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

[ayin jade]

Do not use the message bible though. That contains many bad new age/pagan references in it that are not in the bible itself. 

[GoodFruit]

1 hour ago, ayin jade said:

Do not use the message bible though. That contains many bad new age/pagan references in it that are not in the bible itself. 

Correctomundo!  Probably the worst translation there is (other than the "Queer" bible - the LBGT translation they created)

[GoldenEagle]

2 hours ago, ayin jade said:

Do not use the message bible though. That contains many bad new age/pagan references in it that are not in the bible itself. 

 

37 minutes ago, GoodFruit said:

Correctomundo!  Probably the worst translation there is (other than the "Queer" bible - the LBGT translation they created)

@gerbilgirl while there is certainly some concern over the "translation" of The Message I personally found my way through some very difficult times reading that paraphrase. It was a time when all I could do was read a paraphrase and cry out to God.

Pray about it and allow God to lead you in what you will read. I transitioned to the NKJV and then now read primarily the ESV. 

 

 

God bless,

GE

[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?  

 

6 hours ago, Churchmouse said:

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.

 

4 hours ago, HAZARD said:

I use the King James Version only...

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.

Hazard, I don't think the KJV is what Gerbilgirl is asking for at all. Anyone can understand the Bible. But old English is very hard to read. I'm not disabled but I know multiple languages so I can relate to having a hard time understanding or even relating to the KJV. While the KJV is preferred by some, it is not the best version in my opinion for those newer to the faith or those seeking God. 

God bless,
GE

[gerbilwoman]

Thank you all!

[HAZARD]

1 minute ago, gerbilgirl said:

Thank you all!

Thank you gerbergirl, God Bless you in your studies.

[Flsnookman]

Are you praying before you read? I know this may sound cheesy but I find when I pray and ask God to open my mind to His Word I get a much better understanding when I am reading.

[Ezra]

17 hours ago, JesusGivesLifeMeaning said:

Years ago I came across the TEV - "Todays' English Version" translation, it is also called "The Good News Bible."

As long as you (and others reading this) are clear that the TEV is a paraphrase, not the actual Bible.  (Words are important. Indeed even singular and plural is important in Scripture). The TEV (like all other modern Bibles) is not based upon the true Bible texts either.

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Ezra said:

As long as you (and others reading this) are clear that the TEV is a paraphrase, not the actual Bible.  (Words are important. Indeed even singular and plural is important in Scripture). The TEV (like all other modern Bibles) is not based upon the true Bible texts either.

Yes, I realize that, good point. When I compare the two in my reading, I can't say that I have come across large glaring errors that stray away from the original text though,

At this point, I think I may have 6 or 8 different translations, and I will refer between them simply to gain a clearer picture of the wording of the original KJV. I personally love the wording of the KJV, it is rich with character, and it is what I grew up on (tradition), and there is no doubt that modern versions can aid in simply/ make clear some of the difficult passages.

Also, there is the concern of omitting certain words, for example , one I know of is in Luke 1:27, "virgin" is omitted there, however, only a few verses later, verse 34, Mary does mention that she is a virgin. A paraphrase may not be the best choice as a single Bible for a new believer, but I think we can all agree that it does aid in clarification in modern English.

[Marcelo Brüderlein]

On 07/10/2016 at 11:44 AM, Flsnookman said:

Are you praying before you read? I know this may sound cheesy but I find when I pray and ask God to open my mind to His Word I get a much better understanding when I am reading.

This is excellent advice! Set aside some time for Bible reading each day and God will bless you greatly.