I am in the market for a bible and have been doing parallel comparisons online, but can't seem to make up my mind. I'd like a bible that is fairly literal, but not so archaic that the meaning is lost. Knox is interesting, but a bit weird in places. I'm leaning towards a later Confraternity bible. My preference is for a Catholic bible, although I have to say that nothing beats KJV when it comes to Genesis. So what's your favorite translation and why?
I tend to use a variety of versions - sort of a mix of new & old- to aid in deciphering some of the more vague or foreign scriptures. The KJV is beautiful but challenging due to the archaic prose. The NKJV mediates some of the difficulty. The New Century version adds some modern vernacular which can improve understanding. The ASV also is a good one. The New International Version is popular (NIV: "nearly inspired version" ) but I prefer a more literal word-for-word vs paraphrase translation. It comes down to personal preference and I always encourage folks to read and study from a variety.
Wish there was a direct from Aramaic to new English apposed to Aramaic, Hebrew,latin, old English, new English ect. Once did a translation on some bits and pieces and was a completely different thing altogether.
New King James (NKJV) is my favorite. As Kevin said, it mediates some of the difficulty, but keeps the poetic flow that I like. I recommend NIV for newbies, only because of its reading ease. My opinion, it lacks some of the punch of the NKJV by "watering down" some of the passages. New American Standard is said the be the most literal word-for-word translation. Amplified adds much to bring clarity. Bottom line, the best translation is the one you'll read.
I read from the New International Version (NIV), English Standard Version (ESV), and the New American Standard Bible (NASB). I sometimes read the same passage in different translations to help with my understanding. I most often read from the NIV because that translation is used at the church we attend. You can compare many different translations on BibleGateway.com and on EvangelicalBible.com Please let us know which translation you select.
I generally read from the NKJV and the NIV. I have other Bibles that I use more for reference when I hit a "sticky" verse that needs some additional explaining. I also have a Daily Study Bible that offers some interpretation.
I get lazy and use Youverse or biblegateway, sometimes might compare 8-10 translations. Actual copies of the Book that I own: KJV, NIV, ESV. ESV is very easy to read. KJV is nostalgic from youth. NIV is also easy to read. I don't know enough about translations to judge any of that stuff. The message is preserved, in whole part, by the Father, and revealed through translation to those who seek the truth.
Like Kevin, I use a various translations. You get a pretty good picture in your mind and I believe if you are looking for God you will find Him. Or if He wants you to heed His call it will come through. I use the Holman Christian Standard Bible nearly every day and cross check with KJV when questions arise in my mind. It serves me well. I use other versions also. I'm not one to say the KJV is the only one that should be read. My good friend and brother in law once said it was all that should be read to which I replied, "That's right. If it was good enough for Paul, it's good enough for me." He doesn't say things like that to me any longer. Don
Mine is king james, but my bible featchers a Greek/ Hewbrew lexicon for key words including tbe definitions.
E-sword is a neat program that lets you have lots of translations including greek and hebrew and most are free plus lots of extras like dictionaries and such. I've also bought several of the add-ons and made donations to the site since I've gotten so much use out of it. I'm sure there's other great software out there but I've only used e-sword so I can't speak to anything else. I don't mean to veer off topic since I don't think you were asking for a software solution but Bible study can be like wet shaving. One day you've got one razor and one brush and then one day you wake up and you've got three closets full of shave gear. I remember one time coming home with another new Bible and my mother-in-law asked my wife, "doesn't he already have one?"...
If I have to read it out loud, then: NLT, ESV, HCSB. If I am reading it for study then: NASB (MacArthur study Bible), or ESV. There are others that would be fine, but these are the ones I use.
New Revised Standard with Apocrypha or New Jerusalem, which is a Roman Catholic translation. These reflect the latest scholarship in word for word translations. The New International Version is a translation but it is translated from a particular theological perspective. The translation given is meant to reinforce that perspective. The King James was well done for 1611 but we've made some new discoveries about sources since then. E.g. The OT is translated from the Septuagint (Greek translation) and not the original Hebrew. NB: NLT, The Message, Common English Version, and several others here are not translations. They are a paraphrased version of a particular translation—KJV, NRSV, and NKJV respectively. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Such kind and thorough suggestions. I knew this was the place to ask. I took.my wife and her friend to the monthly antiques swap meet here. Unfortunately, no bibles today and no razors, so two strikes. But we had fun shopping anyway, even though it rained. I'm still leaning towards the Confraternity translation, which was a much needed update of the archaic DRC but was quickly supplanted with the more dynamic NAB. I get the feeling I'll quickly be adding one or two more, however, as many of you have suggested.
I have the NASB as my primary Bible, followed by the NIV and ESV. Occasionally I will read out of the KJV Bible that my dad received for his 21st birthday, but the print has shrunk and lightened over the years and is hard for me to always focus on. I like the NASB the best but that may be because of the clearness of the type in my Thompson's Chain Reference model.
I find the Confraternity nice to read, but be aware that it's not considered very accurate any more (altho probably not in any misleading way). More so, some of the vocabulary has changed in meaning since the original. Just things to be aware of; not saying it should be avoided. Personally, I find the revised New American (the one we use at Mass) to be cringe-worthy in places and there are a few (mostly minor) accuracy issues. But, no translation is perfect, I guess.
I use the KJV and find it fascinating. For some reason, I have no trouble with the language except in Isaiah. I think that's because I don't have the historical background to understand all of his references.
I used to be clergy. I own a ton of translations. I used different translations according to the job. For study with a church group= NIV. It's a good, easily readable and understandable translation. It's not academic and fudges some translations. I don't remember specifics. For personal study= NIV,NAB and RSV. NIV gets the sense of the scripture without bogging down in archaisms. The NAB has solid scholarship but the reading level can be high and the wording can be awkward. The RSV retains some of the traditional thees and thous but omits some of the archaic phrases of the KJV, not to mention the scholarship is more recent than the KJV. For personal devotion= authorized version (KJV + apocrypha) and the coverdale psalter (in the 1928 anglican Book of Common Prayer and earlier). And for preaching, I had to use the NRSV because that's what my church used. NRSV has decent scholarship but I take issue with some of the translations. At the end of my ministry I found myself using the NAB a whole lot. But then, I converted to Catholicism so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
The newest version of the NAB is worth considering if you're looking for word for word. Earlier versions of the NAB did have issues with paraphrasing.
Maybe these links will help. It explains the different versions. http://www.christianbiblereference.org/faq_kjv.htm Also one which I didn't see on the list, the ERV (Easy To Read) version. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Easy-to-Read-Version-ERV-Bible/ As I have different versions, at times I will compare some New Testament descriptions for accuracy with the Greek version. I don't remember all of my Greek, which I learned from my Mom, but for the most part, I can get by.
