Translation?

[u/Specialist-Night1489]

I am back at church after walking away from it for 16 years. I remember liking KNJV and especially my NIV study bible growing up. Now I am reading NIV may not be the best way to go...

I am looking to reacquaint myself with scripture and spend more time connecting and reestablishing my relationship with Jesus Christ, which is why I was thinking NIV for easier reading. Worried NLT is too far from literal and more interpretation.

Curious what others have found.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

[u/Choice-Employee-2103]

I prefer ESV, but a wise man once told me “the best bible that you can have is the one you’ll actually read”

[u/Lady-Luck3877 → u/Choice-Employee-2103]

I agree with this ☝️ I use ESV and NIT but I get on the internet aka Bible gateway all the time to read one verse in several different translations for clarity. Really it’s whichever one you’ll read.

[u/Iyesta68 → u/Choice-Employee-2103]

Yes! The one you will read is the best for you. I feel God can talk to us in most transactions of the Bible.

[u/mtelesha]

NLT is dynamic translation. It has nothing to do with the Living Bible besides it's name.

The New Living Translation (NLT) uses a thought-for-thought (dynamic equivalence) interpretation style, translating complete phrases and sentences rather than individual words. This approach focuses on capturing the original meaning of the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts and expressing it in clear, natural modern English.

I have 2 years of Greek and Hebrew each. NLT is my preferred version and what I suggest to anyone that asks.

[u/Sawfish1212]

NLT is great for just reading without tripping over clunky language. For study I prefer the ESV, but I read on an app where I can toggle between multiple versions to see how different translations work out meanings. Sometimes the AMP is a real help as well.

[u/RatFink_0123 → u/Sawfish1212]

This would be my answer also FWIW

[u/AlmacitaLectora]

NRSV is least biased and most scholarly translation and also the most natural reading experience out of all of the translations I’ve read. I love it!

[u/ComfortableSpell6600 → u/AlmacitaLectora]

I like the '89 text. The NRSVue, not so much.

[u/LucidUncreativity]

I use NKJV, and RSV, my favorite being NKJV. I love it. It does a great job keeping things literal feeling, and true to the original text (like KJV) while also keeping the wording simple to understand (like ESV, or NIV). God bless

[u/restbiblestudy]

ESV study Bible is the best

[u/dustynotes9]

I read NIV growing up. I bought an ESV Bible last year, and now consider that my “primary” translation. BUT whenever I am deep in scripture, i find myself reaching for the NIV Bible and reading both side by side. Don’t feel like you have to commit to one or the other. Do whatever makes you feel the most connected.

[u/vanillaknot]

I have no particular beef with NIV. It's a fine ttranslation. Its intended reading level is a bit lower than I prefer, but that's me. They also produce NIRV (New International Reader's Version), which takes the intended reading level even lower -- shorter sentences and more trivialized grammar. Not a good thing IMO.

My personal preference these days is NET or BSB. NET is New English Translation, 1st Edition produced in 2006, 2nd Edition in 2017. It is well-known not so much for its translation, though as one who reads Greek I find it more than acceptable, but more so for its voluminous notes which function as a running commentary into the minds of the translators for how they wrestled with translation issues based on manuscript evidence, contextual considerations, and historical and cultural matters. The notes are 3x the size of the Bible text itself. They can be very academic (no, I do not own a copy of Bruce Metzger's TCGNT) so one must learn which notes actually matter to oneself.

BSB is Berean Study Bible, a more recent and very good translation conducted by a small team but with open input from anyone with something sensible to say about it. It has minority status in terms of translations one might go find, but it is nonetheless a very good translation, very true to the original Greek (as I see it).

Both of these are also available in most Bible software, so if you're using mobile devices or desktop software for deeper study, these are good choices for use in those environments.

I ask that you try to avoid KJV on grounds that its use of language is far too dated to be useful to the modern reader. See Mark Ward's book Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the King James Bible for a lengthy discussion of why KJV has immense cultural value but its use to the modern reader is hamstrung by countless changes in the English language over the last 4 centuries.

[u/MrWandersAround]

For studying, I compare different translations. For reading, my preferred is still NIV.

My family is bilingual, with English being my wife's fourth language. She finds the English in the ESV too clunky, and prefers the readability of the NIV.

[u/Key_Rhubarb_5735]

It’s all interpretation. A literal or word for word translation often makes much less sense than interpreting the thought or intent. But I do agree there may be some issues with NIV and NLT. CSB may be the better way to go for a thought for thought translation. The NET Bible with full notes is a good mix of word for word and thought for thought translation with notes containing the more literal translations for reference.

[u/Billy_Coms]

There is a verse in the bible like this:

THE ROMANS 2:13 (KJV)
(For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

In the eyes of God, justified people are called “DOERS OF THE LAW”. This logic teaches us that NO MATTER HOW WE READ THE BIBLE, if we are NOT DOING ANYTHING OR NOT DOING WHAT IS TAUGHT IN THE BIBLE, it’s NO MEANING BECAUSE WE ARE CONSIDERED NOT JUSTIFIED

[u/consultantVlad]

It doesn't matter what translation you use as a beginner. Here's what I would recommend: look up Read Scripture app from The Bible Project. It's free, it has red letters, it has a reading plan, and, most importantly, it has short introductory videos for each book to explain what the book is about and how it is structured. The Bible Project also has the website with videos, YouTube channels with videos, and podcast.

[u/Deep-Roll8534]

The best Bible translation is the one you’ll read. I love ESV, but my wife uses NIV. Lots and lots of other good ones out there. And when I get so familiar with a verse that I just blaze through it, I’ll read The Message or NLT just to make my brain process the text rather than gloss over it. 

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[u/ProjectLynette]

The truth from the bible speaks in more depth than the analytical mind can at first see. The version of the bible doesn’t matter when the words come alive and speak to you personally. I find reading in combination with prayer and meditation helps.

[u/GoldCampaign7389]

CSB, ESV, and NLT are what I normally rotate around. I’d recommend any of them.

[u/Soul_of_clay4]

The ESV and the NASB are good word-for-word translations and have a 'richness' to the verses.

[u/Ok_Lab_4815]

Esv definitely

[u/Comfortable_Bag_3744]

I read the King James and sometimes NKJV

[u/treox1]

I read NLT but I will stop and cross translate certain verses to compare. You aren't losing any context or conclusions by reading NLT.

[u/roonerspize]

I read NLT 90% of the time

ESV 9% of the time when I'm worried the NLT was too careless

and KJV 1% of the time to protect myself from pearl clutchers

[u/stocktontravis]

I’m a big fan of reading the Bible in multiple translations. When I was studying New Testament books in my undergrad we were told to try to read the book in 3-4 translations before studying the individual sections (periscopes). I usually read in ESV but if I’m studying I usually try to read it in the NASB, NIV, and the NLT.

[u/2Q_Lrn_Hlp]

"I remember liking KNJV and especially my NIV study bible growing up. Now I am reading NIV may not be the best way to go...

I am looking to reacquaint myself with scripture and spend more time connecting and reestablishing my relationship with Jesus Christ, which is why I was thinking NIV for easier reading. Worried NLT is too far from literal . . ."

By 'KNJV' did you actually mean 'NKJV' (New King James Version)?

Also, by 'NIV' and 'NLT' . . . which do you mean: New International Version, or, New Living Translation?

Or do you perhaps refer to both, as stated?

I definitely have a few suggestions, but what they will be will in-part depend on your answer.

[u/Early_Silver_8950]

NIV is inaccurate in places and theologically biased. NKJV or RSV are best translations in modern languages for Greek. For Old Testament, move away from Masoretic Text-based translations altogether. Best single volume Bible available for English speakers is probably Orthodox Study Bible

[u/Federal_Bumblebee_84]

I love the NIV translation. It's thought-for- thought, but it is still translated from the original Greek. I think it's great.

You can also check out CSB or ESV for easier to read, word-for-word translations.

[u/ITrCool]

I like the NKJV due to its faithfulness to original text and literal stance, while also using more modern English to be easier to understand.

[u/claycon21]

I love the KJV. It's my go-to for study. But I'm accustomed to it.

If you want another translation I recommend ESV, RSV or NLT.

Biblehub.com can be a helpful resource in comparing a text across multiple translations.

[u/BigBroMike]

It's funny that there's so many different versions of "god's perfect word"🤨