It is very important to have a good Bible however, there is much involved in choosing the right translation. One must take into account things such as the family of text, the translator's theological biases, their goal for readability, etc.
I see the KJV is the most popular one in this poll. It is often called the Authorized Version though there is nothing in history to show that it was ever officially authorized by anybody. Oddly enough, it is also not the most accurate. King James took on the challenge (actually, he tasked others with it) most likely to leave his legacy. The project used Textus Receptus (Received Text) which is from the Byzantine Family. When it came out in 1611, this was the best of the best. However, better and more reliable texts have been found throughout the years. In fact, most translations do not use the Byzantine Family and actually use the Alexandrian Family because it has been proven to be the most reliable of the 4 major families.
However, knowing which family to use only goes so far. Both the NASB as well as The Message are both based off this family yet we see the differences between the 2 are vast considering one is only a paraphrase. From this point, we need to know where the translation came from. The original manuscripts obviously do not exist anymore. Thankfully, scribes throughout the ages took great care in preserving them. Actually, I recommend watching the video series titled The Indestructible Book. It is amazing and will teach so much on that subject. Anyway, most translations we have nowadays actually stem from revisions of existing translations.
For instance, 2 very accurate Bibles come from the ASV. The ASV came out in 1901 and is incredibly accurate. It almost doesn't get any better. However, it is also fairly difficult to read due to the great care taken in translating it with the closest they could get to word-for-word. The NASB is my Bible of choice. It is based off of the ASV but is MUCH easier to read. While being very readable (though I have heard others say they disagree) it is also very close to the original text as far as word-for-word translations go. Another great one is the ESV. This one also stems from the ASV but in a "second generation" sort of way. It actually comes from the RSV while the RSV comes from the ASV.
Like I said, while your family and your word-for-word/thought-for-thought areas are important, knowing the theological background of the translators is also very important. Normally, there would be a mixed brew of backgrounds working on the project (regardless of translation). This can actually be seen in Scripture if you compare sections of it. Some parts will describe something one way yet another part (though using the same Greek word in the NT) will describe it another. This is because sections of Scripture were split up between teams on the project. When translating, while attempting to remain as word-for-word as possible (assuming this was the goal of that particular translation), theological bias would certainly play a role when choosing the closest English word when coming across sticky areas where the Greek grammar did not directly translate.
All of these are areas to take into consideration. I actually recommend a book titled "How To Choose A Bible Version" by Robert L. Thomas.
I see the KJV is the most popular one in this poll. It is often called the Authorized Version though there is nothing in history to show that it was ever officially authorized by anybody. Oddly enough, it is also not the most accurate. King James took on the challenge (actually, he tasked others with it) most likely to leave his legacy. The project used Textus Receptus (Received Text) which is from the Byzantine Family. When it came out in 1611, this was the best of the best. However, better and more reliable texts have been found throughout the years. In fact, most translations do not use the Byzantine Family and actually use the Alexandrian Family because it has been proven to be the most reliable of the 4 major families.
However, knowing which family to use only goes so far. Both the NASB as well as The Message are both based off this family yet we see the differences between the 2 are vast considering one is only a paraphrase. From this point, we need to know where the translation came from. The original manuscripts obviously do not exist anymore. Thankfully, scribes throughout the ages took great care in preserving them. Actually, I recommend watching the video series titled The Indestructible Book. It is amazing and will teach so much on that subject. Anyway, most translations we have nowadays actually stem from revisions of existing translations.
For instance, 2 very accurate Bibles come from the ASV. The ASV came out in 1901 and is incredibly accurate. It almost doesn't get any better. However, it is also fairly difficult to read due to the great care taken in translating it with the closest they could get to word-for-word. The NASB is my Bible of choice. It is based off of the ASV but is MUCH easier to read. While being very readable (though I have heard others say they disagree) it is also very close to the original text as far as word-for-word translations go. Another great one is the ESV. This one also stems from the ASV but in a "second generation" sort of way. It actually comes from the RSV while the RSV comes from the ASV.
Like I said, while your family and your word-for-word/thought-for-thought areas are important, knowing the theological background of the translators is also very important. Normally, there would be a mixed brew of backgrounds working on the project (regardless of translation). This can actually be seen in Scripture if you compare sections of it. Some parts will describe something one way yet another part (though using the same Greek word in the NT) will describe it another. This is because sections of Scripture were split up between teams on the project. When translating, while attempting to remain as word-for-word as possible (assuming this was the goal of that particular translation), theological bias would certainly play a role when choosing the closest English word when coming across sticky areas where the Greek grammar did not directly translate.
All of these are areas to take into consideration. I actually recommend a book titled "How To Choose A Bible Version" by Robert L. Thomas.
