Which Bible translation to get? (moved from Bible Study)

[fuzzi]

But the truth is that during a sermon these days no one really has to look up verses of scripture. The verses are always displayed on the big screen by the guy running the projector. (I do that too)

Granted between the gaffs our preacher has with what he says versus what he wants to read...good thing I know scripture and can fix it for him on the fly. He will say chapter 23 and verse 4 meaning chapter 4 verse 23 in another book. No one in the pews can keep up with that. (well a few might) The other guy who works with me can't...he has tried covering for me when I go use the bathoom. Failed miserably at it too. And this is during the second service. LOL..I wonder how he coulda forgotten in such a short time span.

Oh well.

But mostly bible's these days are for devotional time anyway...and a few Small group bible studies.

But listening to what the speaker is saying is usually best...save the devotional time for later.

BTW....I play video games during the second service.
The sermons ain't any better the second time than they were the first.

If that is an accurate description of your church services, then I feel very sorry for you. We enjoy hearing our pastor preach, and learn from his teaching: often people will line up and ask questions as they head out the door after the service.

We always have our Bibles with us in church, and when the pastor tells us to turn to a certain passage, he gives everyone some time to get to it before he continues to preach. I remember the preaching better, too, if I am following along instead of just sitting in front of a screen, like a TV.

To each his own, I guess.

[fuzzi]

Thanks so much for the replies and suggestions.

I'm really leaning toward th KJV. I seem to have a fairly good grasp of the thees and thous, but there may be some other words in there that I need to learn.

I just want an accurate Bible. I guess I just have to have faith that I have an accurate Bible. I'm not sure I did myself any favours looking into different translations lol. I don't want to get too into the comparisons of Bibles that I neglect to actually read a bible.

I think I'm also going to get the Bible on cd to put onto an mp3 player for the car.

Thanks everyone.


Edit: I have an NASB on loan at the moment(Haven't started reading it yet). Would this be close to a KJV in a more modern English form?

Actually, from what I have read and learned, the NASV is not close to the KJB, nor are any of the 'modern' versions. That's because the NASV, the NIV and other new versions are based upon the Alexandrian texts: the Vaticanus and the Sinaiticus.

On the other hand, the King James comes from the majority texts, those of Antioch origin. Antioch was where the followers of Jesus were first called 'Christians', whereas Alexandria is in Egypt, and God always refers to Egypt in a negative way in the Bible.

If you have a choice between a Bible that was translated from about 5000 texts, and one that was translated from 2 texts, which one do you think you'd prefer?

But, ultimately, the choice is yours. I'd pray about it, first.

[th1bill]

... The most accurate in the word for word category is the NASB.

[Buck shot]

Just remember we do not debate over here in Growing in Christ. You can share what you like most but we are not debating to come up with the closest translation

[Reynolds357]

There are quite a number of Bibles out there, with various choices of binding, covers and 'extras', like indexed tabs. What's most important is to get something that you will read and keep for years, so as has been pointed out here, you don't wind up switching Bibles every few years.

I'd highly recommend the King James: it's been tried, tested, and not been found wanting. It has been the Bible of choice for all the great revivals of the last few centuries, and you don't have to worry about getting the latest 'update' every five years.

A few so-called 'archaic' words shouldn't keep you from enjoying and understanding it, either. I've taught Sunday School where the kids had no difficulty comprehending the King James. The sentences in the King James tend to be shorter, and the words have fewer syllables than other versions.

One thing that is often misunderstood is the use of 'ye' and 'thee'. Did you know that people didn't use those words back in King James' day, but they were used in the King James Bible to clarify who was being addressed? 'You' as used in English can be either plural or singular, but in order to help people understand God's word better, the older 'ye' and 'thee' were used.

I pray you find what is best for you.

The words were used in common speech and literature of the day. I think the KJV is still an excellent translation, assuming one can understand 1600's literature.

[nebula_omega]

We always have our Bibles with us in church, and when the pastor tells us to turn to a certain passage, he gives everyone some time to get to it before he continues to preach.

If there's one beef I have about my pastor, it's that he doesn't do that. I try to take good notes during the sermon, but he'll start spouting out one Scripture after another sometimes. I barely have time to write down the reference before he's off to another one, let alone actually look it up!

That being said, I think I have about four different translations that I use: NIV, NLT, Holman and the Message. It's kinda fun to flip back and forth through them and see the differences in translations. But then I'm a nerd, so don't mind me!

[crossnote]

If you have a choice between a Bible that was translated from about 5000 texts, and one that was translated from 2 texts, which one do you think you'd prefer?

But, ultimately, the choice is yours. I'd pray about it, first.

Long long ago in another thread I got jumped on over this very thing. The audience/posters opted for the two because they were older manuscripts over the majority texts which had a wider historical support base.

[Gilbertgrape]

At the end of the day though, do all of these translations pretty much agree with each other?

[fuzzi]

At the end of the day though, do all of these translations pretty much agree with each other?

Yes, and no.

Since it has been suggested that we do not debate Bible versions here, I am going to post a link to a site that compares the differences.

If that is not allowed, then I apologise. Gilbert, you can contact me for some info when you can PM (after 10 posts).

http://biblebelievers.com/Floyd_Jone...s_Ripped1.html

[JohnDB]

If that is an accurate description of your church services, then I feel very sorry for you. We enjoy hearing our pastor preach, and learn from his teaching: often people will line up and ask questions as they head out the door after the service.

We always have our Bibles with us in church, and when the pastor tells us to turn to a certain passage, he gives everyone some time to get to it before he continues to preach. I remember the preaching better, too, if I am following along instead of just sitting in front of a screen, like a TV.

To each his own, I guess.

He is an intelligent man but his speaking style lacks tremendously. He speaks like a textbook reads. No anecdotes or much in the way of personalizations...oh he says a couple of personalizations from time to time but no real interesting applications of the material.

But I am the one who puts the scripture on the screen so people can actually find it in their bible's and make notes of the real scripture he is reading from and not what he has said he is going to be reading from. (his gaffs drive everyone insane) Then read it in context of what he is speaking about.

I bring mine from time to time as I can use it's concordance to help me find what it is that he is reading from for second service. It gets tough sometimes because I have an NIV and he reads from the NASB. (Can't use the Blackberry as I am in the sound booth...that will mess up the sound for everyone)

[TrustGzus]

Hey Gilbertgrape,

You need to get the translation that makes the most sense to you when you read it. The KJV was last updated in 1769. It's a great translation. However, it doesn't talk the way we do.

The problem isn't words that we don't use anymore, i.e. outdated words. The problem is the words we do use today but the meanings have changed. This is the problem with the KJV. The KJV uses phrases such as fetched a compass. Doesn't sound like a big deal, right? So they went and got a compass, right? Wrong. The compass wasn't even invented yet. To fetch a compass means to travel in a circular route. So the New King James is much more helpful in Acts 27:13 where it reads [f]rom there we circled round.

Since you already have a NIV and NKJV, you have two outstanding Bibles. The NKJV is based off of one version of the Textus Receptus. And that's something that people will often mislead you about is that they claim "the KJV is the only Bible translated from the TR". Not true. So is the NKJV. However, they don't inform you that there are multiple versions of the TR.

The bottom line is the differences are minimal and the one of the largest parts of it is, as I already said, due to the era in which each is translated. The other major factor is if it is a formal or functional translation or a mediating type translation.

You have an NKJV which is much more formal. Your NIV is mediating. Then there versions like The Living Bible or The Message that are far on the functional side. I think mediating versions like the NIV and TNIV are the best for regular use. I'd recommend one from each category: formal, functional and mediating if you aren't fluent in Greek and Hebrew.

You said you want one that will last. You get what you pay for. Get one that is Smyth sewn. It will cost you probably $75 or more. Even over $100. But it will be well made. I have two like that. An ESV Study Bible and a TNIV reference Bible. Those links take you directly to the ones with the binding I have. I also have one KJV that I suspect is Smyth sewn but I'm not positive about it, but it's over 20 years old and has held its shape pretty well.

About those two versions, the ESV is basically a conservative Evangelical revision of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of 1971. There are minimal changes made to the RSV. I can listen to a sermon from the RSV and read right along with an ESV and they're almost word for word. It's formal like the NKJV, KJV and NASB. In my opinion, a little dated because of how few changes it made to a 1971 revision even though it came out in the 21st century. The TNIV is an outstanding revision of the NIV. However, it has been announced that the TNIV and NIV will be discontinued when the NIV2011 comes out. That being said, I love the TNIV and don't think it was, nor is, a waste of money to purchase one.

You stated,

At the end of the day though, do all of these translations pretty much agree with each other?

You're spot on. Many will compare this verse with that verse and try to tell you of supposed thousands of changes between the versions. The changes are largely minor. I have read the KJV cover-to-cover, the NKJV, the NIV, TNIV, ESV and The Message. I have read large chunks of the NASB and The Living Bible. I read the Old Testament once a year and the New Testament twice a year. For years I used the KJV. For years I used the NKJV. For years I used the NIV. Now I purposely read a different translation each year. You won't go wrong with any of them really (unless you go with one that deliberately mistranslates such as the New World Translation of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Society). Again, the main thing I'd state is to pick one that reads the way you talk. So my recommendation would be something like the TNIV reference Bible I mentioned above. But if you choose something else, that's fine. Just read it.

Grace & peace to you,

Joe

[Radagast]

The KJV is the only Bible that uses Textus Receptus.

Personally, I think the older Greek manuscripts are closer to the original than the Textus Receptus.

If you are looking for accuracy (many will dispute me here), get the KJV.

Let me not disappoint you.

I think the ESV is a more accurate translation than the KJV. The translators of the KJV made one or two translation mistakes.

At the end of the day though, do all of these translations pretty much agree with each other?

Indeed they do. There are no major differences.

[SammeyDW]

Because All the good (non cult) Bibles say the same thing just in different ways,
Example: Adam intimately knew his wife vs. Adam lay down with his wife vs. Adam had s** with his wife.

All three saying the same thing but in very different ways.


Anyway,

I would recommend the following,

If you can understand the OLD English a KJV.
A good 'new' translation is the NLT.
I would get a NASB as it is a balance between the NLT (Readability), and the KJV (accuracy).

I would also stay far away from 'The Message' especially if you are 'new in Christ / a baby Christian / etc.'
Personally I think that the translators took a few too many libertys and made it 'too new age'.

Also, I have a copy of the NIV, NLT, NASB, and I study / read many translations from my computer using a site called BIBLEGATEWAY.

But even if you utilize that site PLEASE get a physical copy of the Bible, and use it as nothing beats literally having it in your hands.

[Gilbertgrape]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I really appreciate you all taking the time to offer your opinions/wisdom.

Well, yesterday I purchased a NKJV. Nelson NKJV sig series in black calf skin leather, waaay below retail My only complaints are that there is no thumb index, and the text is alittle small....and I can see through the pages(Is this common?) :/ But it's a keeper, and I'll read/study it.

I'm feeling good about this translation

Thanks again.

[SammeyDW]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I really appreciate you all taking the time to offer your opinions/wisdom.

Well, yesterday I purchased a NKJV. Nelson NKJV sig series in black calf skin leather, waaay below retail My only complaints are that there is no thumb index, and the text is alittle small....and I can see through the pages(Is this common?) :/ But it's a keeper, and I'll read/study it.

I'm feeling good about this translation

Thanks again.

Unfortunately, see through pages and/or 'bleed through' pages are all too common.

And even though it is not my personal favorite the NKJV is a good translation.

I would encourage you to get another Bible in translation and/or use that site I mentioned.
Because each translation has it's pluses and minuses.
In one passage xyz maybe clearer in another abc...
It's not that they say different things,
it's more of different translators deciding to handle the quirks in the English language in different ways.

May God bless you with your choice.
And as always, I say the best translation for a person is the one that God decides to use to speak to you with.