Which Bible Version can you recommend (KJV, NIV, NKJV, etc)

[hmbld]

2 hours ago, Lavender said:

I brought my first bible a few months ago.  I didn't really know which one to buy and so I brought a NIV.  Based on your comments above and other threads that have commented about which Bible version to get, I will be going to the shop next week to buy a new bible.

Niv is fine, especially if your more likely to open it more often than what someone else recommends you use. The important thing is to open it!!!!

[other one]

I can't help but agree. Though I'm not a real Niv fan

[Davidjayjordan]

KJV of 1611 is by far the best BIBLE in my opinion.

Its words are the most concise, in translation, even though not *********.

Its seventy or so books are also the best composite ever put together, IMO

King James, the ***********, made sure that the translaters did their job accurately or else....

Great Translation because it is tried and proven to work, and is not weak and loosely worded. It is consistent so that the HS can more easily concordance topics in our minds. KJV is the best.

Edited April 15, 2016 by Davidjayjordan

[Davidjayjordan]

So are Christians HERE allowed to differ according to what Bible they read ?

Do you mean there is a controversy as to which one is the right translation ? to get the right interpretation ?

[kwikphilly]

No David,,,,,,

    the OP asked for opinions & advice,read it ,,,,,,it is not by any means a controversial Topic,,,,,,,,you can read whichever version you prefer,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Davidjayjordan]

But the KJV is more than 66 books.... are these people who read more than 66 books Christians ... OR should they be outcast or reprimanded for not reading the 1850 compilation. Or maybe they read a different translation in their mother tongue, not as acurrate as the KJV in English. Or maybe only the seminiarians who study Greek and Hebrew are the only ones to know the truth... even though they have never put the words to use. Interesting topic.

I prefer the KJV..... of 78 BOOKS. But dont mind if others, have different preferences

 

Amen ?

Edited April 15, 2016 by Davidjayjordan

[Willa]

The Message is definitely a lot of commentary on what man thinks the Bible might be saying.  

But the Amplified is quite literal.    Lately I have been reading ESV.  It is literal yet readable.  I just don't like the original manuscript they are based on as well.  But they still convey the truth of God's Word.

NKJV is very reliable and I use it most often.   Another of this family that can be found on the web is the WEB (world english bible).  It is based on the American Standard Version of 1901 as well as the Greek Majority Text (or Byzantine).  It also strives to be literal, but it is very readable.  The down side is that it is only available online.  I consider this a good one to compare with while reading other versions.  

lol, Fresno Joe even uses some I have never heard of.  But I prefer literal translations.

[Willa]

7 hours ago, ghtan said:

Don't do that. The NIV is a good translation, especially if this is your first bible. Those "missing" verses are usually found in the NIV as footnotes; hence they are not really missing. Why don't you check whether those verses are also missing in the other recognised translations e.g. ESV, NASB, NRSV, NLT, etc.? I think you will find they too have them as footnotes or within brackets, i.e. they agree with the NIV. Then ask yourself whether it is more likely that all those versions are wrong and only KJV right. Logic dictates that it is the converse.   

The difference between KJV, NKJV, ALT and WEB is that these are based on the Majority (Byzantine) Greek text while the other are based on the Catholic texts which came from No. Africa and Egypt.  These, while earlier, may also be influenced by the gnostic mysticism that was prevalent in that area.  That is why many people feel verses were left out of these bibles.  The modern translators believe that shorter is better.  I don't subscribe to that philosophy, especially when even earlier Church Fathers quoted the missing verses in their debates with heretics like Origen from Egypt.  

[Willa]

9 hours ago, Lavender said:

I brought my first bible a few months ago.  I didn't really know which one to buy and so I brought a NIV.  Based on your comments above and other threads that have commented about which Bible version to get, I will be going to the shop next week to buy a new bible.

NKJV is a good one to get as a second.  But you can download many versions on line and just read many others there.  Our church's school used NIV for their grade school because it is easier to understand.  But our church uses NKJV because it is more literal.  The chart below gives an idea, but some of the bibles use different Greek texts.  The KJV and NKJV are most accurate to the majority text, which many of us consider to be the most accurate text.   Stay away from those listed in italics.  

 

 

Above chart taken from http://www.zondervanbibles.com/translations.htm <link no longer active>

 

NASB       New American Standard Bible (1971; update 1995) AMP         Amplified Bible (1965) ESV          English Standard Version (2001) RSV          Revised Standard Version (1952) KJV           King James Version (1611; significantly revised 1769) NKJV        New King James Version (1982) HCSB       Holman Christian Standard Version (2004) NRSV       New Revised Standard Version (1989) NAB         New American Bible (Catholic, 1970, 1986 (NT), 1991 (Psalms) NJB          New Jerusalem Bible (Catholic, 1986; revision of 1966 Jerusalem Bible)

NIV           New International Version (1984) TNIV        Today’s New International Version (NT 2001, OT 2005) NCV         New Century Version NLT1         New Living Translation (1st ed. 1996; 2nd ed. 2004) NIrV         New International reader’s Version GNT          Good News Translation (also Good News Bible) CEV          Contemporary English Version Living        Living Bible (1950). Paraphrase by Ken Taylor. Liberal treatment of ‘blood.’ Message    The Message by Eugene Peterson (1991-2000s)

   

Go to  Biblegateway.com.  At the top left of the page you with find "Bible".  It has a drop down and you can choose something like Bible Versions.  There it will list many translation and you can try out the different versions above

 to see which you would like best to buy.

 

[ccfromsc]

Why is it KJV Only always step in to muck things up? OF the KJV, there has been over 20 revisions, over 30,00 words added and deleted and added...etc that even the latest ones today are even different. There is the oxford, the Cambridge and the Westminister (if I remember the last one right). Now when the KJV used the TR they had only about 50 texts....most either still in Catholic hands or Orthodox. Today there are over 3400 texts that comprise the TR. The main contentions in the KJV come from Erasmus (please look him up). He had texts....in the Vulgate, which was latin! Yes he was a Roman Catholic! he had a huge impact on the KJV. Now as for the "feared" Alexandrian texts do not rule them out.over 97% are the same as the TR. KJV do not mention that. One thing the bible gained from the Greek texts was the book of Jeremiah. originally the Book of Jeremiah in the Hebrew tradition was about 35 chapters. Why? cause even when you read the book jeremiah was kidnapped and taken to Egypt to live out his life! His scribe Baruch finished the book thus making it 55 chapters. Even Jews later on adopted the egypt version.

Beware of KJV only.