I would like to take an informal poll…and hopefully create some discussion.
Please post a comment if you will, answering these questions:
1) Which Bible translation do you prefer to read?
2) Why?
I’d like to see at least 15 comments posted…so, if you read the Bible and you visit this blog, please take 30 seconds and let us know your answers. Read and respond to other comments.
Posted in Bible
Hey! I use the NIV and the New Revised Version. I use the NIV b/c it’s readable, and I use the NRV b/c it’s “supposedly” more accurate according to my college experience.
Hope that helps!
Tommy
By: Tommy on February 17, 2007
at 11:24 am
Thanks Tommy…yours is the first response of what I hope will be many.
I’ve not read the NRSV. We have a couple lying around our house, but I’ve never used it.
By: Brandon on February 17, 2007
at 12:02 pm
NLT. I have completely read through the following: The MESSAGE, NKJV, KJV, NLT, Most of the NIV.
I like the NLT because of it’s “readability.” I preach and read from it, though I am certainly not opposed to the use of other versions.
By: paulpeterson on February 17, 2007
at 2:25 pm
Brandon, in response to your post I have been using the TNIV for the last 2 years or so as I was brought up on the NIV. But recently I have been using the ESV when online as TNIV/NIV is not available on eBible.com which is a website I have been using more and more.
By: David on February 17, 2007
at 3:55 pm
Thanks guys for posting.
Paul–I’ve never read through the entire Message, NKJV, or KJV. I have read the entire NLT and NIV.
Currently, I am reading and preaching from the TNIV.
By: Brandon on February 17, 2007
at 4:36 pm
David,
Nice to see the TNIV mentioned in your comment. That is what I’ve been using to read and preach from for the last year.
I’ve always been quite fascinated with the different Bible translations…not necessarily the ins and outs of the translations so much…but more the “I-wonder-why-that-guy-uses-that-particular-translation” angle.
I use eBible.com for some research.
And you mention the ESV. Both the TNIV and ESV are fairly recent translations, and there are a lot of blogs and websites devoted to which is more accurate and more useful. I’ll post some links soon, maybe.
Thanks for posting.
Who else?
By: Brandon on February 17, 2007
at 4:39 pm
Tommy,
I was wondering…you said in college you learned that the NRSV was deemed more accurate. I’m curious about the class…and if they explained that idea for you?
By: Brandon on February 17, 2007
at 6:41 pm
Hi Brandon…my husband and I use the NASB (New American Standard). Here is the best explination I can direct you to: http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=49#books&version=49;
In my words, it is a version that takes the original Greek/Hebrew and translates the exact word into modern english…not a word that’s similar. It’s an easy read, and it’s the one our Bible college recommended.
By: Niccole (Hill) on February 17, 2007
at 9:18 pm
Hi Niccole…and thanks for stopping by.
I have read the NASB…and have referred to it as the most accurate word-for-word translation. But the ESV is also quite popular now as the most accurate word-for-word.
But, I’ve noticed with the ESV and NASB, sometimes, at least for me, they are hard to read.
I read one blog that said though, “if you can’t read it, then it isn’t accurate.” And that can be true with word-for-word translations…they are so literal that where the Greek and English don’t line up, they become hard to read.
Thanks for contributing…cool to get a new perspective.
By: Brandon on February 17, 2007
at 10:07 pm
Just recently made the switch to the Holman Christian Standard Bible..both for preaching / teaching and for personal devotional time.
I really like the combination of scholarship and read-ability.
By: Tony Foeller on February 17, 2007
at 11:35 pm
Get ready to gasp….I’ve not ever read through any Bible, although I am on my way and soon will be able to say I have!!
In the past 6-7 years I have purchased a Women’s Study NKJV (loved the study stuff and comments but tough to understand as a new reader), NLT (love but wanted more explanation), NLT Life Application Study (my favorite–easy to read, great study stuff) and The Message (like reading it along with the NLT and getting a little different interpretation).
So…if you have someone like me (very little exposure but really wants to learn).. the NLT Life App Study is working
By: rindy on February 18, 2007
at 12:58 am
Pastor Tony–in my list of translations that I have read earlier, I forgot to mention the HCSB. (There are too many to remember, it seems like!)
I like the HCSB…it’s cool they capitalize the H in Him or His or He, when referring to God, I think. Some people don’t like that…or like the words of Christ in red letters.
Thanks for posting…great translation.
By: Brandon on February 18, 2007
at 7:20 am
Rindy–
Glad to see you are getting close to reading through the entire Bible…that’s awesome. So, I take you are reading through the NLT Life App?? Great stuff…
I think the NLT Life Study is the #2 selling study Bible of all time, only behind the NIV Life Study…they are very popular.
Thanks for posting…
By: Brandon on February 18, 2007
at 7:21 am
I like the NLT Bible. I like it because it is very readable. I have the Student Life Application Study Bible and I like how it has notes and facts on many of the pages. I also like the NIV but I mainly use the NLT.
By: mattw23 on February 19, 2007
at 12:46 pm
Hey Matt…thanks for popping in and contributing.
Great blog you have goin’ yourself. Keep it up!
By: Brandon on February 19, 2007
at 1:29 pm
I read the ESV. (of course i read 3-4) but the ESV is my main text that I study.
I just wanted a fresh translation and so far I’ve enjoyed it. Although, sometimes it not as “readable” as the NIV or other translations.
By: chrismarlow on February 21, 2007
at 12:57 pm
NIV. Why? I’ve always done it that way.
By: Sprocket Widget on February 21, 2007
at 12:58 pm
i use an NIV on a day to day basis, mainly because at the church i’m a youth minister at that is the main version. also a fan of the message and for something a bit more scholarly i like the New Oxford Annotated Bible (had to use it for my college classes).
By: drew on February 21, 2007
at 2:41 pm
Chris…thanks for popping in, and posting your translation. The ESV, I am finding, is VERY popular right now.
By: Brandon on February 21, 2007
at 3:50 pm
SprocketWidget,
Do I know you? 
Thanks for stopping by…I thought you would be a NASB guy?!?
By: Brandon on February 21, 2007
at 3:50 pm
Drew,
Welcome and thanks for posting. The NIV is a great translation for youth ministers to use…when I did youth ministry, I would use the NLT often.
By: Brandon on February 21, 2007
at 3:51 pm
Well, the NIV is what I use when I’m teaching hoi polloi, in my daily devotional reading I use either the Greek or Hebrew, whichever is applicable.
(…and if you believe THAT….)
By: Sprocket Widget on February 21, 2007
at 4:14 pm
Hi Brandon,
I’m old enough I grew up on the KJV and there are some passages I memorized in KJV that still “just sound right”, yaknowhudimean?
I appreciate and respect the NASB and NASU, primarily because much of my adult-study has been there.
I really like the way the NLT reads aloud and that it’s readily understandable.
And the more I learn about the ESV (though I don’t own a printed copy yet) the more I’m coming to like it.
Homebase, though? Still NASB.
Phil—
By: Phil on February 23, 2007
at 2:06 pm
Phil, what is the NASU? Pardon my ignorance…
By: Brandon on February 24, 2007
at 11:06 am
It’s New American Standare - Updated, the later version of the NASB
By: Phil on February 24, 2007
at 3:15 pm
Kind of late to the party, but…
I use the NASB a lot for study, but as a youth pastor it’s sometimes not that great to preach from to my students. (Plus I have a Thompson Chain edition that’s about the size of a Cadillac, so it’s awkward to walk around on stage with.) I got an free NLT in the mail a couple years ago that I like. That one, along with The Message I like in the more poetic sections of Scripture.
I also have used the TNIV a lot this past couple years. I got a free copy at a conference at Mosaic a while back and decided to read it to see what issues some people seemed to have with it. (I still haven’t really found anything near as objectionable as I was led to believe.)
Incidentally, the only Bibles I’ve paid for are a $2 NIV paperback I bought at CIY because mine got left behind when we loaded the van, and a greek NT i bought in school. So, I’ve definitely gotten my money’s worth out of every translatoin I’ve used!
By: Mike on February 24, 2007
at 5:27 pm
Phil–
I should have known that. I think I have one.
By: Brandon on February 24, 2007
at 7:25 pm
Mike…
Welcome! I got a couple of free TNIVs and a free ESV at a pastor’s breakfast I went to. From there, I was hooked and bought a nice TNIV with a leather cover. And just this week, I bought a TNIV study Bible on eBay for cheap. I think it’s my preferred translation.
You cannot beat free, though! Especially as a youth minister, or any kind of minister for that matter.
By: Brandon on February 24, 2007
at 7:27 pm
[...] YoungMinisters.com-Practical Tidbit; Bible Translations This is a tidbit about Bible translations. You can read a fascinating discussion about Bible translations on this blog here. [...]
By: YoungMinisters.com-Practical Tidbit; Bible Translations « MyNameIsBrandon.com on March 12, 2007
at 10:27 pm
[...] is reading and preaching from what. In fact, a couple of months ago, I posed the simple question: which translation do you use? The responses were [...]
By: How Do You Choose Which Translation? « MyNameIsBrandon.com on May 9, 2007
at 9:06 am
I am not a preacher or minister or any of the sort. I am a Christian and I had never heard of the NASU and wondered what that was so I googled it and landed on your page. I found your question rather interesting so I thought that I’d reply. My husband and I use the KJV (we are 33 and 35 yrs old) we are not so trusting of other versions because of many reasons. I found this article that would be helpful in describing those in a short but confrormed manner http://www.purewords.org/kjb1611/html/corrupt.htm
I trust and believe that if we pray and ask God to help us to understand his word that he will do just that.
May God Bless You! BTW: Great Question to ask.
By: Barb on January 13, 2008
at 10:26 am
Brandon,
Due to surfing the net this afternoon, I found your site. Its very interesting I might add. Many aspects of the site have helped me already and the forums are very interesting at that. Im 17 years old and live in the state of Indiana. I wish to go into ministry after high school and this site has been a real encouragment. I have been recently trying to pre-write my own sermons, for that day that I might preach them in front of my own congregagtion, and this site, believe it or not has been a huge help. So thanks. But enough about me, to the question: I am currently and reading from the NASB (New American Standard Bible), this is a good source and is very readable. Of course, the verison I love most would be the ESV (English Standard Version). This is probabaly already relevant to many in this forum, but it is good to know and remember that the “translation” of bible you read isnt important, simply because they all say the samething. Although using differnet words, they all have the same message/interprutation. Not to be a smarty, but that is good to remember. Again, love this site and will be referring to it often. Thanks
By: Jake on January 19, 2008
at 4:49 pm
hi. I read the NIV again because of it’s readability. The TNIV has only recently come to South Africa and I now have my own and will start using it more and more. The preamble/introduction to the TNIV states nicely why the “updated” translation and for those same reasons, I am more inclined to start using it.
I have however recently read an article regarding the translation process and protocol used for the King James (and with that the New King James) and must say that I was very impressed with what I read. As a result, I have made a decision to use the NKJV for study and sermon preparation purposes. I unfortunately still feel that it is a difficult read and will not likely quote from it.
for your info, there is a website that has the NIV on it. It is biblegateway.com. gat site and now use it all the time because of the NIV on it.
All the best
By: Darryl on February 5, 2008
at 12:32 am
hi. I read the NIV again because of it’s readability. The TNIV has only recently come to South Africa and I now have my own and will start using it more and more. The preamble/introduction to the TNIV states nicely why the “updated” translation and for those same reasons, I am more inclined to start using it.
I have however recently read an article regarding the translation process and protocol used for the King James (and with that the New King James) and must say that I was very impressed with what I read. As a result, I have made a decision to use the NKJV for study and sermon preparation purposes. I unfortunately still feel that it is a difficult read and will not likely quote from it.
for your info, there is a website that has the NIV on it. It is biblegateway.com. gat site and now use it all the time because of the NIV on it.
All the best
By: Darryl on February 5, 2008
at 12:33 am
Hi
Just on the whole thing of the NIV being corrupt…
I have not read the article from purewords and my previous comment stating that I read an article about the KJV, was not from the purewords site.
One of our associate pastors went through the trouble of investigating the NIV corruption issue, going so far as to email the NIV translation committee members. And his feedback has been that wherever there is a potential “translation flaw”, there is a footnote comment that highlights this in the NIV.
Working under a staunch NKJV reading pastor, his investigation was done with a strong lean towards NKJV. However he is fully convinced that the NIV is not a corruption.
All the best.
Darryl
By: Darryl on February 5, 2008
at 12:47 am
Hi, I was searching around the net trying to do some more research on translations and i found this forum. I am a Bible College student in Sydney, Australia. I have been saved for 3 years and have been called by God to full-time preaching and prophetic ministry.
For me when i first got saved the NIV was given to me and i really liked the thought for thought concept. After being mentored by a pastor at my church i asked him what translation he used and he said the NKJV. So i decided to give the NKJV a go and to be honest for memory scriptures it is the best, i love the poetic side of the NKJV and there seems a sense of awe when it is read aloud. however, after maturing in the faith and finding my own footsteps, i started hearing other peoples view on translations and i came to the decision that i would do some study myself.
For me i love the NASU cos it is extremely accurate to the Gk/Hb and keeps what i like to call the ‘power verses’ powerful (Heb 11:1, Ps 66:18, Ps 118:27). The word of God is powerful no matter what translation you use. Dr Gordon fee has a good book “How to read the Bible for all its worth”- He is quite bias on the TNIV as he was part of the commitee which wrote the TNIV. But he really brings out some great truth. I think as children of God we need to be using more than one translation to adequately study the scriptures. We need a good literal, Dynamic Equivalent and Paraphrase. I would say:
Literal- NASB/NRSV
Dynamic Equivalent: NIV/TNIV
Paraphrase: The Message/NLT/NJB
Sorry for the lengthy post….
Ryan
By: Ryan on May 7, 2008
at 9:28 am
Funny thing, I just started reading the same book that Ryan in the above post refers to. One thing I learned from that book which is quite interesting was the authors point of view that the KJV and NKJV are actually LESS accurate than most of the new versions because they are based on Aramaic manuscripts from the middle ages (the only manuscripts available in the 16th century) whereas new, more ancient manuscripts have been found that are more accurate to the original writings (LXX from Egypt written in 150 BC). The NKJV, while being created after all these new manuscripts were found, chose not to use them but just update the KJV, leaving the errors. I thought it was interesting and gave me more reason for why I hate KJV (mostly because I dont understand it at all).
One correction to Ryan’s post above, the NLT is not a paraphrase. It was created with the original intention to update and correct some issues with the paraphrase “The Living Bible”, but during its update, the committee decided to basically start from scratch and make the NLT a Dynamic Equivalent Bible.
Anyway, to this blogs questions, I was raised on NIV, but have been using only the NLT for the last 2 years due to its readability. Now that I am beginning to study the Bible a bit deeper, I feel like I should get a NASB just so I have a Literal Equivalent to go with my Dynamic Equivalent Bible (NLT).
By: Ryan on May 16, 2008
at 1:40 pm
This just addresses one of the corrupt versions which I am afraid many of you have fallen victim to. The below is a true statement.
Dr. Frank Logsdon was co-founder of The New American Standard Version. As people begin confronting Dr. Logsdon on some the NASV’s serious omissions and errors. He re-examined the evidence and this was his verdict:
“I must under God denounce every attachment to the New American Standard Version. I’m afraid I’m in trouble with the Lord . . . I wrote the format . . . I wrote the preface . . . I’m in trouble; . . . its wrong, terribly wrong; its frighteningly wrong . . .The deletions are absolutely frightening . . . there are so many . . . Are we so naive that we do not suspect Satanic deception in all of this?”
Dr. Frank Logsdon
Co-founder, New American Standard Version
Think about what some of you are saying. That we have new older documents. Many of the original documents used in the KJV no longer exist. How can a newer version without the same resources be better. I restrain… my intention is not to offend, but to warn. Many people today are straying from God’s word to new versions that are increasingly worldly. I will continue to pray for you all that God himself will reveal his true word to you preserved for us in the King James Version “Holy Bible.”
By: Concerned on June 4, 2008
at 4:05 am
Concerned…I don’t like anonymous comments with false email addresses.
If you have a real opinion, please stand by it.
By: Brandon on June 7, 2008
at 12:10 pm
Hi Brandon,
Great site; great idea. I like the HCSB because it is the first translation that ditched “traditional” wording and based it’s translation on sole scholarly insights, and not just sticking with “that’s the way it’s always been intrepreted.” See John 3:16, where the HCSB correctly translates “so” as the what the Greek language meant it to mean, and that is “in this way.” Kind of like how today we don’t so “I tied my shoe like so,” we would more likely say “I tied my shoe like this.” I won’t ramble on anymore about it as you can look up their web-site for further investigation.
I also use, and love the NLT, and thank you for explaining that the NLT is a translation and not a paraphrase. The NLT is great for Christian work, and that’s what we are supposed to be doing with the knowledge gained from the scriptures. The NLT is what I preach to my youth as a “fruit - bearing” Bible!
As far as the KJV “only” movement. Folks, don’t waste your time reading the venomous, illogical arguments they present. They are not worth reading, and it’s only purpose is division, not discernment, although they will tell you the opposite. God’s Speed to you all. — John 7:6
By: Chris Birtles on June 18, 2008
at 1:34 pm
I prefer the KJV—it seems to have the “quickening”—yet I realize that every version is somewhat interpretive. It is impossible for it to not be. There is a great book out, co–authoried by one of the TNIV translators: How to choose a Translation for All its Worth, by Gordon Fee and Mark Strauss. (Zondervan, 2007).
By: glen on June 24, 2008
at 2:02 pm
