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 2:8-20:

At night in the fields near Bethlehem,
       some shepherds were guarding their sheep,
when suddenly an angel came down from the Lord,
       and the glory of the Lord flashed all around.

The shepherds were shaken, but the angel encouraged them,
“Don’t be afraid! I have good news for you —
       news that will bring happiness to all who hear.
Today a Savior was born for you in King David’s hometown.
This Savior is Christ the Lord, and you’ll recognize him —
       he’s a newborn baby on a bed of hay.”

At that very moment a multitude of angels
       descended from heaven, singing:
“Praise! Shout praises to God in heaven!
       Peace to everyone who pleases God!”

After the angels had returned to heaven,
the shepherds said to each other,
       “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see what this is all about.”
They wasted no time, and when they arrived,
Mary and Joseph were there —
       and a newborn baby on a bed of hay.

The shepherds told the baby’s parents
       what the angel had said about Jesus.
They and everyone else were surprised,
but Mary kept all this in mind
       and never stopped wondering what it meant.

With praises to God flowing from their lips,
       the shepherds returned to their sheep.
Everything had happened exactly as the angel had said.