I am a believer of Protestant Christian faith and I am trying to decide which type of bible to get. My friends suggest the NIV or the NLT because they are easier to understand. Any suggestions?
2007-06-22 14:09:15 · 28 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Buy whatever version you feel is right for you. I have studied the origin of different versions and I feel the King James Version is probably the most accurate but not the easiest to read. If reading the NIV or NLT brings you to Jesus Christ then stick with that. If you TRUELY want to know the real words of the Bible learn Hebrew and Greek. If you do not wish to partake in that long different language learning process then just go to a Christian book store and review the different versions for yourself and pick one you like.
2007-06-22 14:22:10 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Those of you who feel that the KJV is the most accurate translation are just plain wrong. Here's why. We have a much better understanding of Ancient languages, including ancient Hebrew than the scholars of the early 17th century did. Why is this? More archaelogical digs mean more finds of more texts written in ancient Semetic languages like Hebrew, Phonecian, Aramaic, etc. We also have found older texts of some of the books of the Bible, such as the Dead Sea Scrolls and even the gospels than were available prior to the publication of the KJV in 1611. So have more modern translations changed the text from the way it appeared in the KJV? Yes, but the changes were made in an attempt to more accurately represent the original text. Do not get me wrong, the KJV was a very good translation for its time. However, modern translators have more texts, older texts, and a better knowledge of ancient languages than those who worked on the KJV did.
My primary translation is the NRSV, but I also use the JPS (Jewish Publication Society) translation of the OT, NIV, TNIV and New Living on a regular basis. For most of our studies in divinity school we use NRSV.
Whatever translation you get, get a good study Bible. My two favorites are the NIV Study Bible and the New Interpreters Study Bible (NRSV). They will help you understand the context of the text and point you toward translation issues whenever they occur.
2007-06-22 23:38:22 · answer #2 · answered by MacDeac 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Neither of those. Get one with four different version side by side, like Zondervan's Comparative Study Bible; it has the NIV, KJV, NASB, and Amplified versions all laid out neatly side by side, so you can read a verse and shift your eyes a bit over and see the same verse as it is in a different version. If you can't afford that, I suggest the Amplified version, because it offers synonyms in paranthesis for various words. The NIV leaves some verses out, so I don't recommend JUST an NIV. I do really like the NIV for readability, though. Right now, the Bible I was talking about is 33 bucks on amazon.com.
2007-06-22 21:16:41 · answer #3 · answered by Iamnotarobot (former believer) 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would go with the NIV. But I would make sure I get the NIV Study Bible as that has many footnotes and helps. I have also used the Living Bible--it is paraphrased and it is very easy to read.
My husband has the Life Application Study Bible, and he really likes it.
2007-06-22 21:14:27 · answer #4 · answered by conni 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on your maturity, dear. If you are young then try "The Way" it is geared for the young so they can understand life better and what happens to them accordingly. Or you could just read and try to understand the very first Holy Bible which is the KJV. The King James Holy Bible. It was the very first one written. It has all of the thy's and thou's in it and was not abridged at all. That means edited. Things were not taken out, just translated.
2007-06-22 21:18:22 · answer #5 · answered by karen kremer smith 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both the NIV and NLT are great for understanding. I use the NLT as well as the KJV (I think that it is the best translation of Hebrew and Greek).
God Bless You
2007-06-22 21:16:01 · answer #6 · answered by B Baruk Today 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I got a friend the "legacy study bible as a wedding gift." It is the new king james version and has comentary by the bible answer man on the radio. It is a very nice bible. Lots of maps and study guides.
Here is where you can get it.
http://www.amazon.com/Legacy-Study-Bible-Hank-Hanegraaff/dp/0718018036
The NIV is very good also.
I'm not really a fan of other versions other than KJV, NKJV or NIV.
2007-06-22 21:17:27 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
The NIV is good - I like the New King James! Pray for God's Holy Spirit to help you understand truth before you open your Bible to read. see www.3abn.org
2007-06-22 21:13:38 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both versions NIV & NLT are somewhat inaccurate translations because they are paraphrase versions. Easy reading but at the expence of accuracy. NASB or NKJV are literal translations therefore more accurate, but a little more difficult to read. So take your pick what you are after and choose your version.
2007-06-22 21:14:19 · answer #9 · answered by oldguy63 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have a bible called The Quest Study Bible in NIV. I really like it. In the margins are questions and answers about the text you are reading. It's almost like, you're reading along, you come to a verse or something and you think, "now what does that mean", and then you look over, something about it has been explained further in the margin! I have used this version for my bible studies for almost ten years and really like it. Easy to read.
2007-06-22 21:12:49 · answer #10 · answered by Esther 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋