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There is no best Bible translation in the absolute sense. There are different translation philosophies:
The ESV is good for general everyday reading. However, it is best to consult multiple versions for Bible studies.
Which translation is the least biased?
One of the literal translations, like Young's.
Which bible translation should you use?
That depends on the person and his purposes for reading. For beginners and non-native English speakers, Good News Translation is a good one. Choose a version that is helpful for you. See Biblehub for different versions. I enjoy reading all of them. I have no favorite, though I use ESV and NIV every single day
What about The Message Bible?
It is a paraphrase. As such, it tends to be verbose and lacks certain precision. It is not a good one to use to support a scholarly discussion.
What about the New World Translation (NWT)?
It is primarily used by Jehovah's Witnesses to support their doctrines. At times, it lacks accuracy and objectivity.
Familiarize yourself with the whole Bible with a daily reading schedule.
Instead of hard copies, I prefer to use Bible apps. Save trees. Save money. Also, I can use the search function to find verses faster.
- Word-for-word approach: YLT, NASB, ESV, KJV.
- Thought for thought, concept for concept, dynamic equivalent approach: NIV, Revised English Bible, NLT.
- Paraphrase approach: The Living Bible, The Message (MSG).
The ESV is good for general everyday reading. However, it is best to consult multiple versions for Bible studies.
Which translation is the least biased?
One of the literal translations, like Young's.
Which bible translation should you use?
That depends on the person and his purposes for reading. For beginners and non-native English speakers, Good News Translation is a good one. Choose a version that is helpful for you. See Biblehub for different versions. I enjoy reading all of them. I have no favorite, though I use ESV and NIV every single day
What about The Message Bible?
It is a paraphrase. As such, it tends to be verbose and lacks certain precision. It is not a good one to use to support a scholarly discussion.
What about the New World Translation (NWT)?
It is primarily used by Jehovah's Witnesses to support their doctrines. At times, it lacks accuracy and objectivity.
Familiarize yourself with the whole Bible with a daily reading schedule.
Instead of hard copies, I prefer to use Bible apps. Save trees. Save money. Also, I can use the search function to find verses faster.
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