What type of bible should I get?

Question

any specific versions/editions?

kindly recommend

Harry Potter is a fictional book you nutcase

Answer 1

I like the King James Study Bible. My husband prefers the New King James Study Bible.
It explains the verses, gives a bibliography on people in the bible, gives extra information about the geography of places etc.

Just be careful...the further away from King James version the more it is tampered with... things are taken out, added and changed. I wouldn't go any further from King James version than the New King James version. It just puts the King James version into the way we speak. It takes out the "thee, thy and thous and replaces it with you, me, etc.

Answer 2

If you are new to the scriptures and looking for a Bible that is easy to read, the New International Version (NIV) is a good choice. It has a nice style and simple sentence structure. Is very popular. But does sacrifice a little accuratcy to make it more readable.

If you want one that is very accurate, the New American Standard is good choice. But because of the difference in grammar between English and the original languages, and the translator determination to do a word for word translation, it can be a little harder to read. You somethings have to stop and think about the sentence for a minute or two to understand it.

Or you can go with the "old standby", the King James version. A good translation, but its 400 year old language is beginning to show its age. Too many of the Shakespeare words have changed meaning or are no longer in use today, so it can sometimes be difficult to read. Try the "New King James" instead. It follows the original, but updates the words were needed.

You might also consider getting a "paraphrase" to use along side one of the other translations. A paraphrase is not a word for word translation, but an idea for idea interpretation. The author takes the Bible and retells the ideas in his own words. The popular one at the time is "The Message" Bible. Good to read to get an understanding of the Bible, but not intended for in depth study.

So my recommendation is: get them all!!

Look for what is called a "parallel Bible". It will usually have four translations printed in columns next to each other. You usually get the King James (because it can be used for free), an readable version like the NIV, a study version like the NAS, and a paraphrase, such as Message or (New) Living Bible all in one volume.

Answer 3

I recommend any kind as long as you also buy a concordance to go with it. The concordance will allow you to look up a word and get a definition from the language in which it was written. Most people my age (63) prefer the King James Version because it works well with the concordance. I would recommend Strongs exhaustive concordance. Young's is good also. Smith's Bible Dictionary is a nice thing to have. I have never spent money on gilt edges, red type, leather covers and that sort of thing. You can get really nice used books on line much cheaper than in the book store. I hope this helps you out.

Answer 4

Bible translations come in two forms:
"Formal Correspondence Translations" try to stick as closely as possible to the original wording and word-order of the Hebrew and Greek texts. Thus they may seem more accurate or "literal," but often require detailed explanations in footnotes to avoid being misinterpreted by modern readers. They are good for in-depth academic study of the Bible, but may be less suited for public proclamation, since they can be difficult to understand when heard or read aloud.
AND
"Biblical Paraphrases" are not (and do not even claim to be) accurate translations, although they are usually still called "Bibles." These popular books (esp. those intended for children or teenagers, or the "Living Bible" of 1971) not only condense and/or omit much of the material, but they freely change the wording of the original texts to make the stories easier to understand

Eg. John 1:1 Literally, is "In the beginning was the word..."
Paraphrased: "In the beginning was the Christ"
"Word" (logos in Greek). (For further comparisons, see source listed)

The King James version (KJV) was translated from available texts. With the discovery of many more manuscripts,...such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and Codex Sinaiticus),..the more recent translations are based on older texts.

The Jerusalem Bible (produced by the Catholic Church) in my opinion is the best scholarly work. The Good News Bible (American Bible Society) was written at a 5th grade reading level, which makes it one of the easiest to read.

There are 500 English translations, and which one is best for you depends largely on your purpose and skills.

Answer 5

The many versions differ primarily in (a) how easily they are read by modern readers and (b) their faithfulness to the original Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek.

I would suggest that you read samples from many Bibles and pick one that you are the most comfortable reading. I'll give you a website where you can sample them all before you buy one. It also gives a paragraph describing the accuracy of the translation or the style of writing.

The site includes The Message, which is a great source of paraphrased or explained verses.

Good luck and God bless.

Answer 6

The Holy Bible, New King James Version. I like that one. It's very much like the original King James, but easier to understand.

Answer 7

King James version.

Answer 8

The New King James Open Study Bible is excellent.

Answer 9

King James Version. It's always best to learn the Bible from this way.

Answer 10

King James version ... is the only faithful translation which is available in English...
plz see the links below before deciding....