Which Bible Should I Use?

"Which version of the Bible should I use?"

First, we must distinguish between versions of the Bible, translations of versions, and types of Bibles.

Technically, there are several versions of the Bible:

• The HEBREW BIBLE is the Bible used by non-Messianic Jews (most Jews).  This is the same as the Christian Old Testament, except that (a) the books are arranged in a different order (b) the books have different names and (c) a number of the books are combined, e.g., the twelve "minor" prophets are considered one book.  (Even if it's in English, it's still called the Hebrew Bible.)

  Jews routinely refer to the Hebrew Bible as the Tanakh.

• The PROTESTANT BIBLE consists of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament.

• The CATHOLIC BIBLE consists of the 39 books of the Old Testament, the 27 books of the New Testament, and the Apocrypha, 14 books written mainly during the intertestamental period, the period between the end of the writing of the Old Testament and the beginning of the writing of the New Testament.  The Apocrypha were never quoted or referred to by New Testament writers as authoritative and were not declared canonical (i.e., divinely-inspired) until 1546 A.D., largely in response to the Protestant Reformation. Jews have never considered the Apocrypha to be scripture.

• The JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES' BIBLE is called The New World Translation. Jehovah's Witnesses are not Christians -- they do not believe Jesus Christ is God.  They used some very forced interpretations of certain phrases in order to avoid saying that Jesus is God.  (A "forced" interpretation means that in theory a section of text can have more than one interpretation and the translator picks the one that is very unlikely.  Imagine that the original says "What is your name, Miss?" and the translator renders it "What is your name?  Is your name 'Miss'?")  In other cases, they simply mistranslate.

• The MORMON BIBLE is a "new" "translation" done by Joseph Smith Jr., the founder of Mormonism.  Interestingly, Smith had no training or knowledge of Latin or Greek or Hebrew or Aramaic, yet he still claimed that he did a "corrected" translation.  Among other things, he just outright added text saying that a person has to believe in him in order to be saved.  No early, medieval, or early modern manuscripts support his additions.  Do not confuse Smith's alleged "translation" of the Bible with The Book of Mormon.

There are numerous translations of the HEBREW, PROTESTANT, and CATHOLIC BIBLES.

Just to make things confusing ... the word "version" is usually used to mean "translation!"

For instance, the New International Version, the New American Standard Bible and most editions of the King James Version are all translations of the Protestant Bible.

There are also different types of Bibles:

Ordinary Bible

This is the run-of-the-mill Bible that starts with Genesis, ends with Revelation, and is divided into the Old Testament and the New Testament.

Topical Bibles

The Naves Topical Bible, Easton's Topical Bible and Zondervan Topical Bible are common examples of this.  Technically, these aren't really Bibles.  Passages are grouped by topic.  This is good for studying or teaching on a particular topic or finding additional passages on a topic when studying a regular Bible.

Parallel Versions Bibles

One of the problems with any translation is that there will always be some difference in the message understood.  A parallel versions Bible has the text of two or more translations side by side.  For instance, it is common to have the King James Version (KJV) and the New International Version (NIV) side by side.  These are usually limited to some combination of the King James Version, NIV, New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the New King James Version (NKJV).

There are no true parallel version Bibles, i.e., you won't find a Bible that has the Protestant Bible in one column and the Jehovah's Witnesses New World Translation or the Mormon "translation" of  Joseph Smith, Jr. in another column.

Parallel Languages Bibles

A parallel languages Bible presents the text in English, with the Hebrew and/or Greek text in parallel columns.

Amplified Bibles

An amplified Bible is another aid at overcoming difficulties in translation.  If four English words each conveys part of the meaning of a word in the original language, an amplified Bible will use all four words.  For instance, a phrase such as "God made a covenant with man" might be rendered as "God made a covenant, an agreement, a testament, a contract, a legally enforceable agreement with man, with mankind, with humanity, with all nations."

Language Reference Bibles (my term)

These are Bibles with the text in English and a parallel column that gives the definition of major Hebrew words or major Greek words.  For instance, John 1:1 really says "In the beginning was logos ...", not "In the beginning was the Word ...."  The Greek word logos has a much broader meaning than simply "word."  (Wolfgang Goethe, the greatest German-language author, examines this in detail in a scene in his play Faust.)

Study Bibles

A study Bible is a Bible that has extensive footnotes, commentaries, maps, outlines of each book, etc.  These are simply added to a major version.  The most popular study Bibles use the NIV text, since it is easy to understand.

Thomas Chain Reference Bible

The Thomas Chain Reference Bible has verses linked by topic.  (I only examined a TCR on one occasion, for only a few minutes.)

Scofield Reference Bible

This is for serious study of the Bible.  It is expensive and probably not particularly useful except for scholars, researchers and ministers.

The King James Version is a "must have" for serious Bible study.  It should not be your primary study Bible because of the many words that have changed meanings and the many changes in grammatical structure over almost four centuries.  Nevertheless, it is still referred to regularly by teachers, preachers, and others and is still the standard against which all other English translations are compared.

KING JAMES VERSION (KJV)

This is the "granddaddy" of commonly-used English translations although it was actually based on the Geneva Bible English translation.  Until the mid-1980's it was the most widely-used English-language Bible.  It is the English-language Bible most often quoted, for a very non-obvious reason: Because it is so old, it is not copyrighted.  Therefore, authors and publishers don't have to pay royalties.

PROBLEMS

In its time, the KJV was equivalent to today's NKJV -- it was a solid translation into good, readable English of the time.  Today, the King James language is archaic.  The translation was done in Shakespeare's time.  If you can understand Shakespeare as easily as you understand a newspaper, then by all means use the King James.  Otherwise, don't.

Even if you can easily understand the King James language, most people can't.  Listeners find it extremely difficult to follow.  Congregations find it hard to read in unison, often mispronouncing words or accidentally substituting other words and thereby changing the meaning of what is spoken.

Also, the words don't mean what they say!  In King James' time testament was another word for covenant.  Covenant is another word for contract.  A contract is a legally enforceable agreement.  The Bible is a set of books about two legally enforceable agreements God made with Man: the Old Covenant and the New Covenant.  Most speakers of modern English think "testament" has something to do with "testimony" or "last will and testament."  Several hundred words have changed their meaning since the King James Version was translated.  In King James' time ghost was a synonym for spirit, hence Holy Ghost.  Today, ghost has assumed the much more narrow meaning of the spirit of a human being who has died.

Many people have "deified" this translation -- made it into an object of worship.  There are Bible scholars who actually claim that the King James Version is the most accurate version of the Bible available today.  They don't simply claim it's the most accurate translation, they claim it expresses God's message to mankind even more accurately than the original text in the original languages!

Jesus didn't speak in archaic language, but most people have come to think of the language of the King James Version as the way Jesus spoke.

Many people think The Bible is not understandable because of the King James Version's archaic language. They don't say "I don't understand this translation, I'll get another one," they say "I tried reading The Bible and I couldn't understand it, so I stopped reading it."

BENEFITS

This is the most widely-known translation.  Because  is not copyrighted, it is generally the only one available free or cheap.  It is a fairly literal translation.  It is a good translation; the problem isn't the quality of the translation, it is the changes that have occurred in the English language since.

REVISED STANDARD VERSION (RSV)

NEW REVISED STANDARD VERSION (NRSV)

Over the years, there have been numerous updates to the King James Version.  The more modern ones are the RSV and the NRSV.

BENEFITS

King James is a good translation; there is no reason to totally abandon it.  These updates build on a solid base and make it more understandable to modern readers.  Also, many people were raised hearing particular phrasing and feel uncomfortable with a completely new wording, even if it is an accurate translation.

The NRSV is a good, modern English translation, similar to, but different from the NKJV.

DISADVANTAGES

Neither of these updates has become particularly popular; hence, if you are reading one in a group, the chances are you will be the only person with that translation.

Regarding the RSV, words spoken directly by God are still translated with "thee" and "thou" instead of "you."  Most of the Psalms are still translated with archaic words such as "doth" and "hast."

The NRSV updaters go out of their way to be "gender neutral". In doing so, they are changing the text, e.g., using "brothers and sisters" where the original says "brothers."

NEW KING JAMES VERSION (NKJV)

This is a completely new translation that has endeavored to keep the phrasing and tenor of the King James Version while updating the individual words.

BENEFITS

This is a highly-regarded translation into modern English.  It builds on a solid, established, good translation, the KJV.  Of the three major modern-English translations (NKJV, NIV, NASB) it follows the original language closer than the NIV but not as close as the NASB. Special care was given to "beauty" of the final text. There is "something special" about the phrasing, etc. It has the benefit of a "pedigree" that gives it credibility with many people who consider other translations as altering the word of God.

Like the NIV and the NRSV, the NKJV completely does away with antiquated language such as "thou, thee, thine, hast, hath, doeth."

DISADVANTAGES

Although NKJV is a good translation, it has not caught on as well as the NIV.  In a study group or congregation it is far more likely that listeners will have an NIV than an NKJV.

Because the NIV uses more "dynamic equivalence" and because the NIV editors deliberately concerned themselves with modern English literary style and usage, the NIV is somewhat more readable than the NKJV. The NIV aims specifically at seventh-grade reading level, whereas the NKJV does not.

It is important to realize that none of these "disadvantages" are really negative -- they have nothing to do with the quality, accuracy or usefulness of the NKJV.

The NKJV is an excellent translation.  I highly recommend it as a primary Bible for serious study.  I find that as people get more into studying the Bible, they start to prefer the NKJV over the NIV.

Personal side notes:

I have two KJV's, RSV, Living Bible, Complete Jewish Bible, JPS Tanakh, NJPS Tanakh, NASB study bible, NIV study Bible, and an NKJV regular Bible (and a few others). I use the NKJV as my primary Bible.  I have found that most of the ministers in training at my church (Methodist) gradually do the same. At the Messianic Synagogue I attend most people use either the NASB or the Complete Jewish Bible.

There are three reasons I mainly use NIV on this website, none having to do with the quality of the translation:

1. Only my NIV software is indexed.  Indexing makes searches much faster, e.g., seconds instead of minutes to find a phrase.  (NKJV and NASB modules are available, but I just haven't bought them.)

2. I used to use custom software that ties WordPerfect for DOS to my NIV Bible study software. Only the NIV software runs under DOS.

3. Only my NIV software displays verse numbers in square brackets.  To maintain continuity of style I have to manually change text I copy from other versions.

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

This is the most popular of the modern translations and since the mid-1980's has been the best-selling English-language translation.  If a church's leaders do not specifically insist on using the King James Version, they will most likely recommend that the congregation use the New International Version.

DISADVANTAGES

"Dynamic equivalence" means that a translator doesn't always translate the words, but rather the meaning.  All translations use "dynamic equivalence" to some degree.  For instance, there is a Russian proverb "One soldier does not make an army."  One Russian translator translated that into English by substituting the English proverb "You can't fight City Hall."  Many places in the New Testament refer to specific amounts of ancient currency, e.g., "200 denarii".  The NIV translators often substitute the value, e.g., "eight months of a man's wages", whereas the NKJV translates literally "200 denarii."

Note that "dynamic equivalence" is not a paraphrase.  Dynamic equivalence applies to individual words or phrases, not whole sentences or paragraphs.

In some places the NIV translators deliberately mistranslate pronouns to make it clear whom is being referred to.

BENEFITS

The NIV is highly-respected for its accuracy in conveying meaning.  According to the translators, the text is aimed at seventh-grade reading level.  Even people of less than average education or intelligence can understand the language whether they are reading it or hearing it.  The footnotes usually indicate where the translators have substituted words. If someone is not using the King James Version, it is most likely he will be using the NIV.

The NIV completely does away with antiquated language such as "thou, thee, thine, hast, hath, doeth."

Dynamic equivalence is both a benefit and a problem.  For deep, scholarly evaluation substitution of words is sometimes a problem, but for the average reader it helps.

NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (NASB)

This is a highly-respected, high-quality modern translation, although it is less popular than the NKJV or NIV.  Generally, the same comments that apply to the NIV apply to the NASB. The major difference is that NASB uses the least dynamic equivalence. In other words, it follows the original text somewhat more closely than either the NIV or the NKJV.

Do not confuse the New American Standard Bible (NASB) an interdenominational Protestant version, with the New American Bible (NAB), which is a Roman Catholic version that includes the Apocrypha.

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE (NAB)

This is a high-quality modern English Roman Catholic version that includes the Apocrypha.

BENEFITS

This is an excellent translation -- about the same as the NKJV. The biblical text is fine for use by both Protestants and Catholics. English has more words than any other language; hence, it allows finer shades of meaning than other languages.  This translation often uses words that are slightly different from other translations and seem to give a clearer sense of the meaning of the original text.

The Apocrypha provide important historical and cultural background information about the intertestamental period, the period between the Old and New Testaments.

DISADVANTAGES

The notes and commentaries often are geared to bolstering Roman Catholic doctrinal positions that contradict Protestant doctrinal positions.  Often, points are emphasized not by referring to other Bible passages, but by referring to edicts of Roman Catholic Church councils.

Protestants do not consider the Apocrypha divinely inspired and point to various teachings that directly contradict Protestant, and in some cases even Catholic doctrines.

2 Maccabees 12:31-34, 39-42 [31] Judas [Maccabeus] and his men thanked them [the Scythopolitans] and exhorted them to be well disposed to their race [the Jews] in the future also.  Finally they arrived in Jerusalem, shortly before the feast of Weeks.  [32] After this feast called Pentecost [not to be confused with the Pentecost in the Book of Acts], they lost no time in marching against Gorgias, governor of Idumea, [33] who opposed them with three thousand foot soldiers and four hundred horsemen.  [34] In the ensuing battle, a few of the Jews were slain.  [39] On the following day, since the task had now become urgent, Judas and his men went to gather up the bodies of the slain and bury them with their kinsmen in their ancestral tombs.   [40] But under the tunic of each of the dead they found amulets sacred to the idols of Jamnia, which the law [should be "Law"] forbids the Jews to wear.  So it was clear to all that this was why these men had been slain.  [41] They all therefore praised the ways of the Lord, the just judge who brings to light the things that are hidden.  [42] Turning to supplication, they prayed that the sinful deed might be fully blotted out.  The noble Judas warned the soldiers to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened because of the sin of those who had fallen.

 
Here, God protected every Jewish soldier who did not have the idolatrous amulet and let every Jewish soldier who did have the amulet be killed.  And still Maccabeus and his men prayed for them to be saved! This contradicts Catholic doctrine because idolatry is a "mortal sin".

Do not confuse the New American Bible (NAB), which is a Roman Catholic version that includes the Apocrypha with the New American Standard Bible (NASB), which is an interdenominational translation of the Protestant Bible.

THE LIVING BIBLE (TLB)

This is a paraphrase of the Bible!  It should not be your primary study Bible!

BENEFITS

The Living Bible specifically aims at presenting text in conversational American English. The language of this Bible is very easy to understand.  In many instances a listener cannot tell whether he is hearing normal conversation or a portion of text being read.  In some instances text has been added to make it clear what the writer is referring to without being distracted by footnotes.

Often, series of items are displayed in list format, making it much easier to remember or see patterns.

This is a particularly good Bible for:

• general Bible reading
• reading aloud
• teaching children
• beginners seeking general familiarity with the Bible
• discussion groups such as Bible study classes

• people who tried to study the Bible, found it confusing and gave up

DISADVANTAGES

The Living Bible is not intended to be a primary Bible for serious study.  For detailed study each individual word of the original text is important, and a paraphrase does not attempt to maintain textual accuracy.

Large portions of the Bible are poetry or couplets, e.g., most of Proverbs.  The Living Bible specifically aims at presenting all the text in conversational American English.  Thus, the form, sense and feel of the poetry is entirely lost -- there is no attempt to preserve it.

Any translation requires a certain amount of theological interpretation.  For instance, the original texts had no capitals and no punctuation, yet English translators routinely distinguish Spirit, referring specifically to the Holy Spirit, from spirit, meaning any spirit, and the Word of God, referring to Jesus, from the word of God.  The Living Bible had to make a greater number of such choices than true translations.

This Bible, and all paraphrases, lack credibility with many Christians, particularly fundamentalists.

The Living Bible and other paraphrased Bibles should never be relied upon or quoted in articles, etc.

SUGGESTIONS

Most people are not used to reading conversational English silently.  The Living Bible is particularly good to read aloud, even alone.  Often, a passage from an accurate translation will be difficult to understand, but on hearing The Living Bible paraphrase read aloud the meaning is immediately clear.