Which translation do you favour and why?
All translations seem to tow a line between word for word accuracy and the translation of the meaning or gist of the passage.
Obviously no translation is perfect but some are considered to be more inspired...
I sometimes read two translations alongside: NIV and ESV but then that can be hard work...
I prefer the New King James and the New American
Standard versions for their closeness to the
original KOINe Greek. The English Standard is
also very accurate, the NIV more readable.
I began reading the Puritans and some classic authors, especially Matthew Henry. Eventually I just "went for it" and determined to become familiar with the KJV. Within a month it was "normal" to me. If I have a hard passage, I sometimes glance at an ESV, but more often just re-read the passage or check a commentary.
This "Instant Commentary" site is great:[url=http://eword.gospelcom.net/comments/]Online Commentaries by passage
It has several notable commentators works accessible for any verse.
I think "hmmhmm" (Christian from Sweden, on SermonIndex) uses a KJV, and his first language isn't even English!
theopenlife wrote:
I think "hmmhmm" (Christian from Sweden, on SermonIndex) uses a KJV, and his first language isn't even English!
:-) yes that is right, for me i use the kjv because there is so much study aid that is cheap to go with it, so much concordances, references and so on. In swedish this would cost a fortune, that is one reason, another is because of the different Greek texts, in swedish we have not one single translation from the TR manuscripts. So that is another reason i prefer it, yet another is i find this translation very powerful and i find it feeding my spirit.
I do have some troubles sometimes especially in OT to sometimes stay with "the plot" so to say, in some of the prophets and sometimes with proverbs. But as Openlife i consult another version, Nasb or NKJV i find good ones, also i have my Swedish versions also :-)
also i have found it a great blessing reading NLT and KJV side by side.
And of course if there are words we dont understand, its good for our minds to study and go seek in dictionaries and other ways enrich our learning, we in this generation always seek the easiest way of getting things, but there is no microwave way to holiness or knowing the scriptures, no matter what version we prefer, we need take it with much time and discipline and patience. And accompanied with much prayer and also a must of meditating upon what we have just "eaten" spiritually.
And the most important, whatever you read, and whatever version, stick with the one you obey most, the one who makes you the most like Jesus.
also a side note, there will be some video? or audio available from [url=http://ncw.biblebase.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=502&forum=3&post_id=6067#forumpost6067]Ron Bailey
Thanks for the input guys, I'm from the U.K. so good to make contact with fellow believers from different countries..
Dan
thesaintdan wrote:
Which translation do you favour and why?
All translations seem to tow a line between word for word accuracy and the translation of the meaning or gist of the passage.
Obviously no translation is perfect but some are considered to be more inspired...
I sometimes read two translations alongside: NIV and ESV but then that can be hard work...
The three I use the most would be the ESV (I use this for all my devotions and most studies), the KJV, and the HCSB.
For a good website on Bible versions click [url=http://www.kjvonly.org/]here
sorry, i thought this didn't post so i made a different one, see above..sorry
I told you of my ways, and you answered me; teach me your laws. Make me understand the way of your precepts, and I will meditate on your wonders.
these words are from psalm 119. be encouraged!!! i am so grateful that God has placed in you a desire to know His Word!! i really am; i'd give you a hug if i were there.
God is so big that He can use any translation. but also, i am alongside you in desiring to understand His Word in accurate translations.
that said, i personally prefer the nasb and complete jewish Bible, for their accuracy to the original text (i recommend to check out www.e-sword.net for a free download of the original hebrew and greek words so you can learn the original meanings). additionally, i have felt very pulled to learn more about the ancient hebrew culture lately. learning their culture and some sayings that resulted from their culture have really helped to deepen my understanding of a lot of the Word. praise God for His faithfulness to His holy ones!
the bottom line (an american saying meaning, "the profit of this", or "the most important thing"-see? understanding cultural sayings can give meanings that the words themselves may not...) is that God can and will translate if the translation you are reading fails. i have personally experienced this. feel free to pm me for some examples if you'd like. i don't want to put stuff on here that may cause others to stumble if they prefer a particular translation, etc. plus, i am not anyone at all! so who's to say i have the right one either? but truly, i plead the blood of Christ, as do many of us here, that He would exert His matchless grace so as to aid us in understanding His grace and His glory. praise to God, Most High, Who gives good and perfect gifts to His children. like revealing His Word by His Spirit. what a God we serve. wow.....
anyways, love to you, friend, in Christ Jesus. may God be with you...and He will...through all this, and may your heart be blessed richly with the presence of the holy One, the Lord Jesus Christ. peace and grace to you all.
love and love.
For me... the KJV.
Why? Because in my opinion the evidence shows that the underlying text both for the OT & NT is more reliable. It is my firm conviction that underlying text of the KJV (and most other translations before 1881) is the preserved Word of God. It is also my firm conviction that the underlying text for all translations since 1881 (and that would include Catholic translations) are seriously flawed and corrupted.
This has been debated on this forum over and over... there are those who disagree with me. Thats ok. I dont care, I havent changed my position. And they havent changed theirs.
The important thing to remember is that our salvation is not based upon which translation we read... so if a brother loves the NIV... he is my brother.
Krispy
praise God for krispy's reminder:
"The important thing to remember is that our salvation is not based upon which translation we read... so if a brother loves the NIV... he is my brother."
seriously. the love of the brethren is a beautiful gift of God. lets us not allow the devil to get us to lose sight of this.
grateful for your post, krispy.
:)
After having read NIV, ESV cover to cover I now started the NKJV because it is based on Masoretic text yet is readable.
The German Luther and Elberfelder Translation are quite acurate translations similar to the KJV in English.
It is good to read the Word of God in different languages in order to grasp different aspects of the meaning of the original text.
narrowpath
narrowpath.
I appreciate krispy's post...and I appreciate the spirit in which it was written. I also agree with thier assessment of the various translations.
Let me, however, add some thoughts to the mix.
Kistpy mentioned repeatedly "underlying texts". This is a HUGE issue. In fact, it is the one thing that all of this hangs on. I do wonder though that when folks make an issue of it, or bring it up, if those who have not looked into it have any idea what is meant by it.
Bottomline...the differnces between the KJV and all other versions is not a translational difference, it is indeed a textual difference. Seriously, we have been told that the newer versions are new tranlslations...when they are indeed new bibles. It is more than just a new translation of the Greek text, it is a new Greek text. In hundreds of places.
Here is one example:
KJV
Luk 2:33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
NIV
Luk 2:33 The child's father and mother marveled at what was aid about him.
In the above verse, the text that the KJV is translated from contains the word ιωσηφ ("Ioseph" or Joseph).
However, in the text from which the NIV comes from (and all other newer "versions" for that matter)ιωσηφ is missing and πατηρ ("pater" or father)is in its place.
That is not a difference in "translation"...
"Readability" is a marketing tool. "Reliability" is the issue.
With all that said, my advise to you is to look into the textual issue yourself and...above all...pray about it. And I mean seriously pray about it. The Lord promised to preserve His word. Ask Him where it is.
God bless you and your hunger.
Hello...!
My versions of choice are the KJV, the NIV, and recently, the NASB. After much study, I feel that the KJV (although not perfect) is a faithful translation taken from its set of source texts (along with its translation methods) and the NIV is a faithful translation taken from its set of sources texts (along with its translation methods). However, I typically read the KJV...while nearly always cross examining a passage with the NIV. I have recently begun doing the same with the NASB.
A nice website for this is found at www.biblegateway.com. They have over 50 versions available for cross reference (including different languages). They also have quite a few commentaries and dictionaries available, as well as links to such resources at other websites.
As is probably obvious, there is a lot of debate over Bible translations. There are extremes on nearly every side! Over time, I've taken a lot of "heat" for my embrace of the NIV or versions taken from the "minority" texts. It isn't that I am placing my own personal "stamp of approval" on the NIV; Rather, I am simply embracing the version with a similar merit by which I see the KJV. I believe that every human translation is flawed (including both the KJV and the NIV). However, we just don't know enough about the ultimate credibility of the source texts -- even if some books and websites claim as much.
I would certainly recommend a means of cross examing the passages from the Word of God. Not only could it assist in a better understanding of each passage, but it also provides a subsequent witness from the various text sources available.
Of course, all of our study of God's Word should be accompanied by prayer. We may not know the human scribes -- but we can certainly know and fellowship with the Author.
:-)
Here's a little series which might help the discussion.
Reply to hburrell Welcome and thank you for your examples because they help make the points I wish to expound.
Quote
“NIV Luke 2:33 The child's father and mother
marveled at what was said about him.”
Reply
Look how deceiving NIV is by having been written by people who know words but are unlearned in the spiritual consequences.
Matthew 23
9: And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
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And the other point.
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Quote
"Readability" is a marketing tool. "Reliability" is the issue.
Reply
John 14
15. If ye love me, keep my commandments.
16. And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17. Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
I read KJV because I don’t have the original scrolls and it speaks to my new heart.
I agree with hburrell
Quote
“Bottomline...the differnces between the KJV and all
other versions is not a translational difference, it is
indeed a textual difference. Seriously, we have been
told that the newer versions are new tranlslations...when
they are indeed new bibles. It is more than just a new
translation of the Greek text, it is a new Greek text.
In hundreds of places.”
Eddie
This discussion is locked.
