So many versions/translations of the Bible, how does one know which one is authentic?

Question

Let's face it, there are many translations of the Bible. Some are from the Hebrew, some from the Greek, even some from the Roman texts, although they are in the English language for understanding purposes, how does one go about selecting which to read and study?

Answer 1

blueletterbible.com has 13 translations
http://cf.blueletterbible.org/search/translationResults.cfm?Criteria=sin&Version=NKJV&sf=5
god bless you!

Answer 2

The new testament scriptures actually come from a compilation of over 2000 scripts and the old testament scriptures where preserved over time by many Jewish scribes. Thus the old testament was easily preserved, but the New was created by people on the run from persecution. There are for almost complete scripts and they are what we get most of our new testament from. All of the versions actually used this as the reference for there interpretations. Some use more liberties than others. For instance one of the worse translations is the King James Version which actually has a whole passage added that is found no where in ancient manuscripts. It is in fact the story about "those without sin cast the first stone". Other more liberal translations are the Living bible, New Living translation, and the amplified bible. Then there are some more moderate like the NIV that are better translations. But the best translation and most true to the manuscripts is the New American Standard Bible or its older counter part the American Standard Bible.
I use the NASB because it gets straight to the point no fluff like the KJV.

Answer 3

Individual translations are designed for the understanding of their intended audience. Whereas the New International Version is considerably accurate, there are more precise translations out there for different English speakers. American, British, South African, and Australian English all are a little different, so Bibles have been translated into not just English, but the particular dialects spoken in these countries.

The best you can do, aside from learning Greek and Hebrew for yourself, is to get a Bible that has multiple translations side-by-side. I saw one yesterday that has King James, New American Standard, New International, and New Revised Standard.

You can also find Bibles that have the actual Greek or Hebrew Text alongside the English, with notes that give exact translations of the words in the original language that are often tweaked for translation purposes. Translators do their best to keep the meaning intact rather than the word-for-word translation; often times the grammar structure confuses the meaning in a literal translation, and rewording it actually makes it more accurate to the original.

Answer 4

A note on the origin of the scriptures:

The scriptures were written almost totally in Hebrew and Greek, the Old Testament being written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek. "Roman" texts, aka the Latin Vulgate was a translation of both the OT and NT into Latin. It also INCLUDED SEVERAL OTHER BOOKS OR PARTS OF BOOKS. It is the "official" Bible of Catholicism. All in all, it is a rather poor translation... I say "almost" because there are a few stray bits of Aramaic and a few words from other languages.

Translations:

First off, there is NO UNIVERSAL "BEST VERSION." This is because English is a very diverse language and peoples' ability to read and comprehend it cover a very wide range. The question then becomes, "Which translation BEST RELATES THE MEANING of the original to a specific individual IN A WAY THAT INDIVIDUAL CAN UNDERSTAND?"

There are translations available with average "reading levels," the education level the average student needs to UNDERSTAND it, ranging from 3rd grade to 12th and beyond. http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/cms_content?event=1003MAIN&page=652502&sp=1003 includes a chart which presents generally agreed upon reading levels for several popular translations. An additional consideration to reading level is the level at which a given person IS COMFORTABLE READING. Just because a person is CAPABLE of understanding a more complex translation doesn't indicate that they NEED to use a more complex version.

A big portion of this question comes down to personal preference. No one can FORCE someone to use a particular version, nor should they try beyond suggesting that one avoid defective versions, or at least recognize those defect(s).

Much has been said recently, particularly in more "conservative" circles, about some modern translations using "gender inclusive" language, like saying "brothers and sisters..." rather than just "brothers..." In actuality, THIS IS MORE ACCURATE, though it isn't reflected exactly in the words of the original, it IS REFLECTED IN THE MEANING OF THE ORIGINAL WORDS. For instance, the Greek word "αδελφος" (adelphos) is defined "brother, fellow countryman, neighbor (often inclusive in gender); by extension a fellow believer in the family of faith; in the plural 'brothers' regularly refers to men and women." Notice that the word clearly includes BOTH MEN AND WOMEN.

When the "baby boomer" generation went to school and learned about language, they were taught that "gentlemen" or, as in this case, "brothers" was likely an INCLUSIVE term and should only be considered exclusive in the context demanded such an interpretation. Most of the people who have gone through school since that time have not been taught this. They will automatically assume a gender exclusive interpretation of "gentlemen" or "brothers," but this is not what Paul and the rest of the New Testament writers meant. The writers used terms that they understood included everyone in the church. Our younger generation needs Bible translations that relate original language gender inclusive terms in a way that they also understand as inclusive.

If I post scriptures answering questions on the internet that are not my own translation, I generally use a version of this type, and I strive to make my own translations reflect the same standards when I do a translation myself. The scriptures should be in a form that is ACCESSIBLE to anyone. Part of "accessible" is being in clear, easily understood language.

Selecting a version...

When I am examining a new version, I have a few passages that I always look at. In my case, these are spots where the language is a bit more complex and a simple reading in English is essentially impossible, or, if it is simple it does not properly relate the meaning of the text.

The same start should work for anyone looking at a translation for the first time. Pick a couple passages that hold a lot of meaning for you. Look at those passages and evaluate the version...

1. Is it accurate to your understanding of the meaning? Most modern versions are pretty good at accurately relating the meaning of the scriptures, though some are better than others.

2. Does the reading "flow?" When translators concentrate too much on being "literal," they usually wind up with "choppy" sentences that require a bit of concentration to figure out the meaning. A version that is weak in this area will make deeper study difficult, since spending more than a few minutes reading it will probably leave you with a headache.

3. Is the vocabulary understandable or does it use obscure words, words that you are not quite sure what they mean?

Since almost every translation on the market is also available via the internet, it should be fairly easy to compare ones you are interested in. http://www.biblegateway.com has several.

My personal favorites... Here are some of the versions I use most and have found reliable.

Simpler English:

New International Reader's Version (less than 3rd grade reading level, the version I bought my daughter and the one I use most online)
Contemporary English Version
New Living Translation (SECOND EDITION) This second edition is a marked improvement over its predecessor. Look for a 2004 copyright date.
Bible in Basic English
Easy-to-Read or English Version for the Deaf (Same contents)
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Bibles with a little higher reading level:
New International Version
Today's New International Version
New Revised Standard Version
New American Standard Version - Update ©1995
Amplified Bible (provides alternate translations "in-line," not very good for public reading)
....................................
"The Message" is a "paraphrase" version. It is pretty easy to understand, but has a lot more interpretation going on between you and the original writers. It may be good for devotional reading, but I would not suggest it for serious study.

Answer 5

IMO, the most accurate translations are the ones based on William Tyndale's work. He translated the Koine Greek (New Testament Greek) bible into Greek and found many differences between the original Greek and Vulgate (Latin bible). After his death, the Great Bible(Greek translation) was mass produced and available to commoners. The Great Bible was used in the translation of the KJV, NKJV, ASV, and NASV. Here's a link for more info on the different translations. It's really up to you. http://forum.preachersfiles.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=74&p=479&hilit=translation#p479

If you are really serious about Bible study and applying it to you life, then you'll want to get the translation that comes as close to the origainal as possible.

I like the KJV for the language, and the ASV, ESV, NKJV for study and easier understanding. It's also a good idea to have a bible dictionary and concordance handy for study. PowerBible CD is a program with several different versions of the Bible plus commentaries, dictionaries, Hebrew to English and Greek to English.

Answer 6

Pick one. I would offer that the New International Version, the New Living Translation, and the King James Version are good. They had their reasons for making a new version, and they tend to be written about in the front of the volume. Read that to check them on their reasoning. If you don't agree with what they've done, then go to the next one.

If your native language is something other than English, then go to that one. It's really not the issue.

If you know how to read Hebrew or Greek, then go to the earliest ones of those.

You are going to end up with a greater understanding of what God thinks and what He has told us as soon as you start.

Please, get to it.

Answer 7

Download the e-Sword software from a link on the Free Stuff page @ http://web.express56.com/~bromar/

It comes with the KJV with Strong's number so that when you run your mouse pointer over the number the Greek or Hebrew word pops up along with a short definition. There are also a lot of other versions that you can download for free and compare how translators chose different English words to convey the teachings of the Scriptures along with a KJV concordance that allows you to see how the same original word was used in different passages and how it was translated in the various versions that you compare.

Answer 8

Most people follow the King James. Most preachers use the New KJ. Some use the New American Standard. A friend of mine, who knows Greek, thinks the New International Version is actually a better translation of Revelation than the NASV. Those three are the most respected ones. To find your own favorite, read them and see if you can understand them. I remember once in church, a preacher read from the NASV, and I understood it, then I immediately read from my own KJ, and was confused. After that I got a NASV. Many people scorn the NIV as being too soft. But it was the version that got me saved, so the power of God still works in it.

Answer 9

That's a question that really can't be answered. The original bible was VERY long and not in English. I know someone who says he has the complete works of the original bible, but I do not believe him.
Translations are hard to get exactly right and as I said, the bibles we have are all chopped up versions. But either way, you sort of take any of them with a grain of salt.

Answer 10

Greetings! Yes there are many variations. A good standard is all that you need, and the only ones that vary from this a specific bibles intended for specific use eg: woman's bible.
As for knowing authenticity this will come later if you pursue the greek and cross reference you will notice a lot of textual flux.

Answer 11

So many different versions of shoes, who knows which one is right? They are all translated form the same text, some are translated word for word, other, phrase for phrase, and others thought for though. This is why there are so many different ones. Others are easier to understand, and others are better for study etc.