There's Reading the Bible for All Its Worth, which is great if you are just starting to read the Bible. They also wrote How to Read the Bible Book by Book, which would be another good reference.

And yeah, it's frustrating how many translations we now have in English. A century ago, there were only 3 or 4, and most people still used the KJV translation. Now there are around 15-25 English translations, each with a different translation team.

Someone else mentioned E-Sword earlier; I've been using that to plan out worship services. It's a good program (the only hard part is that you have to install every component one-by-one) and you can compare different versions. They have the ESV, The Message, and the HCSB translations; each approaches the Bible with a different means of translation. You can compare those to the KJV on that program.

Just remember: there are numerous translations of other literary works, for example, Beowulf.

I like the one that's on Zondervan's, as it has more translations listed.
http://www.zondervanbibles.com/images/transchart.gif

it's mailed. i ordered it and haven't heard anything else from them since

I stand corrected. I was in the Temple here in town and inquired about their free Book of Mormon. I was told that it was delivered via missionary, so I declined. I just assumed the Bible they offer had the same catch.

I haven't read all the responses, so some of this may be repeat advice. Here's my two cents on it this:

The Old King James Version use to be very popular. While it's still highly quoted, I don't think it's quoted any more than the NIV or ESV. That, and I believe there are a few errors in its translation. I don't recall what exactly those errors are, and I doubt they're anything major, but it may keep it from being the most accurate translation out there.

The NIV is obviously very popular as well. I know that this is not the best translation out there though.

From what I keep hearing the ESV is the most accurate and also the easiest to read. The differences between it and the NIV are subtle, but those subtle differences do alot in helping the text keep its original meaning.
So I would highly recommend the ESV.

Chances are you're not going to find any one guide to help you with the whole Bible. Your best bet is to get study guides by book, for whatever book your wanting to study. For Isaiah, Mark, Luke, Revelation...whatever.

I don't know what denomination you are, so it's tough to say where to get the guides from. But being Lutheran myself (LCMS), I'd recommend getting the study guides through Concordia Publising House (CPH). They have a site you can go to and order from. They have an excellent guide to Revelation that I'd highly recommend if that's a book you wanted to study.

Really? It seems odd that Catholics would like a bible that doesn't include all the books that are in the Catholic Bible. Although I do remember the KJV of Genesis 1 being read to us.

In all my years as a Catholic, including Catholic school and the like, the KJV was always "poo-pooed."

I haven't seen anyone mention the New King James yet, but that's the one I use the most. It seems to be pretty close in wording to the KJV, but without all the "thous" and "thees" and "spakeths" to throw you off.

Have you thought about a Parallel version? This Bible is larger and more expensive, but it can have up to 4 translations. I have one, and like it a lot. It's helpful when trying to figure out what meaning is trying to be conveyed.

Something along the lines of
Amazon Parallel Bible

That's not the problem. Anyone will know that thou = you, spaketh = spoke, etc. It's really the odd grammar that seems to make no sense that throws people off.

Are you talking about the Apocrapha?

Anyway, there are those who believe that the KJV is inspired (see http://www.patriotist.com/kjv.htm for an example) which is pure crap. It is because of the King James Version that we have the work "Baptize" for example. It is a transliteration of the Greek word Baptismo, which literally means "to immerse". The problem came about because Baptisms were no longer done by the immersion by the Catholic church. The translators couldn't very well translate it "correctly" because it was against what they were doing, so they made a new word (not that I disagree that sprinkling, pouring, etc. isn't just fine). Here is the official Catholic take on it, as it is considered "The Authorized Version" http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02141a.htm You also get into other things like in 2 Kings 2:23 when Elisha was jeered by "youths" (according to the NIV) or "little children" (according to the KJV). The New King James does clear that up, however. But basically, it was a street gang. There are lots of examples. If you read the history of it, it is fascinating. Though it is the Catholic authorized version, many leaders in the Catholic Church were very much against it being translated at all. Many Masses are still done in Latin. My own belief is that during that time (1611) and for many centuries prior, the leaders of the church were not about God, but were about power, and it was not to their benefit to have the layman read the Bible on his own. He might just discover something. Similarly today, the Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe (according to their literature) that one should read the Bible without the guidance of The Watchtower.

Anyway, very interesting stuff, and the only history I have ever found worth studying.

Oxford's World's Classics edition of the KJV is very nice.

DJ

I had a high school teacher that was catholic, and one time when some kind of biblical reference or something came up he said he really didn't know about it, and that the catholic church discouraged their members from reading the Bible. That reading it on your own would only confuse you, and it was better to let the priest tell you what you needed to know. That was the first time I'd heard anything like that, and it kinda suprised me.

You should buy the one signed by jesus

Oh that's definitely fake.


I mean, wouldn't Jesus have signed it in Aramic or Hewbrew?

I completely agree, if you want the "definitive" version, learn Greek and Hebrew (my church, and others I know of, teach it for free). :) Most of us won't go that far, though, and it doesn't seem realistic to ask that of new Bible readers! :lol:

I have several versions, the one I take to church and Bible studies is a NIV study Bible, I have extra of those that I've picked up over the years (makes it easier to have a study in your house, if you have extra Bibles for people who might not bring one), and also a couple of KJV (given by family), a couple of NKJV, and I think a NASB but I don't use it much...

Consider multiple versions for serious studies, but almost all of the commentaries, study guides, Bible study books, etc, that I've read in the past five years, all use the NIV. It's just quite simply easy to read, and yet faithful to the original translations. Is it the "best"? I don't know. But it won't leave you as confused as the KJV, nor as liberally-interpreted as the Message (both of which I respect, but I'm just saying...). :)

Thanks for posting this, it looks awesome, I might save up for that one. :)

:lol:

I would recommend the ESV or NIV for a new reader. Both provide clear language which tends to make sense for today's readers. It is quite facinating to use parallel studies and bibles. I even have a parallel Concordance for simple study uses. Also, for those following the discussion, the Message Bible and those near to it on the graphs posted are not translations but paraphrases put into common language for today. They can sometimes provide insight into difficult passages but one must always understand that the author of a paraphrase uses more flexibility in creating his version than a more literal translation....

If you get a KJV, get an old one, many new ones have been altered and are now incorrect.

Do you simply mean that some newer bibles have different translations, or are the "new King James Version" (which is a different translation) or do you mean that little gremlins have gone in and altered the text???

The latest would now be the "TNIV" i.e. Today's New International Version".

It's supposed to be for 18-34 year olds who want a bible translation that meets their needs. As with ALL new translations, there is some controversy around it, especially on gender-neutral translations.

You can get the entire new testament now - it's at www.tniv.info - in pdf form. also check out www.tniv.com - if you want the flash and glitter that accompanies a new release (even of the bible).

the old testament should be available via pdf in February, and of course, then you should buy a copy, right?

http://www.zondervanbibles.com/images/transchart.gif

You can find both NIV and TNIV above about in the middle.

You can now get a complete TNIV bible in pdf form at http://www.tniv.info/bible/index.php

Cheap way to get a bible! (of course, just stay at a hotel and grab a gideon's, if you prefer print.... ;) )

You've not experienced The Bible until you've read it in the original Klingon.

http://klv.mrklingon.org

That was certainly true of the church in 1350 but I thought things had changed since then.