What's your favorite Bible translation, and why?

[Keith]

 

Just a friendly reminder, this thread is about what people's favorite versions of the Bible are.  It's not a debate about which version is "best."

 

Thank you, Keith. I started this thread simply to discuss your favorite translations, not to provide a soapbox as to why your version is the best and others are inferior. If you want to debate the merits and fallacies of the Textus Receptus (which the KJV is based upon), then please make your posts on another thread or start your own. Thank you.

 

Also, thank you very much to everyone who has posted with their favorite translations. It's very interesting to see people's favorites.

 

You're welcome.  I have to admit, though, I don't really know why my favorite translations are the ESV, NKJV, and the NASB.  Over time, I found errors and bad word/thought translations in other versions, like the NIV, that really put me off.  I've not found anything very disconcerting in the ESV, NKJV or the NASB.  None are perfect and I rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit in my studies.  I've just never felt any red flags about these versions.  God was a big enough God to be sure I saw the horrific tragedy that's called The Message Bible, as well as the red flags in the NIV, so I continue to trust He'll carry me through other translations I might use. 

[ayin jade]

The message bible

 

 

 

 

Its sooo bad

[Hall7]

I use any that give the inspired word of God that can be understood through the Holy Spirit.

[missmuffet]

 

 

Just a friendly reminder, this thread is about what people's favorite versions of the Bible are.  It's not a debate about which version is "best."

 

Thank you, Keith. I started this thread simply to discuss your favorite translations, not to provide a soapbox as to why your version is the best and others are inferior. If you want to debate the merits and fallacies of the Textus Receptus (which the KJV is based upon), then please make your posts on another thread or start your own. Thank you.

 

Also, thank you very much to everyone who has posted with their favorite translations. It's very interesting to see people's favorites.

 

You're welcome.  I have to admit, though, I don't really know why my favorite translations are the ESV, NKJV, and the NASB.  Over time, I found errors and bad word/thought translations in other versions, like the NIV, that really put me off.  I've not found anything very disconcerting in the ESV, NKJV or the NASB.  None are perfect and I rely on the leading of the Holy Spirit in my studies.  I've just never felt any red flags about these versions.  God was a big enough God to be sure I saw the horrific tragedy that's called The Message Bible, as well as the red flags in the NIV, so I continue to trust He'll carry me through other translations I might use. 

 

The NIV is gender neutral that is why I do not use it.

[Keith]

 

The NIV is gender neutral that is why I do not use it.

 

 

I never realized that.  I just remember it being the first bible translation I ever used but it just didn't "feel right."  I didn't know a thing about translations of the bible.  I just thought they were all "the bible" and just fine.  I was in a Christian bookstore one day and picked up a NKJV and found myself sitting in the store just reading it and loving it.  It excited me, so I bought it!  I never once considered, or examined, the NIV again.

[missmuffet]

 

 

The NIV is gender neutral that is why I do not use it.

 

 

I never realized that.  I just remember it being the first bible translation I ever used but it just didn't "feel right."  I didn't know a thing about translations of the bible.  I just thought they were all "the bible" and just fine.  I was in a Christian bookstore one day and picked up a NKJV and found myself sitting in the store just reading it and loving it.  It excited me, so I bought it!  I never once considered, or examined, the NIV again.

 

I did some research on several Christian sites to see the pro's and con's of various Bible translations and they all said that about NIV.

[ayin jade]

 

 

The NIV is gender neutral that is why I do not use it.

 

 

I never realized that.  I just remember it being the first bible translation I ever used but it just didn't "feel right."  I didn't know a thing about translations of the bible.  I just thought they were all "the bible" and just fine.  I was in a Christian bookstore one day and picked up a NKJV and found myself sitting in the store just reading it and loving it.  It excited me, so I bought it!  I never once considered, or examined, the NIV again.

 

 

The niv is not gender neutral. The tniv is gender neutral. A difference.

[lavey.online]

I like "Spirit filled life version" ... which is a detailed in context to everyone's in-depth spiritual life.

[missmuffet]

 

 

 

The NIV is gender neutral that is why I do not use it.

 

 

I never realized that.  I just remember it being the first bible translation I ever used but it just didn't "feel right."  I didn't know a thing about translations of the bible.  I just thought they were all "the bible" and just fine.  I was in a Christian bookstore one day and picked up a NKJV and found myself sitting in the store just reading it and loving it.  It excited me, so I bought it!  I never once considered, or examined, the NIV again.

 

 

The niv is not gender neutral. The tniv is gender neutral. A difference.

 

No,it was the NIV that is gender neutral.I don't know about the TNIV.

[Guest]

 

The NIV is gender neutral that is why I do not use it.

I never realized that.  I just remember it being the first bible translation I ever used but it just didn't "feel right."  I didn't know a thing about translations of the bible.  I just thought they were all "the bible" and just fine.  I was in a Christian bookstore one day and picked up a NKJV and found myself sitting in the store just reading it and loving it.  It excited me, so I bought it!  I never once considered, or examined, the NIV again.

 

 

My journey sounds similar to yours. I came back to the Lord while in the Air Force in the early 1980's, and there were not that many easily available translations then. KJV was "king" in most of the area churches, but a few were starting to use the NIV. Someone gave me one after I was baptised, but I could never get anyting out of reading it. I didn't understand about the Holy Spirit guiding us in reading and understanding the Bible at the time, but as a look back I understand that I was being lead away from the NIV specifically. I don't know why. The Lord just would not bless any time spent in it - so back to the KJV I went. I cannot read an NIV and get any profit from it at all to this day. Its just the way the Lord has worked in my life - your mileage may vary.

 

I should add that I use the ESV at church because that's was used there and for casual reading. The KJV gets used mainly for study, since all my (real) reference books (i.e. Strong's, etc.) are keyed to it. I like the NASB also, and sometime the Amplified helps too. Just depends on what I'm working on. Then there's all the resources on the internet.

 

For anyone who might be interested: Biblegateway.com is a good resource and has lots of translations to compare. That also have the notes from the Reformation Study Bible available for free on the "study this" tab. Blueletterbible.org is a good resource also.