What Bible Translation do you think is the best?

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TrevorHL

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Greetings shepherdsword,
The best one is always the one you will read. Which one do you use? I typically use the KJV (out of habit) with some consultation from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.
I use an Interlinear RV/KJV and enjoy some of the alternative renditions given in the RV. I have stronger respect for the OT portion of the RV rather than the NT portion. I also reference the NASB.

Kind regards
Trevor
 
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Wick Stick

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That website has basically every mainstream translation, plus interlinear Hebrew/Greek to English, plus morphology for each original language word, plus the LXX and Vulgate, plus Strong's concordance linked by word, plus Thayer's lexicon, plus chain references in both English and the original language. I probably forgot some things. It has all the things.
 

Jay Ross

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For my two cents worth, I have taken the NKJV and using an Interlinear, changed some of the paraphrasing of the translation to reflect the contextual meaning of the original text. It is also important to have a good understanding of the underlying storyline.

An example of where our present translations are lacking can be found in the translation of the Hebrew words with the embedded Hebrew Root word H:0127 which has the generic meaning of "soil" which has been poetically translated as "land", "earth" etc. which is not in keeping with the Root Word meaning. If we consider Jesus' parable of the Sower, the largest yield of the heads of grains come from the prepared field where the wheat plants are able to send their roots down into the fertile soil of the field. It is my view that the parable of the Sower has a time element to it where the yield goes from next to nothing when the seed is dropped along the journey from the Sower's house to the prepared field. Now since God had told Jacob that his descendants would be scattered to the four winds of heaven, God can, when He begins to gather the nation of Israel to Himself, plant the Israelites in His fertile soil/field of Israel, where they are living scattered throughout the whole earth so that they can be a blessing to all the peoples of the earth who also chose to inhabit God's fertile soil and send their roots also down into the fertile soil of the field where they too are living.

The present translation of Ezekiel 34 is that God will plant them in the "Land of Israel" misses the contextual understanding of God's intent to "plant Israel in His fertile soil/field." God's fertile soil is available to all of the people wherever they are living around the earth whereas being planted in the "Land of Israel" means that the Israelites will be concentrated within the Land of Canaan which has been the understanding of where God will gather Israel into.

Wherever God talks about gathering Israel to Himself in the scriptures the Hebrew Root word H:0127 can be found embedded in the Hebrew word wrongly translated as "land" or "earth."

So, the best translation is one where the original context can still be found of God's plan to bring salvation to all of the peoples of the earth if they so choose.

Shalom
 

WalterandDebbie

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talons

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Yeah KJV is what I have read and heard preached from for so long it is my go to .

When online I use this web site below often .

I use the Swiss Army knife of Bibles if I use a hardcopy a Thompson Chain Reference KJV , very handy .

 

quietthinker

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What Bible Translation do you think is the best?​

Any translation will be read and interpreted according to ones paradigm.
When ones paradigm is 'out of whack' so to speak, it will segregate/ misunderstand and judge
When ones paradigm is in line with the Character of God it will gloss over/ understand/ accommodate the complexities of translating ancient languages into modern parlance
 

Deborah_

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The main determiner for me is the use of modern English.
I have used the NIV for nearly 50 years. It isn't perfect (no translation is) but has a good balance between faithfulness to the original, clarity and style. I have looked at other modern translations, but haven't liked any of them enough to change.

I also read the Greek and Hebrew Bibles if I want to know exactly what the original text says.
 

Lambano

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Online, I use the NASB and the NET. The NET's footnotes (available only on their website) are outstanding. Blue Letter Bible is a great tool because it has the original Greek and Hebrew.

Hardcopy, I have an NIV that I've used so much, the binding is held together with duct tape; and a KJV that my grandparents gave me for Easter when I was 7 years old.
 

soberxp

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I want to say that no Bible can be said to be the best translation.
As long as it is a translation, it will be mixed with individuals.Judgment and understanding.
The only suitable way is to read the Bible in different languages.
Then we can understand the most appropriate meaning of the Bible.
 

rockytopva

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I want to say that no Bible can be said to be the best translation.
As long as it is a translation, it will be mixed with individuals.Judgment and understanding.
The only suitable way is to read the Bible in different languages.
Then we can understand the most appropriate meaning of the Bible.
I like that... Thanks for sharing!
 
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PS95

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The best one is always the one you will read. Which one do you use? I typically use the KJV (out of habit) with some consultation from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.
What a question! I have just about every translation, I think. Seriously, I have NASB, NKJV, KJV, LSB, ESV, NLT, NIV, RSV and others..
Mainly I use both NASB and NKJV- I have their interlinears, dictionaries ,lexicons, you name it. I even learned some Greek. Enough to make me a little dangerous,.

I admit to having a hard time with KJV old English. I get too mixed up and lose my train of thought. So, NKJV is fine for me.
I know we have some die hard KJVers here- but please just know that the old language is too difficult for some of us.
There is no reason not to print an updated version- just ditching the old English. I thought that is what the NKJV was, but apparently it doesn't pass the sniff test for the KJV-ers here. Oh well. I love my Nasb and Nkjv . I actually enjoy the challenge sometimes of discerning who chose the better word when they disagree. I need the book in my hands- don't prefer reading it online as much.
But biblehub is a great site. They have everything there.

Having come out of cult teachings I was not able to trust anyone to teach me the scriptures again. So, I loaded up and hunkered down in prayers and study. He is faithful!!

@talons I have always wanted to check out a chain ref bible- are they much different from bibles with 50-75K cross references? I know they do offer them in several translations.
 

Reggie Belafonte

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AKJV with words of Christ in red.

I have a 1961 Catholic Action Edition with the words of Christ in red, and a 1953 one that was my original one I had for years.

I have many other Bibles as well. but CAE is by far the best Bible !

I went to buy a New Roman Catholic Bible say 20 years ago and the big top of the shelf one, lucky I looked throught it befor I bought it, I was shocked and stuned what a garbage Bible it was, shocking Junk ! So I found a good condition 1961 one, Thank God !

The CAE Bible may be a bit to big and heavy. but the AKJV is easy to carry about ! but I can not find a new one.
They do not sell them AKJV in new book shops for years now and if I ask, they do not like me asking. Oh look at all of this type ? Come on, No ! I will not bother with such 3rd rate versions nonsense, as they do not inspire but only truly work so as to bastardise the whole Spirit within. The Devil is clearly in the detail of the new rubbish.
 

Grailhunter

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The best one is always the one you will read. Which one do you use? I typically use the KJV (out of habit) with some consultation from the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.

Unfortunately, the KJV is the most inaccurate translation out there. I read them outload on occasion at events and I collect the old ones.....great illustrated family Bibles. The other problem is that a lot of people cannot understand it.

So to answer---what bible translation do you think is the best? It depends on how deep you want to understand the scriptures. For the average person with the average interest the NASB, NIV, and ESV are a good place to start.
The NASB gives you a little bit of background because it includes verses that were added as time went a long but puts them in brackets with notes that tell you they were not in the older texts.
The NIV does not include the verses or chapter that was added.
The ESV is good also as a general translation.

For those that are really serious about study, you need to get familiar with the biblical language and word study and verify scripture against the actual scriptures, because no translation is perfect.