Hi, I'm New-ish --- Looking For A Good Bible

Ricky

Ricky

Hey everyone!
I told myself a while ago that I'm going to read the entire bible from start to finish... haha yeah. Actually, I think one of the big troubles I've had with that goal is just not knowing what Bible I should have (plus I tend to do better reading real books over e-books, and in the past I have used e-books... I'm old fashioned). So, I was wondering if anyone could help me with finding a good Bible. Now I'm not a Christian, I'm just one of those people that likes to suck up knowledge. I only mention this because it seems there are several versions of the Bible and I don't know the differences between them/advantages to reading one over the other.

I would really appreciate all the help I can get on this.

Thanks!

- Ricky

P.S. I love having books that have character to them. So if you know of a great Bible that looks good on a shelf, that would be fantastic. I really like leather too (though, I'm more of a faux leather kind of guy).
 
There are many options available.
I would suggest you use a version in a more easy-to-read English style.
The Message by Eugene Peterson or the New Living Translation are not literal word-for-word translations, but rather phrase-by-phrase. They strive to keep the meaning of what the original texts are saying.
Before you start, ask God to show you what His Word has to say to you. Keep your mind and heart open to listen.
 
My most used and well-worn bible is my "New Spirit-Filled Life Bible" published by Thomas Nelson, in the New King James Version, although it is now out in the New Living Translation, which is in even more fluid English. This particular bible has so many wonderful word helps and helps on spiritual dynamics from most excellent bible scholars, one contributor being the pastor of my own pastor! I highly recommend it.
 
Excellent guys!
I should also mention that I really don't mind the language being closer to the original -- as long as it's not Latin, though I can read Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, but I doubt there's a Bible written in that, haha! I studied ancient history in college so I'm use to reading really old English. I prefer to have things that are closest to the source as possible so that I can have the best understanding of it.
 
Welcome!
As to which version, I would suggest clicking the 'Bible' link at the top of the page. You will be able to select and read from a large number of versions in any of a variety of languages.

I suggest that you choose a passage that interests you and read that same passage in each version that interests you. If you want a suggestion, I would suggest the first chapter of the Gospel of John, or maybe the 53rd chapter of Isaiah. If you wish to concentrate on a single verse, I would suggest John chapter 3 verse 16. Others may have favorite passages that have meant a lot to them.

Most versions come in a wide range of bindings, including some impressive leather editions meant for formal worship and ceremonial purposes. For myself, I prefer a more simple leather binding that has many creases and cracks from use, and has several bookmarks and notes sticking out.

Find a binding you like in the version you choose, and then start transforming it by reading and studying it, building its character as it builds yours.
 
Given your comments about a background in history and old english, you might just find the King James (KJV) quite sufficient with referring to online resources for various translations and interpretations. The KJV is often considered the authoritative english translation. I am partial to the New King James (NKJV) which was translated similar the KJV with more modern word choices.

I do recommend the online resource Bible Gateway because they have the feature that you can search one passage and see it in multiple translations and interpretations at once: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John 3&version=NKJV;MSG;NIV

I would also second the comments about covers. Find a translation you like and then you can find it in a binding you prefer.
 
Ricky said:
Excellent guys!
I should also mention that I really don't mind the language being closer to the original -- as long as it's not Latin, though I can read Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, but I doubt there's a Bible written in that, haha! I studied ancient history in college so I'm use to reading really old English. I prefer to have things that are closest to the source as possible so that I can have the best understanding of it.
Click to expand...

For someone who still has yet to receive the truth of Jesus Christ, it is a good thing to have a bible that is easy to understand, in a more modern English. The Lord can speak to your heart in any version, but to hold to the archaic is not necessary.
 
Hello Ricky and welcome to the Forum. I think it's great that you want to read the Bible and although I preach and teach from a hard copy of the King James, there are some excellent software packages available such as E-Sword which is a free download full of various translations of God's Word as well as Hebrew and Greek Meanings and commentaries explaining the verses. Now I am pretty old fashioned too but I think you would benefit from an outlet such as E-Sword and I think, if you take it quite seriously, you'll find many answers that this world simply can't offer....
 
Welcome Ricky, a good thing to do on reading the bible is maybe do the one year bible.
(also available in PDF format)

Epistles The Law History Psalms Poetry Prophecy Gospels
Week (Sunday) (Monday) (Tuesday) (Wednesday) (Thursday) (Friday) (Saturday)
1 Romans 1-2 Genesis 1-3 Joshua 1-5 Psalms 1-2 Job 1-2 Isaiah 1-6 Matthew 1-2
2 Romans 3-4 Genesis 4-7 Joshua 6-10 Psalms 3-5 Job 3-4 Isaiah 7-11 Matthew 3-4
3 Romans 5-6 Genesis 8-11 Joshua 11-15 Psalms 6-8 Job 5-6 Isaiah 12-17 Matthew 5-7
4 Romans 7-8 Genesis 12-15 Joshua 16-20 Psalms 9-11 Job 7-8 Isaiah 18-22 Matthew 8-10
5 Romans 9-10 Genesis 16-19 Joshua 21-24 Psalms 12-14 Job 9-10 Isaiah 23-28 Matthew 11-13
6 Romans 11-12 Genesis 20-23 Judges 1-6 Psalms 15-17 Job 11-12 Isaiah 29-33 Matthew 14-16
7 Romans 13-14 Genesis 24-27 Judges 7-11 Psalms 18-20 Job 13-14 Isaiah 34-39 Matthew 17-19
8 Romans 15-16 Genesis 28-31 Judges 12-16 Psalms 21-23 Job 15-16 Isaiah 40-44 Matthew 20-22
9 I Corinthians 1-2 Genesis 32-35 Judges 17-21 Psalms 24-26 Job 17-18 Isaiah 45-50 Matthew 23-25
10 I Corinthians 3-4 Genesis 36-39 Ruth Psalms 27-29 Job 19-20 Isaiah 51-55 Matthew 26-28
11 I Corinthians 5-6 Genesis 40-43 I Samuel 1-5 Psalms 30-32 Job 21-22 Isaiah 56-61 Mark 1-2
12 I Corinthians 7-8 Genesis 44-47 I Samuel 6-10 Psalms 33-35 Job 23-24 Isaiah 62-66 Mark 3-4
13 I Corinthians 9-10 Genesis 48-50 I Samuel 11-15 Psalms 36-38 Job 25-26 Jeremiah 1-6 Mark 5-6
14 I Corinthians 11-12 Exodus 1-4 I Samuel 16-20 Psalms 39-41 Job 27-28 Jeremiah 7-11 Mark 7-8
15 I Corinthians 13-14 Exodus 5-8 I Samuel 21-25 Psalms 42-44 Job 29-30 Jeremiah 12-16 Mark 9-10
16 I Corinthians 15-16 Exodus 9-12 I Samuel 26-31 Psalms 45-47 Job 31-32 Jeremiah 17-21 Mark 11-12
17 II Corinthians 1-3 Exodus 13-16 II Samuel 1-4 Psalms 48-50 Job 33-34 Jeremiah 22-26 Mark 13-14
18 II Corinthians 4-5 Exodus 17-20 II Samuel 5-9 Psalms 51-53 Job 35-36 Jeremiah 27-31 Mark 15-16
19 II Corinthians 6-8 Exodus 21-24 II Samuel 10-14 Psalms 54-56 Job 37-38 Jeremiah 32-36 Luke 1-2
20 II Corinthians 9-10 Exodus 25-28 II Samuel 15-19 Psalms 57-59 Job 39-40 Jeremiah 37-41 Luke 3-4
21 II Corinthians 11-13 Exodus 29-32 II Samuel 20-24 Psalms 60-62 Job 41-42 Jeremiah 42-46 Luke 5-6
22 Galatians 1-3 Exodus 33-36 I Kings 1-4 Psalms 63-65 Proverbs 1 Jeremiah 47-52 Luke 7-8
23 Galatians 4-6 Exodus 37-40 I Kings 5-9 Psalms 66-68 Proverbs 2-3 Lamentations Luke 9-10
24 Ephesians 1-3 Leviticus 1-3 I Kings 10-13 Psalms 69-71 Proverbs 4 Ezekiel 1-6 Luke 11-12
25 Ephesians 4-6 Leviticus 4-6 I Kings 14-18 Psalms 72-74 Proverbs 5-6 Ezekiel 7-12 Luke 13-14
26 Philippians 1-2 Leviticus 7-9 I Kings 19-22 Psalms 75-77 Proverbs 7 Ezekiel 13-18 Luke 15-16
27 Philippians 3-4 Leviticus 10-12 II Kings 1-5 Psalms 78-80 Proverbs 8-9 Ezekiel 19-24 Luke 17-18
28 Colossians 1-2 Leviticus 13-15 II Kings 6-10 Psalms 81-83 Proverbs 10 Ezekiel 25-30 Luke 19-20
29 Colossians 3-4 Leviticus 16-18 II Kings 11-15 Psalms 84-86 Proverbs 11-12 Ezekiel 31-36 Luke 21-22
30 I Thessalonians 1-3 Leviticus 19-21 II Kings 16-20 Psalms 87-89 Proverbs 13 Ezekiel 37-42 Luke 23-24
31 I Thessalonians 4-5 Leviticus 22-24 II Kings 21-25 Psalms 90-92 Proverbs 14-15 Ezekiel 43-48 John 1-2
32 II Thessalonians Leviticus 25-27 I Chronicles 1-4 Psalms 93-95 Proverbs 16 Daniel 1-6 John 3-4
33 I Timothy 1-3 Numbers 1-4 I Chronicles 5-9 Psalms 96-98 Proverbs 17-18 Daniel 7-12 John 5-6
34 I Timothy 4-6 Numbers 5-8 I Chronicles 10-14 Psalms 99-101 Proverbs 19 Hosea 1-7 John 7-9
35 II Timothy 1-2 Numbers 9-12 I Chronicles 15-19 Psalms 102-104 Proverbs 20-21 Hosea 8-14 John 10-12
36 II Timothy 3-4 Numbers 13-16 I Chronicles 20-24 Psalms 105-107 Proverbs 22 Joel John 13-15
37 Titus Numbers 17-20 I Chronicles 25-29 Psalms 108-110 Proverbs 23-24 Amos 1-4 John 16-18
38 Philemon Numbers 21-24 II Chronicles 1-5 Psalms 111-113 Proverbs 25 Amos 5-9 John 19-21
39 Hebrews 1-4 Numbers 25-28 II Chronicles 6-10 Psalms 114-116 Proverbs 26-27 Obadiah Acts 1-2
40 Hebrews 5-7 Numbers 29-32 II Chronicles 11-15 Psalms 117-118 Proverbs 28 Jonah Acts 3-4
41 Hebrews 8-10 Numbers 33-36 II Chronicles 16-20 Psalms 119 Proverbs 29-30 Micah Acts 5-6
42 Hebrews 11-13 Deuteronomy 1-3 II Chronicles 21-24 Psalms 120-121 Proverbs 31 Nahum Acts 7-8
43 James 1-3 Deuteronomy 4-6 II Chronicles 25-28 Psalms 122-124 Ecclesiastes 1-2 Habakkuk Acts 9-10
44 James 4-5 Deuteronomy 7-9 II Chronicles 29-32 Psalms 125-127 Ecclesiastes 3-4 Zephaniah Acts 11-12
45 I Peter 1-3 Deuteronomy 10-12 II Chronicles 33-36 Psalms 128-130 Ecclesiastes 5-6 Haggai Acts 13-14
46 I Peter 4-5 Deuteronomy 13-15 Ezra 1-5 Psalms 131-133 Ecclesiastes 7-8 Zechariah 1-7 Acts 15-16
47 II Peter Deuteronomy 16-19 Ezra 6-10 Psalms 134-136 Ecclesiastes 9-10 Zechariah 8-14 Acts 17-18
48 I John 1-3 Deuteronomy 20-22 Nehemiah 1-4 Psalms 137-139 Ecclesiastes 11-12 Malachi Acts 19-20
49 I John 4-5 Deuteronomy 23-25 Nehemiah 5-9 Psalms 140-142 Song of Solomon 1-2 Revelation 1-6 Acts 21-22
50 II John Deuteronomy 26-28 Nehemiah 10-13 Psalms 143-145 Song of Solomon 3-4 Revelation 7-11 Acts 23-24
51 III John Deuteronomy 29-31 Esther 1-5 Psalms 146-148 Song of Solomon 5-6 Revelation 12-17 Acts 25-26
52 Jude Deuteronomy 32-34 Esther 6-10 Psalms 149-150 Song of Solomon 7-8 Revelation 18-22 Acts 27-28
 
Ricky said:
Hey everyone!
I told myself a while ago that I'm going to read the entire bible from start to finish... haha yeah. Actually, I think one of the big troubles I've had with that goal is just not knowing what Bible I should have (plus I tend to do better reading real books over e-books, and in the past I have used e-books... I'm old fashioned). So, I was wondering if anyone could help me with finding a good Bible. Now I'm not a Christian, I'm just one of those people that likes to suck up knowledge. I only mention this because it seems there are several versions of the Bible and I don't know the differences between them/advantages to reading one over the other.

I would really appreciate all the help I can get on this.

Thanks!

- Ricky

P.S. I love having books that have character to them. So if you know of a great Bible that looks good on a shelf, that would be fantastic. I really like leather too (though, I'm more of a faux leather kind of guy).
Click to expand...

Before I became a Christian I had a friend, and we would read the Bible to each other while we were smoking pot. It scared the Hell out of us, especially reading the Old Testament. It seems to me the Lord God is moving in your heart to bring to you the knowledge of his Kingdom. When you do get a Bible read Romans 10:9-10 as this will tell you how to become a child of God.
If you want a really really good Bible that has more notes than you can shake a stick at, get a "Thomson Chain reference Bible"
 
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