What Bible translation is your favorite?

I’ve been using the NASB for over 20 years but like how certain scriptures are translated in other versions. Was just wondering what translations others like or prefer

I like the Living Translation the best, it comes alive to me. Been reading NKJ most of the time though, but the Living Translation is way easier to read.

I definitely like the NLT version. When I was first saved, I bought a KJV version because I thought it was the best . I can’t remember why I thought that . I struggle enough with regular English and found the KJV hard to read lol.

You can try a lot of different ones with a bible program for your phone or computer. Most of these Bible programs have a function where you can see the same verse in different Bible versions you have loaded, and compare that one verse in all those versions.

For your computer, esword is pretty good.

For an Android phone, the bishop program from The sword project is great.

Whichever version you try and like best, you can look up on Amazon... or just keep using it on your phone.

Oh yeah, the programs are free.

Great idea. Thanks.
great idea! I usually end up looking up certain scriptures online to see how they are phrased in different translations. I’ll see if I can set it up on iPhone. Thank you for the idea.

Am I the only one here whom prefers NIV?

I have a New King James study bible (pyhsical book)

but on the app Bible Hub i enjoy comparing other translations for deeper clarity on certain things

I’ve been using the ESV for quite some time. But I’ve been getting back to the NKJV and sometimes used NASB. A new translation is coming out that is supposed to be the most accurate to the original Hebrew/Greek. It’s called the Legacy translation. Slight changes. Ex: instead of LORD it uses His covenant name Yahweh.

I use the ESV, but I also use NIV aswell.

It has a few minor issues... but not NEARLY as many issues as the "KJV only!" people claim it has.

If you like NIV, give ASV or ESV a try.

Fun tip: If you run into a "KJV only!" person, ask him what the French, Mexicans or Russians should do. Are they supposed to learn archaic english just so they can read the Bible? What if KJV was in Russian and WE had to learn RUSSIAN to read it?

Will you please go into further detail. What minor issues does the NIV have?

If we get into that, we will bring the KJV only people down upon our heads and there will be a full-blown argument in here. If you are happy with NIV there is probably no real reason to not keep reading it.

A lot of versions have issues. Ask any KJV only person if he has digged down a wall lately.

Suggestion:

Defending the King James Bible

A fourfold superiority:
• Texts
• Translators
• Technique
• Theology

God's Word Kept Intact in English

D. A. Waite


The author of the book says there are "over 6,653 examples of additions, omissions, or changes plus departures from the proper Hebrew and Greek original language texts in the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION" in the INTRODUCTION of the book.

I have a hard-bound version of the book.

I recommend it!

This is the main thing - for/in any language:

Avoid all bible versions that were translated from the currupted and perverted Westcott & Hort manuscripts.

The Textus Receptus is the correct Greek manuscript for the New Testament.

Let's see I've got a wide swath of Bibles. NLT is probably my go to for general reading, I like how it dethologizes a lot of the Bible terms, modernizes the dates, and the language. Makes it easy to read and understand (with the caveat that sometimes easy understanding means the translator had to do some interpreting of the meaning so it might be "clearer" in the NLT than in the actual Bible). I like Amplified Bible for deeper study, shades of meaning, multiple possibilities for especially the more difficult passages seems like getting a broader understanding of how the concepts buried in one bible word blend and converge ( eg. believe is often amplified adhere to, trust in, and rely on).

I've got an old version NIV study Bible which is one I may have most quotes memorized from because NIV was one of my first adult Bibles and it was read a lot in my younger years. And I've actually got a Catholic Bible on my shelf (one my bro got in high school for the Bible courses at our nominally catholic high school) mostly because I though it would be interesting to read the duterocannonicals (aka: apocrypha) at some point in time (but apparently not interesting enough to actually get me to do so yet).

Now I wonder... is it possible to have too many Bibles?

I liked the Gideons because it had translations of John 3:16 in twenty different languages.

But I guess I just have to stick with an english translation. Even though there's more than twenty different ones in english

Each day I read from a NIV Bible I have had since 1985. So it would be difficult to change to a different translation...

I originally had a NIV study bible but got a bit frustrated with it because it seemd like it was missing verses.
So I switched to KJV and it was much clearer and its the one I trust and prefer.

I have come across way to many different english translations to count. Hers a list of all the different ones Ive come across in churches.

New International Version
Good News
English standard Version
Amplified
Complete Jerusalem Bible
New King James Version
Phillips
New Living Translation
New american Standard
International Childrens Bible
Easy to read Version
The Message Version
Cockney Bible
Kiwi Bible
Aussie Bible
Passion Translation
Contemporary English Version
Beginners Bible
Lion Childrens Bible
Usborne Illustrated Bible
The Action Bible
Jesus Storybook Bible
King James 2000
Da Jesus Bible
LOL Cat Bible


yea...way too many in english alone. But then English is such a motley language!

"favorite" Bible at the time in chronological order:

1. NIV - it was my first Bible in high school and most kids in youth group had this version.
2. KJV - yes, I got this only because the girl I liked had KJV (never liked its ancient language) but eventually became my main one.
3. Tanakh - do find their massive amount of footnote helpful.
4. CJB (Complete Jewish Bible) - while I did like the author's attempt to use person/place naming in their original Hebrew/Aramaic pronunciation, it became more distracting because I wasn't sure if I was saying them correctly.
5. ESV - "you can't go wrong with" version. A kind gentleman from old church gave me a copy of pocket size when I commented on his pocket size ESV - it's one that I keep in my car.
6. Amplified - Do believe it is one of the most accurate versions out there. However, do find "explanation/possible meaning" in bracket/parenthesis distracting if you just want to read through.
7. NKJV - I feel its attempt to make it more reader-friendly has taken away what made KJV the KJV in the first place.
8. NLT - this is my favorite/main Bible at the moment which I find it hilarious because one reading of it convinced me this is going to be sitting in the bookshelf, collecting dust - the only reason I got it was because it was recommended from the school of discipleship I was in at the time (it was more like men's group meeting once a week thing), recommending students to have at least three Bibles that covers all spectrum of translation (literal tranlation like KJV, interpretive, NLT, and one that falls in between, ESV). The only reason this is my favorite at the moment is because I was reading Ecclesiastes one day, swtiching between versions because it just didn't read/sound right somehow, eventually came to NLT and it just read so.. right - and fell in love with it.

Notable mention: TPT (the Passion translation) - I think this is a good translation if you want to dig deeper, and they are only available by each book in the Bible. I find their Psalm and Proverbs an excellent source with plenty of footnote. If Tanach's footnotes are based on the assumption that Jesus Christ is not the Messiah the Hebrews been waiting for, TPT heavily infuses Jesus into the footnote - an interesting comparison/contrast.

If I may share little bit on my take on translation/version, I used to translate news websites for few years (personal hobby) and do understand the "dilemma" that comes with translating one language to another. Not to mention having not just sufficient but native equivalent understanding of both languages/cultures you are translating from and to, it is nearly impossible to agree upon one single translation because there always will be another translator with equal or better qualification coming up with something different. In that sense, you want to have one that has literal translation like KJV but also the one that lays out the whole Scripture in a manner that is easy to read and understand like NLT. Then, add a third one that does balance between literal/interpretive translation such as ESV.

I did keywording for a company and they wanted different words for american english to Uk english.
I do some cataloguing but you need to know at least one other langauge to do it well.

when people come to the church library, even new believers, they just get overwhelmed with all the different Bibles you can read. I know the feeling, imagine having to catalogue them all. You want them all to be saying the same thing. but obviously, not all of them do.

I guess its kinda of like song versions. Some people cover it better than others. Mos of the time you cant beat the original, but if its remixed and reinterpreted it might even become something you cant recognise. Or it could bring it out even better. I dont think it will ever stop people from singing the song though, if its a good one.