Bible Translations Part 2

So which bible translations are best?

It depends on a couple of factors, but the best translation method/philosophy is the Essentially Literal method. The reason for this is important. I believe that the 66 books of the Bible are the inspired, infallible, inerrant, Holy Word of God in the originals. I believe that every word, not just every thought, was inspired by the Holy Spirit of God. That means that any translation that leaves out words is leaving out something that God intended to be in there. I have a problem with that.
So let me give you a ranking in reverse order.

Avoid all paraphrases as your bible translation for your normal reading and studying. A paraphrase is not the Bible. Now, it is o.k. to have and use paraphrases as a supplement in your studying of scripture, but it shouldn’t be what you read on a daily basis. That means avoid the Living Bible, Message, Good News Bible and other paraphrases.

Next, I would caution against using Dynamic Equivalent bibles like the NIV (New International Version). This type of translation is not quite a paraphrase but it does leave out some of God’s inspired words and that is problem. I do have a caveat for the NIV.

NIV Caveat. People have different reading abilities. If I come across someone whose reading level is not that high, I might start them off with the NIV. The readability of the NIV makes it a good starting place for adults, and teens whose reading ability is not too strong. But, I would also have the goal of graduating them from the NIV to the NAS(New American Standard) or ESV (English Standard Version).

Best Category: Essentially Literal is the best choice of Bibles because they attempt to stick as closely to the originals in a word for word fashion. The versions I recommend the most are the New American Standard(NAS) and the English Standard Version (ESV). They are not perfect, but I think they are the best choices out there. I think overall, the ESV is slightly better.

What about the King James? This is a touchy subject. There are some people out there who think that it is the KJV or nothing at all. “If it was good enough for Paul, it is good enough for me?”(Paul did not speak King James English, by the way) Some people just prefer the KJV, that is fine. But, if you are a KJV only person, I will not post your comments.

I do not recommend the KJV, unless you have grown up with it and understand the language. There are several reasons why I do not recommend the KJV. One is simple. Most people do not speak, read, or understand the Shakespearean type language that the KJV is written in. There are also some translations issues that I won’t go into.

What do I use?
For my everyday Bible reading I generally use the ESV. I will occasionally use other translations and my Greek and Hebrew Bibles.
For preaching. I always start with the original languages. As I have been preaching through Mark I start with the Greek new testament. I take an ESV onto the stage with me, but as I read it I will modify it based upon my own study of the Greek original.

Conclusion:
Read your Bible. Study your Bible. Believe your Bible. Use a good translation and get into God’s Word!