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 Mark 1:9-11:

Jesus left his home in Nazareth, Galilee
       and went to the Jordan to be baptized by John.

When Jesus came out of the water, he saw the sky separate,
       and the Spirit of God descend upon him like a dove.

A voice from heaven declared,
       “I am pleased with you, my own dear Son!”