Anyone know what bible to buy? There's so many versions out there, I wanna get the most accurate English one though.
Never really been the religious type, Protestant, never really been to church or read the bible Never owned one either, and as I turn 18 next month, I wanna connect with God and form a relationship with him, for this next part of my life.
King James is the best and most accurate, in my personal opinion.
What translations has the Lord led you to read most of all so far?
these feel like the 2 important things to optimize between:
Readability - how much does the spirit light up in you? a passion to read means you read more, feel more, and get more.
logical consistency. this is where KJV reigns (~56% of American Bible readers).
Agree with KJV. And 100%, get a physical Bible, I also offer that you supplement with https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/
You can choose different versions to read side by side/one after the other to gain additional understanding.
Congrats on your First Bible, no harm in there being several as you travel this path.
store.flagandcross.com I got mine last night. 1599 Geneva Bible. Patriots Edition. Also has our Constitution, & Declaration Of Independance
Nice!
Just ordered one also, can't have too many Bibles. They are now on back order until September. I'll probably forget and this will show up, be like an early Christmas surprise. :)
I would start with NIV or NLT since those are in more typical English of today. As you get familiar with the scripture, compare the various translations to test your understanding of the words.
Also, if you have a smart phone, download the You Version Bible app
I like my study bible because the study notes are excellent. I thank GOD often for the study notes writers in addition to the apostles and Saints that wrote down the scriptures.
My Mom gave me mine and she gave me the NIV large print. But they do have the KJV also that many prefer.
https://www.thekjvstore.com/kjv-life-application-study-bible/
I find it good to have a couple of translations on hand. NIV and NRSV are good ones. If you want the older translations, there’s KJV and Douay-Rheims to consider, too.
I’d recommend a Greek interlinear translation as well. It’s nice to have English translations, but even better to have the original language the Bible was written in (NT at least).
Try the New English Translation. They are mostly literal with some light interpretation. But they also include a lot of translator's notes so that you can see all the possible ways to translate a passage.
The English Standard Version is also good. It is "essentially literal" and based on revisions to the KJV.
New American Standard and New King James will be better to get started with. Jmo
I use NKJV myself.
(You're only going to be 18?!) God bless you. Listen to Him, not to us!
I prefer KJV 1616. Translations and interpretations tend to degrade over time as ignorance (necessarily) increases.
That said, if you're not up to the task of getting comfortable with 17th century English, and just want a more literal, and cohesive reading, a modern translation (1984 NIV is decent) won't do you any harm to read, especially if your focus is the story of Jesus (which it sounds like it is).
If/when you feel ready to dive deeper (which you may not, and that is absolutely fine), the 1616 KJV is the best tool, and a Greek/Hebrew parallel Bible as well as "Hidden Wisdom in The Holy Bible vols 1-2" by Geoffrey Hodson are great companions.
I made this comment in a similar thread here: https://greatawakening.win/p/12igY9kOxc/which-version-of-the-bible-is-th/
With that said, Michael Heiser is a translation wizard. He has an MA in Ancient History and an MA and PhD in the Hebrew Bible and Semitic Languages. Here's his answer to the "best (English) translation" question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AYxyX2Ka_oQ
Personally, I favor the NKJV.
You can read different versions on this app & it's free. I like NLT, NKJV, MSG, CJB, & AMP. You can change the size of the font. It also has plans. One of the plans is The Bible in A Year. Of course, get a bible you can carry around.
I'm using the Bible App by YouVersion.com. Download it now for your mobile device.
https://j794q.app.goo.gl/E118PnbidYUb5ufm9
For accuracy, I’d recommend ESV, NASB, or NKJV.
Don’t sweat it too much and start reading.
God bless you. Happy early birthday :)
I highly recommend the Apologetics Study Bible. It's a good translation, and is loaded with little articles that answer many of the questions non-Christians(and Christians!) have. And excellent study notes and cross-references as well.
good for u!!!
when ur ready.....i've found Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (also on line) very necessary for deeper study. easy-to-use, and understandable for studying the original languages of the Bible, allows you to see every instance that word is used in the Bible as well as how it was translated.
Its also good to get a bible map so you can see where they are talking about ?
Life Application Study Bible in any translation you'd like. I myself prefer NIV.
I would encourage you to do some online research. I ended up getting a king James but made sure to get one with “apocrypha” which are lost books which don’t make it into all translations.
My prayer prior to Bible study is always; Lord I pray that you would open my mind and my heart to receive your word. Reveal yourself and your truth to me. Shield me from my own misunderstanding.
I also wonder about this since Q tells us to read the Bible...
through my basic research, and trying out various Bibles, I've been reading verses from the Geneva Bible 1599.
It was the Bible that the Puritans brought with them, and it was banned by King James because of the margin notes which were telling the people they had rights, etc.
King James also had a lot of 'issues', so I don't know if his Bible is the tool to use for this time that we're in, but that's just my opinion as I know many people love the KJV.
I would also read the Q-Source section of any Bible first as it focuses on the sayings of Jesus.
you can use this outline to find the Q-Source/Sayings Gospel in any Bible you prefer.
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/q-contents.html
ESV is a direct translation from the Hebrew and Aramaic to modern English. It it a bit cumbersome at times because the version translates the actual sentence structure from those languages.
KJV uses outdated English but is very accurately translated from the original languages.
NKJV is just updated KJV and not a direct translation but a translation of the KJV translation.
NIV tries to use the most common translation structure for all english usage around the world. Warning some verses are missing.
ESV is my personal favorite.
The LRH version is what I have. I noticed that other bibles have removed the part about thetans, aliens, galactic wars, etc. L Ron Hubbard translated it all.
If you want it in modern-day English to make reading easier, try the New International Version.
I have King James Version also, but Just sit down and pray that God will guide you to choose the best bible. Go to a Mardells if you gave one near and start looking at all of them until you find the one that speaks to you! You will know
I like original King James and NO study Bible. Their interpretations are usually misdirections and prevent you from hearing what God is revealing to you.
I have to agree with this. Don't study another opinion. Study for yourself. If you have questions find a strong Christian person you can talk to face to face.
That is not to say that commentary isn't helpful but I find that I just accepted the explanation written without reasoning and digging deeper to find meaning.