Also, most likely I'd look for something that I could get in an ebook format. Being able to search for specific passages, add annotations, and the like would be useful.

Mendalla

At home I have: English Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, King James Version, New King James Version, New international Version as well as various study Bible of those versions. On My iPod I have Youngs Literal Translation, Holman Standard Christian Bible and the 21 Century King James Version.

My favorite version is the English Standard Version. I also really like the English Standard Version Study Bible. At over 2600 pages, it's a beast, but the study material contained within is nothing short of amazing. The ESV and it's study Bible have a bit of a Reformation Flavor (reflected in the study and foot notes) which as a Calvinist, I can appreciate. Plus, the theological powerhouse J.I. Packer was involved as one of the editors of the ESV Study Bible.

It'd have to be the Internet, that one is closest to the one that I contain in my head, with all the hyperlinks and audiovisuals...

My favourite dead tree one is the one I managed to find in a Comic Store while shopping for a birthday present...the Wolverton Bible.  Illustrated by Basil Wolverton, some of you might remember him for his work in Mad Magazine.

Here are some of the pictures:

in regard to the last picture....bummer.

I like yourself Tyson have many versions and many study tools but I like The Amplified verson to reference to the others . 

For example ----this scripture Luke 21-25-28  King James ----

And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;

 ²⁶Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

 ²⁷And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

 ²⁸And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

Amplifies Bible same scripture  ----

²⁵And there will be signs in the sun and moon and stars; and upon the earth [there will be] distress (trouble and anguish) of nations in bewilderment and perplexity [without resources, left wanting, embarrassed, in doubt, not knowing which way to turn] at the roaring (^]the echo) of the tossing of the sea,

    ²⁶Men swooning away or expiring with fear and dread and apprehension and expectation of the things that are coming on the world; for the [very] powers of the heavens will be shaken and ^[i]caused to totter.

    ²⁷And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with great (transcendent and overwhelming) power and [all His kingly] glory (majesty and splendor).⁾

    ²⁸Now when these things begin to occur, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption (deliverance) is drawing near.

Peace

Yeah eh?  And all they wanted was a double-double at Timmies...which got interrupted by G_d's ethnic cleansing.

I have several Bibles in the house including King James version, New English, Good News Bible, and RSV and NRSV.

The one I like the best and use the most is a Harper Collins Study Bible.  It is the New Revised Standard Version.  There are extensive notes at the bottom of each page, on most pages the notes take up a third of the page.  I find it very helpful when trying to understand passages.

One of my university Bibles was The New Testament in four versions - KJ, RS, Phillips Modern English, and New English Bible.  It was interesting to have  the four versions side-by-side for study purposes.  Unfortunately I don't take time to consult it much now.

Sounds similar to the mix my family had in the eighties except for the NRSV (which didn't come out until 1989, the year I moved out and started my first job).

Mendalla

My new favourite is The Message Bible, but I would not rely on it for study purposes. Today's English Versioni is very readable.  For study purposes I have the RSV, the NRSV, the Jerusalem Bible. and the NIV  I have a Henry Bible from the 1880s as an inheritance from one of my wife's relatives, and a Good News Bible.  I still have the KJV I got when I was confirmed.  I also have my grandmother's Norwegian Bible, but I can''t read it.

Bible Gateway on the internet is my favourite on-line resource.

Basil has long been my favorite ... in the forties he did a long series of comic-book adventures of a guy the name of whom I have forgotten.but who had amazing adventures...I won't forget the IDEA of mile-long space ships...until your post I had no idea that he did other things...

I just remembered": the L'il Abner strip had a contest as to what the ugliest person in the world looked like...Basil won the contest.....

Gad, what ancient memories you dredged up --- thanks!

I too have many versions but generally use the NRSV.

In regards to the article.  I wonder what percentage o those KJV BIbles people have they have because the got passed down and what percentage were bought new?

Hey. Those line ups at the drive-thru can be killer.

In my home I have the NIV - I have worked at church as well with the RSV and NRSV. I find all to be just fine, readable, and my research tells me they are some of the more accurate translations available.

I use the harper study ( NRSV) the green bible, the 5 gospels, the catholic version of the NRSV) because it has the books some protestant versions do not have.  I have looked at the message but would only use it for aloud reading after testing it with the nrsv ( which is the best and most up to date bible)

Mendella - Bible Gateway has the ability to show you verses online in many tranlations.  You can probably read the whole Bible in that translation.  I too love the language of the KJV, but I get so irritated that so many churches - usually Baptist - say that it is almost a sin to read any other version.  After reading it, they then proceed to tell you what it means, and the interpretation is usually in the Amplified Bible that I study from. 

I have many versions of the Bible the ones I go to regularly are the NIv and the CEV

The Oxford study bible is a must

Actually, I do use it. Bible Gateway is great for lookups, not so much for sitting down and reading. When someone cites scripture on here, I just Google the reference (at home, I can highlight it and the Google toolbar search box fills in automatically with what I highlight)and usually the NIV translation for that verse from Bible Gateway is the first thing that comes up.

Mendalla

I also like the dramatized bible I am not sure the version but it does give the congregation a different view.

THen there is this version (although the whole text isn't there):

http://bricktestament.com/

Actually the only NRSV available on Kobo is the Catholic (but not, alas, the study bible). Unfortunately, they're selling it as two files (Old and New Testament).

Mendalla

GordW,

that's a good 'un--- Qui Gon as Jesus, a prettified Borg Cube as Heaven :3

There's another one, Apocamon, that mixes Revelations and Pokemon...I don't even think they've finished the flash project.  It used to be part of a brilliant little e-comic site called electric sheep...I miss Rush Limbaugh Eats Everything...

Is anyone familar with the New Living Translation of the Bible?  I was in a book store today looking for gift Bibles for confirmation students and this version was recommended to me.  The recipients will be in their late teens.  Any comments on suitabilty?

This is what I found on the Internet,

Version Information

The goal of any Bible translation is to convey the meaning of the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts as accurately as possible to the modern reader. The New Living Translation is based on the most recent scholarship in the theory of translation. The challenge for the translators was to create a text that would make the same impact in the life of modern readers that the original text had for the original readers. In the New Living Translation, this is accomplished by translating entire thoughts (rather than just words) into natural, everyday English. The end result is a translation that is easy to read and understand and that accurately communicates the meaning of the original text.

I have several translations but the most used is a thing calle QuickVerse ... multiple trnalateions with all sorts of reference materials including Greek and Hebrew dictionaries (with the vast ambiguity of the meanings of some of those archaic words ... archtype?) Yha have to wonder you various authors came up with some of the lopsided versions ... if youopen your heart and mind to the whole thing ... omega w'di say that?

In addition there's Quaran, Book of Mormon and bits an pieces of eastern philosophy (love of knowledge and wisdom; like epistemology) but institutional sorts will say don't go there ... don't question anything especially everything (that's God).

Now there are several dictionaries of Celt (Erse), Gael, Franc, and Cyrillic tongues and bits and pieces of Rumi in Runes ... just the dirt that befalls me ... as Jinns or Genii (spirit and sole) of the whole singularity. That word in itself gives some people the hebbi J'beis ... about how linguists evolve .. as a rule not fixed!

Isn't that hoo dah yah that you can investigate as old form of four lettered words ... YhWh ... you do it yours an I'll do it my and if we put it together I bet some people will learn something from it ... then there is always the other version, "don't tell the demos nothing!" Thats corrupt democracy for yah ... so you have to codify the truth as story ... novelized history? The god won't understand only the investigating scholars ... characters somewhere between authority and curiosity of the stew dent ... a dimple in the fabric where it is stirred!

I have the NRSV and the King James Version. I also have the German Martin Luther Version, which is my favourite.

Hi gecko46,

I'm passingly familiar with the NLT.  I have a copy which I love to read.  My Faculty Advisor during my undergraduate years, Albert Wolters, worked on the translation team for the book of Job  There are some spots where the translation is a little rough, no more so than any other translation (unless it is being compared to the KJV then it is less rough).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_M._Wolters

While the publisher considers it to be a "new" translation there is evidence which suggests it is a revision of The Living Bible.

Grace and peace to you.

John

 Does anyone read any alternative versions of non-bible documents?  Such as Rabbinic scriptures and the Talmud and such?  I am looking forward with eagerness to read the audacious attempt to have an alternative, very liberal translation of the Qur'an published (titled; The Sublime Qur'an).  The problem is getting it passed so many Muslims that fear change.

They need to be reminded of the theo-academic principal of Kalam.

As-salaamu alaikum

-Omni

You are right on track Omni ...

Then we have the comments of the Progressice Christian ... a contrary expression of word ... what change ... we couldn't do that ... its like the wrong side of politics ... an emotional thinker? Go way wit' yah ...

Given how many Christians still see the Kings James as "The Bible" (see the articles cited in my OP), I'm thinking that this isn't just an issue with Muslims .

I'll watch for it myself, though, and I'm not even Muslim. My current translation is Pickthall's Meaning of the Glorious Koran and I'm not sure that it's the best or most up to date one out there.

Mendalla

On June 5 I am doing a service about Scripture in honour of the KJV turning 400, so I'll bump this thread back up for now

My main study bibles are the New International Version and the Jerusalem Bible. The poetry in the King James Version is unequalled.

Last week's gospel reading was from John 14.   I spoke about some of the problems of translation, and referred to three different translations:

KJV - In my father's house are many mansions.  

Good News -  In my father's house are many rooms.

NRSV - In my father's house are many dwelling places.

When I was young, reading KJV, I pictured a castle in the sky.  Good News brought me down to earth in a rooming house or dormitory.     But the NRSV reminded me of a journey, with many dwelling places along the way, where I could stop, rest, renew myself, and then move on to the next dwelling place with new understanding, new vision, now ideas.   I like it best.

It's funny though, I was following along with the reading in my mind in church yesterday and when we got to that line, my mind immediately said "mansions" even as the reader read "dwelling places". Shows what a strong impact, rightly or wrongly, the language of the KJV has.

Mendalla

As a huge fan of the KJV, that sounds like a great service. I hope all goes well.

The KJV is quite rhythmic, but if you relate it to old tongues ... it makes little sense.

Consider san' in Hebrew is hate, and today we consider sane as norm ... thus the self-destructive nature of the uncultivated in the realm of many tongues ... biblical command?

Then if you follow emotions alone as montheist (w/o thought) do we become like Caroll's Queen of Hearts and demand everybody's head as if we'd know what to do with alien minds to our personal limited way of perspective. Thus the secret binary code ... much of the nemesis being unconscious to those that never wished to know ... a world of Gods or concentrated desires gravitated to a spot in space as mire earth dust in God's eye as all-there-is? Is n'm Isis a cool end ... pure thought without the heat? I think it a grand literary device ... food for the vaster sol' ... beyond us in Websterian brilliance ...

We have several Bibles in our home. I use them for different purposes.

I personally am not a big fan of the KJV for regular reading. It is lovely in the poetic sense, but I find  that when I read it (and I mean this in the most reverent way possible) I always hear the people in the Bible either speaking with a heavy British accent or talking like Fraser Crane; that really doesn't work for me..LOL.

My favourite Bible to just sit and read through has been "The Message" by Eugene Peterson, because I can picture Jesus and the Apostles speaking directly to ME in plain English and in today's time.

I also like the Catholic Prayer Bible for reflection.

God Bless

There are many versions of the Bible in our home as well.  I have a KJV, the one with the zipper, that I was given way back when for Sunday School attendance.  The Bible I use the most is the Good News.  I know that it is not the best translation for study purposes but by now I have so many notes in it that I would really miss it.  I sometimes compare it with the NRSV. 

It is interesting in our Bible Study group the different versions that people like, and comparing the different wordings for the same verse.  Sometimes one version makes more sense, other times it's another.

How many read in aboriginal Hebrew or coine Greek? There is a whole different understanding extracted ... but who'd go there eh ... the unknown?