Bible Translations...

So this week was the 400^th anniversary of the King James Version of the Bible.  I don’t know about the rest of you, but I happen to find that translation difficult to understand.  So I was thinking, is this the best translation to use? 

Fifty years ago the King James, or Authorized, Version of the Bible was considered by many to be the only reliable translation and choosing a Bible involved selecting the binding and color.  Today, dozens of English translations are available.  So, how does one decide which is best?

Deuteronomy 8:3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.  (NIV, 2011)

First, we need to recognize that there is no one translation that is the best.  Even the writers of the New Testament books quote from several Greek translations of the Old Testament.  Today we have no perfect translation, but there are a number which are very good.  The real question is: Which is best for our particular needs?

The following is a list of the most popular modern English translations:

Amplified Bible (AB) 

Contemporary English Version (CEV)

English Standard Version (ESV) 
Good News Bible (Today's English Version) (TEV)

Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)   
The Living Bible (LB)

The Message (Msg) 

New American Bible (NAB)

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New International Version (NIV)
New King James Version (NKJV)
New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)  
New Living Translation (NLT)

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)  
Revised English Bible (REB)

Whereas, I cannot tell you specifically which the best is, I can tell you that I use many different versions for my studies and writings.  I own several NIV’s, an Amplified, a King James Version, but not the New King James, and I use BibleGateway.com for other translations.  I recently became intrigued with The Message, which I know is a paraphrase of several of the already translated Bibles.  I find it easy to use when trying to teach the unchurched.

So again, the question remains unanswered what is the best bible translation?  Are you looking to study in-depth, are looking for the most correct translation from Hebrew and Greek, or are you seeking to hear God? 

But let’s look at this written word a little more closely.  The true Word of God is not the Bible; it is Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, and Savior of all mankind.  

 John 21:25 There are so many other things Jesus did.  If they were all written down, each of them, one by one, I can't imagine a world big enough to hold such a library of books.  (The Message)

So does it really matter which translation that is used?  I have always thought it really does not matter as long as the Word of God is getting out there.  If you do not know Jesus as your personal savior then which Bible is best for you?  It might be one that is very earthy or in informal language.  If you are a true disciple and want to study more then maybe studying the original Greek and Hebrew language is for you.  


But, all I can say is that the best Bible out there is the one that you read.