bibles

[timothy]

So i got a question i was just wondering what kind of bible everybody uses i use the kjv

[Atria35]

None. Well... technically online. But I can't afford a Bible, and my parents are getting me a Nook for my B-day, so I can't ask them since that's suuuuper expensive.

But I don't care for KJV- beautiful language, but too much old language to be easily understandable, and they've found older texts since they translated that version. I prefer translations that use older texts.

[Midori]

Even an online bible is of some translation or other. Though a lot of bible websites, like Bible Gateway, have many different translations to choose from.

I usually read NIV, for the sake of it being considered 'ordinary' (even if you may disagree with some of its translations), and because Nazarene Bible Quizzing uses NIV. However, I do like reading other translations and comparing them. My parents sometimes look things up in the original Greek of the New Testament, because they're that kind of people.

My thoughts on the KJV echo Atrias. Fun to read, but not my primary look-to for meaning.

One bible I've been interested in reading more of is the Jerusalem Bible. I've heard it has some beautiful language in certain parts, and that it manages to keep some of the meter/rhymes of the poetry sections, which is pretty unusual.

[ADXC]

I prefer NIV, but I may soon switch to ESV because of the new 2010 NIV version.


Quite personally, I would just rather learn Hebrew and Greek and just read from that.
I've actually been learning Koine Greek for the past year so I can actually read some of the New Testament and Septuagint(The Greek translation of the Old Testament which was first written in Hebrew.).

[Dr.Faust]

KJV I like the old english

[K. Ayato]

I use the NKJV myself. I have a Bible app on my BlackBerry that I use on occasion when I'm with my small group Bible study. Now and then we come across a verse or passage that is hard to understand, and having that application on my phone helps in that regard. Or if I'm too lazy to bring my Bible .

[ClosetOtaku]

I've used the NIV since the mid-80s, but too am tempted to switch over to ESV. I tend to avoid the KJV (Good News for 16th Century Man), but since I use Strong's Concordance once in a while sometimes I have to dig into it.

When I was using Precept upon Precept (a very good system, by the way) I leaned heavily on the NASB Hebrew-Greek Bible edited by Spiros Zodhiates. Very informative, especially when trying to figure out verb tenses and the various meanings of "if".

If I do get hung up on a passage, I try looking at it in several different translations at the same time.

[Ante Bellum]

My mom once had a contemporary language Bible that used the phrase "pie in the sky."

[Midori]

That was probably The Message, was it not?

[Mouse2010]

I usually use the RSV, but I have other translations around. What I read probably depends on which copy is the handiest.

[TopazRaven]

I have the Old and New Testment NIV and TEV. I also have the NKJV New Testament. xD

[Maledicte]

I use biblegateway.com. ^^

[KougaHane]

ESV or my interlinear Hebrew - Greek Bible (which has completely literal translations with nothing altered, but it's massive so I don't usually carry it.) or NRSV are my favorites

[aliveinHim]

I use biblegateway.com. ^^

I love Bible gateway! I'm always on there. I use NKJV but I don't mind KJV.

[Yamamaya]

I like the NIV but I do like to use Biblegateway to look up different versions.

[TGJesusfreak]

bible gateway FTW. I use it all the time.

I have gotten 3 bibles over the past 10 years. I KJV, NIV, and The Message. I like the last 2 best. KJV drives. me. NUTS.

[PrincessZelda]

I usually only use the NIV.

[ChristianKitsune]

I also use BibleGateway a lot XD

But I have a few bibles that have NIV.
and for some reason I have two travel size Bibles, one is a NLT, and I really want an ESV because I hear they are really good translations.

I used to have the message but I'm not a huge fan of paraphrasing. Although I guess it can be fun to read the bible as a story and not as much as a "verse by verse."

[Warrior 4 Jesus]

I can't make head or tail of the KJV, the NKJV isn't much better. I'm partial to the NLT (New Living Translation) and The Message (a paraphrase). I grew up with the Good News, CEV (Contemporary English Version) and the NIV (New International Version).

[bkilbour]

NKJV for the win!
It feels like a middle ground between the original KJV and the NIV - something a modern reader could understand, but still the reliability of the KJV text.

[Scarecrow]

Well I have a bunch of bibles. I was hoarding them for a while. I'd get a new study bible everytime I was having a problem with something >.> I had this kind of "Well this bible didn't address this issue, maybe this one will" thing going on. So I bought study bibles based on that and then other bibles for their novelty (cover, layout, uniqueness... like the waterproof bible. Bought that cause it was 100% water proof inside and out page by page... just to say yeah I have a bible... and watch this!) It was a phase I'm glad I passed through but I do like having so many different versions and study bibles at my disposal.

ANYWAY... I have the NIV, HCSB, ESV, NKJ, NLT, NKJ and KJV... My personal favorite translation is the HCSB (Holman Christian Standard Bible)... really love the way they translated John 3:16 for starters. It like... reads normal like the NIV but translates a little more... translates the meaning a little better I guess. I also really like the NLT but it's almost a paraphrase. Much lower reading level required than most other bibles... Easier for little kids to understand and read. Which is good when you're in a bad mood and just want it told nice and simple and in a way you can easily understand.

And I would love to learn Hebrew and Greek and just read it that way and I've really wanted to learn but... learning a new language takes a lot of work =/ And in the real world, there wouldn't be much use for it because no one here speaks greek or hebrew so... Everyone here speaks spanish so I feel it'd be more beneficial to learn that... If I had other reasons to learn where I could make use of them, I'd definitely put the effort into it. I'm having a hard time learning spanish though let alone a language no one uses around here...

[Atria35]

Even an online bible is of some translation or other. Though a lot of bible websites, like Bible Gateway, have many different translations to choose from.

I must have said something wrong- obviously, everything is a translation. I meant that because they've found older texts that show where the texts they used (translated) for the KJV were changed/added to/etc, I prefer other, newer translations.

[Rusty Claymore]

I use KJV. Can't understand the recent verisons. XP

Atria or Midori, could you link me articles on these older texts, please?

[Atria35]

Atria or Midori, could you link me articles on these older texts, please?

I don't have any articles on hand- the book that I first learned about it in was Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why by Bart D. Ehrman. There are few actual news articles on it.

[Lynna]

I have the NLT (New Living Translation) which, as someone mentioned before, is quite paraphrased. learning greek and hebrew and reading the bible like that would be cool, but soo much work

[Shao Feng-Li]

KJV or NKJV. It's weird to me that people have a hard time understanding KJV. It doesn't seem that much different than modern English to me. I guess I'm just used to it.

[Nate]

When I'm using Bible Gateway (which is often) I usually use NIV because that's the default search option. As for actual physical Bibles, I have a NRSV translation somewhere...I don't use it much because again, Bible Gateway is like right there on my browser. XD;;

[shooraijin]

I like NIV and New Century, but I usually use NKJV.

[Wolf-man]

I use ESV. I like the translation it is accurate and very understandable.

[Okami]

I prefer the NASB - New American Standard Version. Our school prefers we use more recent/literal translations (NASB/HCSB, TNIV/NIV2010, NRSV) for our work, because new manuscripts are continuously being found, and translations are constantly coming out, being corrected and updated, and allowing for us to know and better understand the Bible.

I also have the NLT (which I used throughout high school), NIV, KJV, and a New Testament of The Message that I use to parallel my Bible readings.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, I often find myself using http://biblos.com/ in doing my Bible homework. I've found that it's the cheapest comparison to a software Bible, and the site is filled with great help tools that I have found very useful as I work my way to better Biblical understanding as I go about outlining and detailing what the text has to say!