"Ethiopian Bible" typically refers to biblical texts associated with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo tradition, which includes books beyond the Protestant/Western canon (e.g., Enoch, Jubilees, additional Psalms). English translations and PDFs vary by scope: full canon translations, selected books, scholarly translations, or modern academic editions.
The Ethiopian Bible: A Rich and Ancient Scripture
That said, the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church has been working since 2005 on an official English version. Progress is slow but promising. ethiopian bible english translation pdf
have well-established English translations by scholars like R.H. Charles.
is challenging because there is no single, official academic translation of the entire 81-to-88-book canon. Most available English versions are compilations of various translated texts rather than a unified translation from the original Ge'ez. Top-Rated English Editions Broader Old Testament: It includes the standard books
First, it is crucial to clarify what the “Ethiopian Bible” is not. It is not a separate Bible like the New Testament or the Hebrew Bible; rather, it is a distinct canonical list—the Broader Canon of the EOTC. This canon comprises 81 books, a significantly larger number than the 66 books of the Protestant Bible or the 73 of the Catholic Bible. Among its unique contents are Enoch (1 Enoch), Jubilees (also known as the Little Genesis), 1, 2, and 3 Meqabyan (which are distinct from 1-4 Maccabees), and the Rest of the Words of Baruch (Paralipomena of Baruch). For centuries, the existence of 1 Enoch, which elaborates on fallen angels and cosmic judgment, was known only through brief quotations in the New Testament (e.g., Jude 1:14-15) and patristic writings. The Ethiopian canon preserved its full text, making it indispensable for scholars of Second Temple Judaism and early Christianity. Therefore, any English translation claiming to be an “Ethiopian Bible” must account for these unique texts, not merely re-package the standard King James Version (KJV) or New International Version (NIV).
If your PDF only has Enoch and Jubilees, it is not the Ethiopian Bible. It is merely a reprint of common pseudepigrapha. First, it is crucial to clarify what the
Crucial note: There is no single, complete, universally accepted English PDF containing all 81 books of the Ethiopian canon in one file. Most available PDFs focus on the unique books (Enoch, Jubilees, Meqabyan) or older translations.