What's the best version of the bible to read, as literature?

Question

I'm interested in reading the bible as a work of literature and history. Which version stays closest to some of the "original" translated text? Which is the most interesting?

Answer 1

Wayne L gave some good advice, but was not entirely accurate. The New World Translation (NWT) claims to "restore" the name of God to several passages in which it does *not* appear in the source texts, and these inclusions use the name "Jehovah" rather than a more scholarly transliteration of the tetragrammaton. Nevertheless, the support for these changes *are* well documented in the NWT. However, to the point of your question:



*As literature*, the bible has had more influence on Western literature than any other single work. The *most common source* *must* be the Latin Vulgate. Although there are several historic translations in most European languages, for well over 1,000 years the Latin Vulgate was the only "approved" bible, and for several centuries after the most popular "modern language" translations were translations of this Latin bible. With this in mind, the Knox bible is the most modern and scholarly English translation of the Latin Vulgate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knox%27s_Translation_of_the_Vulgate

There appear to be no editions currently in print, but there are electronic editions, and a library copy may be available to you.



The previous English translation of the Vulgate is the Rheims-Douay Challoner Revision of 1764. This is available in print, and is historically the traditional English bible of the Roman Catholic Church.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fexec%2Fobidos%2Fsearch-handle-url%3F%255Fencoding%3DUTF8%26search-type%3Dss%26index%3Dbooks%26field-author%3DRichard%2520Challoner&tag=wwwjimpettico-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325



If you plan to use a King James Version, I strongly recommend that you use only an edition which makes a scholarly attempt to duplicate the original translation. I recommend only these 3 editions:



KJV (Paragraph) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FKJV-Cambridge-Paragraph-Bible-Apocrypha%2Fdp%2F0521843863%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1189044700%26sr%3D1-1&tag=wwwjimpettico-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

A scholarly effort to duplicate the original KJV *translation* (as opposed to any particular printing). Spelling is modernized (not the wording) and the complete contents of the original translation is here, including the excellent marginal notes.



KJV (Oxford) - http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FBible-Authorized-James-Version-Apocrypha%2Fdp%2F0192835254%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1190233697%26sr%3D11-1&tag=wwwjimpettico-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

Similar to the above, this edition lacks only the marginal notes and is much cheaper (and paperback). It is pretty well-put-together for a paperback.



KJV 1611 - http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHoly-Bible-King-James-Version%2Fdp%2F1565631609%3Fie%3DUTF8%26s%3Dbooks%26qid%3D1189044819%26sr%3D1-1&tag=wwwjimpettico-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325

This is a "replica" of the original 1611 printing. Each word on each page is in precisely the same position as in that original printing. It also includes the excellent marginal notes. The *spelling* in this edition is also identical to the original, and at 1st will cause readers some difficulty (but only at 1st). Once you have mastered the transposition of u and v, and of i and j, you will likely find it just as easy to read as an Oxford Revision KJV. Fortunately, this edition does not use the original Germanic lettering of the original, and instead uses the Roman lettering to which we are all accustomed. Possibly the best bible to use when discussing scripture with a KJV-only Christian, as this is about as close as you can get for under $100 to the *actual* *original* KJV. It is also quite reasonably priced.



If you are looking for a modern, scholarly translation, the best currently available is the New Jerusalem Bible, Regular Edition

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FNew-Jerusalem-Bible-Henry-Wansbrough%2Fdp%2F0385142641%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1197743029%26sr%3D11-1&tag=wwwjimpettico-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325



See why I think so here

http://www.jimpettis.com/bibles/njb.htm



Jim, http://www.jimpettis.com/wheel/

Answer 2

Your best bet, if you are trying to stay close to the original languages, would be to go with two separate translations. Why two? Most modern Christian translations add a decidedly Christian theological slant to the Old Testament. A Jewish source is truer to the original Hebrew.



For the Old Testament, you could go with the Koren Holy Scriptures, also called The Jerusalem Bible, published in Israel in 1992.



For the New Testament, the Revised Standard Version (which is better than the New Revised Standard) is your best bet.



If you want something akin to a literal translation, by all means STAY AWAY from King James! While the scholarship was good for its day, there are several factors that make it less than ideal: fewer source manuscripts, archaic English vocabulary, slanted interpretations (intentional or not), etc.

Answer 3

If you like King James style English, go with that one. However, the KJ is about the most inaccurate bible out there, with 1000s of mistakes and false verses: 1John 5:7 and Rev. 1:11 for example,even after numerous revisions. Don't use it for serious bible study.



And it removed God's name 7000 times! That shows just how bad it is!



The most accurate common bibles, by far, are the official Catholic "New Jerusalem Bible" (1985) and the Jehovah's Witnesses' "New World Translation" (1984).



Both have corrected all major mistakes and restored God's name in all places, based on the many 1000s of manuscripts discovered since the KJ era. The KJ was translated from almost no accurate old documents and few of them, and by translators with poor knowledge of old languages as compared with today's scholars.



Compare both of these to each other and also to all other bibles to see what I mean, and you will be amazed!

Answer 4

I love the writing and cadence of the King James version. However, today's edition leaves out some key books of the Holy Bible, even those that were in the original King James editions when first published.



I like the Revised Standard Version - especially The Oxford version with notations and the Apocrypha included.



God bless, and enjoy. Good question!

Answer 5

the king james version is the original english translation. it is the one that catholics use. probably the best one to read for your purposes since it is the one that has had the most influence on other books over the years. the NIV one is very common as well it's a newer translation though. so while the king james version may be less accurate in it's translation it is more historically accurate in that it was the one that has influenced cultures the most. I would stick with that one for your purposes.

Answer 6

If you are looking for good readability and reasonable accuracy try the NIV.

If you want a version that is both accurate and with good readability try the Revised Standard Version or the Modern Language Bible (Berkeley Translation).

Answer 7

The King James Version is the best as literature.



It is also the most interesting!

Answer 8

The Message version by Eugene Peterson is great, but it is a paraphrase. NIV (New International Version) stays true to the original text in its translation. I would suggest also looking at a NLT (New Living Translation) too, even though it is paraphrased. You would do best to get a study version of any of these, and you may want to look at all of them. Sometimes it really helps me to see the different translations to understand a passage. You can look at many, many translations at biblegateway.com. Hope you find what you're looking for!

Answer 9

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition

translated from the original tongues set forth in 1611 AD. inclusive of the deuterocanonical which sets forth from the Latin Vulgate of the Greek Septuagint used by Jesus and the Apostles in the first century.

Answer 10

The New American Bible is considered more down to earth in todays language. However, I still prefer the old Douay-Rheims version which was translated from the Latin Vulgate diligently compared with the original Greek.

Answer 11

I recommend the King James. It is a translation rather than a paraphrase. It was also translated without an agenda, unlike some more modern versions.

Answer 12

two ways of doing this...if you want Literature...go with "The Message"...was a translation done without Chapter and Verse heading....more "clean" like a letter written between two friends..



For accuracy... find one that shows both the Greek and the English...one column for each. Then you can read this with the original side by side.

Answer 13

Probably the King James Version. I'd try different versions, or a parallel bible.

Answer 14

The King James Version is awesome, but difficult.

Answer 15

KJV is poetic and I think that's probably more aligned with the original intent: poetry... like other ancient epics of the time.



For authenticity, though, you probably need to get a more scolarly & annotated translation.

Answer 16

The King James Version.



Try it out at the link below.

Answer 17

You can read and listen to many versions without buying them on line @

http://www.blueletterbible.org/

Answer 18

A really fun read is The Brick Testament, done in Legos:

http://www.thebricktestament.com/



It might even be available in book form, but I'm not sure.



If you're looking for historical accuracy, I wouldn't suggest reading any "holy" book.

.

Answer 19

the New International Version (NIV) is a pretty easy read.

Answer 20

Well the catholics are the ones who compiled it so I would suppose that theirs is the one with the least changes.



Love and blessings Don

Answer 21

you should read the original

Answer 22

pointless, people like you would never understand the bible (as said in the bible) and from what ive seen, its very true.

Answer 23

gnostic gospels