What bible version do you use?

[Leevo]

I have asked this before, but I am looking to possibly purchase another Bible. I am wanting a Life Application Study Bible. So my version choices are limited I suppose. I am wondering which version you all use. The LASB choices I have narrowed it to, are NIV (2011), NKJV, or HCSB. Which do you all recommend out of these? I have heard and expressed the same sentiment before, that the NIV 2011 is gender neutral. The SBC condemned it, which has me concerned. Thoughts?

 

[chevyontheriver]

I have asked this before, but I am looking to possible purchase another Bible. I am wanting a Life Application Study Bible. So my version choices are limited I suppose. I am wondering which version you all use. The LASB choices I have narrowed it to, are NIV (2011), NKJV, or HCSB. Which do you all recommend out of these? I have heard and expressed the same sentiment before, that the NIV 2011 is gender neutral. The SBC condemned it, which has me concerned. Thoughts?

I have happily settled for now on the Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE) as it is reasonably scholarly, reasonably readable in semi-modern English, uses the pronouns actually translated in the original texts, is a Protestant Bible approved for Catholic use, and has all of the books. It has new commentaries being written for it and it is also an approved translation for mass. It is also available on-line, large print, etcetera.

I was looking at Bibles in a store two days ago and the Holman HCSB caught my eye. It might be worth a try. I can't actually vouch for it though. If I had money to burn I might have bought it. Of the three you mentioned, it might be worth it for you to investigate that one more carefully and maybe buy it. I noticed it has a variant called CSB which is newly finished. Might be worth a look too, although of course I didn't see that one in the used bookstore I visited.

I had the original NIV and in the end I found it editorialized the translators theological opinions more than I liked. Then they revised the NIV and made the pronouns all politically correct. I get it that is a 'nice' thing to do, but it is at the expense of what the original actually said. I want something closer to the original, which is why I have steered clear of things like 'The Living Bible'. Such things have their purpose I suppose, but I want something where they have tried to translate rather than transliterate.

 

[Heber Book List]

The new Complete Jewish Study Bible (September 2016 published). This consists of the Tanach and the Christian Testament (OT & NT) and is written from an understanding of the original Jewish people and the culture of the time.

 

[greenguzzi]

Of those three I only know the NIV and NKJV. Of those two I'd put the NIV as the best. The fact that the SBC don't like it is a plus for me. Although I reckon that although gender neutral can often be a good thing, I'm not sure it's all that important in a Bible translation, unless the reader is an idiot.
The HCSB looks interesting, I'll ask my theology professor what he thinks of it and get back to you.
My personal favourite is the NASB, but that wasn't your question.

 

[chevyontheriver]

The new Complete Jewish Study Bible (September 2016 published). This consists of the Tanach and the Christian Testament (OT & NT) and is written from an understanding of the original Jewish people and culture of the time.

Interesting. Can you tell me more. What is the philosophy of translation? What does it use as it's manuscript basis? MT and or Septuagent? Most translations are a riff off of earlier translations, so which earlier translations does it resemble? Is it in modern English?

It sounds like a noble idea, a translation written from an understanding of the people of Israel.

 

[ArmenianJohn]

Armenian Bible. But, since you probably don't know Armenian (and honestly I don't know it well enough to always use the Armenian Bible) here's what I use in English: KJV and NIV. I prefer the KJV because I believe the Elizabethan (Jacobean) English is richer and since I studied it in college (English major with a focus in Shakespeare) I don't find it as difficult to read as some might. I would even encourage people to study Shakespeare and Elizabethan English just to be able to enjoy the KJV Bible. But I also am fine with the NIV and think that's good for most people. Hope that is useful!

 

[Heber Book List]

Interesting. Can you tell me more. What is the philosophy of translation? What does it use as it's manuscript basis? MT and or Septuagent? Most translations are a riff off of earlier translations, so which earlier translations does it resemble? Is it in modern English?

It sounds like a noble idea, a translation written from an understanding of the people of Israel.

Here's a link to the information: The Complete Jewish Study Bible - Hendrickson Publishers

 

[SnowyMacie]

I use the NRSV. It's widely regarded by critical scholars to be the best translation since it uses the oldest and best manuscripts that we currently have. It's the basis for the Bible that I want, The Oxford Annotated Bible.

 

[faroukfarouk]

King James.

 

[chevyontheriver]

King James.

Not even one of the three the original poster was considering.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Not even one of the three the original poster was considering.

Umm...the OP didn't say I am supposed to read one of those three; I understood him to ask which version we used, which I answered; he himself gave 3 which he sometimes uses.

 

[NothingIsImpossible]

Really either of those two are fine. Though if you go with the NKJV hopefully its not in the old kings english which confuses people when they read it since it uses older english. I used to use the NIV myself but in the last few years my dad gave me his old NASB which I am enjoying even more then the NIV. I found the NIV has a few translations that are less accurate as the NASB.

Though if you REALLY want to be accurate read the original texts. Which obviously is hard to do lol.

 

[faroukfarouk]

Really either of those two are fine. Though if you go with the NKJV hopefully its not in the old kings english which confuses people when they read it since it uses older english. I used to use the NIV myself but in the last few years my dad gave me his old NASB which I am enjoying even more then the NIV. I found the NIV has a few translations that are less accurate as the NASB.

Though if you REALLY want to be accurate read the original texts. Which obviously is hard to do lol.

As well as the NKJV there is the KJ21, which I have occasionally read.

 

[chevyontheriver]

Umm...the OP didn't say I am supposed to read one of those three; I understood him to ask which version we used, which I answered; he himself gave 3 which he sometimes uses.

The OP said:

The LASB choices I have narrowed it to, are NIV (2011), NKJV, or HCSB. Which do you all recommend out of these?

 

[dysert]

I use the NKJV as my primary Bible and the HCSB as secondary (when I want to compare translations). NIV isn't even in the running.

 

[Heber Book List]

The OP said:

The OP asked two different questions - I answered just one, the first: Which version you all use?

 

[Shane R]

The Life Application Study Bible is not something I have a use for. If you want a study Bible, consider the Orthodox Study Bible or the Lutheran Study Bible. There are a couple of others that are not awful, but most study Bibles are heavily biased and many contain more notes than Biblical text (which is a fair criticism of the Lutheran Study Bible).

Of the three translations you mentioned, I would rank them in this order: NKJV, HCSB, NIV. I really believe that the Majority Text which the NKJV defers too is a superior text. I enjoy the readability and good prose of the HCSB. I actually think the NIV(2011) is superior to the original NIV(1984) but the NIV has always been an "also ran" in its scholarship. But none of them is going to offer you a complete Bible; ie. with the Deuterocanonicals.

 

[llloyd]

*skims over the replies* I use the NKJV myself, the NIV I feel is inferior. There is a NIV test that shows that chapters and verses were removed from the NIV that were in the KJV and NKJV. I've not tried this with any other version yet though. The test author says not to answer from memory but to actually look up the chapter and verse in question.

NIV Bible Test

With the NIV I scored a 0, none of those were present in the NIV, but answered all of them with the NKJV. But this is just my two cents.

 

[l_d_allan]

It depends .....
1. What version do I have with me?
2. What version is the pew Bible where my wife and I are worshiping or volunteering?

Assuming you have a "home church", ask them for a free copy of what they use. It REALLY helps to be able to read along.

Really, of the top 10 modern English Bibles, there really isn't more than 0.5% difference, if that.

Between the best known of the moden "received texts" (NKJV) vs the "Alexandrian texts" (NIV), there are no differences that have any theological significance. There are some "missing" verses in one family, and some "extra" verses in the other.

 

[dreamer6424]

I have asked this before, but I am looking to possible purchase another Bible. I am wanting a Life Application Study Bible. So my version choices are limited I suppose. I am wondering which version you all use. The LASB choices I have narrowed it to, are NIV (2011), NKJV, or HCSB. Which do you all recommend out of these? I have heard and expressed the same sentiment before, that the NIV 2011 is gender neutral. The SBC condemned it, which has me concerned. Thoughts?

the Message Bible is a great one to read. No confusion as to what is being said