Which version of the bible to read?

Question

I am looking to read the Holy Bible, but I'm not sure which version is the best.

I've already tried the KJV, NKJV, NIV, and ASV versions, but they were all too hard to understand.

Basically, I want a version that is very, very easy to understand, and doesn't skip over anything.
Anybody know of one?

Answer 1

Hello, Poop....:



You already have good Bibles, but God's Word is only understood by the Holy Spirit. He won't reveal truths until you mature, and a good start would be to change your YA i.d.



Then, read the Bible code that proves Jesus is the Messiah.



Ben Yeshua.

Answer 2

I started my children on a picture Bible. It covers the major stories and reads like a comic book. Once you have read through that once, you will have a better understanding of the sequence and stories in the Bible.



You may be an auditory learner and a Bible on tape may be helpful for you. I have a daughter that hates to read so I bought her some Cd's.



There is a Bible called the Good News Bible that is easy to understand. The name may also be under- Today's English Version.-

http://www.christianbook.com



You might want to consider an amplified Bible where it simplifies and explains everything in detail.



I believe that once you have gone through the easy version of the Bible which is usually a paraphrase not a real translation, then you will be able to switch to a real translation. The most popular one these days in most churches is the NIV. The KJV or NKJV is still the best translation around but takes some getting used to because of the archaic language. It is still the easiest to memorize though.

Answer 3

There are many versions of the bible as you know. I own about 8 I think but use 3 more often than the others. I use the Authorised (KJV) the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the New International Version (NIV)



It is good to have more than one because if you come across something that is not clear (possibly because of the older language in it) it can become much clearer if you read the same verse in several other versions.



This, in no way, affects the truth of the words but, depending on our age, where we were brought up etc. we don't all speak English in exactly the same way so some of us will prefer one version and some another.



You can access the bible on line with many commentaries and lots of bible study help so you can try many different versions that way before deciding which one you would like to buy.

Answer 4

The NIV is about the easiest one you'll find that doesn't paraphrase or change things a bit. I use the NASB but I think it's a little harder than the NIV.

Please make sure that you don't use any version of the Catholic Bibles. They include the apocrypha which are rogue writings that are not inspired, were not writtlen by an apostle or one person removed as the enire NT was. It will just confuse you further.

Answer 5

Amplified Bible is cool, i like it yet sometimes i'm getting a sprint distracted with the great descriptive nature of it. NIV is a notably sparkling study. i like the NKJV, it keeps the poetic and lyrical tenor to the writings. Revised prevalent is first rate. I nonetheless have not warmed as much as the Message. I by no skill had plenty subject know-how KJV in basic terms using fact i became a great fan of Shakespeare and that i understood the sentence and notice structures with out subject. ok... sorry if it became too plenty information. yet I do desire you get some efficient solutions. thank you for being cool.

Answer 6

OK, what we're looking for here is a very easy-to-read bible *translation* (as opposed to a paraphrase).



Martin gave the best answers, I'll expand:



NLT2 - this 2nd edition NLT improves significantly on the original NLT, but includes only the most restrictive canon and continues to have problems. Still, one of the better easy-to-read versions.



CEV - seems to have fewer problems even than the NLT2 (i.e. I like this better), plus is easier to read and can be purchased with the complete Apocrypha

http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FHoly-Bible-with-Deuterocanonicals-Apocrypha%2Fdp%2F158516173X%3Fie%3DUTF8%26qid%3D1196142796%26sr%3D11-1&tag=wwwjimpettico-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=9325



Roman Catholic

NAB - although this only has approval from the RC Church for personal use (honest!), this is a fairly easy-to-read version with fairly high academic standards. Includes the RC canon (Apocrypha less 3 scriptures)



Reading Levels

http://www.sundayschoolresources.com/biblechoices.htm



More info here

http://www.bible-reviews.com/selector.html



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

Answer 7

I like the essentially literal ESV - ENglish Standard Version.

NKJV - the new King James is also essentially literal.



NIV is a thought for though translation and reflects more of the translators choices but is otherwise good.



KJV is probbaly harder for most poeple to read and many of the owrds changed in meaning from its writing to modern times.



Although they are paraphrases and amplified some people have benefits from The Message- a street language bible, The Living Bible - a paraphrase and the Phillps - an amplified BIble. You might fing these easier for a first read

Answer 8

I use Touch Point. I think its very good. It includes a prefix ( I guess that is what its called ) before you read each book and also has these little boxes in between every few chapters that offers very very good explanations that aren't geared toward anyone religion. This so far is the best for me and i'm not even interested in getting another Bible. I think this is the one for me. Try it.

Answer 9

I think the NIV is fairy simple but you could try a children's bible to make it easier if English is not your main language. or the Good news bible that was given to one of my sons at 11 the other was given the NIV

you could try here they have several translations of the bible.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%203;&version=31;

Answer 10

The only Holy Bible that you can, and should, read - it is God's Words - is the one kept in the hidden chambers of the Vatican.



You shouldask the Pope to reveal it to the world.

Answer 11

Try the NLT or the CEV



NLT http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201%20;&version=51;



CEV http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John%201%20;&version=46;

Answer 12

The first English translation of the Bible was Wycliffe’s translation of 1382. The first English Catholic Bible was the Jesuit Douay Rheims Version of 1582.

An important thing to keep in mind when studying this topic as that THERE ARE NO ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS!

There are two MAIN lines of manuscripts from which Bible's come. The most famous of the corrupt strain are Vaticanus and Siniaticus. However both of these are late, compared to the Old Latin and Old Syriac Peshitta, both dating back to before 180 AD, according to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.

Augustine commissioned a military crusade to replace the Old Latin Bibles of the Waldenses living in the Alps with Jerome's Latin Vulgate. The different Bible was giving Rome a hard time maintaining control over outlying Christian groups. The Old Latin readings were perpetuated by Christians who were being persecuted by Rome. Under cover, these manuscripts, reflecting the Byzantine type text, were perpetuated by God fearing Bible believing Christians at the cost of life limb and torture and much blood at the hands of the catholics. These readings came to be known later as the Received Text. Erasmus compiled, edited and published a Greek New Testament from these more reliable readings. Other English Bibles arose from this text, such as the Great Bible, the Bishop's Bible, the Geneva Bible, Tyndale's translation, and finally the King James Authorized Version of 1611. These purer texts were also the ones used by Calvin, Luther, and Zwingli, and it is what spawned the reformation against Catholic paganism.

During that time period, most Christians understood the pure texts verses the corrupt texts used by the Catholics. The readings of A (Siniaticus) and B (Vaticanus) were available to the Reformation translators, although the actual manuscript of A was not discovered until the 1850's in a trash heap in a monastery on Mt. Sinai. However, there is nothing in them that is not already represented in the Vulgate.

These corrupt readings trace their roots back to the corrupting (2 Cor. 2:17) efforts of Origin in his 6 column work called the Hexapla which contained several biblical and pseudopigraphal writings, though greatly altered. Because these were transferred to vellum in Vaticanus, instead of Papyrus like the pure text, scholars mistakenly believe these to be more reliable. However, the main two manuscripts for the Catholic Bibles disagree over 60% and contain many gnostic materials, as well as the apocrypha. The Received Text papyri numbering well over 5,300 agree over 99%.



Since 1611, no Bible believer has had a need to redress the translation Issue. In 1881, Westcott and Hort reintroduced the Catholic Bible readings after the discovery of A, taking advantage of all the publicity. What seemed hopeful, was unfortunately a marred attempt to replace the protestant Bible with Catholic readings based on incredibly poor scholarship.

Today, all the new version that come out are based on the scholarship of Westcott and Hort. Therefore, all the new versions, are simply the Catholic Bible minus the apocrypha.

The NIV is simply a modern Jesuit Rheims version from 1582.

To illustrate some of the differences numerically:

There are 64,098 fewer words in the NIV than there are in the KJV.

There are 17 complete verses missing, over 220 partial verses missing, and there are over 30,000 changes that affect the meaning of the text. If you were to combine all the missing material, it would equal the length of 1 & 2 Peter.

For examples, check these verses and compare them:

Matthew 17:21

Matthew 18:11

Matthew 23:14

Mark 7:16

Mark 9:44

Mark 9:46

Mark 11:26

Mark 15:28

Luke 17:36

Luke 23:17

John 5:4

Acts 8:37

Acts 15:34

Acts 24:7

Acts 28:29

Romans 16:24

1 John 5:7



More information can be found at these websites:



http://www.deanburgonsociety.org/KJBible/answers.htm

http://www.biblebelievers.com/BibleVersions.html

http://www.fundamentalbaptistlinks.com/kjv.htm



If ease of reading is your primary concern, I recommend “The Defined King James Bible” which has definitions for uncommon words in the margin where they are easy to find. http://www.biblefortoday.org/kj_bibles.asp

Answer 13

I like The Message

Answer 14

The NIV is pretty modern but you can also try the Living Bible.

Answer 15

Its a paraphrase but "The Message" is excellent.

Another good paraphrase is "The English Bible for the Deaf"

Another excellent paraphrase is "Clear Word"

Answer 16

I am scholar on Holy Books

seeking the truth require you to read ALL at same time, compare

[e-mail]

if you need help, I hope I can be help to you

Answer 17

I recommend the RSV-CE



read this

http://www.catholic.com/thisrock/1994/9404fea1.asp



EDIT: To Monica V: Thats not true. Read this:

http://www.bible-researcher.com/anglo-saxon.html

Answer 18

Monica V is apparently the only answerer so far that knows what she's talking about. Her recommendation is solid and I support it.

Answer 19

Why not start with the only original manuscripts, try reading the gnostic gospels.

Google dead sea scrolls & you should get something to work on



So Monica? No originals eh?