I've heard the KJV is a bad translation and many others. Which version of the Bible do you read and what is your reason for that version?
I was raised catholic and lost my faith the older I got, but I've always been spiritual and I know there is a God. (Just look around and you can see Lucifer in pretty much everything)
Lately I've been seeing how our world has progressed into what the book of revelations tells us, and now I'm really starting to gain my faith back.
Any help on this is greatly appreciated.
God bless you all! Wwg1wga
That is a very difficult question with a complex answer. There are primarily 2 approaches used in translating scripture in the various manuscripts (such as the Textus Receptus and Alexandrian texts) into Bible translations. The first approach is to translate from the original Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek as literally as possible, word for word. This is not always possible as there are words in one language that have no real/direct equivalent in another language. Translators do the best they can in those instances where this occurs. Translations that use a literal word for word approach include: NASB, ESV, and the Amplified versions.
The other approach is the dynamic equivalent approach. This method of translation attempts to translate from the original languages on a thought for thought basis rather than on a word for word basis. In other words, this translation method is more focused on what the original writers intended to say, the thought they wanted to convey, rather than a literal word for word translation. Some versions that use the dynamic equivalent method are: NKJV, CSB, NRSV, and NIV.
Understand also, that you need to think of the different translations as being on a continuum, from extreme literal word for word on one end of the continuum, to extreme dynamic equivalent on the other end of the continuum. The various translations fall at different points along the continuum rather than being simply one or the other.
I should mention that there is a 3rd approach called the paraphrase method. This method simply attempts to phrase the original languages from the various texts in contemporary speech/usage of language. I personally don't care for these translations and this method of translation.
I think the question, "Which version is best" (And I know that is not the exact question you asked) is the wrong question. Each translation method has it's own challenges, strengths, and weaknesses. My suggestion is that you read from several translations and compare them to one another so that you get a more complete picture of what is being said. For example, read from the NASB and ESV, as well as the NKJV and NIV translations.
It's kind of like putting together a 1,000 piece puzzle, the more pieces you have the more complete your understanding of the overall picture will be.
Hope this helps.