A First German Reader: A Selection of Passages from the Luther Bible

Book 1 in German Language Readers

This unique book is designed to help beginning and intermediate students learn to read German through sustained engagement with primary texts. It presents selected passages from the Luther Bible (1912), with all less common vocabulary glossed in footnotes to support uninterrupted reading. The selections include the opening chapters of Genesis, the Ten Commandments, Ruth, Psalm 23, Jonah, the Christmas narrative, the Sermon on the Mount, the Crucifixion and Resurrection accounts, and the first half of Paul’s letter to the Ephesians – the text that reshaped Luther’s understanding of grace. The result is a cost‑efficient and practical tool for students who have completed roughly one year of German and are ready to grow in reading proficiency through authentic material.

The book immerses the learner in continuous German prose to build confidence as quickly as possible. Every word occurring 140 times or fewer in the Luther Bible is glossed, enabling readers to move through each passage without constant dictionary consultation. This makes the volume an ideal complement to standard grammars and a particularly effective resource for beginning and intermediate students. Advanced readers will also appreciate the glossing of rare vocabulary, which streamlines the reading experience.

Additional features include:

• Paradigm charts of noun, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns
• Glossary of all the words not glossed below the text
• Wide margins for notes and annotations