I am undecided on religion generally and think the best thing would be to read some original religious books and see for myself what I think. The Bible seems the most obvious place to start. I want the most original/unchanged version there is (in English) to literally read, as a novel (fact or fiction) from start to finish. New/old/good news/standard/revised - so confused!
2007-07-12 01:56:53 · 37 answers · asked by typolisa 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
there are many 'versions'... some are direct translations by teams of people who know how to translate directly.... others are 'paraphrased' or 'one person's point of view as to what the bible means'.
I would recommend a direct translation.... the one we use the most is the New Living Translation..... it is very easy to understand.. in plain english. next to that, i would say the New International Version (NIV).... they are both translated from the original greek/hebrew texts.
2007-07-12 02:20:45 · answer #1 · answered by livinintheword † 6 · 12⤊ 0⤋
I would recommend either the New King James Version or the New International Version.
The New King James Version is a recent "upgrade" from the King James Version, in that they have eliminated much of the Old English, which makes it very confusing to understand. I personally prefer the New International Version. It is also in modern English, but was put together about 25 years ago by several Bible Scholars using what they consider more reliable manuscripts.
Please remember that when you are talking about manuscripts, the paper that it was written on typically won't last more than a century before it crumbles, which is why there are very few of the older manuscripts. Before the printing press, the scribes would spend a lot of time copying older versions onto newer paper.
I do not recommend the Latin Vulgate Bible. It is the Catholic version, but some of the manuscripts used vary from the King James and were changed over time by the religious leadership of the midieval Roman Catholic church. So the version ended up quite a bit different than some of the manuscripts used for the King James Version.
I also would recommend not reading cover to cover. It won't give you a good sense of what the Bible is really saying. Use the Old Testament as a background only, and not as the theology.
If you want to really understand the Bible for the sake of determining if this is the religion you want...start with the New Testament, and then after reading the New Testament, then go to the Old Testament for a historical perspective. If you start with the Old Testament, it will not make sense, nor help you to understand why so many of us have accepted Christianity.
2007-07-12 02:07:24 · answer #2 · answered by Searcher 7 · 3⤊ 3⤋
I like the New International Version, or NIV. It was translated by academic scholars and language experts from many different denominations, including a couple of non-religious scholars, and then anything that was debatable was noted and compromised on. And if you get a NIV "study" Bible, everything that was debated will be presented as well, so you can see the different points of view.
That said, there are also Bibles that have different translations in them side-by-side that you might be interested in. Each page has four columns, each column coming from a different translation. Check out Borders or Barnes and Noble or a Christian book store and try to find one of those. They are kind of pricey, but then you can get up to four different points of view.
p.s. The King James Version is NOT the original Bible, contrary to what someone here wrote. If you do read it, make sure you get the NEW version, because the old version is filled with inaccuracies.
2007-07-12 02:03:20 · answer #3 · answered by Mr. Taco 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Rachel (8 DAYS) has mentioned a very good one. There are interlinear ones, too. The Bible isn't exactly like a book that is read cover to cover, front to back. I would recommend starting in the New Testament, the book of John, and then the rest of the New Testament, before going into the Old Testament. When that time comes, then Psalms, Proverbs, Genesis, and then Esther and Ruth before the rest.
2007-07-12 02:05:10 · answer #4 · answered by RB 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well the King James Version is generally regarded as the most accurate but it was translated in the 1600s so the language is very archaic and can be hard to understand. I think there is a KJV revised out now so that might be good..
If you're sure you want to read the Bible from start to finish (which is SO diificult..leviticus kills me every time lol..much better to start with New testament) then the Message might be good....not as accurate as other translations but sets the Bible out like a novel, without verse numbers etc
Have fun reading =]
God bless!
2007-07-12 02:12:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
It seems to me that you are open to understanding the Bible rather than just reading it. There are some Bibles that offer several different versions at a glance. I would suggest that you vist your local Christian book store and preview several versions. You made find a resource that have a compilation of three or more. Happy study. May you grow in God's grace as you study deeper into his Holy word. Acts 17:11.
2007-07-12 02:09:02 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I would really recommend the New Living Translation. There is a Living Bible that's a paraphraise but in the last few years there has been the New Living Translation. I love it. I've read all the others but this one is so readable and it's as accurate as most, I would say. It says the same thing as the others but in such a much more readable and understandable way. In everyday language. Please try it.
2007-07-12 06:35:23 · answer #7 · answered by Dotty 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm atheist but am about to begin reading the Bible for the same reason. I definitely think exploring all kinds of different religions is a great thing to do. I was actually wondering the same thing, which version to read because there are SO many, and which one is closest to its original text. I've been recommended the King James Version, which is what I purchased.
2007-07-12 02:05:10 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
I have chose the NIV only because it is in layman's terms for me.I also bought the one year one.It gives you a layout of how to read it.Not just from the beginning to the end.I found that I can really understand it better.It gives you some old and new testament each day.Every body is different.But I found out that I can't just pick it up and read it from page one.Because I get confused.It jumps around so much.To me I think the NIV is the most unchanged version.Now I compare the KJ to it as I read.Hope this helps.
2007-07-12 02:14:36 · answer #9 · answered by Christal 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I like the New King James version. It's like the King James version just without all the thees and thous. Its a little easier to understand. I think it's great that you want to search it out yourself. My husband and I started off by trying to prove the bible wrong. We read alot of books on bible mysteries too. In trying to prove the bible wrong we were shown just how real God really is. I agree though you cant read the bible from start to finish. Definitely start in the New Testament before you go to the Old.
2007-07-12 02:08:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
As I understand King James Version is the standard version of English translation of The Holy Bible.
2007-07-12 02:04:22 · answer #11 · answered by Brahmanyan 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋