Which Bible is the right one and in what language?

Question

I have asked this question already and I still get different answers ranging from King James to the Syriac Bible, well which is it, and secondly surely the word of God must be read in its original language, theres no way you can compare 21st century english to 1st century hebrew and aramaic

Answer 1

Is it okay to use a translation, even if it's not perfect?

Jesus almost always quoted the Septuagent when He quoted scripture, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible. Modern day English Bibles such as the NIV, NASB, NKJV, and TLB are better translations than the Septuagent was.

I figure if it was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me. Not that knowing some Greek and Hebrew is a bad thing. I don't know any Hebrew, but I know enough Greek to be able to get myself into trouble!

BTW - 1st Century Hebrew and Aramaic would be useless since the OT was written before the 1st century, and the NT was written in Greek.

Answer 2

The language of the bible will depend on which languages you read, speak and understand.

If it's French, Spanish, German, English, you need to get a bible in that language.

Even modern speaking Greeks, don't read the orignial language greek manuscripts because the language has changed.

Next which "bible" is right, a better question is which bible is more accurate.

PLease read this:

Old Testament:
In fact, the New World Translation is a scholarly work. In 1989, Professor Benjamin Kedar of Israel said:
"In my linguistic research in connection with the Hebrew Bible and translation, I often refer to the English edition as what is known as the New World Translation. In doing so, I find my feeling repeatedly confirmed that this kind of work reflects an honest endeavor to achieve an understanding of the text that is as accurate as possible. Giving evidence of a broad command of the original language, it renders the original words into a second language understandably without deviating unnecessarily from the specific structure of the Hebrew....Every statement of language allows for a certain latitude in interpreting or translating. So the linguistic solution in any given case may be open to debate. But I have never discovered in the New World Translation any biased intent to read something into the text that it does not contain."

New Testament:

While critical of some of its translation choices, BeDuhn called the New World Translation a “remarkably good” translation, “better by far” and “consistently better” than some of the others considered. Overall, concluded BeDuhn, the New World Translation “is one of the most accurate English translations of the New Testament currently available” and “the most accurate of the translations compared.”—Truth in Translation: Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament.

“Here at last is a comprehensive comparison of nine major translations of the Bible:

King James Version,
New American Standard Bible,
New International Version,
New Revised Standard Version,
New American Bible,
Amplified Bible,
Today's English Version (Good News Bible),
Living Bible,
and the New World Translation.

The book provides a general introduction to the history and methods of Bible translation, and gives background on each of these versions. Then it compares them on key passages of the New Testament to determine their accuracy and identify their bias. Passages looked at include:

John 1:1; John 8:58; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-20; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8; 2 Peter 1:1

Jason BeDuhn
Associate Professor of Religious Studies, and Chair
Department of Humanities, Arts, and Religion
Northern Arizona University

By the way the NWT is available in the above languages and many more.

Answer 3

The different Bible translations can be confusing—but I hope you won't give up. The Bible was originally written in the ancient languages of Hebrew and Greek, and I'm grateful for the dedicated translators who have made it available to us in modern English. Our language has changed over the years, and that's one reason for new translations. God wants us to understand His Word, and a good translation can help us do that. God told His prophet to "write down the revelation and make it plain" (Habakkuk 2:2).

A good translation should be both accurate and easy to understand; take time to sample some of them by reading the same passage in several different versions. Your pastor or Christian bookstore should be able to help you choose the right one for you. In this column I usually quote from the New International Version, which is the most widely used modern translation.

No matter which translation you use, however, the most important thing is your attitude. Do you see the Bible as God's Word, and are you listening to it with an obedient spirit? The Bible says, "Do not merely listen to the word. ... Do what it says" (James 1:22).

Answer 4

I can't tell you which is the "right" one, but I can suggest from personal experience and preference.

For the Tanahk, or the Old Testement, I perfer the Artscoll's Stone Edition Tanakh, and even the Artscoll's Stone Edition Chumash (which is the Torah, five books of Moses, with commentary). Both can be ordered through bookstores like Barnes&Noble, etc. I like these for the "Old Testement" because they are translated from the original Masoric Test, rather than the Greek Septuagint (which is just a poor copy of Hebrew texts anyway.)

For the Greek Test, or the New Testement, I perfer the New American Standard Key Word study bible. It's easier to read than a King James version, yet not horribly paraphased like the NIV is. I have found that the biggest problem with the "New Testement" is the fact that there are various Greek texts used as source material. Too many source documents causes problems with choosing which one to use. But even with the errors in the New Testement, the NAS Key Word study bible isn't too bad.

Answer 5

The point is moot. You are trying to distinguish a difference, but translations are meant to inform with the greatest accuracy possible and while the context of words has changed, they are rendered as they are understood. Moreover, they have been transposed by the clerics copying the texts...all handwritten....and only after Gutenberg printed the bible did the text become standard. All languages evolve, and written Chinese characters of 2,000 years ago are incomprehensible to modern Chinese...and it is the same language but when complicated by a variety of languages, personal interpretations and even politics (some books were never included in the Bible), many errors must exist....but I never heard of a Pearly Gates Printing Press.

Answer 6

The language doesn't matter. But in the eastern Christianity (Orthodox Christianity) the Bible is translated after the Septuagint edition or after the Masoretic edition, which are the considered as genuine editions. Trough out history, the different factions of Christianity, translated the Bible in many ways, sometimes in according with their immediate ideological interests.

Answer 7

There is no perfect translation. According to my own experience, the NIV is the best thought-for-thought translation, and the NKJV is the best word-for word. Neither translation style is perfect, but they complement each other.

Have you considered getting a parallel bible and comparing a few translations at once? That is a good way to do it, since you can use the giant brains of many competent translators to amalgamate the deepest understanding.

But of course, the number one thing to do is ask God (whatever you conceive him to be) to guide you to the best understanding possible. Then you can't go wrong.

Answer 8

If that is the way you feel then surely you've answered your own question. Go and study Hebrew and Greek and read the original. Maybe it would also be a good idea to ask the Author which He thinks is the best. You are asking ten thousand different people and expecting one answer.

Answer 9

Aslong as you have the Holy Spirit and a heart for Jesus it shouldnt matter TOO much. I read the NIV and the KJV and the Ryre study bible. Yes they come from the same scrolls.
Always check to make sure 1 John 5:7 says "There are three that bear record in heaven; the father the son and the Holy Spirit and these three are one" or something similiar.
There are bibles that dont have this verse, I would be carefull of them bibles.
Hope that helps.

God bless.

Answer 10

Read as many translations as you like. Then draw your own conclusions based on your life experiences.

There is no single correct translation or writing; they are all attempts to approach the truth.

If you really want to broaden your horizons, take the time to read religious writings from other popular wisdom traditions, including the Koran (the central religious text of Islam). The more you expose your thinking to other schools of thought, the better the knowledge base you will gain for your own decision-making.