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Bible versions/translations

Started by Kathryn on 12 October 2008 - 4:52pm

12 October 2008 - 4:52pm

I'm having trouble finding a good website describing the million-and-one Bible versions there seem to be around nowadays.

Are there any versions you would recommend? I'm thinking of getting a copy of the Amplified Bible for it's expansion on the meaning of the original Greek and Hebrew words.

Thanks
12 October 2008 - 4:58pm

try this website its superb. www.biblegateway.com

gav.
30 October 2008 - 3:18am

I hear the good ole King James is best for study, the ESV is a new translation that seems pretty good, I use NASB just because it was a present to me. Nice bibles are spendy!

But many people advocate the NIV study bible. Personally I like the Amplified "people aged 22-28 who like the color orange, like music theory but don't know any music theory" study bible! (Just seems there's an edition for everyone these days) :)
30 October 2008 - 8:16am

Hmm - as well as the KJV being based on the textus receptus (therefore not the earliest manuscripts we have), it also uses a whole bunch of archaisms that may obscure meaning rather than illuminate.

ESV is okay - but I find it a bit stilted in places. NIV is better in the Psalms and Epistles than the ESV, but less clear in the OT prohpetic books (the TNIV improves some of the NIV grammer in these places). The NLT is a great read (in the revised second edition), but wouldn't rely on it for study - devotionally I think it is excellent. The NASB is very stiff, but a good example of formal equivalence. The NRSV is the best scholarly translation IMHO and the one I prefer for study. I do have an NIV compact study bible by my bed for devotions - will pull off the NASB, NRSV, ESV and Amplified if needed. The Amplified is a great single tool to help with dynamic equivalence, but teh daznger is that the reader will assume that the interpretations suggested are the only ones.

This is a really nice summary of bible translations:

http://bible-translation.110mb.com/compare.ht...
30 October 2008 - 9:29pm

Thanks for the links everyone, and for being so helpful!