What is a good Bible to start reading?

Question

I have an old KJ Bible but can't understand a lot of it, lol.
my cousin had a "Good news" Bible which is easier to read and understand and it has pictures in it too, not that I need pictures but it does help!
thanks for any suggestions

Answer 1

Teenagers new to Christianity benefit from "The Message" by Eugene Peterson and you could just get the New Testament part if money was a problem. There are no verses so it reads like a book. It's a paraphrase by a skilled linguist who brings it all to life for today's Western reader.



However, I would recommend the New Living Translation, especially the Study Bible version if you could afford it, because it has notes, diagrams, maps, concordance and subject studies that explain a massive amount of stuff on important issues and details. It acknowledges passages / phrases that are hard to translate, giving the alternative renditions. For example, the bit in Genesis about Balaam's donkey talking - it goes into recent archaeological discoveries showing that this visionary, Balaam, actually lived! And it gives insight into the literary purpose of describing the donkey as talking. And if you buy this Bible, you also get on-line resources for free.



In case anyone here objects to the cost of such Bibles, it needs to be said that the publishers pay their staff decent wages and pensions etc. "The worker is worthy of his hire" is a biblical principle that they honour!



Edit: The NLT is not a paraphrase. It gives literal translation, consistently, for words/phrases where literal equivalence is clear and is the best way of expressing the ancient biblical statements. Where that would result in using foreign idioms and awkward syntax, it adopts dynamic equivalence. So it uses literal translation where the original text is clear, and dynamic equivalence where the text is obscure. This makes it ideal for the modern English reader.

Answer 2

Some Bibles are translations, others are paraphrases (where no attempt is being made to convey the exact meaning - the person doing the paraphrasing is trying to give you the gist of what is being said, but you are limited by their understanding of what it means). Paraphrases, like "The Living Bible" are easier to read, but frankly, I think you lose too much of what is being said. There are some passages that have double meanings - a pharaphrase is only going to be able to convey one of the two.



King James translated the Bible into the English of the day. English has changed since then. It is popular because there are no copyright issues - it existed before the concept of copyright did.



NIV (New International Version) is commonly thought to be one of the most easy to read true translations. I'd agree. Some relatively conservative denominations would suggest NASB (New American Standard Bible).



When translating, some passages could be translated this way or that way. Conservatives will claim NASB is a more "accurate" translation. This is because it chooses translations that agree with their point of view. There is a myth that the KJV is the most accurate. KJV is a translation of a translation. The translation that it is based on was widely considered in its day to be the most accurate. That translation, however, was lost, but this notion that it was the best transation is what this is based on. Archology has uncovered parts of this translation. Archology has also uncovered more original copies, in the orignal language, that are closer in time to when the various books were orignally written - less mistakes intoduced by copying, mistranslating, etc. In spite of the fact that we've discovered that this lost translation wasn't a very good translation, and the bliblical scholars in 1000 A.D. just didn't know any better, the notion still persists that KJV is the most accurate translation.



You will find the same translation (NIV, NASB) printed by different printers, and as things like illustrations aren't part of the Bible itself, one will have lots of useful pictures and diagrams and others will have none. The pictures are unrelated to the translation. You can get the "Life Application" Bible in NIV, NASB, KJV, etc. - it has a lot of good diagrams and sidebars about the major people mentioned in the passages, etc.

Answer 3

The Good News Bible is a great translation for adults who find the Bible so boring that they are unable to read it. If you liked the Good News Bible, that is not a bad choice.



If you want a Bible that is a little more exact and precise (it does not seem as if you do), the Revised English Bible is very good and very "ecumenical" (meaning that it does not prefer any particular sectarian bias). If you are Catholic, the New Jerusalem Bible is an even better translation (though they're really very close in quality *and* in lack of bias). Both of these are written in modern English - not in the archaic English of King James' time. Both are very scholarly translations.



Note that both of these will have the "feel" of a history text book - which is why many people are unable to read the entire Bible even though they are capable readers. For those people, I always recommend the Good News Bible. If history textbooks are something that you can read without complaint, then go ahead and get either the REB or the NJB (the NJB is slightly better - but different in that it has the Catholic 73 books, while the REB is available either with 66 books or 75 books in the "with Apocrypha" edition). If you are *not* a fan of history textbooks, then go ahead and get the Good News Bible. Make sure to get one with the title "Good News Bible" (instead of "Good News Translation") if you want the pictures:

http://www.bibleselector.com/r_gnt_apoc_re.html



- Jim, http://www.BibleSelector.com/

Answer 4

Read them both. It probably wouldn't hurt to read the one that's easier to understand.

You might run into some contradictions and some things that will confuse you, but I have to tell you that man has re-written some of the bible to get people to stray away from it, but don't fret, there are many good stories to study within the bible. One of my favorite stories is the story of Joseph who had a dreams and visions. There are some amazing stories in the bible. The new testament is the best thing to begin reading becaus it begins with the birth of Jesus and speaks of his thoughts and teachings, which are amazing and full of what you need to be filled with the holy spirit.

God bless and good luck. If it's hard to understand, just look up what might have you stumped.

Answer 5

in the adventure that your are a Christian your heavenly Father remains alive - greater effective than the earthly father who died. study Psalms 23 - it provides you with convenience and braveness. in case you prefer to examine greater appropriate to the Triune God then it is a distinctive tale. a million. Get a Bible it quite is translated in modern-day english (e mail me - I also have a solid suggestion) 2. save the Bible next on your mattress. so which you will study some as against bland once you awaken. 3. initiate from Genesis a million. New testomony is a continuation of previous testomony. Or in case you have like 20 min each and every morning, study a NT financial disaster and a OT financial disaster. you're able to be able to additionally study this each and every morning with your loved ones. do no longer ignore appropriate to the names in the OT - i understand they could get somewhat uninteresting yet very academic. it is going to take a 12 months or so so you might end examining the entire Bible. then you somewhat can initiate yet lower back.

Answer 6

The King James version was translated by a committee of very learned men and written in beautiful English. It is generally agreed to be the most accurate version available. Coping with the older version of our own language should not be beyond the wit of man.

Alternatively, you could try the "living Bible. It does make things easier and changes the embarrassing bits.

For example,the scene between David and Jonathan where they wept and kissed and David “exceeded“, whereafter they went on to discuss theirr semen is cut to - wait for it - "they shook hands".

Answer 7

The New International Version is considered a good balance between accuracy and simplicity.



If you want to compare bibles, the free software E-sword is good - you just download bibles etc.

Answer 8

The Good News bible is a more modern translation, so it's fine to read it. The New King James Version and the new International Version are also good to read and tend to be pretty accurate translations of the original Hebrew and Greek.

Answer 9

The New Jerusalem Bible. ( do NOT confuse this with the New World Translation)



If you want current language style, then Living Bible

Answer 10

Stop by your local Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses and ask for a Free Bible. You will be given a New bible.....The New World Translation of The Holy Scriptures.

Note! This bible is NOT as version of something else!

While there you might ask for someone to study with you.



It's all free. No charge or pressure

Answer 11

The KJV is one of the more 'mainstream' bibles so to speak, so it is still a good place to start - it's where I did. And it does take a while to get around the old engrish in it.

Be careful to only read it in small amounts though, I hear it's a powerful psychotrope and mildly addictive.

Answer 12

The New World Translation because we have restore the name of Jehovah back into the Bible and you can go to www.watchtower.org and request that one be mailed to your house.

Answer 13

"The KJV because it is most accurate. There was a study done on all the versions, and the KJV has the least amount of syllables which relates to why the KJV is most accurate." - a fundie who needs words with less syllables.

Answer 14

Go to a Christian book store and get a teen KJV bible! It helps a lot with understand the words and even in the back tells you how to deal with certain situations.

Answer 15

-.- "not that i need pictures but it does help"



So you are basically saying that a book without pictures you find harder to understand , this is my problem with people reading the bible, you can't even read a book without pictures to fully understand something, maybe you should just don't read stuff you clearly can't understand



no mean stuff intended

Answer 16

Many people agree that the NASB bible, is the most accurate version of the bible.

Answer 17

I now like the NWT but any bible will do.

Answer 18

they have a version called the easy to read version



the good news bible is good also

Answer 19

K.J.V even if you don't understand it all,you want the closest thing to God's Original words as possible,a simple with or in or at can change the meaning.ask God to give the understanding and you will be fine

Answer 20

The Sith Edition. We cut out all these feelings of a "benevolent" god and inserted the appropriate materials for worship of the Dark Side of the Force.

Answer 21

Lolcat bible



http://www.lolcatbible.com/

Answer 22

If you're looking for something good to read it won't be a bible...







Can't help you there.

Answer 23

listen to vader- Join the dark side

Answer 24

Sadly, you seem to be a good candidate for Christianity ...

Answer 25

http://www.venganza.org/about/fsm-book/

Answer 26

This one skips all of the Hocus Pocus crap.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jefferson_Bible