Have you actually READ the WHOLE Bible?

Question

which translations have you read from cover to cover.

Any observations you wish to share?

What's your philosophical bent/persuasion?

Answer 1

Yep, agnostic.

I've read the Bible. It's a common cultural document, readily available, and important to a lot of people I know. But atheists often say that the best way to make someone into an atheist is to have him read the Bible. When you read the stories yourself and don't rely just on what people tell you is in there and what it means you find a lot of things that cause real problems for the traditional theologies.

It's a good idea to read it. Not all in one sitting. That would make your butt sore and your eyes tired. I personally prefer the KJV, it's more poetic. It does help to have a concordance or other sources to help you figure out what's being said at points. I use biblegateway.net for a lot of resources now that I have the internet.

Parts of the Bible are poetic and I enjoy reading them. Ecclesiastes, for instance, or some of the psalms. I find the NT less interesting- not as well written. Though some of the parables and such were fine.

But listen to those who tell you it was a well written book and then read it yourself. There's a reason why most believers never read much of it- it's mostly tedious reading even for the believer.

Answer 2

Yes, I've read the King James version a few times and read the alternate verses of three other translations. If you want the most accurate translation you need to read the original Aramaic version that has recently been translated into English it's quite different. (You can find it on Amazon)

Incidently I've also read the Apocrypha, Psudopigrapha, Gnostic Gospels, Visonary Wisdom Texts...

Buddhist Scripture, Toaist Scripture, Religious Texts of the Mayans and a host of works from most world religions over the past several thousand years including cults.

philosophically, I don't believe in any god. However, I have a small obsession with social evolution and ancient culture.


If you're a student of Theology then there is enough literature out there to keep you busy for several life times. However, if you're a believer then what you're searching for is validation of the beliefs that you already have and so it doesn't matter what translation of the bible you read. Whatever you're searching for you'll find it, wheather it's there or not.

Answer 3

Yes I have.
I went through in determination reading in part, the New Living Translation, and the King James Version.

I love it. It was a lot of dedication, and the wonder it caused me, just too much stuff to come back to later, but I'm trying. Some of the stories I found horrible. Like the chapter in Judges where a woman gets raped to death. I think that most people don't even know that's in there.

Job. I was bored to tears. God saves the story in the beginning of it, and at the end. But all the conversation that took place between Job and his 'friends'; I was bored to tears. I think the best way to get familiar with the Book of Job is to listen to the teaching of it on Through the Bible Radio. J. Vernon McGee is excellent with it. He made the Book of Job very interesting.

When I finally got to the New Testament, It was more familliar territory. I noticed the similarities in the first three Gospels, and then John was just incredibly different. I loved them all.

The prophets were mysterious. Since I have had a great teacher in the Bible, I knew what some of it meant. Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel were so blessed to have served God, even when Jeremiah had to make chicken soup with a dung fire.

I am a Protestant. A lot.

I strive to communicate through writing, what Jesus did, what Christianity is, and what someone has to focus on in order to be saved.

Answer 4

I have read the King James and the NIV cover to cover a couple of times, the NIV once or twice for the spiritual instruction, and at least twice through both just for the joy of the writing style, the entertaining stories, and the takes on history. It's just cool to look at certain periods through the eyes of contemporaries. Plus, Song of Songs is just about the most romantic love poem EVER written. I tend to get really into a book once I start it, so I read the Bible in about a week, give or take a few days. If i think about it too much, it loses its luster.
Just to let you know, you don't have to be Christian to appreciate good literature in a Holy Book. I'm not...

Answer 5

I've read the KJV several times. I also own NLT, NAB, and ASV editions, a Torah, and a Q'uran which I use in my study of religions. Wretched books all. Murder, rape, genocide, and worse all compliments of Jehovah and his minions. Then comes J.C., who spends a lifetime glorifying Gods carnage and wrapping it all up in a warm fuzzy bundle of "love." At least in the Q'uran and the Torah, there isn't any doubt that God hates you if you don't kiss his @ss.

Historically, the books a rip off of other religions from cover to cover. Half of it is even a cheap rip off of itself. Take the 10 Commandments. Adapted straight from chapter 125 of the Book of Ani, an Egyptian text that was 300 years older than Moses. Moses, as the adopted son of Pharoah, would have been intimately familiar with these oaths the Egyptians were required to take to reach the afterlife. All he did was make them Hebrew oriented. 1 of the 4 Gospels is pure plagurism, Then there's Revelations, which is a cheesy (dare I say "Velveeta-esque) rip off of the book of Daniel.

The characters are painfully one dimensional, and the morality it claims to promote is savage at best. In fact, the only way for Christians to claim it has any moral value whatsoever is to rationalize the text ad nauseum, and to deny 95% of the text exists. If you listen to Christians explaining their beliefs, they vomit up key passages seemingly on command, but claim that passages like Psalms 137:9 , Jeremiah 51:20-26, and Isaiah 13:15-18 don't even exist.

Here are some short paraphrases:
Psalms 137:9 Happiness is smashing little children against rocks.
Jeremiah 51:20-26 I, the Lord will help you kill men, women, old people, children, young men and maidens, shepherds and flocks, farmers and oxen, captains and rulers. (Then in the next chapter the Israelites lose the battle, ROFLMAO!)
Isaiah 13:15-18 Anyone who is captured will be killed. Their little children will be dashed to death right before their eyes. Their homes will be sacked and their wives raped by the attacking hordes... The attacking armies will shoot down the young people with arrows. They will have no mercy on helpless babies and will show no compassion for the children.

What amazes me is that people in this day and age pray to a guy who actually thought all this baby killing God did was pretty cool. But then, Jesus didn't even know all of the 10 Commandments, and even made some up, so he obviously didn't have a clue about what he was saying.

Having grown up during the Vietnam war, I remember how people reacted to claims that soldiers killed babies in Vietnam. It wasn't pretty. Some people staged protests, others spit on soldiers walking down the street in uniform, and some even made physical assaults on them just because of the rumors that babies had died. These are the same folks who think God is #1 Joe for killing tens of thousands of babies in the Old Testament.

-SD-

Answer 6

Yes, I've been through the King James Version twice, and working on a third trip. In most new bibles, you can find a guide to reading the whole Bible in a year. If you take it in little bits, but read some every day, it's not as difficult as it seems at first. Oh, and I'm a christian minister.

Answer 7

When I was in high school, we had to read the bible, many times. Well funnily enough, I was never actually baptised and never really took it seriously. I found it interesting - the allegories, parables, morals and chronologies - yet ultimately not the pious masterpiece it was intended (and is still regarded) as. I think a person can learn how to be a positive, moral individual through the new testament (if only these values were more highly evident around the world, irrespective of religious stance), yet they don't have to be religious. I myself, think that 'love', as it was meant in the new testament, is now more necessary in the world than it ever was. However, having just implied the relevance of the Bible to modern society, I also believe that it encourages precarious dogmaticism, through the advocation of only one righteous path. This tunnel vision is no longer compatible (or has it ever been?) with new testament esque notions of tolerance, understanding and compassion. So overall, I believe the Bible, if interpreted objectively and applied to one's self in a secular, enlightened fashion, has alot to offer (in terms of personal, not spiritual, growth). However, it is also self defeating and down right absurd (in a literal sense) in many, many places. So take it with a grain of salt, and it'll be fine.

Answer 8

yeah I am 22 and I read it 7 times. I read the Koran (Qu'ran, Book of Mormon, the Hindu book and some other books) I read the King James, the New King James, the NIV, the Jehovah WIteness Bible, and the New American book and the Latin.

the translations of the different bibles I see is that some of the scriptures are really different and mean something completly different.

Answer 9

Most of the bibles I've read have been speed read through. those that contain the precreation stories have been read with more interest. based on the saying that to learn the present you need to understand the past.to understand the future you need to understand the present.
So the first part of the Torah I've studied.the lost books of the bible and the forgotten books of the garden of Eden. the new Jerusalem bible. the Female glory (the book of Mary). Celtic versions.
we have been short changed on the complete story by the christian church since they started throwing books out as being to Jewish or not in line with their thinking
Celtic Pagan and christian and theology

Answer 10

I have read the King James 1 time, the New American Standard 3 times.
The New American Standard is more accurate, and a lot easier to read.
I am an Assembly of God Pastor.