New Testament into English and published them in 2014, “in a publication brief enough to be non-threatening, yet long enough to be taken seriously, and interesting enough to appeal to believers and un-believers alike.” The following is the translation of Luke 10:1-12:

Later the Lord chose seventy-two other followers
and sent them out two by two to every town and village
       that he intended to visit. He said to them:

       “So many crops in the field, and so few workers!
              Pray for the Lord of the harvest to send more workers.
       Now go, and remember I’m sending you out
              like lambs among hungry wolves.
       Take only the clothes you absolutely need,
              and don’t waste time just hanging loose!
       Ask God’s blessing upon every home
              where you are welcomed,
              but withhold it where you are rejected.
       Stay with the first family that invites you,
       eating and drinking whatever they provide,
              without moving from place to place.
       Remember you are worth what you receive,
              if you work really hard.

       “When a town welcomes you, heal their sick and say,
              ‘The Ultimate Kingdom will soon be here!’
       But when a town rejects you,
              stand on the top of a soap box and shout,
       ‘This is your final warning!
              The Ultimate Kingdom will soon be here!’

       “My followers, I tell you now
       that no town will be judged more harshly
              than those that reject you!”