Best Bible translation for Orthodox?

[mikeyrobbie]

Hello friends, my spiritual father has been encouraging me to read and study Scriptures more often in connection with my prayer rule. I had a question, what English translation of the Bible would be the best for an Orthodox Christian to use for personal devotional use? My spiritual father recommended the RSV with the "Apocrypha" (has all books in the Orthodox canon), however, it has been difficult to find an RSV translation other than the Oxford Annotated Bible.

I'm also looking at the Orthodox Study Bible as well. Would prefer to avoid the ESV, NIV, and NRSV. Any suggestions are appreciated!

 

[Shawn Stuart]

ESV is a solid translation why would you avoid it?

 

[Lukaris]

The Orthodox Study Bible should be good. The Old Testament is a recent Orthodox translation ( our retired parish priest worked on Joshua). The NT is a New King James Version (NKJV) which was also in the NT & Psalms study Bible.

Of course, the KJV is always acceptable. I think the Catholic Douay Rheims is considered to be ok also. Outside these & the RSV, I am unfamiliar with others.

The 1973 “Common” Bible ( RSV) was considered a good translation. It is hard to find & now expensive Google Shopping - Product not found( I lucked out & got it at a library book sale for $1)

 

[~Anastasia~]

I just asked recently for advice concerning the Septuagint and translations among everyone I could ask and got advice from priests and other clergy thrown in regarding Bible translations as well.

The RSV has been coming highly recommended. I usually hear good things about the OSB but a couple of priests have said it's really not the best OT translation.

FWIW of advice I've gotten - I trust the sources very well.

 

[gzt]

The Oxford is pretty good - great commentary, solid translation. Why avoid it especially if your priest recommended it? The Orthodox Study Bible is also fine - I haven't read it all the way through, though. The ESV is pretty good - it has like a couple weird choices (which can be fully enumerated and avoided) but on the whole is a solid work that essentially updates the RSV in a very readable way that isn't - apart from a couple instances that can be listed - really denominationally slanted. There isn't really a "best" - there are a lot of good optiosn and they're all the Bible.

 

[ArmyMatt]

if your spiritual father suggested the RSV with the so called Apocrypha, that's the one I would suggest to get.

 

[HTacianas]

They all say the same thing.

 

[SeekingServant]

We have the NRSV with Apocropha. I'm going to get the Orthodox Study Bible for Christmas this year (gift from my husband!). https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Stu...8-1-spons&keywords=orthodox+study+bible&psc=1

 

[SeekingServant]

We have the NRSV with Apocropha. I'm going to get the Orthodox Study Bible for Christmas this year (gift from my husband!). https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Stu...8-1-spons&keywords=orthodox+study+bible&psc=1

 

[Jude1:3Contendforthefaith]

KJV, NKJV, Septuagint in English, EOB, Orthodox Study Bible, Etc....


https://www.amazon.com/Orthodox-Stu...1-1-spons&keywords=Orthodox+study+Bible&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Researchers-...5003011&sr=1-3&keywords=Septuagint+in+english

https://www.amazon.com/Septuaginta-Readers-Hardcover-English-Greek/dp/1619708434/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545003094&sr=1-1&keywords=Septuaginta+(Greek+and+english+Edition

* The EOB (Eastern Orthodox Bible) is based off of The Official Greek Orthodox text called The Patriarchal Text of 1904

https://www.amazon.com/EOB-Orthodox-Testament-Patriarchal-extensive/dp/148191765X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1545002943&sr=1-4&keywords=Eastern+Orthodox+Bible

Greek New Testament - Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

 

[JasonV]

For an orthodox study Bible, I recommend this:

https://secure.holyapostlesconvent.org:8443/hacwebstore/viewnormalitem.zul?itemModelNo=ONT1

 

[KernelPanic]

For an orthodox study Bible, I recommend this:

https://secure.holyapostlesconvent.org:8443/hacwebstore/viewnormalitem.zul?itemModelNo=ONT1

This is a schismatic site. Don't buy stuff from them. It's not Orthodox.

 

[JasonV]

This is a schismatic site. Don't buy stuff from them. It's not Orthodox.

How is it that the official 1904 NT text published by the EP, and using quotes from the Church Fathers anything but Orthodox?

 

[ArmyMatt]

This is a schismatic site. Don't buy stuff from them. It's not Orthodox.

I don't think that should matter, if the product is quality. schismatics can produce good stuff (psalters, the Ladder, etc).

 

[~Anastasia~]

That appears to be (probably) the same text as the Eastern Orthodox Bible.

Just a bit fancier in presentation and a bit more expensive.

 

[JasonV]

That appears to be (probably) the same text as the Eastern Orthodox Bible.

Just a bit fancier in presentation and a bit more expensive.

Are you comparing this with the Orthodox Study Bible? That version is just the protestant NKJV, whereas the link I provided is the ecclesiastical Greek orthodox text, also used by Fr. Laurent in his EOB version.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Are you comparing this with the Orthodox Study Bible? That version is just the protestant NKJV, whereas the link I provided is the ecclesiastical Greek orthodox text, also used by Fr. Laurent in his EOB version.

No - "The Eastern Orthodox Bible" (EOB) is what I meant.

The OSB is something else, agreed. Though it has changes from the NKJV. My apologies if that was somehow confusing on my part.

 

[JasonV]

No - "The Eastern Orthodox Bible" (EOB) is what I meant.

The OSB is something else, agreed. Though it has changes from the NKJV. My apologies if that was somehow confusing on my part.

Well I got you now!

 

[RobNJ]

For an orthodox study Bible, I recommend this:

https://secure.holyapostlesconvent.org:8443/hacwebstore/viewnormalitem.zul?itemModelNo=ONT1

It is a good two volume set. My Priest didn't mind me using them, back before I lost all my books

 

[HoleyHermit]

I have the Oxford RSV from years back. I found it annoying to read because the paper wasn’t opaque enough. You might look at the Ignatius Bible. They’ve updated some of the older words used in the original RSV. I haven’t seen any of these so can’t comment on the paper.