Which Bible Do You Use?
Posted by toddhelmkamp on November 12, 2007
The choice of which translation of the Bible to use was, for me at least, a lengthy and personal process. I ended up choosing the Holman Christian Standard Translation, from Holman Bible Publishers for a variety of reasons. First, it’s a fairly new translation, and it’s an original translation, which means that the translators used the original texts in their translation, not other translations. Second, it draws upon the most recent Biblical scholarship available. Third, I really enjoy the way it is written in plain English but doesn’t insult my intelligence.
What translation/version of the Bible do you use in your personal study, Dear Readers, and why?
November 12, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I rotate after a few years. After going through any version two or three times, I tend to get numb to it and read past the text. Switching versions allows things to catch my attention and makes me stop and take a deeper look. I’ve used the KJV, NIV, RSV, NLT, NASB, NKJV, and dabbled in the ESV.
November 12, 2007 at 3:44 pm
Well, I’ve recently switched to using the TNIV, in a new format called The Books of The Bible. Basically, the International Bible Society has taken the TNIV and removed all of the chapter and verse divisions, and then rearranged the books to more accurately reflect the order in which they were originally written, and for better readability. The point of the project is to encourage reading Scripture as whole books, rather than as a collection of verses.
I know that this has profoundly affected my approach to reading the Bible. I see it in a whole new light.
Unfortunately, this approach isn’t so good for intense study or in larger groups, because it is hard to reference location. For that, I switch back and forth between the TNIV and ESV.
November 14, 2007 at 5:19 am
I tend to rotate around a bit too. For study I prefer a word-for-word translation rather than a thought-for-thought translation. Favourites are the ESV, NASB and modern KJV. Though I also love reading The Message as a kind of commentary. I also love The Street Bible and The Voice series - again treated as commentaries.
My favourite right now is a Journalling ESV. It’s hard back with huge margins for note taking. Once it’s full of notes, I’ll file it away on my bookshelf and buy another Journalling Bible (possibly a different translation to keep me on my toes).
November 14, 2007 at 12:05 pm
Good posts, guys! I enjoy learning what other Christians do!
November 15, 2007 at 12:02 pm
ESV all the way…except for the times I use the TNIV, HCSB, NET, NRSV, NLT, ISV, NASB…I have a problem….
Now that I’m almost half way through my first year of Greek, I’m starting to minimally use “The Reader’s Greek New Testament”. Slow going, but definitely worth the effort. I’ve really fallen in love with the Greek language.
In all reality it is important to pick a translation and stick with while referencing others. People need to know live with their bible, write in it, cry over it, bleed in their study of it. Picking one bible to live with has definitely been a weakness for me because I have a bible collection addiction.