Best version of the Holy Bible?

[Kat70s]

I grew up with strict KJV, but I've been reading the NKJV for about 5 years. I have heard about the English Standard Version (ESV) and the Good News Bible. 

I read that ESV and Good News Bible paraphrase the Bible instead of the literal translation...is that okay?

Thanks for your help!

Katrina 

[TheBlade]

When I was very young always hearing KJV close to the org. But over time its just the fact "GOD SAID". Man to just have something where our Father HELLO GOD spoke. Just one word .. oh YES PRAISE GOD GLORY TO JESUS! 

[OneLight]

You will get just about as many opinions as members replying.  I guess it all depends on what you want to get out of the bible.  I personally like translations, not paraphrased bibles.  When doing a deep study, I use an Interlinear along side other translations, like the NKJV, ESV, ASV and the NASB.

You can find many versions here --> Bible Gateway

[Tristen]

Hi Katrina,

There are two main families of manuscripts that contribute to most of our modern versions of the Bible. I personally have more trust in the family of manuscripts that contributed to the KJV/NKJV. The others seem to omit things here and there that water down certain doctrines (or, it is possible that the manuscripts I trust more added these elements). And it becomes even trickier when the less trusted versions 'correct' (or update) their text in "Revised" editions. Either way, I don't think there is enough difference to be overly concerned about which Christian version of the Bible you use.

Paraphrases can be useful, but because they are not God's words, I'm less confident in the conclusions I reach when those conclusions are derived from paraphrases of the Bible. That's because I can't directly trace the idea back to the original text.

Ultimately, God can speak to you through any Bible. And the Holy Spirit can guide you to another version if it is His will to speak to you through that version.

 

[Sower]

10 minutes ago, Kat70s said:

I grew up with strict KJV, but I've been reading the NKJV for about 5 years. I have heard about the English Standard Version (ESV) and the Good News Bible. 

I read that ESV and Good News Bible paraphrase the Bible instead of the literal translation...is that okay?

Thanks for your help!

Katrina 

Any bible is good, almost I believe. There are a few worthless ones. I also started out with the KJV, and still do. I have several other versions and the amplified bible. Strongs concordance was used extensively but now I google up Strongs number quickly to get closer to original. I have the Hebrew and Greek interlinear I used to use also, but not so much any more. I use those to get a perspective in a modern language. I am not a KJV only fanatic for sure, but all the verses I have memorized are KJV and it is not so easy to follow along anymore in a men's bible study or preaching in a different version.

If you don't plan on being a forum theologian, the KJV is more than adequate. You can learn anything God would have you do, or be. Be careful thinking another version is going to help you to more successfully walk in a Christlike manner, as if some key point not covered in the KJV or any other version will enable you better to serve Christ. That is when you go to the holy spirit and seek how a scripture applies.

It is good to have other versions that may help understand better, but bottom line is how much of all your understand are you actually implementing in your walk to serve God. It is not having a vast amount of versions as much as having only one and putting into practice what you read in it. That is when you need to use the Holy Spirit version..  I have more knowledge of scripture of which much is not put into practice. I can get too busy figuring out exactly what is written, meant, and less time serving my Lord. Well done is better than well read. You can read about some of those in the old testament that knew all the scriptures but Jesus told them 'I never knew you'. Think about the hundreds of years the majority of the body of Christ never had any bibles at all, yet the body survived.

Do as you are led by your spirit when seeking God's truth. Trust in the Lord to guide you.

[Jayne]

23 minutes ago, Kat70s said:

I grew up with strict KJV, but I've been reading the NKJV for about 5 years. I have heard about the English Standard Version (ESV) and the Good News Bible. 

I read that ESV and Good News Bible paraphrase the Bible instead of the literal translation...is that okay?

Thanks for your help!

Katrina 

Hey Kat70s -

I'm 61 and have read all or most or portions of a LOT of Bibles.  And the King James is very good.

There is no "best" Bible.  The only flawless and perfect scriptures are the originals, called the "autographs" and they have been long gone.  The parchments that Moses wrote on and Paul and Luke and more do not exist anymore.  What we have are copies of copies of copies.

Let me explain the differences to you.

The King James comes from a particular set of manuscripts and used the Geneva, Coverdale, and others to help translate.  

After the discovery of the Dead Sea Scroll in 1947, we now have a TREMENDOUSLY larger amount of manuscripts of the books of the Bible that are the oldest we can find.  That's exciting.

Ergo, translators began making modern versions of the Bible based on these oldest of manuscripts.

And it's not that the modern versions "leave out" passages.  It's that the newer manuscripts that the Geneva, King James, etc were translated from have extra verses.  Verses that do NOT add anything new to the Bible that's basically not already there.  So, I do not have a problem with this.

Here are my nine favorite "good Bibles".  Some more favorite than others.  LOL

• WORD-for-WORD translations = King  James, New King James, NASB, and ESV.  I do find the NASB hard to read. And I'm a good reader. Hebrew/Greek grammar is not the same as English.  So sometimes word-for-word brings reading difficulties.  But I don't dismiss the NASB because of that.
• THOUGHT-for-THOUGHT translations = NIV and New Living Translation [which some think is a paraphrase, but it is not]  And as I said, there are no verses "omitted" in these versions as some teach. There are some differences between the oldest manuscripts and the newer manuscripts, but no differences that cause false teachings.  Again, I have no problems with that.
• PARAPHRASES = The Good News Bible,  the Living Bible [not to confused with the New Living Translation], and the Contemporary English Version.  These, of course,  are NOT translations. No one took ancient manuscripts and translated them.  They just took King James or another Bible and rewrote them in simple words.

I primarily go with ESV, NIV, New King James, and New Living Translation.

 

[Ani Tefillah]

12 hours ago, Kat70s said:

I grew up with strict KJV, but I've been reading the NKJV for about 5 years. I have heard about the English Standard Version (ESV) and the Good News Bible. 

I read that ESV and Good News Bible paraphrase the Bible instead of the literal translation...is that okay?

Thanks for your help!

Katrina 

There's another thread about the matter somewhere in here. ☺️ I have different types of Bible apps, also an audio Bible app, and I like to compare different versions, but rather find out what the origin translation says....in Hebrew and Greek. 

An app "The Bible app" contains many different translations which you can download within the app, and read along with 2 or 3 translations at the same time. 😊 

[Dennis1209]

13 hours ago, Jayne said:

Hey Kat70s -

I'm 61 and have read all or most or portions of a LOT of Bibles.  And the King James is very good.

There is no "best" Bible.  The only flawless and perfect scriptures are the originals, called the "autographs" and they have been long gone.  The parchments that Moses wrote on and Paul and Luke and more do not exist anymore.  What we have are copies of copies of copies.

Let me explain the differences to you.

The King James comes from a particular set of manuscripts and used the Geneva, Coverdale, and others to help translate.  

After the discovery of the Dead Sea Scroll in 1947, we now have a TREMENDOUSLY larger amount of manuscripts of the books of the Bible that are the oldest we can find.  That's exciting.

Ergo, translators began making modern versions of the Bible based on these oldest of manuscripts.

And it's not that the modern versions "leave out" passages.  It's that the newer manuscripts that the Geneva, King James, etc were translated from have extra verses.  Verses that do NOT add anything new to the Bible that's basically not already there.  So, I do not have a problem with this.

Here are my nine favorite "good Bibles".  Some more favorite than others.  LOL

• WORD-for-WORD translations = King  James, New King James, NASB, and ESV.  I do find the NASB hard to read. And I'm a good reader. Hebrew/Greek grammar is not the same as English.  So sometimes word-for-word brings reading difficulties.  But I don't dismiss the NASB because of that.
• THOUGHT-for-THOUGHT translations = NIV and New Living Translation [which some think is a paraphrase, but it is not]  And as I said, there are no verses "omitted" in these versions as some teach. There are some differences between the oldest manuscripts and the newer manuscripts, but no differences that cause false teachings.  Again, I have no problems with that.
• PARAPHRASES = The Good News Bible,  the Living Bible [not to confused with the New Living Translation], and the Contemporary English Version.  These, of course,  are NOT translations. No one took ancient manuscripts and translated them.  They just took King James or another Bible and rewrote them in simple words.

I primarily go with ESV, NIV, New King James, and New Living Translation.

 

Well said, Jayne; I could not agree more.

As you mentioned the Dead Sea Scrolls, I would like to add something. Several Bibles have been revised based on the discovery of these scrolls. Some, like the KJV, now have footnotes reflecting this discovery.

Not that we needed it, but the DSS validated the accuracy of the copies of manuscripts used in the Majority Texts.

The timing of their discovery and the time it took to translate and publish them is not coincidental. Some scholars believe the following verse mentions the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Isaiah 29:4 (KJV) And thou shalt be brought down, and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust, and thy voice shall be, as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust.

The Essenes had all their theology correct. It is much too long to discuss in detail, but I suspect John the Baptist was an Essene and leader of the school of the prophets. The Essenes disappeared from history immediately after the resurrection of Christ, most likely absorbed into the newly founded church.

Remember John the Baptist in prison awaiting his martyrdom, sending messengers to Jesus to ask Him if He was the One, or should he look for another? Jesus’s response to John was one that only an Essene would comprehend. Nowhere in the Old Testament is it said that the Messiah would raise the dead. It is only found in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

There are prophecies in the DSS that are not found in our Bibles that came to fruition 100% accurately. There are also several prophecies yet to be fulfilled, not in our canon.

[Alive]

If I could only have two, it is the kjv and nasb. If only one…nasb.

[farouk]

On 11/17/2022 at 5:14 PM, Sower said:

Any bible is good, almost I believe. There are a few worthless ones. I also started out with the KJV, and still do. I have several other versions and the amplified bible. Strongs concordance was used extensively but now I google up Strongs number quickly to get closer to original. I have the Hebrew and Greek interlinear I used to use also, but not so much any more. I use those to get a perspective in a modern language. I am not a KJV only fanatic for sure, but all the verses I have memorized are KJV and it is not so easy to follow along anymore in a men's bible study or preaching in a different version.

If you don't plan on being a forum theologian, the KJV is more than adequate. You can learn anything God would have you do, or be. Be careful thinking another version is going to help you to more successfully walk in a Christlike manner, as if some key point not covered in the KJV or any other version will enable you better to serve Christ. That is when you go to the holy spirit and seek how a scripture applies.

It is good to have other versions that may help understand better, but bottom line is how much of all your understand are you actually implementing in your walk to serve God. It is not having a vast amount of versions as much as having only one and putting into practice what you read in it. That is when you need to use the Holy Spirit version..  I have more knowledge of scripture of which much is not put into practice. I can get too busy figuring out exactly what is written, meant, and less time serving my Lord. Well done is better than well read. You can read about some of those in the old testament that knew all the scriptures but Jesus told them 'I never knew you'. Think about the hundreds of years the majority of the body of Christ never had any bibles at all, yet the body survived.

Do as you are led by your spirit when seeking God's truth. Trust in the Lord to guide you.

Hi Sower ; I too appreciate the KJV a very great deal in English.