Best Bible Translation and Why?

[The Liturgist]

Tyndale, Shakespeare, and the KJV were written in "modern" English? What do you call the English that we use today? Hypermodern English?

Linguists call it Modern English, since it is mutually intelligible with Cranmerian English (which is useful, because the Book of Common Prayer, the King James Version and other classics, and Shakespeare are important literary classics).

Now for examples of English dialects that are only marginally mutually intelligible with Modern English, I would direct your attention to Geordie and Scots (the dialects, not the watered down accents derived from them) and also our sister language West Frisian. Brea, bûter en griene tsiis is goed Ingelsk en goed Frysk, after all. (bread, butter and green cheese is good English and good Fries)

 

[Andrewn]

How does the Young's Literal Translation compare with the Literal Standard Version?

Until you mentioned it, I hadn't heard of the Literal Standard Version. According to Wikipedia, it is a revision of Young's Literal Translation, released in 2020. Unfortunately, it's not available on Bible Gateway or Bible Hub. Nevertheless, comparing it to Young's literal Translation, the Berean Literal Bible, and other translations would be interesting.

 

[The Liturgist]

This is a sample of Old English, which was spoken from mid 5th century to the mid-12th century. I have no idea what it means. I don't know why it is called English, except that it was spoken in England. It sounds like a different language.

In the 15th century the Late Middle English started transitioning into Early Modern English. In 1523, Tyndale published the first printed English Bible. Shakespeare lived from 1564 to 1616 and the KJV was first published in 1611. These writings are in Modern English.

It was the direct ancestor of Middle English, but Middle English is much closer to being intelligible to speakers of modern English. A good comparison would be the relationship between Icelandic and Norwegian, with Icelandic much closer to Old Norse and thus not mutually intelliglbe with Norwegian, which is mutually intelligible with Swedish and Danish.

 

[peaceful-forest]

What is the best Bible translation and why?

My experience has been the Amplified translation. This translation uses more words to give the reader better context of the Scripture because the English language is limited compared to Hebrew and Greek.

NIV translation of John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

AMP translation of John 3:16
“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.

 

[YeshuaFollower]

All of the problems with the King James were not with the translators. The translators used a Greek text for the NT prepared by a Catholic named Erasmus. Erasmus hurried the Greek text and did not have the best manuscripts to rely upon. Erasmus even "back translated" a portion he was missing from a Latin translation. There are many excellent Catholic translations out there, I use a variety of Catholic Bibles.
Catholics have used scholars from multiple religions for many translations.

I agree, I use a french catholic bible from 1956, from chanoine Augustin Crampon, papal edition bound in red leather with illustrations. Phenomenal work I absolutely love it, I compared it to the word by word original texts and it is accurate. Very easy to read and contains apocrypha.

Blessings,

Jff

 

[GoldenKingGaze]

I could find it on Biblehub, I looked up Isaiah 9:6 and had the option below for LSV.
Isaiah 9 Literal Standard Version

 

[RoBo1988]

I started out with the NIV; I now favor the NKJV, and the KJV. Whichever you choose, IMO, get either a Thompson Chain Reference Bible (more expensive) , or at least a center-column reference Bible, if you're shopping for a new one. It is a big help, and better than study Bibles IMHO.