WHICH ENGLISH BIBLE TRANSLATION IS BEST?
Peace everyone
Can anybody tell me which english bible translation is best? when I read the article,(http://www.av1611.org/vance/nrsv_esv.html) I don't know how to choose it?
Deeply thank you.
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
Comments
-
Peace to you, also, Ben! *smile*Ben said:Peace everyone
Can anybody tell me which english bible translation is best? when I read the article,(http://www.av1611.org/vance/nrsv_esv.html) I don't know how to choose it?
Deeply thank you.
And! Great Joy in the Lord Always!
That link you shared is heavily polemical and while I appreciate the intentions, I disagree with lots and lots of what Vance says.
My favourite of all time is the KJV!
However, because of the way the world is now and using my Bible to help me serve God's People as well as for my personal study (for that I use NA27 and Biblia Hebraica with 4.2 morphology)
I use Mainly the ESV! I memorised a fantastic number of passages (well over a thousand) in the King James, and ESV has that same "flow" I need for my memory! *smile*
On the other hand, one of my very finest translations is the God's Word Translation. Absolutely superb! Very, very reliable! *smile*
A couple of screen shots:
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand..........
0 -
I am of the firm conviction that there is no "best" translation. Even if I claimed to know Greek or Hebrew, I would know it to the level of the original writers of Scripture. Or, unless I am very exceptional, to the know it to the level of those involved in translation.
My solution is to use as many good translations, with whatever Greek or Hebrew skills I can bring to the table, as I can. The collective abilities of all these translators will be my best guide to what the original authors intended as they penned their words.
If I had only one, I would probably choose the ESV (as somebody else hinted at); but with LOGOS, I am not limited. In fact if I have the internet, I am not limited to a single translation - most are available for free someplace in cyberspace.
Blessings,
FloydPastor-Patrick.blogspot.com
0 -
Floyd Johnson said:
I am of the firm conviction that there is no "best" translation.
Yes there is--it's the ESV. [;)]
Seriously, though, I think you have some good points here. It is sometimes useful to know the strengths and weaknesses of various interpretations (e.g., fluidity of reading, word for word translation, etc.).
1 -
Ben, may I assume you are not a native English speaker? If so, you may know from Bible versions available in your own tongue, that Bible translation is an art and not a science. Just as there are many ways of painting the same object, none of which is 'right', so there are many ways of translating the same Greek and Hebrew texts. There is no one best translation until you define what you are looking for. If you want a more literal translation, the King James Version, New American Standard Version, and English Standard Version are ones to consider. However, for a non-native English speaker, these may prove a bit more challenging to read. If you want a more dynamic translation that tries to express the original ideas in the Greek and Hebrew texts in words the ancient writers might have chosen if they were writing today (a very subjective judgment) then the New International Version is a leading candidate. For a non-native English speaker such a translation is likely to be of more valuable.
There are also paraphrased versions in which the translator is trying to re-express the Greek and Hebrew in modern language with varying degrees of concern for how connected the words he/she uses are with the Hebrew and Greek words. The Living Bible and The Message are examples of these. Perhaps these are the most easy-reading but also the most distant from a literal translation.
For native English speakers with reasonable reading abilities I recommend either the New American Standard Bible or the English Standard Version. For those with less well developed but still adequate reading abilities I recommend the New International Version. For those with poor reading abilities I would chose a simplified English version like the New International Readers Version, The Good News Bible, or The New Living Translation.
I believe for study purposes the more literal translations are the best. For simply reading the Word, the more dynamic or paraphrase-type versions are just fine.
That is my opinion, and this sort of question will generate a lot of opinions.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
1 -
Ben said:
Can anybody tell me which english bible translation is best?
If best for devotional reading, it's the one you'll read. All others end up useless to you.
If for other reasons, then the question is back to you... best for what?
If best for academic work or language studies, no single translation will suffice, as the translations all had different goals (e.g., NIV's "thought for thought," NASB's "word for word", etc.) & none (IMO) adequately preserve simultaneously both the meaning and the literary qualities of the original languages. In addition, your faith tradition may also have preferences that play into "best."
Blessings on your studies!
Grace & Peace,
Bill
MSI GF63 8RD, I-7 8850H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 2TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1050Max
iPhone 12 Pro Max 512Gb
iPad 9th Gen iOS 15.6, 256GB0 -
-
Something which shoulde be considered in the whole Bible Translation argument is just that. The Holy Scriptures originally came to us in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. If you want to discuss Bible translations it warants some discussion about the various manuscripts that English (and any other language) is taken from. It seems that there are 2 major families involved for the Greek translations, ie the Majority or Byzantine text and the Westcott and Hort Family of Texts which originated with the Sianaticus and Vaticanus texts. The Large portion (97%) of Greek Fragments and Manuscripts (which number about 6,000) agree with the majority text. The remainder make up the remaining 3% of manuscripts. The Majority text is the source for Coverdale's Bible, Luther's Bible, Tyndales Bibles, Wycliffe's Bible, Peshitta Bible,Geneva Bible, Matthew's Bible, The King James Bible. The other translations come from the Westcott and Hort family of texts. The whole matter should revolve around the accuracy of the original language texts rather than the English translations.
Steve Caswell
0 -
Edwin Bowden said:
Yes, excellent. May I amend this simple truth to say, "The one you read and heed."? [C]
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
0 -
Short and simply put: New American Standard Bible 1995. Far and away the best; not the easiest to read and memorize, but highly accurate.
Just my opinion,
Jim
Jim R. Keener
0 -
Hi Ben:
I'm a Hispanic minister, so I'm coming from a view of seen the English versions as a second language versions. I would say that I have the majority of the English versions but the Revised Standart Version and a few more. It all depends in what you are looking for, If you want "formal versions" I would go to King James, New King James. If you are looking for modern "formal" I would go to the New International Version, NASB, NRSV [ for those with a more liberal line of view]. Oldies that are great to understand [New English Bible 1970], The Amplified Bible. Moffat Translation, The New Testament in Modern English - Phillips. If you want modern and easy to understand - New Living Translation, The Message. Very easy language - Good News, Contemporary English Bible. This is just a general idea of some of the main translations. I love them all! All provide a great background to get a great idea of what the text means [without getting in the original languages which is the best option].
When I need to get a better idea of the text without getting in to the originals, I consult them all in pararell view. Great exercise.
Gob bless. Rev. Nannette La Fosse
0 -
ESV is my preferred bible not necessarily because it is best but because I like reading it more than NKJV, my previous choice. NET is very readable and has plenty of explanatory notes (Net with Notes) for study and to explain the translation.
Dave
===Windows 11 & Android 13
0 -
Thanks about all good advice for me. I know hebrew and greek, but most part precious resources in English from logos, so I need preferable and literal English Bible corresponding exactly to the original biblical context for reading and reference.
deeply thanks all in Jesus
Ben
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
0 -
Ben said:
Peace everyone
Can anybody tell me which English bible translation is best? when I read the article,(http://www.av1611.org/vance/nrsv_esv.html) I don't know how to choose it?
Deeply thank you.
The best English interpretations of Scripture that Logos has to offer are:
(1) The 1917 translation of the Tanakh from the Jewish Publication Society (link)
(2) The 1985 Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures from the Jewish Publication Society (link)
Post Script: I like your kanji avatar 静 here in Japan that would usually be read as (shizuka) and it usually means quiet. When Parents are being nice (to loud children) they yell 'shizuka ni kudasai!'/Please be quiet! and if rude then 'Urusai!'/shut up!.
חַפְּשׂוּ בַּתּוֹרָה הֵיטֵב וְאַל תִּסְתַּמְּכוּ עַל דְּבָרַי
0 -
Ben said:
I need preferable and literal English Bible corresponding exactly to the original biblical context for reading and reference.
deeply thanks all in Jesus
Ben
Then I might also recommend:
Young's literal Translation
http://www.logos.com/product/626/youngs-literal-translation
εἰδότες [δὲ] ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Take ἐὰν μὴ in Galatians 2:16 for example. Which do you think corresponds closer to the Greek text and why?
"having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through the faith of Jesus Christ," (Gal 2:16 YLT)
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ" (Gal 2:16 KJV)
"know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ." (Gal 2:16 NIV)
"yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ," (Gal 2:16 ESV)
"yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ." (Gal 2:16 NET)
חַפְּשׂוּ בַּתּוֹרָה הֵיטֵב וְאַל תִּסְתַּמְּכוּ עַל דְּבָרַי
1 -
Mark Smith said:
If you want a more literal translation, the King James Version, New American Standard Version, and English Standard Version are ones to consider. However, for a non-native English speaker, these may prove a bit more challenging to read.
For this non-native English speaker [:)] ESV is very easily understood and it's language feels not complicated, nice, precise and contemporary. It combines literal translation with good flow of the language. I would recommend it to any non-native English speakers whose English skills are above average.
Bohuslav
0 -
BKMitchell said:
Then I might also recommend:
Young's literal Translation
http://www.logos.com/product/626/youngs-literal-translation
εἰδότες [δὲ] ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Take ἐὰν μὴ in Galatians 2:16 for example. Which do you think corresponds closer to the Greek text and why?
"having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through the faith of Jesus Christ," (Gal 2:16 YLT)
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ" (Gal 2:16 KJV)
"know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ." (Gal 2:16 NIV)
"yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ," (Gal 2:16 ESV)
"yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ." (Gal 2:16 NET)
Thanks very much, Indeed like YLT![:D]
2 Peter 3:18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
1 -
Ben said:
Peace everyone
Can anybody tell me which english bible translation is best? when I read the article,(http://www.av1611.org/vance/nrsv_esv.html) I don't know how to choose it?
Deeply thank you.
If I'm going to be restricted to English bibles rather than the original languages and if I'm to recommend only one bible (as opposed to having one for the OT and another for the NT), I'd go with the NRSV. It's a good translation despite its irritating emphasis on "gender neutral" language. It irritates me that they feel it necessary to render "brothers and sisters" when the original says ἀδελφοί. It's not a matter of its being incorrect to understand females to be covered by the term since, like English, the masc gender was used to refer to females as well unless the group was homogeneous. It rather seems like one of those situations where one is continually saying "me too", "don't forget me", "remember I'm here" -- irritating. It reminds me of one of those movie situations where someone keeps insinuating themselves into a conversation.
EDIT: Of course, there are some groups such as Grudem and his supporters who never learned enough about language to be aware that there is a difference between grammatical gender and sex.
george
gfsomselיְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
1 -
BKMitchell said:Ben said:
I need preferable and literal English Bible corresponding exactly to the original biblical context for reading and reference.
deeply thanks all in Jesus
Ben
Then I might also recommend:
Young's literal Translation
http://www.logos.com/product/626/youngs-literal-translation
εἰδότες [δὲ] ὅτι οὐ δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου ἐὰν μὴ διὰ πίστεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ,
Take ἐὰν μὴ in Galatians 2:16 for example. Which do you think corresponds closer to the Greek text and why?
"having known also that a man is not declared righteous by works of law, if not through the faith of Jesus Christ," (Gal 2:16 YLT)
"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ" (Gal 2:16 KJV)
"know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ." (Gal 2:16 NIV)
"yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ," (Gal 2:16 ESV)
"yet we know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by the faithfulness of Jesus Christ." (Gal 2:16 NET)
The 1901 American Standard Version (ASV) is a literal translation, lacking Reverse Interlinear in Logos:
16 "yet knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ," (Gal 2:16 ASV) logosres:asv;ref=BibleKJV.Ga2.16-17;off=-61
Knowing Greek is not English, Kenneth Wuest authored an expanded translation (Scholar's and above). The United Bible Societies (UBS) handbooks offer translation insights (included in Scholar's Gold and above). Lexham Discourse Greek New Testament bundle includes Greek and English New Testaments. Found couple other interlinear resources in my Logos library (one included in Original Languages and above):
For Greek interlinear bible, prefer to display Louw-Nida numbers (for contextual glosses) instead of English literal translation since Greek range of word meaning is often different than English range of word meaning, which is apparent from different English word choices in various translations.
Matthew C Jones said:Edwin Bowden said:Yes, excellent. May I amend this simple truth to say, "The one you read and heed."?
[Y], Thankful for many good and useful English translations. Immensely Thankful for God's message in a variety of languages.Keep Smiling [:)]
1 -
Grace & Peace,
Bill
MSI GF63 8RD, I-7 8850H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 2TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1050Max
iPhone 12 Pro Max 512Gb
iPad 9th Gen iOS 15.6, 256GB1 -
-
BillS said:
Yes, Amen [Y]
I like how the Introduction to the NET Bible says it:
The most important translation concept
The most important translation of the Bible is not from the original languages to English, but from the printed page into your life. If you have never read through a complete book of the Bible, we suggest you begin by reading the Gospel of John. We encourage you to recognize that the Bible is not merely a book. It is God’s message to us all, and God continues to speak through it today. There is, after all, a reason far more Bibles have been produced than any book in history. Read it and see.
(Biblical Studies Press. (2006; 2006). The NET Bible First Edition)Bohuslav
0 -
Michael Anda said:
Peace to you, Michael! and!
Always Great Joy in the Lord!
I think if you check it out, God's Word is indeed a translation, NOT a paraphrase. (The Message IS a paraphrase.)
From Logos.com:
GOD’S WORD Translation (GW) communicates the saving, life-changing Good News about Jesus in clear, natural English. Translated directly from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek by a committee of scholars, GOD’S WORD is an exceptional Bible that consciously combines scholarly fidelity with natural English.
By implementing the translation principles of Closest Natural Equivalence, the translation committee seeks to translate the best available texts into English with the closest possible accuracy. This commitment to accurately translating the Bible includes expressing the meaning naturally and in a style that preserves the characteristics of the source text.
The combination of accuracy and readability makes GOD’S WORD ideally suited for the following:
Devotional reading and in-depth studyPreaching, teaching, and worshipMemorizationDiscipleship
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand..........
0 -
Loaded question [;)]
The better question may be which translation is most relevant for my need at the moment.
What I'm getting at is this, some love the KJV - however if we are all honest the unchurched look at believers who try to minister to them in olde English a little funny - why, it's just not how we speak any longer. So the KJV may be relevant in some local churches, however a translation like the NIV, NLT or comparable would be most effective in ministering to the unchurched and to the younger generation in the church.
Ultimately I agree that studying with a good core of translations is most effective for the minister and believer alike, but until we get the believer energized for the discipline of study, start them with something they can connect to...
The students will enjoy a variety from KJV to NIV to ESV to Amplified and will be relevant stirring them up to dig deeper...
Just my 2 cents
Logos 10 - OpenSuse Tumbleweed, Windows 11, Android 16 & Android 14
1 -
This question can really open a can of worms. In a broader sense I think the Holy Bible is the best. [:)]
For many years I used the NKJV as my primary bible for teaching, preaching and reading. I began using the NASB95 for study and continued preaching from the NKJV. In recent months the ESV has been my primary bible, though I still consult several different translations during study and reading time.
I am convinced that if had been around then Paul would have carried an ESV[;)]
1 -
I think that Mr. Caswell summed it up well. An English translation must begin with a basis on the best original texts and then...only then, can an English translation be weighed.
I am not sure (and someone please correct me if I am wrong), but I do not believe a recent (in the past 20 years) an English translation has been created (for the N.T.) based on the Majority text. I see little to any discussion of this.
I agree that most of the Bible may be understood well from most of today's English translations for devotional and other light study needs; yet, as man continues to decline until Christ returns, future translations will reach further and further from the veracity of the original to the relativity of the individual.
0 -
I would suggest that you read Leland Ryken's book The Word of God in English. The question asked is neither trivial or arcane.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Randy
0 -
from one of my notes:
Something I just ran across in a Journal of Hebrew Scriptures review that might be of interest regarding selecting a translation (Of course, it's one person's opinion).
In Part One (chapters 1 and 2) Gorman discusses the task and text of exegesis. In chapter one he briefly defines exegesis before discussing the strengths and weaknesses of various ways in which exegesis has been done. He compares and contrasts the synchronic approach (focusing on the final form of the text as seen, for example, in narrative-critical, social-scientific, or socio-rhetorical readings) with the diachronic approach (the historical-critical method) and the existential approach (his name for readings which focus on hermeneutics, transformation, or theology, such as missional interpretation, sacred readings, postcolonial criticism, or liberationist exegesis). He argues for an eclectic approach in which synchronic exegesis is the first among equals. In chapter two Gorman focuses on the selection of an English translation for exegesis. He expresses a preference for formal-equivalence translations and divides translations into four categories: 1) preferred for exegesis (NRSV, NAB, TNIV, and NET), 2) useful for exegesis, with caution (RSV, NIV, NASB, REB, ESV, HCSB), 3) unacceptable for exegesis, but helpful in others ways (NLT, NJB, CEV, GNB, The Message), and 4) unacceptable for exegesis (KJV, NKJV, LB).
Gorman, Michael J. Elements of Biblical Exegesis: A Basic Guide for Students and Ministers
(Revised and Expanded Edition; Peabody MA; Hendrickson, 2009). Pp. xii+286, Paperback, US$19.95, ISBN 978-1-59856-311-5Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
0 -
Pat Flanakin said:
I am not sure (and someone please correct me if I am wrong), but I do not believe a recent (in the past 20 years) an English translation has been created (for the N.T.) based on the Majority text. I see little to any discussion of this.
There is one and it uses the LXX for the OT.
0 -
I paraphrase the word paraphrase then. [8-|]Milford Charles Murray said:I think if you check it out, God's Word is indeed a translation, NOT a paraphrase. (The Message IS a paraphrase.)
Isaiah 5:18 | NASWoe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, And sin as if with cart ropes;
Isaiah 5:18 | GW
How horrible it will be for those who string people along with lies and empty promises, whose lives are sinful.In any event, I LOVE both versions.
0 -
As do I! *smile*
And! Really love and appreciate some paraphrases like Moffit and JB Phillips!
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand..........
0 -
MJ. Smith said:
Something I just ran across in a Journal of Hebrew Scriptures review that might be of interest regarding selecting a translation (Of course, it's one person's opinion).
Which just goes to show the folly of trusting one man to make spiritual decisions for the rest of us. [:O]
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
0 -
Obviously, there is no agreement on this question.
"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley0 -
Matthew C Jones said:
Which just goes to show the folly of trusting one man to make spiritual decisions for the rest of us
Or, it is nice to get an "expert opinion" to support one's own opinion ... since 3 of the 4 he recommends for exegesis are in my top five. But I really need to talk to Gorman about JPS and The Community Bible[;)]
More seriously, it is a reminder of the need to know the credentials of someone whose judgement you are trusting.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
0 -
Take a look at:
"As any translator will attest, a literal translation is no translation at all."
0 -
As usual, I'm late to the conversation[:P]!
I am in agreement with the comment that the best Bible translation is the one you'll read. Perhaps the OP is not a native English speaker, thus he should choose a version that is understandable to him and stick with it until better proficiency is achieved.
For those of us who are native English speakers, and who sometimes write like we aren't[6], we have no excuse for being biblically illiterate. There have been a multitude of quality translations since the 1970s that give "slow readers" to "speed readers" the opportunity to grasp God's Word. Yet, despite the abundance of translations polls like Gallup, for example, still show modern society as being the most biblically illiterate at any time in our history. (There are solutions to this, but this forum is not the appropriate place for that kind of discussion.)
L3 and L4 both have actually increased not only my daily reading over the years, but have actually helped slow me down enough to actually comprehend what is really being said in the Scriptures. I actually look forward to opening the Bible every morning, and afternoon, and evening, and night...heheh... [:D]
La. 3:22ff was part of the reading for me today, and one of the notes told me "(Syriac, Targum; Hebrew) Because of the steadfast love of the LORD, we are not cut off." And my response, with the author, is La. 3:24, “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Folks will never know the joy of that if they don't read it.
{charley}
running Logos Bible Software 6.0a: Collector's Edition on HP e9220y (AMD Phenom II X4 2.60GHz 8.00GB 64-bit Win 7 Pro SP1) & iPad (mini) apps.
0 -
Dr. Charles A. Wootten said:
La. 3:22ff was part of the reading for me today, and one of the notes told me "(Syriac, Targum; Hebrew) Because of the steadfast love of the LORD, we are not cut off." And my response, with the author, is La. 3:24, “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” Folks will never know the joy of that if they don't read it.
Proverbs 4:20–27 | NAS
My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you. Let your eyes look directly ahead And let your gaze be fixed straight in front of you. Watch the path of your feet And all your ways will be established. Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.1 -
You will not get a consensus on this question. There are simply too many English translations and too many applications for the Word to ever come to a conclusion that there is one best translation. With that said I have several translations that I am partial to. My primary translation is the NASB 95 Update. I have stuck with the NASB for most of my life because I appreciate studying from a very literal translation. However, as a Christian counselor I talk with people everyday from all walks of life and I rarely recommend that they go out and purchase the NASB. For those very young in the faith I often recommend the NLT for its superb readability. Lately I have found myself studying more and more from the ESV because it is a great translation and also has what may be the best study Bible on the market. The NIV probably accounts for the greatest number of Bibles sold in the U.S. but I tend to only use it in "text comparison" mode. As several have said it depends on what you will be using it for. This week I talked with someone who struggled greatly with sitting down and really spending time in the Word. I pulled a Message Remix off the shelf and let him read some of it and he immediately connected with it. That one is not even a true "translation" but a "paraphrase." Good luck with the search.
Samsung Series 7; Windows 8 64 bit; Intel Core i7-3635QM @2.4GHz; 8 GB RAM; 1 GB NVIDIA GeForce GT640M
0 -
I use the NASB and the ESV. The NASB is a word for word and so is the ESV mostly.
1 -
Ron Cook said:
You will not get a consensus on this question. There are simply too many English translations and too many applications for the Word to ever come to a conclusion that there is one best translation.
We often confuse our favorite with the best. Or worse, we may ask a translations to be slanted to support our current theological understanding. I do believe that a small subset of "best" can be reasonably chosen if one determines what the criteria for best is.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
1 -
MJ. Smith said:Ron Cook said:
You will not get a consensus on this question. There are simply too many English translations and too many applications for the Word to ever come to a conclusion that there is one best translation.
We often confuse our favorite with the best. Or worse, we may ask a translations to be slanted to support our current theological understanding. I do believe that a small subset of "best" can be reasonably chosen if one determines what the criteria for best is.
I nominate you for our next Middle-East peace broker. Henry Kissinger, Vernon Walters & Jean Kirkpatrick all had difficulty getting the Israelis & Palestinians to agree on seating assignments and the shape of the conference table. I liken the version debates to peace talks. As soon as Jimmy Carter succeeded at Camp David, they shot President Sadat for being conciliatory. What is the criteria for "best"? For that matter, what is the meaning of "is"? [6]
Most literal NASB 1995
Most dynamic equivalent NIV 1984
Most inspired KJV1611
best paraphrase mineLogos 7 Collectors Edition
0 -
Matthew C Jones said:
What is the criteria for "best"? For that matter, what is the meaning of "is"?
That's easy. Everyone knows that the best translation is the one that agrees with ME. [H]
george
gfsomselיְמֵי־שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן
1 -
Fred Chapman said:
For many years I used the NKJV as my primary bible for teaching, preaching and reading. I began using the NASB95 for study and continued preaching from the NKJV. In recent months the ESV has been my primary bible, though I still consult several different translations during study and reading time.
Similar to my experience. Recently, I began telling the groups I teach that when I read I am reading the ESV, but when I quote, I quote from the KJV because that is the source of my memorization.
1 -
I think it is important to pick a Bible that is "essentially" literal (a completely literal translation would be unreadable). To me it is important to know what the author said (as nearly as possible) and not what the translator thought he meant. There is a place for interpretation and that is the function of the commentary.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Randy
0 -
It's amazing how many of the articles and sites about translations completely ignore the JPS...[8o|]
"The whole modern world has divided itself into Conservatives and Progressives. The business of Progressives is to go on making mistakes. The business of Conservatives is to prevent mistakes from being corrected."- G.K. Chesterton
0 -
Ben said:
It's amazing how many of the articles and sites about translations completely ignore the JPS...
[Y]
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
0 -
Randall Cue said:
I think it is important to pick a Bible that is "essentially" literal (a completely literal translation would be unreadable). To me it is important to know what the author said (as nearly as possible) and not what the translator thought he meant. There is a place for interpretation and that is the function of the commentary.
Soli Deo Gloria,
Randy
I agree [Y]
Bohuslav
1 -
Ben said:
It's amazing how many of the articles and sites about translations completely ignore the JPS...
Perhaps it has something to do with the way the JPS renders John 1:1 [;)]
Soli Deo Gloria,
Randy
1 -
Peace, Randall ........... *smile*
Why do you think that? At first perusal JPS seems reasonable to me ...
Joy in the Lord Always, Randall!
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand..........
0 -
Thanks MJ for posting this information.MJ. Smith said:He expresses a preference for formal-equivalence translations and divides translations into four categories: 1) preferred for exegesis (NRSV, NAB, TNIV, and NET), 2) useful for exegesis, with caution (RSV, NIV, NASB, REB, ESV, HCSB), 3) unacceptable for exegesis, but helpful in others ways (NLT, NJB, CEV, GNB, The Message), and 4) unacceptable for exegesis (KJV, NKJV, LB).
It was cool to read that someone who is a lot smarter than I am do something that is very similar that I do. I too have grouped the bibles that I use into four categories, and they have the same translations that Gorman has listed. I have the "Always look at" group that has NRSV and NET. I have the "Sometimes look at" group that has NIV and ESV. I have the "hmmmm" group that has NLT and The Message, and I have the "Never look at" group that has KJV and NKJV.
0 -
Randall Cue said:Ben said:
It's amazing how many of the articles and sites about translations completely ignore the JPS... [8o|]
Perhaps it has something to do with the way the JPS renders John 1:1 [;)]
Milford Charles Murray said:Why do you think that? At first perusal JPS seems reasonable to me ...
Your copy of the Jewish Publication Society translation includes Jn 1:1, Milford? [:D]
Mac Pro (late 2013) OS 12.6.2
0
