Translations of the Bible

[The Walrus]

Note: Please don't derail this into some debate between religions or religions and atheism and what-not.

Anyway, I'm planning on reading the Bible this summer. I was wondering what translations TWCer's recommend. (I have already decided against the American Patriot's Bible )

Any help is appreciated.

[Krixux]

Try “King James” or/and N.I.V.

(...)

[DimeBagHo]

Try “King James” or/and N.I.V.

(...)

I'll just add: (1) The King James is often recommended for its poetic language and because its the text that has been most heavily used in English literature. So if you want pretty language or you want to see where some classic lines came from, this is the one to read. (2) The NIV is probably the most accurate and exhaustive translation in English. It gives you the very best modern attempt to translate the original, and where there's any doubt it provides multiple alternative translations. If your interest is more technical then this is the one to read.

[mw2xboxplayer]

An excellent resource for Biblical material is http://www.biblegateway.com/. They have over 100 versions of the bible, including both text and audio.

Unless you are looking for a hardcopy-text bible. I would recommend the "English Standard Version" available for purchase for $10 on amazon. http://amzn.to/lclDD7

[Cooraan]

New American Standard is pretty good. King James can be a bit difficult to understand at times.
And you can't go wrong with the NIV.

[cfmonkey45]

I disagree, the NIV has substantial problems. First and foremost, it condenses everything into an eighth grade vocabulary, which tends to, especially in theological treatises, such as the epistles, as well as the Psalms and books of the Prophets, degenerate and confuse certain word types. Secondly, the NIV is far more willing to interpret verses, which can come in handy when idioms are used. However, they also tend to lose meaning in the process.

The ESV, or the RSV if you can find it, is a good translation as well. However, it gets very technical and, at least in my experience, is marred by its bias towards Calvinism and Reformed theology. For instance, in St. Paul's epistles, they often translate words that mean foreknowledge into Predestination.


I'd suggest, in addition to the others, the King James Version, the New King James, the English Standard Version/Revised Standard Version (ESV/RSV), the Jerusalem Bible (Catholic Translation), and the Douy-Rheims Translation (Catholic again).

[Boer]

The bible I've been using recently has the New International Version, King James Version, updated New American Standard Bible and the Amplified Bible in parallel [Amazon has it called "Comparative Study Bible, Revised" for $30]. I find NIV/NASB the easiest to read, KJV is more poetic, but amplified is more "complete," offering alternate translations and such. Having all four translations right at hand is nice, especially on passages with major disagreements (you should have seen the Jehovah's Witnesses' faces when I pulled that out).

[Hilarion]

New King James Version. Also, Study Bibles can be beneficial for understanding specific verses, which is often difficult if you're reading the Bible independently. I would go with something like this: http://www.amazon.com/NKJV-Study-Bib...8029165&sr=1-2 (Can we post Amazon links here? Sorry if it's not allowed) But if you're Catholic there are Catholic-specific Study Bibles, if you're Orthodox an Orthodox Study Bible, etc.

[Scipio Africanus Maximus]

My recommendation would be the New American Standard or the NIV. Both are easy to read and the NAS is one of the most accurate translations.

[♔Goodguy1066♔]

Read it in the original Hebrew.

[The Walrus]

Read it in the original Hebrew.

I am planning on doing that later in life once I get around to learning Hebrew.

I'm really just a self-guided Christian. So I will be reading independently but I'm not against using a study Bible.

@Boer, that does sound very interesting. I am checking it out

And overall, I think I would prefer accurate translations. I don't matter what the vocabulary is like, so if it preserves the poetry and stuff too, that would be nice.

[Scipio Africanus Maximus]

I am planning on doing that later in life once I get around to learning Hebrew.

I'm really just a self-guided Christian. So I will be reading independently but I'm not against using a study Bible.

@Boer, that does sound very interesting. I am checking it out

And overall, I think I would prefer accurate translations. I don't matter what the vocabulary is like, so if it preserves the poetry and stuff too, that would be nice.

I would actually second reading it in the original languages, though most people don't have a lot of time to learn three languages just to read a book.

If you want the most accurate, the NASB is your best bet. It is, to my knowledge, the most literal of the translations.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

I use the New American Bible and I think it's downright incredible. It's a Catholic Bible but if you ignore the list of popes at the beginning and the the extra books in the Old Testament, it's one heck of a bible. It was translated and edited by a rather large group of associated revrends, professors and doctors and you can't turn a page without finding cross refferences and a good chunk of footnote explanations. Some pages, especially in the new testament, have as much footnote\translation notes as it has scripture. It's written in a more modern vernacular, so most laymen can understand it without being totally re-translated like some of the more "easy to read" versions. It's also really cheap and very common. I'm not sure if --every-- edition of the New American Bible has the same features, but the one with the red cover\white cross on it seems to be quite common. They gave me a free one when I attended RCIA.

Ryrie study bible is good. I don't hate New International Version either, you can find those everywhere but I've found it hard to find cheap ones with lots of study notes.

I don't read KJV\NKJ, I find it difficult to understand and I don't think "pretty" English is worth missing out on proper theology.

Avoid the New World Translation because the Jehova's Witnesses purposely mistranslated it to fit their slant on theology.

Once again avoid ones that try to represent the bible as a story instead of actually translating it.

Overall I say you want to aim for a study bible, sometimes they can get pretty expensive but trying to read the bible without any notes can be pretty harrowing because a lot of sayings\customs\refferences that were common back then aren't so common now.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Read Tolkien instead, much more interesting fiction in content.

[Tecumseh]

Read Tolkien instead, much more interesting fiction in content.

HAHA

Still funny after eleven million and sixty two times.



Anyway, NIV is alright, but the RSV or NRSV (New revised standard edition) is better for straight translations.

[CamilleBonparte]

Read Tolkien instead, much more interesting fiction in content.

Excellent, an admin who makes off-topic troll posts.

NIV is serviceable though I have read of certain small discrepancies it contains. Should be fine if you're not looking to really study the book. If you are then I would suggest going with Prons' recommendation.

[Hilarion]

Excellent, an admin who makes off-topic troll posts.

NIV is serviceable though I have read of certain small discrepancies it contains. Should be fine if you're not looking to really study the book. If you are then I would suggest going with Prons' recommendation.

Someone in a position of power abusing his authority, what's new or worth commenting on?

I will say that, even if the Lord of the Rings were the only literary work to excite the enthusiasm of a nonreligious reader, he might still read the Bible to understand the source from which Tolkien drew much of his inspiration.

[Squiggle]

I prefer the NIV, easy reading and reliable. However, if your interested in reading the bible as a study into theological matters rather than just a brush up, I suggest something like biblegateway, very useful web resource.

[Marie Louise von Preussen]

In English, the Septuagint.

[Col. Tartleton]

Revised Standard Version, the one that says what it actually says... The one without the virgin birth, etc.

It's spiritual forerunner was burned at the stake for heresy after sincerely translating a version from the original languages into English and finding a hell of lot of the words you're using don't say what you think they mean, so you know it's damn good stuff.