A Unique Way for Y'all to Read the Bible

As a writer, editor, and general language nerd, it’s easy to see why no plural form of “you” in standard English can be frustrating. Fortunately, we Southerners have our own take on this with “y’all.”

I stumbled on a website that takes care of the plural “you” problem in the Bible. It’s called Y’all Version.

The intro on the site reads, “Modern English does not distinguish between you singular and you plural, so this plugin uses regional English equivalents to represent the Hebrew and Greek forms.”

Apparently, it defaults to Southern English with its forms of “y’all.” Here’s a sample of 1 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ESV) using the Y’all Version plugin:

Do y’all not know that y’all are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in y’all? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and y’all are that temple.

Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among y’all thinks that he is wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise.

Y’all Version also has plugins for Pittsburgh (“Yinz”), UK (“You lot”), and others. It’s just kind of a fun way to look at the plural “you” problem in English and read the Bible at the same time.

How’s that for a little bit of serious fun?

Photo by Tim Wildsmith on Unsplash