Choosing a Bible That You Can Understand
Ever try to read the Bible and it didn't make ANY sense to you? All you could think was, "I don't talk like this. What does that MEAN!?" You know, all the "Thee" and "Thou" and "Shalt" language that isn't used today? It's pretty discouraging when that happens and people tend to stop reading because it doesn't feel like it is worth their time. I don't want you to be discouraged as we start "New Thru 30" and as you start to regularly read your Bible (a good habit) and I want you to understand at least PART of what you read, so check this out...
This is not meant to be a scholarly article on the accuracy of various translations of the Bible…it’s just some insight that may help you.
First of all, the Bible was not written in English, so every Bible sold is what you call a "translation" or a "version" of the Bible. Some of those "translations" or "versions" are easier to understand than others and when you read them, some are phrased more in modern English than others. This all affects how much you will understand when you read your Bible.
If you go get your Bible and look at the front cover, the binding, or the first few pages of the book, you will see something like "New King James", "New American Standard". "King James", "New Living Translation", "English Century", "New International Version", etc... or you may see letters like "NKJV", "KJV", "ESV", NIV", "NASB", etc... Those words or letters tell you what version of the Bible you own.
So here's what happened...
A person or a group of people took the original text (which were written mostly in Hebrew and Greek) and translated them into English. There are several different translations, ranging from "word for word translations" like the "English Standard Version", to "paraphrases" (that make it more like a story) like the "New Living Translation" or "The Message".
Some people are really committed to their favorite translation. For example, there’s a small group of people that believe the King James Bible (originally published in 1611) is the only real God-inspired translation. This is pretty stupid, because it would have to mean that people didn’t have a real Bible in 1610. I don’t think you will go wrong with any translation of the Bible, and God will honor you if you read and follow His Word. The trick is picking a translation that makes sense to you.
Here are a few translations I recommend to readers, listed here in order from the simpler to the more advanced.
1. The Message - This is one of the newest translations available. It reads like a book and is written like we talk today. It is very easy to understand if you are reading for a quick overview of the Bible like "New Thru 30", but is often not great for "studying" because a lot of what people study in the Bible is the historic language and it's meaning in the culture it was written.
2. The NLT (New Living Translation) is a great Bible. This is a very readable Bible as the translators focused on making it easy to read and understand. You won’t find “thee’s and thou’s” in this one. If you’re a new Christian or want a great starting point, then this translation is a good one. A lot of people in my small group use this version.
3. The NIV (New International Version) is probably the most popular translation. It’s still pretty readable, but it’s a little MORE of a word-for-word translation. It’s been around for about 25 years or so and is good to read. I recommend this to people who want a deeper understanding of scripture but aren't really advanced in their Bible knowledge. Almost everyone in my small group that doesn't use the NLT uses the NIV.
4. The ESV (English Standard Version) is the most accurate translation available. The goal of the ESV was to translate the Bible as close to the original writings as possible. This translation is very similar to the King James Version (the KJV has the "Thee, Thou, and Shalt" language that you often hear people quote), but it’s more accurate.
Lots of publishers publish all these translations so you’ll find them all with many kinds of covers and in all kinds of formats.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET A STUDY BIBLE (I can't say this enough!!!), and there’s a good study Bible for all of these translations. A study Bible will have notes, maps and charts…so when you come across something that is confusing, there will be some footnotes or articles to help you understand what is going on.
As you do "New Thru 30" and get into your Bible more, you will find that it is like exercise. It is hard to read at first, but if you stick with it, you will finish stronger. Reading the Bible literally takes practice. You learn new things EVERY TIME you read it.
If you are struggling to find a Bible that you can understand or if you are struggling to figure out what kind of Bible you have, let me know and I will help you figure it out. =)
Hope this helps....good luck!
Vanessa
vanessa@ohiovalleyrevolution.com
This is not meant to be a scholarly article on the accuracy of various translations of the Bible…it’s just some insight that may help you.
First of all, the Bible was not written in English, so every Bible sold is what you call a "translation" or a "version" of the Bible. Some of those "translations" or "versions" are easier to understand than others and when you read them, some are phrased more in modern English than others. This all affects how much you will understand when you read your Bible.
If you go get your Bible and look at the front cover, the binding, or the first few pages of the book, you will see something like "New King James", "New American Standard". "King James", "New Living Translation", "English Century", "New International Version", etc... or you may see letters like "NKJV", "KJV", "ESV", NIV", "NASB", etc... Those words or letters tell you what version of the Bible you own.
So here's what happened...
A person or a group of people took the original text (which were written mostly in Hebrew and Greek) and translated them into English. There are several different translations, ranging from "word for word translations" like the "English Standard Version", to "paraphrases" (that make it more like a story) like the "New Living Translation" or "The Message".
Some people are really committed to their favorite translation. For example, there’s a small group of people that believe the King James Bible (originally published in 1611) is the only real God-inspired translation. This is pretty stupid, because it would have to mean that people didn’t have a real Bible in 1610. I don’t think you will go wrong with any translation of the Bible, and God will honor you if you read and follow His Word. The trick is picking a translation that makes sense to you.
Here are a few translations I recommend to readers, listed here in order from the simpler to the more advanced.
1. The Message - This is one of the newest translations available. It reads like a book and is written like we talk today. It is very easy to understand if you are reading for a quick overview of the Bible like "New Thru 30", but is often not great for "studying" because a lot of what people study in the Bible is the historic language and it's meaning in the culture it was written.
2. The NLT (New Living Translation) is a great Bible. This is a very readable Bible as the translators focused on making it easy to read and understand. You won’t find “thee’s and thou’s” in this one. If you’re a new Christian or want a great starting point, then this translation is a good one. A lot of people in my small group use this version.
3. The NIV (New International Version) is probably the most popular translation. It’s still pretty readable, but it’s a little MORE of a word-for-word translation. It’s been around for about 25 years or so and is good to read. I recommend this to people who want a deeper understanding of scripture but aren't really advanced in their Bible knowledge. Almost everyone in my small group that doesn't use the NLT uses the NIV.
4. The ESV (English Standard Version) is the most accurate translation available. The goal of the ESV was to translate the Bible as close to the original writings as possible. This translation is very similar to the King James Version (the KJV has the "Thee, Thou, and Shalt" language that you often hear people quote), but it’s more accurate.
Lots of publishers publish all these translations so you’ll find them all with many kinds of covers and in all kinds of formats.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET A STUDY BIBLE (I can't say this enough!!!), and there’s a good study Bible for all of these translations. A study Bible will have notes, maps and charts…so when you come across something that is confusing, there will be some footnotes or articles to help you understand what is going on.
As you do "New Thru 30" and get into your Bible more, you will find that it is like exercise. It is hard to read at first, but if you stick with it, you will finish stronger. Reading the Bible literally takes practice. You learn new things EVERY TIME you read it.
If you are struggling to find a Bible that you can understand or if you are struggling to figure out what kind of Bible you have, let me know and I will help you figure it out. =)
Hope this helps....good luck!
Vanessa
vanessa@ohiovalleyrevolution.com
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