if you don't read the Bible very often and haven't been brought up reading the Bible, I would NOT recommend reading the KJV. Please, don't take offense, anyone. If you are very intellectual, the KJV may be fine, but I grew up in a KJV Bible church, and couldn't stand reading that Bible. It isn't practical IMO. I have an NIV study Bible, an NIV Women's Devotional Bible, and an NIV Mother's Devotional Bible. The devotional Bibles are nice because you have devotions all ready for you every day. They aren't too "deep" and they are quick to read. You can do extra Bible studies when you're ready. I like the Study Bible because of all the notes at the bottom. Many of the verses are explained. When I was in college and not really into God, my sister bought me the NIV Student Bible. There's the Life Application Bible, which is very practical for, well, you know, life. If you are in recovery for something (like alcohol or drug addiction or any other addiction) there is the Life Recovery Bible. There are so many more versions (NIV, KJV, NASB, The Message, NKJV, etc.) and so many types within the versions. Just go to the store and look through the different types. See if there is one that fits your life.
If you want a Bible that can help you understand all of God's riches... this is the Bible for you (everyone) ... The Holy Bible Recovery Version
Shawnna said:
pckelly said:
Shawnna said:
When I was in college - that very topic was always a discussion starter. I still love to study the Hebrew & Greek - especially with a "sticky" passage and when I will be teaching on a specific passage, but for my own personal devotional time, I prefer a version where I can understand the thought and the context more easily.To address another sentence in another post about reading the KJV because it is the original. This is a common misconception. There were many translations before the KJV. The KJV was just the first translation that was widely available to the masses. That fact does not make it the most accurate - in fact, when compared with the original texts, there are some glaring discrepancies in the KJV. I am not saying that the KJV cannot be useful or hasn't been used by God - it DID get His Word into the hands of people who had not been able to read it for themselves.Christ Follower said:
Shawnna said:
In English I probably lean toward the NIV, but we have a wide variety of translations. My family tends to look at a lot of different English translations and then pick the passage that was translated closest to the original Greek. It's not always in the same Bible. It's kind of funny, but when a new translation comes out I've witnessed my family getting together and discussing its similarity to the original text (Greek/Hebrew) and what liberties were taken and why. It's a fascinating discussion. From what I understand, English translations do go back to the Greek text to translate into better English, but there are still some things that just can't be translated due to cultural and historical misunderstandings. (And everyone wonders why I became an academic librarian. ROFL! )
chefbritt said:
