What Bible Translation Is Really The Best?

[ayin jade]

Of your choices, I chose the nasb.

Of my personal preferences, I like the mkjv, esv, nasb.

Im not fond of the kjv for several reasons. Primarily I dont use it because I dont speak the english of 400 yrs ago. Its a foreign language to me. If Im using a bible as a study bible, to truly learn from it, I want a language I can understand readily.

[Jonny_NZ]

I prefer the NRSV.

I have heard quite a few advanced theologians - who do a lot of work in the lexicons of the eras - who regard this as the most accurate / faithful to original meaning of the translations we have currently.

[Metadyjital]

In years past I got caught up in the whole translation war. Now I dont worry about it so much. If I am just dying to know the most truest intent of the text - I think this takes alot more than a translation.

I think one has to discover context first by culture, events and people influencing the writing. Then I get out the strongs, thayers etc... and various translations

so in short I am not sure the translation one uses is overly critical if they understand that translations give limited, yet adequate illumination

[EricH]

I voted for NASB, but my real favorite is the Holman. The Holman has the literal word for word accuracy of the NASB, but is more readable. For me this is largely a matter of preference. There is no absolute right or wrong on this

[John Bernall]

What Bible Translation Is Really The Best? Do you have personal favorite and if so WHY?

i really like Tyndale's New Testament and the first five books (Genesis-Deuteronomy) of the Old that he translated before he passed away. i think he translated Jonah also my reason for this is that Tyndale wanted to translate the scriptures because of his love for God and for his fellowman who did not have a bible suited for them, and not because of some commission from royalty, who also had their mitts in the revisions of their commissions.

i know that someone named Coverdale took over the rest of the work. however, Tyndale translated from the original Greek and Hebrew, but Coverdale, not really knowing Hebrew for the rest of the work, used Tyndale's notes and the Vulgate. i think he may have used the LXX Septuagint as well

now, for the rest of the Old Testament, i would have to say the Geneva. the Geneva used Tyndale's New Testament as a template for its translation, as did the KJV. and, as a historical note, the Geneva was the first standard Bible to be used in the colonies, not the KJV. though i am uncertain of all the details, it was widely held at the time that the KJV was motivated by politics, not God.

for my general studies, though, i use the 1905 Western Aramaic Peshitto along with the Khaburis Codex Eastern Aramaic Peshitta in comparison with the 1894 Scrivener Textus Receptus for the New Testament, and the Masoretico-critical edition of the Hebrew Bible (1894), of David Ginsburg.

Z'ev Yochanan

[John Bernall]

The KJV was the first translation of the Bible, but (and i hope I don't offend some believers in this) is translated from inaccurate texts and written in a language 400 years old that just does not convey the same meaning to us today as it did to those people in those days. I do not use the KJV as a general rule, though occasionally it has provided some insight into early Christianity.

the KJV wasn't the first translation, i'm afraid. and the texts it used were actually accurate, as far as the Byzantine Codex TR and the Masoretic fo the Hebrew. but it's referencing of the Latin Vulgate i never quite understood. also, the translators were using other english versions of the time to derive meaning to things as well: the Geneva, the Tyndale, the Bishops Bible. there is a mythos that surrounds the KJV, that it was actually devinely inspired by God. history says otherwise. it was inspired by a king, not the King of kings. and some liberties were taken in the translation of it. one such liberty is to be found in the 46th Psalm:

Psa 46:1 [To the chiefe Musician for the sonnes of Korah, a song vpon Alamoth.] God is our refuge and strength: a very present helpe in trouble.

Psa 46:2 Therfore will not we feare, though the earth be remoued: and though the mountaines be caried into the midst of the sea.

Psa 46:3 Though the waters thereof roare, and be troubled, though the mountaines shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.

Psa 46:4 There is a riuer, the streames wherof shall make glad the citie of God: the holy place of the Tabernacles of the most High.

Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her: she shal not be moued; God shall helpe her, and that right early.

Psa 46:6 The heathen raged, the kingdomes were mooued: he vttered his voyce, the earth melted.

Psa 46:7 The Lord of hosts is with vs; the God of Iacob is our refuge. Selah.

Psa 46:8 Come, behold the workes of the Lord, what desolations hee hath made in the earth.

Psa 46:9 He maketh warres to cease vnto the end of the earth: hee breaketh the bow, and cutteth the speare in sunder, he burneth the chariot in the fire.

Psa 46:10 Be stil, and know that I am God: I will bee exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Psa 46:11 The Lord of hosts is with vs; the God of Iacob is our refuge. Selah.

as you can see, i emphasized two words in particular, shake and speare. my reason for this is that if you count 46 words from the beginning of the first word of verse 1, God is our refuge... you will come to shake. and if you count backwards 46 words from the last word of the last verse, not including Selah, for it was believed to be a musical notation of some sort, not a part of the text, you will come to speare. what's so special about this? it shows that man's genius got involved with translating God's word. the translator of this particular psalm was a close friend of William Shakespeare. and for Willie Shakespeares 46th Birthday, he translated the Psalm with his name encoded into it. this is fact, i learned it in school lol.

now, have you ever noticed that all over the KJV you find italicised words and phrases? well, remove those italicised words, re-read the context of the chapter, and think about how those verses would read out without the italicised words "for clarification". and especially do this in the parts that have more than three words italicised. the only thing these italicised words and phrases emphasis for clarification is the edicts of the king who commissioned it. it's sad, i know, because the Byzantine Codex is the best Greek Manuscripts that the KJV used, as are the Masoretic they used. but having the best manuscripts doesn't mean you have the most accurate translation either.

Z'ev Yochanan