The Pirate Bible Translator

How to translate the Lectionary into Piratese for use in the Pirate Eucharist
Go to the Vanderbilt Lectionary Page and find the lectionary verses you want to translate.

Copy them from the website and paste the selection into your word processor.
Then use the find/replace function.
The underlines represent spaces and you must put them into the find/replace or you'll get a lot of words misspelled. When you do these find/replaces, make sure that you match the case (upper or lower). You may have to do them twice unless your function matches cases automatically.

Find/Replace - there/thar
Find/Replace - _of_ /_'o_
Find/Replace - _you_/_ye_
Find/Replace - _is_/_be_
Find/Replace - _are_/_be_
Find/Replace - _our_/_arr_
Find/Replace - _your_/_yar_
Find/Replace - _for_/_far_
Find/Replace - _my_/_me_
Find/Replace - _it was_/_'twas_
Find/Replace - _have_/_ha'e_
Find/Replace - _to_/_t' (note: no space after the apostrophe) Do this one last.

Find/Replace - ing_/in'_

Do this one manually. We're looking for ing endings but some words you need to keep [bring, sing, etc.]

Then look back through and find any of these words at the ends of sentences or phrases. They'd be followed by punctuation (a comma or a period) and so wouldn't be changed by the find/replace function. There shouldn't be too many of them.

Find and Replace - brothers/me hearties
i.e. "Therefore brothers, we have an obligation…" becomes "Tharfore me hearties"
Do this one manually as well. It doesn't work in the Old Testament nearly as well when there are actual brothers running around.

Look around for contractions that are piratical.
For example "The other" becomes "t'other'.

Use these two phrases sparingly, but effectively.
Avast, then! - at the beginning of declarative sentences.
says I! - at the end of first person declarative sentences, especially the Epistles. Paul would say "says I" a lot.
me hearties - in the middle or at the end of a sentence - (can also be substituted for brothers, sisters, children, or any group of people, etc.)

Look for words that have syllables that might be replaced by the arr sound.

Examples:
nor/nar
persuaded/parsuaded
restores/restars
earth/arth

Hint: It's generally NOT a good idea to translate LORD as LARD.

Look for words that are easily replaced by pirate/nautical terms
right - starboard
left - port
death - Davy Jones' Locker
door - hatch
lock/close - batten
forward/front - aft
woman - "comely wench" or "me beauty" (can also be "me proud beauty" or "me buxom beauty" in certain Old Testament passages.)
despicable/bad/heathen - scurvy
before - afore
Amen - So says one, so says us all. Aye aye.
Father (God) - The Admiral
people - swabbies

That should do it. Read it over and make any changes you need. Don't forget to throw in an Arrrgh! Now and then.

EXAMPLE - Romans 8

Tharfore, thar be now no condemnation far those who be in Christ Jesus because through Christ Jesus the law o' the Spirit o' life set me free from the law o' sin and death. Far what the law was powerless t'do in that 'twas weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sendin' his own Son in the likeness o' sinful man t'be a sin offerin'. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements o' the law might be fully met in us, who do not live accordin' t'the sinful nature but accordin' t'the Spirit, says I.

Those who live accordin' t'the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind o' sinful man be death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit be life and peace; the sinful mind be hostile t'God. It does not submit t'God's law, nar can it do so. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.

Ye be controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit o' God lives in you, says I. And if anyone does not have the Spirit o' Christ, he does not belong t'Christ. But if Christ be in you, yar body be dead because o' sin, yet yar spirit be alive because o' righteousness. And if the Spirit o' him who raised Jesus from the dead be livin' in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life t'your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.

Tharfore, me hearties, we have an obligation—but it be not t'the sinful nature, t'live accordin' to it. Far if ye live accordin' t'the sinful nature, ye will die; but if by the Spirit ye put t'death the misdeeds o' the body, ye will live, because those who be led by the Spirit o' God be sons o' God. Far ye did not receive a spirit that makes ye a slave again t'fear, but ye received the Spirit o' sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with arr spirit that we be God's children. Now if we be children, then we be heirs—heirs o' God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

Consider that arr present sufferings be not worth comparin' with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation far the sons o' God t'be revealed. Far the creation was subjected t'frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will o' the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage t'decay and brought into the glorious freedom o' the children o' God.

We know that the whole creation has been groanin' as in the pains o' childbirth right up t'the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits o' the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly far arr adoption as sons, the redemption o' arr bodies. Far in this hope we were saved. But hope that be seen be no hope at all. Who hopes far what he already has? But if we hope far what we do not yet have, we wait far it patiently.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in arr weakness. We do not know what we ought t'pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes far us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches arr hearts knows the mind o' the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes far the saints in accordance with God's will.
And we know that in all things God works far the good o' those who love him, who have been called accordin' t'his purpose. Far those God foreknew he also predestined t'be conformed t'the likeness o' his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Avast, then! What shall we say in response t'this? If God be far us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up far us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? Aye, it be God who justifies. Who be he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised t'life—is at the right hand o' God and be also intercedin' far us. Who shall separate us from the love o' Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

As it be written: "For yar sake we face death all day long; we be considered as sheep t'be slaughtered." No, says I. In all these things we be more than conquerors through him who loved us. Far I am parsuaded that neither death nar life, neither angels nar demons, neither the present nar the future, nar any powers, neither height nar depth, nar anythin'else in all creation, will be able t'separate us from the love o' God that be in Christ Jesus arr Lord.