Is there such a thing as a Bible in plain English?

[gerbilwoman]

I have a hard time understanding the Bible.  It's in old English and is not straightforward (at least not to me).  As a disabled person, I find it very confusing.  Does anyone have any recommendations of perhaps a Bible translation or a book for older children or a book meant for a new Christians that I could perhaps read to help me understand the Bible?  

[ayin jade]

Im guessing you read the kjv. I find that one a bit difficult too. You could try the nkjv. It is written in modern english. Or the nasb. Or the esv. You can check those out online at 

https://www.biblegateway.com/

to see which one of those you prefer. 

[Churchmouse]

Are you using The King James Version? I love old English, but it isn't all that clear to those who are reading the Bible for the first time.

 

Please look at this link. It is to a site that has multiple versions of the Bible and you can read passages and find the Bible that fits your reading needs.

http://www.biblehub.com/

[gerbilwoman]

Thank you both.  Have only read the Catholic Bible.

Edited October 6, 2016 by gerbilgirl

[ricky]

The English Standard Version is a stellar translation, accurate, but still readable. It is seem as a very protestant translation though. 

[Ezra]

1 hour ago, gerbilgirl said:

Thank you both.  Have only read the Catholic Bible.

gerbilgirl,

There is a difference between the Catholic Bible (Douay-Rheims) and Protestant Bibles.  The teachings of the RCC are embedded in the Catholic Bible, and the manuscripts supporting that translation are not the same as those for the Reformation Bibles.

The Douay-Rheims English translation was specifically created to combat the King James and Geneva Bibles (and Protestantism). While you are looking for a more "modernized" Bible (e.g. The New King James Bible) make sure you always compare everything against the Authorized Version (KJV). The reason for that precaution is to protect yourself from the unacceptable changes which have been introduced into all modern Bibles since 1881.

[GoldenEagle]

6 hours ago, gerbilgirl said:

I have a hard time understanding the Bible.  It's in old English and is not straightforward (at least not to me).  As a disabled person, I find it very confusing.  Does anyone have any recommendations of perhaps a Bible translation or a book for older children or a book meant for a new Christians that I could perhaps read to help me understand the Bible?  

Hiya Gerbilgirl  

There are different translations of the Bible out there. I personally like the New Living Translation (NLT) or New International Reader's Version (NIRV) for my kids. They are more of a Thought-For-Thought than a Word-For-Word translations.

I really love the NLT personally. It is one of the most popular Bibles by sales. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john+1&version=NLT

 

God bless,
GE

[Tristen]

Hi gerbilgirl,

Many people like the old-English versions of the Bible because classical English better reflects the grammatical structure of the original Bible languages. So they are not only word-for-word, but word-for-word in the same order (for the most part). However, if you are not used to old English, they can be a bit of a challenge.

I think most Christians (including myself) resort to dynamic equivalent Bibles. These are translated into modern English. They are still essentially word-for-word translations, but the sentences structure is changed somewhat to make them more readable in modern English. I would recommend the New King James Version.

 

A couple of notes:

- You will more often find italicized words in these Bibles. These are words that the translators added to have the sentence make sense in English (i.e. words which are not in the original text). They are usually doctrinally insignificant – but you should be aware of them.

- I’m not sure if you are Catholic, but you should also be aware that Protestant Bibles do not contain certain Old Testament books found in Catholic Bibles.

 

There are also paraphrase Bibles, which are not word-for-word to the original text – but rather try to convey the overall message of the text.

Another Bible which might be helpful is the Amplified Bible – which contains in-text dictionary definitions to facilitate understanding. Though you should be aware that the provided definitions are technically not scripture. Likewise, notes and references and even chapter and verse numbers are additions to scripture for education purposes.

 

Hope this is helpful.

[HAZARD]

2 hours ago, gerbilgirl said:

I have a hard time understanding the Bible.  It's in old English and is not straightforward (at least not to me).  As a disabled person, I find it very confusing.  Does anyone have any recommendations of perhaps a Bible translation or a book for older children or a book meant for a new Christians that I could perhaps read to help me understand the Bible?  

I use the King James Version only. The Bible is God's inspired revelation of the origin and destiny of all things. It is the power of God unto eternal salvation and it is the source of present help for the body, soul, and spirit (Rom. 1:16; John 15:7). It is God's will and testament to men in all ages, revealing the plan of God for man here and now and in the next life. It is the record of God's dealings with man; past, present, and future. It contains God's message of eternal salvation to all people who believe in Christ and of eternal damnation to those who knowingly and willingly rebell against the gospel.

The Bible is a literary composition, and the Bible is the most remarkable book ever written. It is a divine library of sixty-six books, some of considerable size, and others no larger than a tract. All these books include various forms of litrature, history, biography, poetry, proverbial sayings, hymns, letters, directions for elabourate ritualistic worship, laws, parables, riddles, allegories, prophecy, drama, and all other forms of human expression. The Bible never has been excelled from any standpoint. This book contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the reward and happiness of believers. Its doctrins are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories true, and its decisions immutable.

The Bible is a mirror to reflect (James 1:23); a hammer to convict (Jer. 23:29); a fire to refine (Jer. 23:29); seed to multiply (1 Pet. 1:23); lwater to cleanse (Eph. 5:26; John 15:3); a lamp to guide (Ps. 119:105); and food to nourish, including milk for babes (1 Pet. 2:2), it is bread for the hungry (Matt. 4:4), meat for men (Heb. 5:11-14), and it is honey for dessert (Ps. 19:10). It is rain and snow to refresh (Isa. 55:10); a sword to cut (Heb. 4:12; a bow to revenge (Heb. 3:9); it is gold to enrich (Ps. 19:7-10); and it reveals the power who creats life through faith (1 Pet. 1:23; Rom. 10:17).

Over forty different authors wrote the sixty six books of the Bible during a period of 1,800 years; and they all had one theme. The creation and redemption of the human race by God through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

These books of the Bible were written by men from all walks of life such as Kings, Priests, Judges, lawyers, Princes, Shepherds, Soldiers, Courtiers, Statesmen, Musicians, Inventors, Singers, Poets, Preachers, Prophets, Fishermen, Farmers, Tentmakers, Publicans, Physicians, Rich men and Poor men.

They were written in various lands of three continents, Europe, Asia, and Africa. They were written in different ages and by many men, some who never saw each other or knew what the others wrote on the same subjects, yet when their writings were all assembled into one book, there is not one contradiction among them.

 

The Bible is the Holy Word of God, no doubt about it. Anyone who can read and understand plain english, can read and understand the Bible. It was written to understood by babes. A God who wrote a book on how men should live, and wrote it in such a way that it would be impossible to understand and needed interperetation, and then men by it, would be no God at all. Its a huge volume, and you wont be able to consume it overnight.

[Guest]

Years ago I came across the TEV - "Todays' English Version" translation, it is also called "The Good News Bible." It really breaks everything down into everyday understandable English. I can't say enough good things about this Bible! What I typically do is read my KJV and have the TEV open alongside and I will refer to each one, comparing both translations/passages. This Bible is now called the GNT, or Good News Translation.

 

Here is a cool site where you can read it online, to get an idea of the wording. http://www.biblestudytools.com/gnt/

Edited October 6, 2016 by JesusGivesLifeMeaning
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