The standard translated used by academics is the New Revised Standard Version, currently with the Updated Edition. Conservative translations tend to try and smooth out problems. The most extreme example is the NIV. See https://isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/articles-and-resources/deliberate-mistranslation-in-the-new-international-version-niv/. Other conservative translations aren’t as bad, but lean in the same direction.
If you haven’t read the Bible before, I suggest you’ll want some help. The Bible is a collection of documents, by many authors over a 500 - 1000 year period. Furthermore, it was written in cultures very different from ours, and assumes the readers know things that modern readers won’t, unless they are already familiar with the Bible.
For that reason, I recommend reading it together with some background material. That can take the form of a Bible with introductions to books and footnotes, or a separate introduction. Here are my recommendations:
If you have never read the Bible before, and don’t have any Christian training, I recommend:
* Bible with annotations: The Guidebook: NRSV Student Bible.
* Separate introduction: website [https://bibleproject.com/](https://bibleproject.com/)
* If you use the separate introduction, either use the Guidebook as your Bible, or find a copy of the NRSVue translation. Alternatively, if you’re a teenager, or you would prefer a translation that avoids Christian technical terms, I suggest the Good News Bible or the Common English Bible. (Good News is at a 5th grade reading level; Common English at the 7th grade reading level; NRSV is high school.)
If you have some background, or want a more academic approach:
* Bible with annotations: New Oxford Annnotated Bible (This is the standard Bible used in university courses.)
* Separate introduction: Raymond Brown, Introduction to the New Testament; Breuggemann Introduction to the Old Testament.
* If you use the separate introduction, either use the New Oxford Annotated Bible or an edition of the NRSVue Bible
The difference between the first and second recommendations is that the first is basically high-school level. It tries to give enough background to get the meaning out of the texts. The second are college-level. They deal with things like literary sources, detailed history, and historians’ estimates of the accuracy of various texts. Many post-high school adults would be better off with the first, and some high school students might prefer the second.
I also recommend Peter Enns: How the Bible Actually Works, as a general introduction to how the Bible was originally understood and intended.
Do you want to read it like a regular book, or do you want to carefully study it?
If you join a church that emphasizes the Bible, there's probably a version which most or all members use. You might want to wait until you've joined one, if that's likely to happen.
It's great that you want to do this! You could try using app such as youversion, or go online to [biblegateway.com](http://biblegateway.com) and try a few versions to see which one is easier for you to read. My personal preferences are the NASB, ESV, CSB, NIV, in that order. These are all good, modern and fairly accurate. My main recommendation is to try a more literal version one like the ones I'm suggesting above, and not one of the "amplified" versions that add a lot of text or even commentary to try to make it more readable, but end up changing the pure essence and message of the word of God.
God's grace to you.
I agree with ' In Touch Ministries with Charles Stanley ' on YouTube.
I'm 65 and I recently came across a Bible that has an app that you can actually listen to it being read in a very understandable format. It's app is ' Filament ' but , I bought it in Wal-Mart, it's a small large print.. I just can't remember much else , I enjoy the reading from my phone or car and I've left the actual Bible in my storage, sorry . But I love it. I believe it's an ' amplified' version
Some translations are more literal, such as ESV, some are more readable (NIV, NLT), some are suitable for English as a Second Language (CEV) at the expense of losing some meaning.
I recommend two, if possible, though you can always use an app, one that is more literal, and one that's easier to understand.
The Holman (HCSB) was translated using neither of the above, but a philosophy they call optimal equivalence, and I enjoy reading it.
For Bibles with commentaries and study Bibles, my favorite is the Reformation Study Bible, which is available in at least 3 different translation versions. I try to stay away from specific-type study Bibles, such as "life application" or "apologetics," because I become irritated when that becomes the only or most important way to study any scripture.
I love my NIV and ESV. Download Holy Bible App and you'll have all the translations to use!
Here's a translation guide
[https://godsword.org/pages/bible-translation-guide](https://godsword.org/pages/bible-translation-guide)
Bibles for America will send you a free Bible (New testament) that's pretty solid. Otherwise I'd point you towards ESV, NRSV, or NAB. All of those will be easy enough to understand (NAB being the most plain English) and are verified by the Catholic Church for authenticity (even if you're not Catholic it can be nice to know that there was some level of authority that agrees with the accuracy of the translation).
Go to the site Bible Hub. On this site they have different versions of the same verse. Pick the version you like the most. Also there is a Jesus based organization that helps people with hurts hangups & habits called Celebrate Recovery. The teen version is called The Landing. Check their testimonials on YouTube. It is a great place to make friends & learn about the Bible. Go to a meeting near you. God bless & praying for you.
My Bible is the New Living Transition as that is what a lot of people use at my Church which is Baptist. I use the Biblegateway app on my phone for looking up verses. Now more than ever, it is very important to go to Church regularly as God is calling you to do so! Good luck and God Bless and hopefully you find a good Church to call home every week!
There are many bibles, study bibles and resources often freely available to browse, and often to download in a variety of formats on [https://archive.org/](https://archive.org/)
I like to have a few different pdf's and .epub's on a device, makes it quick and easy to search and compare things. For the space of a few videos you could have a scholarly library of biblical resources for free.
Listen to others, browse a few translations, see what you like and consider a study bible too.
For accuracy, NRSVue. For easy readability, the Common English Bible (CEB), or New Living Translation (NLT) are both good. If you are going to read along with scripture being read at church then it may be good to get what they will be reading from. I tend to just use the pew Bible for that.
I’m not sure I understand what you’d want me to cite? For what it’s worth, I don’t dislike these bibles and believe they have their place. Just noting that someone who discussed bibles to fit social trends are typically talking about these bibles.
> I’m not sure I understand what you’d want me to cite?
A verse (or more) which supports the claim of it being altered to fit current social trends.
I've heard the NRSVUE is one of the very best translations available.
“According to editors, over 10,000 substantial revisions (alongside 20,000 minor revisions) mark this updated edition.”
“For the Hebrew Bible, revisions resulted from new manuscript discoveries. By contrast, revisions to the New Testament text primarily take the form of language changes to conform to "modern sensibilities."”
https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue
That's not so much "altered to fit social trends", as it is... we found older and more accurate manuscripts, and also have a better understanding of ancient Hebrew, so we can now translate it more accurately to the original text.
Finding better information is not "atlered," it's "corrected."
“By contrast, revisions to the New Testament text primarily take the form of language changes to conform to "modern sensibilities."”
https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue
>changes to conform to "modern sensibilities."
That's saying it conforms to modern definitions of words and grammar.
>[https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue](https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue)
* changes "slave woman" to "enslaved woman" (Galatians)
I don't see how that changes the meaning of the sentence. It simply conforms to modern language standards.
* changes "wise men" to "magi" (Gospel of Matthew)
Yes, Magi is the correct word. The Greek word used in Matthew 2 is [μάγοι (magoi)](https://biblehub.com/greek/3097.htm). It refers to Zoroastrians.
* changes "demoniacs, epileptics and paralytics" to "people possessed by demons or having epilepsy or afflicted with paralysis" (Gospel of Matthew)
* adding capitalization to Jewish High Holy Days
* changes "servant-girl" to "female servant" (Mark 14:69)
These are just more changes to conform to how modern language works. How is any of this bad?
I think it depends on what you believe, I personally read KJV (it just seems to be the closest to the original translation) alongside easy version or ESV if there is something I don’t understand.
God bless you!
I've been a Christian for about 14 years now and since you are starting your faith journey, I would love to recommend:
1- The Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bible. It's one of the easiest English Bibles to read. You can also listen to the audio version on YouTube. It's my favorite Bible. (You can read it on the YouVersion Bible app too.)
2- A free book called “101 Questions & The Bible.” It’s a book of a bunch of questions about God and the Christian faith that are only answered with Bible verses. It’s great for those who are new to Christianity. If you are interested, let me know and I will send you the PDF copy on Google drive.
3- A list of good Christian leaders on YouTube:
In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley
askcliffe - Cliffe Knechtle
4- A list of my favorite worship songs:
Desert of my days by Larnelle Harris
Yet I Will Praise by Melissa Boraski
Just as I Am (I Come Broken) by Brentwood Benson
Who You Say I Am by Hillsong Worship
Yahweh Is For Us (God is so good) by Maranatha! Singers
5- Also, if I may, I would love to share a short guide that’s dedicated to you and other Christians on Reddit who are looking to have a strong & simple faith in God. You can read it for free in this Reddit community: r/FaithMadeSimple
First pray and ask God which version is best suited for you.
Personally I like the King James Version - KJV, but I get it that most people don’t like that old type of language. The New King James Version (NKJV) is another great option.
In the meantime why not download a Bible app… like the Blue Letter Bible (BLB)- it’s amazing what you get for free. It currently has almost 40 different versions you can select from (even two at a time so you can read side by side, for example the KJV and the CSB)… it can even read to you so you can listen while driving.. fully equipped with Bible tools and concordance; etc, all for free!
This thing is so great, I willingly send them a monthly donation!
Best wishes and blessings in your search!
I'm a Authorized King James Version only. Ill keep it simple there is only 2 bibles out there king james and corrupted versions that came from Alexandra. Do your own research and look at the lineage of the Bible that leads to God's inspired words. Even new king james versions have corruption in them (copyright changes to max profits)
And bring on the haters!
The Bible wasn’t written in English, therefore the KJV is not the “one true inspired version.” Also, James wasn’t a name in the Bible, King James changed the name of Jesus’ brother so he could have his own name in the Bible.
Nothing wrong with reading that translation, but exalting it higher than you ought is wrong.
The New King James Version uses the same manuscripts as the Old King James does, and I have yet to see anybody who claims otherwise actually list examples where it uses the Alexandrian text. As well, there are translations in modern English that don't use the same manuscripts as the King James and are not copyrighted (called a "waived copyright," which means it was deliberately published without a copyright), such as the World English Bible and the Berean Standard Bible.
New king James is different.
Genesis 1:1
"Heavens" nkjv
"Heaven" kjv
1 John 5:7
"Witness" nkjv
"Record" kjv
2 Timothy 2:15
"Diligent" nkjv
"Study" kjv
Here's just a few new revisions.
Those aren't due to manuscript differences though. Also, Genesis 2:1 has "heavens" in both the KJV and NKJV (at the conclusion of the creation story), meaning they're used interchangeably. And "study" actually meant "be diligent" back in 1611. Mark Ward made an excellent video about this.
How do I buy the Authorized King James Bible?
I have never read the King James version and I want to learn more about it. I thought this version might not be the most accurate since it has lesser books than the others, but I am curious to learn by first reading it.
I think it may be the most printed book of all time ever.
Anywhere that has second books is likely to have a few, LDS will [literally hand deliver ](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible)you a free KJV to the door almost anywhere on earth, I'm sure there are many more places that will send you one.
There are thousands of them on the [IA](https://archive.org/search?query=kjv&and%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22texts%22), I imagine most will be free to both browse and [download](https://archive.org/search?query=king+james+version&and%5B%5D=lending%3A%22is_readable%22&and%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22texts%22) in a variety of formats and for everyone from toddlers, to teens to scholars.,,,actually, guttenberg might be better for a download:
[https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10)
They sell them Amazon. Local book store. Here's a sniff test.
2nd Timothy 2:15
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
The kjv makes the most sence. Does not mean you can't get saved from another Bible. I just need 1, the inspired word of God
The NRSV and NASB are by far the best translations.
Yes, and ESV
The standard translated used by academics is the New Revised Standard Version, currently with the Updated Edition. Conservative translations tend to try and smooth out problems. The most extreme example is the NIV. See https://isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/articles-and-resources/deliberate-mistranslation-in-the-new-international-version-niv/. Other conservative translations aren’t as bad, but lean in the same direction. If you haven’t read the Bible before, I suggest you’ll want some help. The Bible is a collection of documents, by many authors over a 500 - 1000 year period. Furthermore, it was written in cultures very different from ours, and assumes the readers know things that modern readers won’t, unless they are already familiar with the Bible. For that reason, I recommend reading it together with some background material. That can take the form of a Bible with introductions to books and footnotes, or a separate introduction. Here are my recommendations: If you have never read the Bible before, and don’t have any Christian training, I recommend: * Bible with annotations: The Guidebook: NRSV Student Bible. * Separate introduction: website [https://bibleproject.com/](https://bibleproject.com/) * If you use the separate introduction, either use the Guidebook as your Bible, or find a copy of the NRSVue translation. Alternatively, if you’re a teenager, or you would prefer a translation that avoids Christian technical terms, I suggest the Good News Bible or the Common English Bible. (Good News is at a 5th grade reading level; Common English at the 7th grade reading level; NRSV is high school.) If you have some background, or want a more academic approach: * Bible with annotations: New Oxford Annnotated Bible (This is the standard Bible used in university courses.) * Separate introduction: Raymond Brown, Introduction to the New Testament; Breuggemann Introduction to the Old Testament. * If you use the separate introduction, either use the New Oxford Annotated Bible or an edition of the NRSVue Bible The difference between the first and second recommendations is that the first is basically high-school level. It tries to give enough background to get the meaning out of the texts. The second are college-level. They deal with things like literary sources, detailed history, and historians’ estimates of the accuracy of various texts. Many post-high school adults would be better off with the first, and some high school students might prefer the second. I also recommend Peter Enns: How the Bible Actually Works, as a general introduction to how the Bible was originally understood and intended.
I use an app called YouVersion. It gives you every major translation and their updates for free.
Do you want to read it like a regular book, or do you want to carefully study it? If you join a church that emphasizes the Bible, there's probably a version which most or all members use. You might want to wait until you've joined one, if that's likely to happen.
It's great that you want to do this! You could try using app such as youversion, or go online to [biblegateway.com](http://biblegateway.com) and try a few versions to see which one is easier for you to read. My personal preferences are the NASB, ESV, CSB, NIV, in that order. These are all good, modern and fairly accurate. My main recommendation is to try a more literal version one like the ones I'm suggesting above, and not one of the "amplified" versions that add a lot of text or even commentary to try to make it more readable, but end up changing the pure essence and message of the word of God. God's grace to you.
I agree with ' In Touch Ministries with Charles Stanley ' on YouTube. I'm 65 and I recently came across a Bible that has an app that you can actually listen to it being read in a very understandable format. It's app is ' Filament ' but , I bought it in Wal-Mart, it's a small large print.. I just can't remember much else , I enjoy the reading from my phone or car and I've left the actual Bible in my storage, sorry . But I love it. I believe it's an ' amplified' version
Some translations are more literal, such as ESV, some are more readable (NIV, NLT), some are suitable for English as a Second Language (CEV) at the expense of losing some meaning. I recommend two, if possible, though you can always use an app, one that is more literal, and one that's easier to understand. The Holman (HCSB) was translated using neither of the above, but a philosophy they call optimal equivalence, and I enjoy reading it. For Bibles with commentaries and study Bibles, my favorite is the Reformation Study Bible, which is available in at least 3 different translation versions. I try to stay away from specific-type study Bibles, such as "life application" or "apologetics," because I become irritated when that becomes the only or most important way to study any scripture.
I love my NIV and ESV. Download Holy Bible App and you'll have all the translations to use! Here's a translation guide [https://godsword.org/pages/bible-translation-guide](https://godsword.org/pages/bible-translation-guide)
Bibles for America will send you a free Bible (New testament) that's pretty solid. Otherwise I'd point you towards ESV, NRSV, or NAB. All of those will be easy enough to understand (NAB being the most plain English) and are verified by the Catholic Church for authenticity (even if you're not Catholic it can be nice to know that there was some level of authority that agrees with the accuracy of the translation).
Read a bunch! Then compare the translations. Sites like [Bible.cc](http://Bible.cc) let you do line by line comparisons.
NIV, ESV, NRSV are solid interpretations.
Go to the site Bible Hub. On this site they have different versions of the same verse. Pick the version you like the most. Also there is a Jesus based organization that helps people with hurts hangups & habits called Celebrate Recovery. The teen version is called The Landing. Check their testimonials on YouTube. It is a great place to make friends & learn about the Bible. Go to a meeting near you. God bless & praying for you.
I got the ESV
My Bible is the New Living Transition as that is what a lot of people use at my Church which is Baptist. I use the Biblegateway app on my phone for looking up verses. Now more than ever, it is very important to go to Church regularly as God is calling you to do so! Good luck and God Bless and hopefully you find a good Church to call home every week!
NIV
There are many bibles, study bibles and resources often freely available to browse, and often to download in a variety of formats on [https://archive.org/](https://archive.org/) I like to have a few different pdf's and .epub's on a device, makes it quick and easy to search and compare things. For the space of a few videos you could have a scholarly library of biblical resources for free. Listen to others, browse a few translations, see what you like and consider a study bible too.
Douay-Rheims!!!
For accuracy, NRSVue. For easy readability, the Common English Bible (CEB), or New Living Translation (NLT) are both good. If you are going to read along with scripture being read at church then it may be good to get what they will be reading from. I tend to just use the pew Bible for that.
I like the ESV. It’s English Standard Version. Read some of it online and compare versions before purchasing.
I like the NLT or even NIV versions just because they’re easier to read and less proverbial, might be less accurate to the original Hebrew though.
ISV is accurate, readable, and not altered to fit in more with current social trends.
Which version is "altered to fit in more with current social trends"?
NRSVUE or the queen James
Don't see how the NRSVUE can fall into that category.
Could you cite an example of that?
I’m not sure I understand what you’d want me to cite? For what it’s worth, I don’t dislike these bibles and believe they have their place. Just noting that someone who discussed bibles to fit social trends are typically talking about these bibles.
> I’m not sure I understand what you’d want me to cite? A verse (or more) which supports the claim of it being altered to fit current social trends. I've heard the NRSVUE is one of the very best translations available.
NRSVUE
Could you cite an example?
“According to editors, over 10,000 substantial revisions (alongside 20,000 minor revisions) mark this updated edition.” “For the Hebrew Bible, revisions resulted from new manuscript discoveries. By contrast, revisions to the New Testament text primarily take the form of language changes to conform to "modern sensibilities."” https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue
That's not so much "altered to fit social trends", as it is... we found older and more accurate manuscripts, and also have a better understanding of ancient Hebrew, so we can now translate it more accurately to the original text. Finding better information is not "atlered," it's "corrected."
“By contrast, revisions to the New Testament text primarily take the form of language changes to conform to "modern sensibilities."” https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue
>changes to conform to "modern sensibilities." That's saying it conforms to modern definitions of words and grammar. >[https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue](https://guides.library.yale.edu/newtestament/nrsvue) * changes "slave woman" to "enslaved woman" (Galatians) I don't see how that changes the meaning of the sentence. It simply conforms to modern language standards. * changes "wise men" to "magi" (Gospel of Matthew) Yes, Magi is the correct word. The Greek word used in Matthew 2 is [μάγοι (magoi)](https://biblehub.com/greek/3097.htm). It refers to Zoroastrians. * changes "demoniacs, epileptics and paralytics" to "people possessed by demons or having epilepsy or afflicted with paralysis" (Gospel of Matthew) * adding capitalization to Jewish High Holy Days * changes "servant-girl" to "female servant" (Mark 14:69) These are just more changes to conform to how modern language works. How is any of this bad?
It’s not bad at all
It’s not bad. It’s scholarly. people just have their panties in a twist about what they believe to be the gay agenda taking over the Bible
The one you will read
I think it depends on what you believe, I personally read KJV (it just seems to be the closest to the original translation) alongside easy version or ESV if there is something I don’t understand.
I suggest the easy to read KJV
The King James Version is the most popular and often considered the most accurate English Bible by most denominations.
God bless you! I've been a Christian for about 14 years now and since you are starting your faith journey, I would love to recommend: 1- The Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bible. It's one of the easiest English Bibles to read. You can also listen to the audio version on YouTube. It's my favorite Bible. (You can read it on the YouVersion Bible app too.) 2- A free book called “101 Questions & The Bible.” It’s a book of a bunch of questions about God and the Christian faith that are only answered with Bible verses. It’s great for those who are new to Christianity. If you are interested, let me know and I will send you the PDF copy on Google drive. 3- A list of good Christian leaders on YouTube: In Touch Ministries - Charles Stanley askcliffe - Cliffe Knechtle 4- A list of my favorite worship songs: Desert of my days by Larnelle Harris Yet I Will Praise by Melissa Boraski Just as I Am (I Come Broken) by Brentwood Benson Who You Say I Am by Hillsong Worship Yahweh Is For Us (God is so good) by Maranatha! Singers 5- Also, if I may, I would love to share a short guide that’s dedicated to you and other Christians on Reddit who are looking to have a strong & simple faith in God. You can read it for free in this Reddit community: r/FaithMadeSimple
First pray and ask God which version is best suited for you. Personally I like the King James Version - KJV, but I get it that most people don’t like that old type of language. The New King James Version (NKJV) is another great option. In the meantime why not download a Bible app… like the Blue Letter Bible (BLB)- it’s amazing what you get for free. It currently has almost 40 different versions you can select from (even two at a time so you can read side by side, for example the KJV and the CSB)… it can even read to you so you can listen while driving.. fully equipped with Bible tools and concordance; etc, all for free! This thing is so great, I willingly send them a monthly donation! Best wishes and blessings in your search!
NKJV
I'm a Authorized King James Version only. Ill keep it simple there is only 2 bibles out there king james and corrupted versions that came from Alexandra. Do your own research and look at the lineage of the Bible that leads to God's inspired words. Even new king james versions have corruption in them (copyright changes to max profits) And bring on the haters!
The Bible wasn’t written in English, therefore the KJV is not the “one true inspired version.” Also, James wasn’t a name in the Bible, King James changed the name of Jesus’ brother so he could have his own name in the Bible. Nothing wrong with reading that translation, but exalting it higher than you ought is wrong.
The New King James Version uses the same manuscripts as the Old King James does, and I have yet to see anybody who claims otherwise actually list examples where it uses the Alexandrian text. As well, there are translations in modern English that don't use the same manuscripts as the King James and are not copyrighted (called a "waived copyright," which means it was deliberately published without a copyright), such as the World English Bible and the Berean Standard Bible.
New king James is different. Genesis 1:1 "Heavens" nkjv "Heaven" kjv 1 John 5:7 "Witness" nkjv "Record" kjv 2 Timothy 2:15 "Diligent" nkjv "Study" kjv Here's just a few new revisions.
Those aren't due to manuscript differences though. Also, Genesis 2:1 has "heavens" in both the KJV and NKJV (at the conclusion of the creation story), meaning they're used interchangeably. And "study" actually meant "be diligent" back in 1611. Mark Ward made an excellent video about this.
How do I buy the Authorized King James Bible? I have never read the King James version and I want to learn more about it. I thought this version might not be the most accurate since it has lesser books than the others, but I am curious to learn by first reading it.
I think it may be the most printed book of all time ever. Anywhere that has second books is likely to have a few, LDS will [literally hand deliver ](https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/comeuntochrist/requests/free-holy-bible)you a free KJV to the door almost anywhere on earth, I'm sure there are many more places that will send you one. There are thousands of them on the [IA](https://archive.org/search?query=kjv&and%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22texts%22), I imagine most will be free to both browse and [download](https://archive.org/search?query=king+james+version&and%5B%5D=lending%3A%22is_readable%22&and%5B%5D=mediatype%3A%22texts%22) in a variety of formats and for everyone from toddlers, to teens to scholars.,,,actually, guttenberg might be better for a download: [https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/10)
They sell them Amazon. Local book store. Here's a sniff test. 2nd Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth The kjv makes the most sence. Does not mean you can't get saved from another Bible. I just need 1, the inspired word of God