A Good Edition of the Bible

[Xander]

Can anyone refer me to a good edition of the bible to pick up? That is, one that is translated well and accurately transcribed, or possessing of any other necessary qualities that are desirable. Thanks!

[tomcat3443]

Can anyone refer me to a good edition of the bible to pick up? That is, one that is translated well and accurately transcribed, or possessing of any other necessary qualities that are desirable. Thanks!

IMO, the Message Bible, the Living Bible, and similar "paraphrase" Bibles should be avoided. They are not translations, but paraphrases in "modern lingo." They are an irreverent treatment of the Word of God and depart from the original texts too much. I wouldn't even recommend these paraphrases to someone who was almost illiterate. Better to become more literate by reading an actual Bible, with the help of a seasoned Christian, if necessary.

The Authorized Version (AV), a.k.a. King James Version (KJV), is accurate; however the translation is in older English, which doesn't always translate well, especially if you're not used to that type of language. I personally really like the KJV, but the New King James Version (NKJV) might be easier to start off with and is also quite good.

I also like the New American Standard Bible (NASB). This is probably the most "literal" translation of the original Hebrew and Greek texts. It can be a bit clunky sometimes, unlike the KJV, which is almost poetic and easy to memorize.

If you have difficulties with any of those, the New International Version (NIV) or the English Standard Version (ESV) would be all right for accuracy and readability.

A good site to compare the various versions/translations of the Bible before you buy is BibleGateway.

I have many different Bibles and many different translations. I use to go to garage sales and buy Bibles,so I have some very old Bible and new ones. This is what I can tell you.
Bible translations cover a broad spectrum of styles, but they fall into three basic categories. Interlinear translations are at one end of the spectrum. These translations contain the original-language text along with a word-for-word rendering into the target language.

Paraphrase translations fall at the other end of the spectrum. Translators of these versions freely restate the message of the Bible as they understand it in a way that they feel will appeal to their audience.

A third category embraces translations that endeavor to strike a balance between these two extremes. These versions of the Bible strive to convey the meaning and flavor of the original-language expressions while also making the text easy to read.

A strictly word-for-word translation is often not the best possible way to capture the meaning of each Bible verse. There are a number of reasons. Here are two:

1. No two languages are exactly alike in grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure.

Since no language exactly mirrors the vocabulary and grammar of Biblical Hebrew and Greek, a word-for-word translation of the Bible would be unclear or might even convey the wrong meaning
2. The meaning of a word or an expression may change depending on the context in which it is used. For instance, the Hebrew expression that normally refers to the human hand may have a wide variety of meanings. Depending on the context, this word may, for example, be rendered “control,� “openhandedness,� or “power.� (2 Samuel 8:3; 1 Kings 10:13; Proverbs 18:21) Translators who produce what are frequently referred to as paraphrase Bibles, or free translations, take liberties with the text as presented in the original languages. They either insert their opinion of what the original text could mean or omit some of the information contained in the original text. Paraphrase translations may be appealing because they are easy to read. However, their very freeness at times obscures or changes the meaning of the original text.

Consider the way that one paraphrase Bible translates Jesus’ famous model prayer: “Our Father in heaven, reveal who you are.� (Matthew 6:9, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language) A more accurate translation of Jesus’ words renders this passage: “Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.� So go to a store,take your time, read some Bibles and see what feels good to you. Also as the post above this said he likes the American Standard Version and so do I. I think it would good for you. The reason I like it is because it put God's name ( Yehweh or Jehovah ) back were it belongs,in the Bible.God Bless

[Samckeyes]

Mysudybible.com in my opinion hands down is the best, it has many different translations, it has Greek and Hebrew word meanings(my favorite part), and also it has a few different commentaries which can help.