which bible

[Sue D.]

Well -- the Bible Is God's Word. The Holy Bible -- it's a collection of all the books that had been inspired and finally put together in a bound book.

There is the KJVersion. the NKJVersion. And there Is a difference between a version and a translation. I'm thinking that something like the Phillips Translation , for example. It's a 'translation' of a version. That needs to be 'googled' for accuracy.

 

[LostButTrying]

ESV

 

[Sue D.]

I have a NKJ / older NIV study Bible and an ESV. They are all God's Word. As is the NAS.

Which ever Bible a person will read.

 

[Christ4Ever]

Below is a link to an article that has a chart, on Bibles which I have found helpful in getting a general sense of all the Bibles that are out there to choose from. It also provides a link on The Message, which is helpful in understanding this writing. I personally would not suggest one to use at all, but that is something you must decide for yourself.

Bible Translation Buyers Guide | More Than Cake

It is not uncommon to get the question, "why are there so many different Bible translation and which one should I buy?"

www.morethancake.org

This is a nice dating chart to take a look at as well.

Gliffy Diagram | English Bible History

Public Gliffy Diagram

go.gliffy.com

There is a lot more out there to assist one in comparing one Bible with the other. My suggestion is pray about it, and use one that helps "you" understand with Holy Spirit guidance for illumination on what He wants us to know in His Word.

As a side note. I went to the Bible Museum in Washington D.C. shortly after it opened, and probably could have spent weeks there reading and documenting tidbits of unique information. Sadly, overall to me it comes off more of a tourist trap type of place thought they did a wonderful work with the building and storing/presenting Biblical documents along with presenting a good historical review. I'm sure if one goes there alone and has the time one could find, study, and gather some interesting information on topics that are interrelated with the Bible.

Anyway, I do hope the charts and the article help.
With the Love of Christ Jesus.
YBIC
Nick
<><

 

[LostButTrying]

I've got an ESV, I've also got a 'Good News Bible'. It's a today's English translation.
I wonder what people think of it? I like it personally.

 

[Sue D.]

@LostButTrying -- that might depend on how long you've / a person / has been in Bible in the past --- I'd probably 'pass' on the Good News Bible. I'd probably stick with ESV or NKJ.

 

[Hekuran]

I've got an ESV, I've also got a 'Good News Bible'. It's a today's English translation.
I wonder what people think of it? I like it personally.

I grew up reading the Good News as a kid, so I have great affection for it. I think it was translated with people who have English as a second or third language in mind, so it's very easy reading. If you're doing anything remotely scholarly it would let you down, otherwise its great.

ESV is the other end of the scale. Very accurate, but I find it a bit stiff and awkward. Great for close and careful study.

 

[WesleyJordan]

“Thou shall not kill.” — Exodus 20:13 KJV

“Thou shall not murder.” — Exodus 20:13 NIV

You might ask, well doesn’t the NIV simply try to clarify the word kill, and make it more specific? Yes, to the detriment of the message.

We know what the word kill means, it means to end the life of some one or some thing. You can kill accidentally, and you can kill intentionally. Likewise we all know what the word murder means, it means to intentionally kill.

See the difference? Someone reading KJV can conclude that all killing is wrong, not just murder, regardless of whether or not a person or thing is innocent or guilty; whereas someone reading NIV can to conclude that killing is okay, as long as it isn’t murder. Let’s take it a tad further. An NIV reader may also be able to justify war through the changing of that verse also, since soldiers routinely kill, but not necessarily murder.

When the words change, the meanings also change. No two words in any language have the EXACT same meaning(originally). This is why I took the 5 minutes to read the KJV and get used to the words, and in fact it has become beautiful to me whilst I am comforted knowing I will not be led astray.

Also, I am not picking on NIV. It just happened to be the first one google gave me. All ‘new translations’ of scripture do this, and they do it constantly.

Lastly, shall I mention all the money that is made off of these different new translations year after year after year while the original English translation almost universally gathers dust? Eventually they are going to have to make up new words to describe these new versions...

 

[Hekuran]

“Thou shall not kill.” — Exodus 20:13 KJV

“Thou shall not murder.” — Exodus 20:13 NIV

You might ask, well doesn’t the NIV simply try to clarify the word kill, and make it more specific? Yes, to the detriment of the message.

We know what the word kill means, it means to end the life of some one or some thing. You can kill accidentally, and you can kill intentionally. Likewise we all know what the word murder means, it means to intentionally kill.

See the difference? Someone reading KJV can conclude that all killing is wrong, not just murder, regardless of whether or not a person or thing is innocent or guilty; whereas someone reading NIV can to conclude that killing is okay, as long as it isn’t murder. Let’s take it a tad further. An NIV reader may also be able to justify war through the changing of that verse also, since soldiers routinely kill, but not necessarily murder.

When the words change, the meanings also change. No two words in any language have the EXACT same meaning(originally). This is why I took the 5 minutes to read the KJV and get used to the words, and in fact it has become beautiful to me whilst I am comforted knowing I will not be led astray.

Also, I am not picking on NIV. It just happened to be the first one google gave me. All ‘new translations’ of scripture do this, and they do it constantly.

Lastly, shall I mention all the money that is made off of these different new translations year after year after year while the original English translation almost universally gathers dust? Eventually they are going to have to make up new words to describe these new versions...

Has it occurred to you that the NIV rendering might be more accurate than the KJV?

 

[Brother-Paul]

There is only One Bible, but there are many translations.

The translations fall into two types

1 - translated expounding The Word, which also keeping the original weights, measures, coins etc

2 - translations that are made to sound modern English, but are more casual in their approach.

There are many in each category, examples of the second category above would be Good News and Message Bible. I am always more cautious with the second category and usually read as secondary readings not as the primary Bible reading.

My first Bible was the KJV, it is good, but if you don't want the these and thy's, Old English wording a newer version is better. My number one read is therefore the NKJV, my second in the NIV Life Application Study Bible with notes, the three mentioned have been my main ones for thirty years.

Over the last five years my library has grown, I have around 29 Bible Versions, that said I usually keep to five now, the ones mentioned above Plus the CJB, Complete Jewish Bible, The New Jerusalem Bible.

Although my first three Bibles mentioned are leather backed Bibles, everything else, including these three are now all digital.

I rarely use the Internet Bibles, maybe BibleGateway some times, the rest of my reading and studies, etc are done using Word Search 12 software from Lifeway.

 

[Brother-Paul]

Has it occurred to you that the NIV rendering might be more accurate than the KJV?

There are a number of errors in the NIV Bible, I think I made a note of these at one point, but it is noted on the internet.

This should tell us, no matter what translation we read, it is best to read more than one and compare verse for verse.

Why are there errors, because they are translations, translations from one language to another is not always easy, best intentions are still open to human error.

Bible translations are pretty accurate, the ones that expound The Word are probably more accurate than those that try alter to suit a language.

 

[A. Christian]

Murder is not good. But killing in war is, as is capital punishment. I'm sorry I know some do not like it but that is what the Law tells us.

Now I'll be the first one to say that we are dead to the Law thanks to Jesus and his grace. But society needs laws because most people do not follow the Spirit but their own flesh. Capital punishment and war are saddly needed today. But it is the leaders responsibility to be just in the wars that they involve their people in and just in executing capital punishment. They have to answer for that.

Now as for me I almost read exclusively kjv. It is the most commonly used translation in my area so I want to be familiar with it so when a verse is quoted I can know if its correct or not. And I don't have a problem with the older language.

Even the kjv has errors from translation. Please don't ask me where. I forgot and dont feel like googling. I dont think it's important.
The letter kills but the Spirit gives life. The only way to truly learn regardless of which translation you use is to allow the Spirit of God to guide you.

 

[WesleyJordan]

Has it occurred to you that the NIV rendering might be more accurate than the KJV?

Let’s say it hasn’t. Would you care to list an example or two for me?

Ask, I’d like to know why you think that when the Holy Spirit first gave us the words in the KJV, it wasn’t sufficient and needed improvement?

 

[WesleyJordan]

Murder is not good. But killing in war is, as is capital punishment. I'm sorry I know some do not like it but that is what the Law tells us.

Yet Jesus came commanding us not only to not kill, but also to love our enemies. How then can we call killing good, when God’s will has been revealed to us: that NONE should perish, but all should come to repentance and everlasting life?

 

[A. Christian]

Yet Jesus came commanding us not only to not kill, but also to love our enemies. How then can we call killing good, when God’s will has been revealed to us: that NONE should perish, but all should come to repentance and everlasting life?

Paul was all for grace and mercy too. But he was also for order and government because he knew that mankind is at it's core evil and needs government even if it was corrupt. And it is a right of the government to kill evil doers. As he says they don't bear the sword in vain. But they will still be held accountable if they abuse that.

 

[Hekuran]

Let’s say it hasn’t. Would you care to list an example or two for me?

Ask, I’d like to know why you think that when the Holy Spirit first gave us the words in the KJV, it wasn’t sufficient and needed improvement?

In the 10 commandments, 'murder' is the better translation of the Hebrew. Also, if God prohibited all killing, we'd have a consistency problem as he commands people to kill many times in the Bible.

 

[WesleyJordan]

In the 10 commandments, 'murder' is the better translation of the Hebrew. Also, if God prohibited all killing, we'd have a consistency problem as he commands people to kill many times in the Bible.

Thank you Hekuran. He doesn’t prohibit all killing, correct. He only prohibits killing that he did not command.

When Joshua slew the Canaanites, it wasn’t because Joshua knew that they were evil and was eager to kill. He had never really seen them. He had only heard rumors. Rather, It was because this time, it pleased the Lord to finally cleanse the land of the filth of the giant-infested evil Canaanite lands that he had promised to the nation. What was Satan doing the moment he learned of God’s promises to Abraham in his day? He began to trash the place for centuries.

I believe the only thing that made this killing ‘okay’ was because the Lord COMMANDED Joshua to trust him and just do it. The fresh, obedient nation grown up wandering in circles in the wilderness for 40 years waiting for their disobedient parents to die was given opportunity to fight for it, to earn it, so perhaps it would be as precious to them as it was to God and they would raise families obedient to God, not like their parents did.

Remember, God was physically with them at that time. Cloud by day, fire by night, and even had a dwelling(tabernacle) being kept clean and taken care of.

Therefore I must conclude it CAN BE righteous to kill, but ONLY WHEN God himself commands it. After all, I’m sure Joshua wasn’t a bloodthirsty man, just examine his character. But he DEFINATELY was an obendient one.

Isn’t that the proper definition of sin? Disobedience? Thank you for the conversation, brother. I’m doing some real thinking on this one.

And a question that just came to me:

Why shouldn’t I be able to trust the Holy Spirit to translate it into a language correctly the FIRST time?

 

[A. Christian]

And a question that just came to me:

Why shouldn’t I be able to trust the Holy Spirit to translate it into a language correctly the FIRST time?

I know that I am not the one that you addressed the question to but if you will permit me to answer anyways.

The Word of God is spirit and life. They operate on much higher levels than we can normally process. Because of that, any translation out there cannot completely reveal the true meaning of scripture. They are spiritual and must be revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. To try to learn without relying on the Spirit of God will at best result in a shallow meaning and at worst lead you to error. That is why the bible says the letter kills but the spirit brings life.

In short all earthly languages are unable to capture the depth of the Word of God

 

[WesleyJordan]

Thank you for kind answer brother. It definately has me thinking. I will gladly give anyone’s thoughts a thorough consideration. I’m going to pray about it and see what happens. Thanks again.

 

[Hekuran]

And a question that just came to me:

Why shouldn’t I be able to trust the Holy Spirit to translate it into a language correctly the FIRST time?

The FIRST translation to English I'd the Tyndale Bible - an astonishing achievement. It's hard going for readers of modern English, though.

Scholarship has improved since then, and language conventions and vocabulary have changed too.