Christians: How did you decide your translation of the Bible?

They have slightly different conclusions since even a word or two difference changes meaning.

Did you go to the Christian bookstore, walk down the Bible aisle, and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to the right version? Or do you just take your churches' word for it and use what they say is right?Christians: How did you decide your translation of the Bible?
I use 6 different bible translations for comparison purposes (NASB, NIV, KJV, YLT, NWT and also a bible that has been authorized by the Catholic Church).

When there is a discrepancy between them, I reference the original languages in Strong's and also in a Greek interlinear to be sure of what the original writings and also definitions of the original wording. That readily reveals which bible translation is off base (if and when any of them are).



Some bibles are a little more true to the original transcripts than others, but the majority of bibles pretty much say the same thing and if what a person is genuinely looking for is the truth of scripture, then for the most part, it can be found in any bible.
2+2=4 no matter how you word it or what symbols you use.Christians: How did you decide your translation of the Bible?
The King James Version or Authorized Text of 1611 is the more sure Word of God. I have the 30 something deletions if you are interested omitted out of most of the newer text.
I use several different ones. No, the meaning doesn't really change, just the syntax.



I usually use the King James, New King James, and The Message: Remix.Christians: How did you decide your translation of the Bible?
As an Orthodox Christian I would ask my priest.
I read from as many versions as I could get my hands on and chose what made the most sense to me. I simply understand the NIV better.
I suggest that you read 3 or 4 of the English translations and compare them with the original Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew language manuscripts.



Then, maybe you could advise us as to which translation is the best.



Thank you.
I use the NLT version, because I can actually understand it. The KJV especially is so full of old english that I spend my time trying to decode it. x_x not very helpful...



I don't read one version exclusively though, if something doesn't make sense, or seems weird I'll look it up in another Bible.
If the Holy Spirit were to lead me to the right version it would lead me about 20 feet underneath the sand of the middle-east; no currently available translation is word for word as it was originally written, nor do any come close, and even if they did, you would have to be familiar with the Aramaic/Hebrew versions in order to be able to even try to interpret the purest meaning.



That's why my best "translation", as you say, comes from reading up on what scholars say about the earliest available scripture texts.
All translation say the same thing, albeit with some word changes. For example one translation may say "with great joy" and another may say "having much happiness". They mean the same thing and the meaning is not changed at all.



All translations tell us that Jesus is God and that the only way to heaven is through the blood of Jesus Christ (John 14:6).



I use several different translations. I think it helps to cross reference to get a full picture of what God is saying. I also attend more than one church and each church uses a different translation. This way I can bring along the translation that each church uses so it is easier to follow along.
I use the king james version because I believe it is the most accurate english translation, however the only true perfect translation is the original manuscripts, which we do not have available to us, but we can be assured that the originals and our current texts agree on the vast majority of the information, because it has been tested, and even the dead sea scrolls prove it has not been tampered with or changed.
I decided on the New American Standard Bible because it is a very literal translation of the original. It was so literal it was kind of klunky to read, but in the 1995 version they smoothed things out. When I took a class in Paul's Later Epistles in college, we were expected to use several different resources, my favorite being Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament. It was originally written with the assumption the reader was using the King James Version. Every time Vincent explained the meaning of the verse, and then said "a better word would be..." the word(s) used were the same as the New American Standard. I have lots of versions to use in my personal reading and study, but I've come to rely on my NASB.
over the years I have accumulated various translations. All come in handy when trying to interrupt Scripture.



they are really not that different.



as to picking out your first bible, one should, IMO, search for a readable script.



I don't know what kind of church,you go to, but my church (Catholic)doesn't dictate, contrary to sinister thought out there





my most valuable bible by far is my Thompson chain reference





peace

.
Since I am Catholic, I use the St. Joseph version. But I also use the KJV and the New American Bible. It depends where I am in the house when I feel inclined to pick one up and read it!

How about you? Ask someone you respect which one they would recommend. Some Bible's have great historical maps, or artwork that can help give you the feeling of actually being there, at the time of the writing or Bible story.

Good luck!
I did not decide, my parents and my teacher decided for me. It was very selfish of them, but thankfully I was able to make my own mind up later on.
The translations do not reach different conclusions; they merely translate the same manuscript differently.



Think of Biblical translations as existing on a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum are translations that translate the text as literally as possible. For example, if the closest literal translation to the text is "Thou shall not murder," the book will say "Thou shall not murder." (Notice I said "murder", not "kill", that's an entirely different translation battle :) ). An extreme example of this side of the spectrum is The King James Version. On the other end of the spectrum are the translations that try to capture the MEANING or INTENT of the original text. We don't talk formally anymore, so that "Thou Shall Not murder" line will become "You should not murder." An extreme example of this side of the spectrum include The Message Bible. As you can see, both are the divine Word of the Lord, but with slightly different goals.



I chose NIV because it's a happy in-between. Plus, it's the most common version, so it helps to use it in Bible class. I've also used to Living Bible in the past, which is a little bit more of an "intent" Bible than the NIV.
I like KJV - I like the old-fashioned sounding English...but I have some other various translations I've gotten over the years from Confirmation and such. I also got one in French, to help me with my French as well :) I think I have at least 6 Bibles...



Peace!
The short: research. Compare passages that might be important to your understanding (such as Exo 3:14-15, Psalm 110), compare canon (books included), compare study notes (if that is important to you), compare online reviews.



OK, here's my "what bible should I pick" answer:



1st, I'll assume that you are not a member of a sect that demands using the King James Version (KJV) or any other particular version. (Unfortunately, most of these sects do not actually use the whole KJV.)



At this stage you want to decide what your bible should contain. Do you want a bible that contains 1) all scripture or 2) a selection of scripture? Besides editions that contain all scripture, there are editions that contain only new testament books, others containing only books from the Hebrew bible, and still others (the majority) which exclude several books in a somewhat cavalier fashion.



I will assume that you intend to read the entire bible, or at least wish to have the entire bible at your disposal. In this case, you must obtain a bible that includes the Apocrypha. There are some sects teaching that the apocrypha is not inspired scripture, and if you are a member of one of these sects then simply avoid reading these books. There is no other reason for avoiding the so-called apocrypha and every reason to get a bible which includes them. Here is a more in-depth discussion about this topic: http://www.jimpettis.com/bibles/dc.htm .



In my conclusion I will consider two cases:

1) You want a "complete" bible (Complete)

2) You don't care if the apocrypha is included or not (Open)



The next stage is to decide if you want a bible merely for reading and learning the text of the bible itself, or if you intend to study scripture more deeply and intensely in order to gain a greater understanding and to help you interpret the scriptures accurately. This is the difference between a "standard" edition bible and a (scholarly) study bible. I will refer to this as "purpose" when I make recommendations below.



Finally, you need to decide whether you want a translation that offers 1) ease of reading 2) literalness of translation or 3) accuracy of translation. I separate these even though they are not *necessarily* mutually exclusive. Different versions *do* (must) follow primarily one of these three criteria, however, and so should you when you make a decision. I will refer to this as "style" when I make recommendations below.



A note about the KJV: although excellent for its time, and including nearly the entire body of scripture, as well as marginal notes from the translators providing possible alternate translations (making it a passable study bible), the KJV uses 400-year-old English, 400-year-old scholarship (read: they didn't know as much as scholars today), and texts that lacked the last 400 years of archaeological discoveries. By no means was the KJV the first English version of the bible. It's main advantage today is that most people use some form of the KJV and it is often useful to use the same version as others in discussions of scripture.



Recommendations: you can look at a fairly thorough comparison of technical details of different versions here: http://www.jimpettis.com/bibles/chart.ht… , but what follows are my recommendations.



Comparisons of "literalness" of translation can be found here: http://www.preceptaustin.org/tool_commen… and here: http://www.cs.indiana.edu/~port/teach/re… and here: http://www.zondervan.com/images/cms/Bibl… . An important note: "literal" does *not* equate with "accurate". A translation that is more literal does *not* equate to a translation that is more accurate. Indeed, in *any* language translation, literal translation is likely to lead to significant failings in accuracy of translation.



Style: Translated for Ease of Reading

....Purpose: Reading (Ease of Reading is not a relevant style for a study bible purpose)

........Content: Complete

............CEV (Contemporary English Version) - complete version http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?i… , also available as an e-book on CD http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?i… . Second choice: NAB (New American Bible) - not as easy to read but still easy, translation accuracy may be slanted slightly by Roman Catholic bias.



Style: Translated for Ease of Reading

....Purpose: Reading

........Content: Open

............NIV (New International Version) - one of the easiest-to-read modern translations with higher marks for accuracy than most easy-to-read bibles



Style: Literalness of Translation

....Purpose: Study

........Content: Complete

............RSV (Revised Standard Version), New Oxford Annotated Bible, Expanded Edition - one of the most literal translations with some of the most scholarly study notes, though somewhat archaic language. 2nd choice: NET (New English Translation) - literalness uncertain but copious translator's notes help the reader achieve this goal. Deutero-canonicals incomplete.



Style: Literalness of Translation

....Purpose: Study

........Content: Open

............NASB (New American Standard Bible), Scofield Study Bible - most literal modern translation, but study notes are for the most part independent of the translation. 2nd choice: RSV New Oxford Annotated Bible - not as literal as the NASB but more comprehensive and scholarly study notes, available without Apocrypha.



Style: Literalness of Translation

....Purpose: Reading

........Content: Complete

............RSV - most literal complete version, but somewhat archaic language. Make certain to get a version that includes the Apocrypha. (All "Catholic" bibles include *most* of these books, and "Expanded Edition" includes them all).



Style: Literalness of Translation

....Purpose: Reading

........Content: Open

............NASB - most literal modern-text bible, high marks for accuracy



Style: Accuracy of Translation

....Purpose: Study

........Content: Complete

............NJB (New Jerusalem Bible), Regular Edition - copious study notes, word use demonstrates great concern for accuracy of translation, my favorite version. 2nd choice: NRSV (New Revised Standard Version), The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition - includes complete deutero-canonicals, excellent scholarly study notes on par with NJB, but translation suffers slightly from over-zealous use of "inclusive" language



Style: Accuracy of Translation

....Purpose: Study

........Content: Open

............Same as above. New Oxford Annotated available without the Apocrypha.



Style: Accuracy of Translation

....Purpose: Reading

........Content: Complete

............NJB Reader's Edition. 2nd choice: NET - copious translator's notes may make this the most accurate translation, but requires study to absorb the translation; deutero-canonicals incomplete.



Style: Accuracy of Translation

....Purpose: Reading

........Content: Open

............NJB Reader's Edition. 2nd choice: NET. 3rd choice: NIV (New International Version) - highly regarded non-biased translation, not as careful as NJB but easier to read.





Recommendations for the true bible student (who doesn't know Greek or Hebrew):

1) Software including NASB, KJV, NRSV, NJB and NIV - I use Ellis (lacks NIV) but there is at least one other *affordable* (under $100) package providing this selection. Make certain a Strong's Concordance is also included.



2) NJB Regular Edition - get it if you can, don't settle for the Standard Edition. (My review here: http://www.jimpettis.com/bibles/njb.htm )



3) NASB - make certain to get the latest version. Get it in print if your software doesn't have it. Most literal translation.



4) The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Augmented Third Edition - NRSV translation demonstrates over-zealous use of inclusive language but the study notes are invaluable, perhaps better and less biased than NJB.



5) Oxford Authorized King James Version with Apocrypha http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?i… - the complete books of the 1611 King James Version with printers errors removed and spelling modernized. No marginal notes.



6) KJV New Cambridge Paragraph Bible with the Apocrypha http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?i… - the complete 1611 edition, *including* marginal notes, with modernized spelling. Probably more valuable than 5), but it's a tough call.



7) A good bible dictionary, such as HarperCollins Bible Dictionary. There are a few equally good alternatives.



Honorable mentions:



1) Tanakh, 1995 edition, by the Jewish Publication Society - scholarly translation of the Hebrew Bible by Jewish scholars, very highly regarded.



2) NWT (New World Translation), With References - a very literal bible with some excellent though incomplete study notes. Shows significant but infrequent Jehovah's Witness bias and is available only from the WatchTower Organization (Jehovah's Witnesses). Reading this with the awareness of the bias (which is mostly documented in the bible itself) can be quite worthwhile to a student of the bible.



I hope this helps.



Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/