What bible translation do you read and why?

I tend to go right into the Greek text when doing serious studies, so not having that in English translation not a concern that much to me!

I'm still learning grammar and haven't begun to try to learn to read the text. I also grew up with the KJV so for me the Old English is familiar and I have referred many times to reference materials so I'm familiar with the meanings of words not commonly used today. I've chosen to use this as my go to Bible. I also like Jay Green's translation that is part of the Interlinear Bible.
 
I'm still learning grammar and haven't begun to try to learn to read the text. I also grew up with the KJV so for me the Old English is familiar and I have referred many times to reference materials so I'm familiar with the meanings of words not commonly used today. I've chosen to use this as my go to Bible. I also like Jay Green's translation that is part of the Interlinear Bible.
I also like the nas 1977 as its very literal, does a really good job bring over into English the Greek verb tenses!
 
I am always curious what bible translations christians read being there are so many to choose. I guess why did you choose the one that you like to read? Do you think there is a best one over another read?
I attached a video I made partly from an observation I made by the style of communication my uses when she is talking to others at times. My wife speaks 7 languages and from that it gave me some additional insight about bible translations i thought I would share that you might find interesting also..

I enjoy reading various translations of the Bible and like to compare them to see if they are translated properly or how they differ and they do differ greatly.
 
They called it "optimal equivalance", and Dr price wroye excellent book on bile translation ,methods, why KJVO was not vallid

Funny story: after I was saved my husband was kind enough to allow me to go visiting various churches to find one I liked best, and the first church we visited happened to be a KJV church, the pastor wasn't a staunch nothing else can be read, but was very much pro-KJV.

At any rate it was a Baptist church and so after services there was a dinner (this is kind of cool with Baptist churches) and since it was the first time we had darkened the door with our presence, the Pastor sat down with us over the meal and a nice conversation began.

At any rate the topic of Bible translations came up and so I said why KJV wasn't my preference and we entered into a whole conversation about translations. It was, to my ears a lovely conversation, I enjoyed it very much as well the Pastor seemed to enjoy himself too, but I did speak (I find it more difficult not to... lol) my mind.

When we left my husband told me that I wasn't supposed to talk to the Pastor like that.. he said "when the Pastor says something, even if you disagree, your supposed to listen in silence and agree."

He didn't tell me that before we went in though... hahaha.

Up until that day my husband was my "pastor", and so I just spoke to the church pastor the same as I would himself. All these little church etiquette rules were a road indeed.

But I think, in all honesty, the very best translation is the one the reader can understand in the end. That's the point of translating to begin with - to understand.

Jesus our Savior sometimes used the Aramaic, sometimes used the Hebrew, and many times the Septuagint. He did so to present a Godly understanding of the written Word, because intended meaning being grasped by those hearing is the most important thing.

For myself it is why I read what I do, and then go deeper with different translations. This way I know I'm grasping the meaning as God intended.
 
Funny story: after I was saved my husband was kind enough to allow me to go visiting various churches to find one I liked best, and the first church we visited happened to be a KJV church, the pastor wasn't a staunch nothing else can be read, but was very much pro-KJV.

At any rate it was a Baptist church and so after services there was a dinner (this is kind of cool with Baptist churches) and since it was the first time we had darkened the door with our presence, the Pastor sat down with us over the meal and a nice conversation began.

At any rate the topic of Bible translations came up and so I said why KJV wasn't my preference and we entered into a whole conversation about translations. It was, to my ears a lovely conversation, I enjoyed it very much as well the Pastor seemed to enjoy himself too, but I did speak (I find it more difficult not to... lol) my mind.

When we left my husband told me that I wasn't supposed to talk to the Pastor like that.. he said "when the Pastor says something, even if you disagree, your supposed to listen in silence and agree."

He didn't tell me that before we went in though... hahaha.

Up until that day my husband was my "pastor", and so I just spoke to the church pastor the same as I would himself. All these little church etiquette rules were a road indeed.

But I think, in all honesty, the very best translation is the one the reader can understand in the end. That's the point of translating to begin with - to understand.

Jesus our Savior sometimes used the Aramaic, sometimes used the Hebrew, and many times the Septuagint. He did so to present a Godly understanding of the written Word, because intended meaning being grasped by those hearing is the most important thing.

For myself it is why I read what I do, and then go deeper with different translations. This way I know I'm grasping the meaning as God intended.
Those into the cult of the KJVO are very hard to discuss bible translations issues with!
 
haha there is no 'perfect translation'.
I guess some people don't speak other languages other than english.

I've got English, Maori, Samoan Bibles at the bookshop. I was asked for one in Hebrew the other week --
Currently the Bible Society are working on an audio translation in te Reo Maori. I'd love to see one in sign language.

I had an audio one in Cantonese but the battery died and it didn't work..I'm gutted as I paid like $80 for it. Learning to read chinese is another thing but I was wanting to hear it.
 
When I ordered the Samoan one, it said it was a children's Bible, but it wasn't SIMPLIFIED Samoan. Basically what it was the entire Bible in Samoan in a really small font and so the book was small, but they just added some pictures and called it a Children's Bible!

I'm like what..?

With the Maori one, Te Paipera Tapu, it was actually the simplified version based on the the Lion's Children Bible.

While there are some bilingual ones, there aren't enough IMHO and usually just the gospel of Luke or the New Testament. There definitely needs to be more translations and more BILINGUAL ones.
 
I agree with you. I have read several translations each for a number of years multiple times in a year for now 30 years. Studying the scripture, reading the stories and watching for God's interaction with men and seeking to know the why, what and when. I believe studying it...to know vs reading it...because has caused me have great discernment. Humanity hasn't change nor has God and you can know the outcome of behavior and God's response to it. I am so thankful for the written word, but the living word is equal as important and comes through the testimonies of our lives.
"You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." 2 Cor 3:2-3
 
BUT......it is to the best of my knowledge, the only translation that is not copyrighted!
In many cases, copyrights are to protect the text against alteration. KJV is in enough and various 'hands' that if one were to either edit on purpose, or change by mistake it is fairly quickly brought to light.

There are still some places where the translation is not truly grammatical (and I am not sure it was even when first produced). Trivial example:

1 Samuel 23:3
And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
 
In many cases, copyrights are to protect the text against alteration. KJV is in enough and various 'hands' that if one were to either edit on purpose, or change by mistake it is fairly quickly brought to light.

There are still some places where the translation is not truly grammatical (and I am not sure it was even when first produced). Trivial example:

1 Samuel 23:3
And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?

Excellent observation.
 
If one wishes to see what to look out for (like skewing a key portion of the text to ones personal views), have one of our Charismatic brothers look up 1 Cor 13:1 in J. B. Philips New Testament.
 
I have read several translations each for a number of years multiple times in a year for now 30 years. Studying the scripture, reading the stories and watching for God's interaction with men and seeking to know the why, what, how and when. I believe studying it to know vs reading it because. It has caused me have great discernment. Humanity hasn't change nor has God and you can know the outcome of behavior and God's response to it. I am so thankful for the written word, but the living word is equal as important and comes through the testimonies of our lives.
"You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." 2 Cor 3:2-3
 
If the Bible were printed in easier to read fonts, I think it would be better.
And on paper that wasn't blindingly white.

You can have e-books and audio books in Bible format too, but I think a lot of Bibles are cumbersome and not reader friendly.

The best one I found is the Red Letter Bibles (words of Christ in red) with thickish paper in KJV. And they are thickly bound so that they don't fall apart. Try the gift editions as they are the most popular and easiest to obtain, with the plain black covers. And they aren't heavy. The fonts aren't too tiny. No commentary.

Commentary takes up too much space and is distracting from scripture.
No footnotes either..don't need them.
 
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