Bible Translation

I use the NIV translation to understand. I don't think there is nothing wrong in using different translations. Our pastor usually does his sermon's using 2-3 translations to make sure we are all on the same note. In fact he gives a little history of where words came into play. Very interesting.

all the bible translations are inaccurate. not only are they inaccurate but the modern day bibles have been purposely degraded in the translation to make the bible easy for the common person to read. bible business is one of the biggest businesses for books in america at least. in america, the bible is the number one selling book every year. but the irony of it all is they dont translate it word for word...they water it down with words and phrases that are easy for people to understand..so that people dont have to use their minds. yet in doing this, they take away from hebrew scriptures and what the phrases and words really mean. of course, what english calls "salvation" is free to all. one doesnt have to read the bible to have "salvation" as long as they do the right things that please the most high. but if a person wants to truly understand the bible, they wont be able to do that without knowing hebrew tongue and hebrew culture. jews are not hebrews. i know..because i am hebrew, and i have yet to meet a jew who speaks hebrew. they speak israeli...that is mostly german, polish and russian words to name a few. the world thinks because they use hebrew letters that they speak hebrew. but even israelis must have a translation of hebrew scriptures into israeli. no translation is accurate. even my master=whom english speakers call jesus the christ says that "not one jot, or one stroke will pass from the teaching (towrah) until it is all fulfilled. (book called matthew 5:18) however, the strokes it takes to make the letter "A" are different from the strokes it takes to make the letter alef. thus, in translating hebrew scriptures===the strokes of letters pass away...thus making the son of god into a liar..because he says...not one jot, and not one stroke will pass away until all is fullfilled. hebrew scriptures speak about this world being destroyed and a new world created. thus hebrew scriptures havent been fulfilled yet. so the translations take away from the truth of the god of the hebrews

I have the NIV, more then one, I also have a few others. I think what is most important is to have one that you like to read and to read it. I have a Full Life in the Spirit Bible and I love it, and have even given a few to friends as presents.

My reasoning is that you need accurate translation, not variety; who among us lay-people can possibly know how to figure out which one is truest? Just as I don't try to practice brain surgery with no knowledge of how to safely do so, or understand quantum physics, when I'm ill-equipped to handle these things, logically I rely on others who are skilled in these things. Even then, I make sure to learn their credentials before I let them work. Same thing here: I located biblical scholars & learned from them. One can buy all sorts of "translations" today, many of which deliberately strive to change the meaning of the text, or are just plain spiritual trash, erroneous garbage made just to "tickle the ears" (as the bible says) of those who want The Word to accommodate their perversions. One can buy versions such as the "Klingon" bible, e.g., or worse, bibles which virtually eliminate men, favoring stressing women characters, on the grounds that the actual bible is too "patriarchal!" And then there are those incomplete versions (which usually have mistranslations also--think KJV) which dare to strip out books & certain passages the bible originally had...one such deletes all the so-called "hard sayings" of the Christ. This deludes the reader into thinking that Jesus was a softie. Maybe you didn't know this, but He preached far more on Hell than on Heaven. This was the Man who verbally scalded certain sinners--especially hypocrites--& once even took a whip to some people! He's strict! Since I prefer the real message of the bible (which by the way is a compilation of books, letters, poems & other things pertinent to learning about Who God is & how to become His friend--not one "book"), I use exclusively what's considered by top biblical scholars to be the most accurate English translation known--the Douay-Rheims bible. Granted the D-R's English is somewhat archaic, but I know I can trust it not to contradict truth. Truth is supremely important to me! So I make the effort to study whatever isn't familiar to the modern ear. I get out of my comfort zone to acquire the vital knowledge it offers. Just my take, but if your goal is to reach Heaven, I'd choose the most accurate text available to teach me how to do that, not some vanity "bible" which will only lead me elsewhere. Maggiepie "The trouble with ignorance is that it picks up confidence as it goes along." ~ Source unknown

I have read different versions. i do have the good new Bible. Yet, I still come back to the original king james version. It is the bible translation that i have grown up with and hold on to.

"The Good News Bible is a great modern version. I love it because it's easy to understand and doesn't mince words. No Thou and Thee so often feels like reading a book where the content and context is important and not the flowery language. I also use the iPhone app of the Good News Bible so I have the Word of God at hand at all times... www.goodnewsbible.com"

Hello, my friend. I'm very delighted to see you're one of those who care about these things. Since there are so many translations going around, it's really not advisable for us to stick to one or two translations alone because no matter how scrupulous the translators intended to be, there are limitations like vocabulary, doctrinal backgrounds, understanding, and a number of other factors. There are really dangers in paraphrasing which inevitably happens in any Bible version. But for us not to be misguided, we should remember there are foundations in the Christian doctrine and if you find one verse to be spurious, contradicting the Christian common faith, we can always cross reference it with as many versions we may come across to get the consistent and if still in doubt, we can always go back to the orignal manuscripts and the oldest and original versions like Hebrew and Greek. Dictionaries and interlinear Bible copies abound in the net. The Lord does not let His people left without aid.

I studied in a Christian school during elementary and the only translation used in our curriculum is the King James Version. All throughout my elementary years I memorized Bible passages in KJV. Now that I am older I have started reading the New International Version and it's ok for me. It's quite understandable but I still keep a KJV version coz there are times that I miss reading in KJV. And I still find it easier to memorize from the KJV for some reason...i guess it's the flow of words. Or maybe I just got used to it. I have a an e-sword installed in my netbook so i can easily read the other translations but I've decided that I'm quite content with the NIV and the KJV. :o)

I read the NKJV, as I really like it and it is basically the same translation as the KJV, with maybe just a variation of words in the bible passages. I am drawing closer to Jesus everyday, by reading the bible, and I will continue to read it. In fact on New Years I will start reading it again. Take care, and may God bless you.

I like to use several translations as well. The main thing is that they are translations and not paraphrase! I do like several different ones and I think they can help us understand the Word better. That's the whole point isn't it?

I use King James version and Today's English version. I think if we use more than one version it will help us to understand well. We can learn a lot of news about the Bible. It will be the best Bible study for each and every one. For memorising the verses use only one type of version.

I grew up reading the KJV because that was all that was used at the church I grew up in. I still use it frequently when I preach, but I use many different versions while studying. I have an NIV, NASB, NKJV, NCV, and the Message. I use all of these to compare and better understand the overall message of the Scriptures. In my daily reading, I like to use the NIV, NCV and The Message, while my more in depth study comes from the NASB, KJV, and NKJV. The most important thing, though, is to actually read the Bible, not just have a collection of different Bibles. We can have all the different versions we want, but they are useless if we fail to read them.

Greetings Neriz69. While in Bible Institute, I was "convinced" the NIV was the best. However, after, sad to say, more than a decade, I found its New Testament to be defective in the Greek. I recently wrote an article about that: http://relijournal.com/christianity/why-i-gave-up-on-the-new-international-version/ . For the OT, the NIV might be pretty good. But it does botch up in the NT. Personally, I want to know what the ancient manuscripts actually said. What I use now is the New King James Version. I think you will find it understandable, but most important, reliable. I have an electronic copy of the KJV For The 21st Century, but have not read the whole thing yet.

I still prefer the King James Version of 1611 because that is the Bible I have been used to reading, I also like the literary style and love how "old English" is delivered.

I use the NASB as well as the King James Version. Mainly and use the NIV for backup. I do have the Message Bible but feel it is too easy. I am thinking of getting the ESV version, but will wait or a while. I do think that having several versions of the Bible are best as some translations give a better way of explaining things. And sometimes the translation give a wrong idea. For instance, in some translations, it says the Hebrews crossed the Reed Sea. Now unless one has the NASB or the KJV, one might think that the Hebrews had it easy and really God did not need to do much as to cause Moses to raise his rod and the sea part. But if one understands that they were referring to the shore where there were a lot of papyrus reeds and after going out farther, you ran the danger of being drowned in the deeper water, then it becomes understandable.

Do we really need any such books or translation to know God? I am not a Christian by birth but I have the copy of Old Testament and the New Version as well. Also I am in possession of several other Religions books and these are the one among the many. Some years before few people tried to take out the Old Testament from me, but I preserved. As the translation is in my own language, I can go deep with the real meaning what is written in it. But I am not a regular reader. I would refer all these book, whenever I feel so. All books are the road to reach somewhere and I realised all the roads are reaching to the same destination and people selects their own road as they are left on the sides of these roads. The start going ahead from where they started. Some reach fast and some will take some more time. Thank-s