7 popular translations examined

 

Are you a new Christian looking to get your 1^st Bible?

Are you a faithful believer wanting to add an additional Bible?

Do you find yourself asking “why are there so many translations”, what’s the difference?

And ultimately: WHICH ONE SHOULD I GET?

 

How to choose the right Bible for You

 

 

Here’s a simple guide to 7 popular Bible’s, with a brief, helpful, and engaging breakdown.

This guide to choosing the right Bible will explain the types of translations, their differences, and their best attributes.

And it will give tips to answer the question “Which Bible is right for Me?”

 

A brief history of Bible translation

The books that make up the Bible, 66 to be exact, were written thousands of years ago.

The Old Testament books were originally written in Hebrew, with some Aramaic.

The New Testament books were written in Greek. More precisely, Koine Greek, the common Greek language of the day.

The challenge, then, is to translate those transcripts into the English language. One goal is to make the translation as close as possible to the original writings.

Adding difficulty is the fact that the words of these ancient languages often do not have a one-to-one match to English.

This is true in translating any writing from one language to another not just the Bible. The same challenges exist for writings by other famous authors like Plato, Aristotle, Homer, and many others.

Even newer books written in one language face the same issues when translating to another language. For example, great books like Tolstoy’s War & Peace, written in Russian had to be translated into English. The same problems exist.

Even books written in the same language face challenges. Have you ever tried to read Shakespeare?

 

The types of translations

Dedicated, professional translators usually choose 1 of 3 “types” of translations:

Word for Word

Strict adherence to original language

Thought for Thought

Uses common English words to convey context

Paraphrase

Common English words presented as a story

 

Bible translations will fall into one of these “types.”

This guide will tell you which fall into which. This will help you make the right decision for you.

Here’s a description of what makes up each translation on the list.

Reading and studying the Bible is a personal choice and endeavor. Just like your relationship with your faith is personal.

The simple guide to 7 popular Bible translations will help get you started on the path to personal fulfillment.

Here are some tips on choosing the right Bible so you can start, or continue, your journey with confidence.

 

First – Some common Bible terms

Reference Bible – The words, in any translation, with reference to other, similar passages from elsewhere in the Bible. Usually listed in either a center column or at the bottom of the page.

Study Bible – The words, in any translation, with additional, relevant information. Such as word origin and passage commentary. Commentaries are by individuals or groups of editors. They may be historical and/or topical. Most commonly at the bottom of the page. Often takes up more room than the actual words. Presented for deeper understanding and encourages further study. Often a Study Bible will have numerous maps, charts, articles, and outlines. It Will be bigger and heavier.

Thinline Bible – Sometimes called a “personal” Bible. Usually just the words, in any translation. May include references to other passages but often not. Smaller in physical size and lighter. Thinner paper and smaller font (letter) size.

Journaling Bibles – The words, in any translation. Designed with lightly printed columns of lines for user notes or questions placed at the right or left of the text. Will usually include references but not study additions.Some go further and are called “Artistic Journalling” Bibles. These have an even wider margin with both journaling lines and added space for drawing, stickers, and the like. Cool for the artistic type (like my wife). Sometimes wider, much wider in the case of the Artistic version.

Targeted Bibles – Designed with added information, like articles and pictures to a “targeted” audience. Women, Men, Teens, Kids. Or specific topics like archeology, chronology, addiction recovery, grief or loss, divorce, doubt,etc.

 

 

 

7 Popular Bibles

Here’s the List, in “type” order:

·       NASB – New American Standard Bible

Word for Word Translation

Closest to original Hebrew & Greek

Comes across as academic

For: Advanced In-depth Bible Study

 

·       ESV – English Standard Version

Word for Word Translation

Stays close to original languages

Good balance between academic & readable

For: Serious Bible Study

 

·       KJV – King James Version

Word for Word Translation

Close to original languages as known in the 1600’s

Oldest, by far. Traditional

For: People comfortable with Shakespearian English

Note: The NKJV, New King James modernizes the words a bit

 

·       CSB – Christian Standard Bible

Thought for Thought

Good balance between language accuracy & readability

Becoming more widely used

For: Faithful Bible Study & daily reading

 

·       NIV – New International Version

Thought for Thought

Readable while maintaining accuracy

Very popular, currently the best selling translation

For: Daily reading & reflection, Devotionals

 

·       NLT – New Living Translation

Thought for Thought

Easy to understand modern language

Flows like a story

For: New Christians just beginning a daily reading regimen

 

·       CEV – Contemporary English Version

Paraphrase

Simple everyday language

Makes the Bible an Easy Reader story book

For: Kids & Believers that may struggle with complex language

 

4 Tips for choosing The Right Bible

 

1.  Pray

For direction, guidance, and wisdom. Simply ask God to help you make the right decision. They are His words, after all, that you are going to be reading and studying

 

2.  Ask yourself some questions

Why are you buying a Bible, daily reading or deep study?  Do you like things more traditional or modern? Will you be sharing or reading with kids, spouse, other believers? Will you be using it at home or taking places with you?

 

3.  Ask others for input

If you belong to a church, ask your Pastor or other leaders. There may be a specific translation used for preaching and teaching. Ask other believer friends what they have. Do they like it, or not. Remember, the reason they might not like one may be a reason you may like it. Read descriptions and reviews online. Like any online content remember their motivations (likes) may not be the same as yours (yes even mine).

 

4.  Cost

Let’s be honest, not all of us have the same budget to spend on a Bible. Some may be able to get the top of the line, genuine calf-skinned leather, gold embossed, all the bells and whistles Bible. Some of us may not. Costs can range from under $10 to well over $100. My only advice is to get the best one you can afford. And remember there are numerous ways to get one for free if you need to. Please don’t let cost keep you from getting at least one Bible, Eternal Salvation is too valuable.

 

Just a couple of final thoughts.

Give careful consideration to the “physical” attributes of each Bible. Bigger Bibles, with extra features like study notes, articles, maps, etc. can get very heavy.

Also, the paper used for some Bibles is very thin, keep this in mind if you think you will be doing a lot of highlighting, underlining, or writing in it.

Pay attention to the font (how big the letters are) size. As an older guy I look for size 9 or larger.

All these features will be listed in the Bible’s description. See reviews if you have further questions.

I use and own nearly 20 different Bibles, yes, I’m a bit of a Bible Nerd. But it all started with ONE.

Get One.

And start your own wonderful and glorious relationship with God’s word.

SEE YA IN HEAVEN! PRAISE BE TO GOD!