Sacred Texts

A central text from 15 religious traditions, living and ancient, so students can read what each one actually says. One public-domain English translation of each, presented as written, without commentary.

For teaching about religion, not for teaching religion. These are here so classes can study the world's faiths from their own texts, the way social studies and world history standards ask. Nothing here endorses or ranks any tradition.

Every translation is old enough to be in the public domain, so some of the language is dated, and some were made by scholars from outside the tradition. Each page names its translator and year. Where we could only include part of a text, the page says so.

Confucianism The Analects Confucius, translated by James Legge, 1861 Hinduism The Bhagavad Gita translated by Sir Edwin Arnold, 1885 Christianity The Bible (King James Version) King James Version, 1611 Latter-day Saints The Book of Mormon first published 1830 Ancient Egyptian religion The Book of the Dead translated by E. A. Wallis Budge, 1895 · selections Buddhism The Dhammapada translated by F. Max Muller, 1881 Zoroastrianism The Gathas of Zarathustra translated by L. H. Mills, 1887 · selection: the Gathas (Yasna 28-34, 43-51, 53) Baha'i Faith The Hidden Words Baha'u'llah Sikhism Japji Sahib (the opening of the Guru Granth Sahib) Guru Nanak, translated by Max Arthur Macauliffe, 1909 · selection: Japji only Shinto Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain, 1882 Norse religion The Poetic Edda translated by Henry Adams Bellows, 1923 Islam The Qur'an translated by Marmaduke Pickthall, 1930 Judaism Tanakh (the Hebrew Bible) Jewish Publication Society translation, 1917 Taoism Tao Te Ching Laozi, translated by James Legge, 1891 Jainism Tattvartha Sutra Umasvati, translated by J. L. Jaini, 1920