'The Bible, Young's Literal Translation (YLT), New Testament' Summary

The Literal Translation is, as the name implies, a very literal translation of the original Hebrew and Greek texts. The Preface to the Second Edition states,

If a translation gives a present tense when the original gives a past, or a past when it has a present; a perfect for a future, or a future for a perfect; an a for a the, or a the for an a; an imperative for a subjunctive, or a subjunctive for an imperative; a verb for a noun, or a noun for a verb, it is clear that verbal inspiration is as much overlooked as if it had no existence. THE WORD OF GOD IS MADE VOID BY THE TRADITIONS OF MEN. [Emphases in original.]

Therefore, Young used the present tense in many places in which other translations use the past tense, particularly in narratives. For example, the YLT version of Genesis begins as follows:

• In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth—
• the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,
• and God saith, 'Let light be;' and light is.
• And God seeth the light that it is good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness,
• and God calleth to the light 'Day,' and to the darkness He hath called 'Night;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning—day one.
• And God saith, 'Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters, and let it be separating between waters and waters.'
• And God maketh the expanse, and it separateth between the waters which under the expanse, and the waters which above the expanse: and it is so.
• And God calleth to the expanse 'Heavens;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning—day second.
• And God saith, 'Let the waters under the heavens be collected unto one place, and let the dry land be seen:' and it is so.
• And God calleth to the dry land `Earth,' and to the collection of the waters He hath called 'Seas;' and God seeth that good.
• And God saith, 'Let the earth yield tender grass, herb sowing seed, fruit-tree (whose seed in itself) making fruit after its kind, on the earth:' and it is so.
• And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that good;
• and there is an evening, and there is a morning—day third.