Which translation of the Bible do you like best?

 

When a service person came to our house this week, he saw the books in my little office and asked, “Do you think you have enough Bibles?” Probably not! But that started us talking about which translations we prefer and why.

 

As you might have guessed by now, I love them all! (Well, almost! I had to decline a review copy of an edition that omitted “negative” parts!) Although I use only the most respected translations to prepare for my Bible study discussion group, I like to see for myself what synonyms various translators choose, especially in difficult to understand passages. Sometimes a paraphrased version can help to clarify as can texts from the Aramaic or other languages used in biblical times. And, of course, researching specific verses and topics on Bible Gateway helps to provide a clearer understanding of scriptures too.

 

Having grown up reading the King James Version every night – and often being perplexed by its beautifully poetic but archaic language, I’ve found that, the more I read contemporary versions, the more I return to the KJV and, hallelujah, “get it!”

 

Since my criteria are accuracy, readability, and, yes, poetic musicality, I regularly turn to KJV but also to the New Living Translation (NLT), Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), and Christian Standard Bible (CSB.) The New Revised Standard (NRSV) gets opened often too, and for accuracy, so does the New American Standard (NASB.)

 

The English Standard Version (ESV) is highly noted for accuracy, but its lack of musicality keeps it from being my favorite. The New International Version (NIV) is known for accessibility, but it, too, lacks the poetic quality that, as a poet myself, I prefer.

 

But what about you? Which translation of the Bible do you like best and why?

 

Your comments about your preference(s) are very, very welcomed in the Comments section below, but not put-downs about other people’s choices.

 

If you discover your favorite has not been reviewed on this blog, please let me know! You can find out by typing the name of the edition in the Search box in the upper right side of the page.

 

Regardless of your translation of choice, may the Lord bless your reading of God’s Word.

 

©2021, Mary Harwell Sayler, poet, author, and compiler of the Book of Bible Prayers and Kneeling on the Promises of God

 

…

 

The Gift of Easter

On that first Easter Sunday, Jesus the Christ – Jesus our Savior – overcame death. He left the tomb, somewhat like a newborn chick opening a shell, newly clothed in light and life.

Those metaphors can help children catch a glimpse of the meaning of Christ’s resurrection, but soon the Easter eggs will be gone and new clothes outgrown, while The Word of God remains forever.

God gave His Word to us in Jesus, His Son, Who fulfilled every prophecy and promise in the Bible. May these and other Bibles or Bible storybooks bring God’s Word to young people this Easter.

Adventure Bible for Early Readers

Adventure Bible Storybook

Just Like Jesus Bible Storybook

NIV Teen Study Bible

The Rhyme Bible Storybook

The Sweetest Story Bible

 

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2021, the Book of Bible Prayers and Kneeling on the Promises of God 

…

 

Reviewing Bibles and Bible prayers

Publishers of various translations of the Bible often produce new editions to give us study notes and visual aids that help us better understand the people, times, or places to which those features refer. Sometimes, they provide new editions with wide margins for us to make our own notes or drawings. And sometimes they publish large print – even giant print – Bibles to ease our reading.

Whatever your particular need or preference, you’ll likely find a review of the Bible that speaks most clearly to you by scrolling through these blog pages. At the moment, though, I’ve received no new copies to review during these troubling times.

I look forward to letting you know about new translations or editions when they arrive. Meanwhile, we need the Bible more than any time I can recall in my own long life. As COVID-19, riots, and weird weather come crashing in on us, we need prayer!

Spontaneous prayers connect us immediately to God, even if that’s merely the first two words most likely prayed: “God help!” The Lord wants us to pour out our hearts in prayer as we turn to God for confession, guidance, protection, wisdom, intercession, thanks, or praise.

The people in Bible days did this too. And they also experienced scary diseases, wars, political unrest, doubts, fears, famine, and catastrophic weather conditions. They had much in common with us, and, more important, they had faith in God.

For years, I’ve read their prayers written in the Bible and prayed in agreement with those relevant to present-day events and concerns. Such prayers lift ebbing spirits, ease worries, and bump up the power in our prayer lives.

Remember, for instance, how Abraham begged God not to destroy the city of Sodom? Here’s my paraphrase of that conversational prayer:

Genesis 18:23, 32

Lord, would You really sweep away

the righteous with the wicked?

What if ten honorable people

are found?

And God answered:

For the sake of ten,

I will not destroy the town.

As you know, not even ten people could be found! And yet, that prayer brings hope and comfort as we pray for cities being swept by rioting.

And, remember, Jacob’s wrestling with an Angel as he wrestled with his own doubts and faith?

Genesis 32:26 – a prayer of Jacob

Lord, I will

not let

You go

until

You bless me!

Are there times that very prayer would speak for us and encourage us not to give up when facing all sorts of calamities? And what about the prayer of Moses after God’s people had been freed from slavery in Egypt? Does this prayer speak today?

Deuteronomy 21:8  

Lord, You freed us!

Now please

make peace with us.

Don’t let the guilt

of unsolved offenses

reside with Your people.

Give us peace, Lord.

Give us peace.

In times of sickness and personal loss, we have Job’s prayers to remind us we’re not alone. The wonderful prayers in the Book of Psalms remind us that the beloved King David had his troubles too.

Psalm 12:1-3, 6-7

Help, Lord!

Is there anyone still faithful to You?

Has all sense of loyalty disappeared?

People lie to each other

and flatter and deceive.

Stop them, Lord!

Whatever You say is purer than silver

refined seven times by fire.

Guard us, Lord.

Protect us in these terrible times.

Some Bible prayers will quicken our faith and amplify our voice more than others. And some translations will help us to hear better than others.

As I compiled the Bible prayers I found in God’s Word, I visited the Bible Gateway site often, so I could read each prayer in several versions before paraphrasing into everyday English. Later, I used the site to locate the King James Version of the same prayers to provide a separate edition for those who want KJV only. However, I encourage readers of the Book of Bible Prayers paraphrased and the Book of KJV Prayers to keep their favorite translations alongside for increased understanding of what the scriptures say.

For instance, most of us love and can recite the KJV translation in Matthew 6 of the Lord’s Prayer aka Our Father, but Luke has his way of recalling those words too.

Luke 11:2-4 – a prayer of Jesus

And (Jesus) said unto them,

When ye pray, say,

Our Father which art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come.

Thy will be done,

as in heaven, so in earth.

Give us day by day our daily bread.

And forgive us our sins;

for we also forgive every one

that is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation;

but deliver us from evil.

from the Book of KJV Prayers, ©2019, Mary Harwell Sayler

Luke 11:2-4 – a prayer of Jesus

Father in heaven,

may Your Name

be kept holy among us.

Bring us into Your kingdom.

Give us bread for the day.

Forgive us

as we forgive those who

have wronged us.

Keep us from temptation.

Deliver us

from a time of hard trials.

paraphrased from the Book of Bible Prayers, ©2019, Mary Harwell Sayler

People often use the Lord’s Prayer as an outline to guide their prayers. For example, we might pray: “Father in heaven, please help my family and I hallow Your Name in our thoughts and conversations, decisions and actions. Please keep us one nation under God.”

Instead of lashing out at others, we might ask God to remind us of what we need to forgive and also of who might need to forgive us. We might pray for God’s help with specific temptations and God’s deliverance from ill spirits of every kind as we keep in mind those words of the Lord Jesus.

But, as you know, praying doesn’t always mean asking! Look at these words in the prayer of Jesus’ mother Mary and embrace them as her whole body embraced the Christ Child and forever stayed at His side.

Luke 1:46-50 – a prayer of Mary

With all my heart, I praise You, Lord!

What favor You have shown!

From now on, every generation 

will call me blessed

because of the great things

You have done for me.

Holy is Your Name!

In every generation,

You give mercy upon mercy

to all who honor You.

paraphrased from the Book of Bible Prayers, ©2019, Mary Harwell Sayler

…

Literary Study Bible, ESV

As a poet and writer, I’m just naturally interested in the effects literary forms have on readers. For instance, narratives draw us into stories with which we can relate, while poetry expresses for us the praise, laments, thoughts, and feelings we have in common.

In other words, poems and stories help us to connect with God, one another, and ourselves. It’s not surprising then that the Bible consists primarily of two main genres or types of literature: narratives and poetry.

In the Introduction to the Literary Study Bible, which Crossway kindly sent me to review, we learn that biblical narratives come in sub-types such as the “hero story, Gospel, epic, tragedy, comedy (a U-shaped plot with a happy ending), and parable. Specific poetic genres keep multiplying as well: lyric, lament psalm, praise psalm, love poem, nature poem, epithalamion (wedding poem) and many others.”

The Introduction goes on to say, “In addition to narrative and poetry, we find prophecy, visionary writing, apocalypse, pastoral, encomium, oratory, drama (the book of Job), satire, and epistle. Then if we start adding more specific forms like travel story, dramatic monologue, doom song, and Christ hymn, the number of literary genres in the Bible readily exceeds one hundred.”

Since we might not be familiar with all of these literary terms, the publisher included a Glossary in the back of the book, explaining, for example, that encomium is “A work of literature that praises either a general character type (e.g., Psalm 1 on the godly person and Prov. 31:10-31 on the virtuous wife) or abstract quality (e.g., 1 Corinthians 13 on love and Hebrews 11 on faith).”

Does any of this matter? I think so. For example, if you know I’m a fairly well-traveled Southerner who grew up believing in God’s love for all people, in Jesus as the full embodiment of God’s Word, and in Christian fellowship as vital for up-building the church, you’ll have a better idea of where I’m coming from and, therefore, more likely to connect. Similarly, the literary forms in the Bible help us to know where the writers were coming from and what they hoped we, the readers, would relate to, hear, and heed as they bring us God’s message in a particular way. Or, as the Introduction puts it:

“Whereas history and the daily news tell us what happened, literature tells us what happens – what is true for all people in all places and times…. The goal of literature is to prompt a reader to share or relive an experience. The truth that literature imparts is not simply ideas that are true but truthfulness to human experience.”

To give you a better idea of the features in this edition, let’s begin in the beginning with Genesis, “The Book at a Glance.”

“As its title signals, the book of Genesis is the Bible’s book of beginnings. It is a foundational book that informs us about the first principles of the biblical faith – such first principles as how the world came into being, how sin entered the world, how God began to unfold his plan of salvation, and what people and human institutions (especially the family) are like. Although Genesis is a history book, its history is packed in highly literary forms, the most dominant of which is hero story. Because the history that is recounted in the book of Genesis reaches back to the primitive origins of the human race, it is particularly rich in universal, elemental human experience. Despite the seeming remoteness of the world of Genesis, the experiences are actually very close to our everyday lives.”

In one example of the timelessness of these experiences, we read how the serpent in the Garden of Eden cast doubt on whether God meant what He said – a question that troubles many people today. (Unnecessarily, I must add! If God said it, God means it!)  Another example of a common experience is the sibling rivalry Cain felt for Able (though we pray it doesn’t have the same tragic ending in our families!) Or what about Abraham’s lying to protect himself or Jacob’s learning the hard way that deceitfulness is apt to boomerang?

“The Book at a Glance” for Job has its own theme and purpose as “It raises the question not simply of why people in general suffer but specifically of why the righteous suffer. Philosophers and theologians call this ‘the problem of evil’ and the attempt to offer a satisfactory solution to the problem is called theodicy.”

Regarding the genres used in Job, “The story begins and ends with a narrative frame in which the author tells the story of the fall and restoration of the protagonist Job. Within these bookends, though, the primary form is drama, as we are presented with the speeches and dialogues of the actors in the story. The form in which these speeches are cast is poetry.”

Before reading The Psalms, its “Theological Themes” introduce us to “(1) The nature of God: no book of the Bible offers a more comprehensive survey of the acts and attributes of God. (2) The nature of people: because every psalm is at some level a personal statement by a poet. Psalms is also an index to what people are like, both good and bad. (3) Nature and the physical creation: the psalms say and imply many things about the external world that God made and sustains. (4) Worship: the psalms are used in worship, and many of them talk about worship. (5) Suffering: the many lament psalms yield a theology of suffering.”

Skipping ahead to the New Testament, a footnote on Matthew 5 points out that Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount “has the nature of an inauguration speech.”

The footnote goes on to say, “The beatitudes are one of the most patterned passages in the entire New Testament. They follow the Hebrew verse form of parallelism: In each beatitude, Jesus (a) pronounces a blessing on a group of people, (b) names the group according to their essential trait, and (c) offers a reason (which is at the same time a promise) for their condition of blessedness.”

A distinctive feature in the Gospel of John “is the linking of a sign or other great symbol with a corresponding statement made by Jesus in the form of either a conversation or a full-fledged discourse. For example, Jesus asks the Samaritan woman for a drink from the well (4:7-8) and then pursues a conversation with the woman about water that climaxes in Jesus’ claim to be the source of living water that wells up to eternal life (4:9-15). To cite another example, Jesus feeds five thousand (6:1-14), and a few verses later we read his discourse on Jesus’ being the bread of life (6:25-40).”

Symbolism reaches great height in the book of Revelation as the author uses narrative story and poetic imagery, metaphor, and simile in presenting its “pageant of visions.”

With these unique aids and insights into studying the highly acclaimed English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible,I look forward to sharing this excellent resource in my Sunday School and mid-week Bible discussion groups, which, Lord willing, will begin again soon, even if we need masks to accompany our prayers.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020, poet, writer, pray-er, and lifelong believer in God’s Word.

…

God’s promises in God’s Word reveal God’s will

As you have surely heard – and, hopefully, sung – the hymn “Standing on the Promises” of God encourages us to stand firm in our faith as we live our lives and interact with the world. But what if we kneel on those promises?

Claiming God’s promises and praying in agreement with God's vows to us ensures that we’re praying in God’s will.

Regardless of the translation we choose from the many editions reviewed on this blog over the years, our belief in the Bible as God’s Word lets us know we have God’s word on matters crucial to our lives! By claiming those promises, we strengthen our faith and empower our prayers.

As God-incidence would have it, the Lord put this timely subject on my mind months ago! And thankfully, the Bible Gateway blog eased the research, enabling me to collect and paraphrase over 250 of countless Bible promises into the new book, Kneeling on the Promises of God.

Each page begins with the next timely promise, found according to the typical arrangement of the books of the Bible then divided into two sections of Old Testament Promises and New. (Interestingly, those turned out to be about the same length!)

A conversational prayer in everyday language follows each Bible verse with space at the bottom of the page for you to write down prayers that come to you as you claim God’s word and agree with God’s will in prayer.

To give you an example, here's the first page:

Genesis 28:15 – “Look! I Am with you. I watch over you as you come and go. I will not leave you before I have done everything I promised.”

What joy we have in Your presence, Lord! What empowering promises You have given us to claim!

You, our Heavenly Father, our Loving God, and the Creator of all life in heaven and on earth, have given Your word to be with us. No matter where we are, You are there.

We need You now, Lord.

We need You now.

At present the Corona Virus (COVID-19) pandemic has slowed shipping of nonessential items, but Kneeling on thePromises of God is essential! Therefore, you can also find it in an  e-book. Whether you prefer electronic or snail mail, there’s rarely been a more crucial time for the whole world to pray with power and conviction.

Seriously! Let’s take God at His Word!

©2020, MaryHarwell Sayler, poet-writer, and lifelong believer in the Bible and prayer

…

ESV Seek and Find Bible

When Crossway kindly sent me a review copy of the ESV Seek and Find Bible for children, its many features made me regret the categorization for kids 5-9. This hardback edition of the English Standard Version is so sturdy and well-done, older kids might want to read it -- and I do too!

Consider these features listed on the inside fold of the slick, attractive cover:

The complete ESV Bible text
provides a reliable translation in a readable font.

130 full-page, full-color illustrations
depict Bible people and scenes realistically in full color.

A simplified Bible story retelling for each illustration
For example, “Deborah’s Message from God” depicts the story found in Judges 4-5, with an era-friendly illustration and the words in this excerpt:

“After twenty years of living under the mean King Jabin, the people of Israel cried out to God for help. God listened to their prayers and sent them help through a judge named Deborah. Every day Deborah sat near a palm tree in the desert and helped the people of Israel with their problems.

God told Deborah exactly what to do.”

Reflection questions for each story to help kids understand and apply God’s Word
In the story “Jesus Calms the Storm” from Mark 4:35-41, “Key Questions” include:

Why were the disciples afraid when the storm was raging?
What did Jesus say, and what happened when he said it?
Why should Jesus’ miracles fill us with faith?

Related Bible readings for each of the 130 stories
For the story of Jesus’ calming the storm, readers are encouraged to look up relevant scriptures in Luke 8:22-25 and John 6:16-21.

50+ illustrated profiles of major Bible characters from Adam and Eve to Timothy
For example, a side bar in the Gospel of John introduces readers to Andrew:

“Andrew was a fisherman who listened eagerly to the teaching of John the Baptist. John told people that they must repent and get ready for the promised Messiah. When John called Jesus the Lamb of God, Andrew knew that he must now follow Jesus the Messiah. Andrew found his brother, Simon Peter, and brought him to Jesus, too. So Andrew and his brother Simon Peter became two of the 12 disciples, who were Jesus’ closest friends and helpers.”

Introductions to each book of the Bible
The Introduction to Psalms, for example, lets readers know the book, “written by different authors over a period of centuries” became the hymnal of God’s people.

“…Some psalms praise God with great joy for victory (Psalm 18); others for his acts of creation (Psalm 104) or for his provision and care ((Psalm 105). Others are laments, songs of mourning that praise God by bringing to him deep feelings of sadness (Psalm 88). Many psalms are cries for protection against persecuting enemies (Psalm 7). Other psalms confess sin and pray for forgiveness (Psalm 51). Still others express deep longings to know God better and follow him more closely (Psalm 27). The longest psalm praises the Word of God from many different perspective (Psalm 119). Several psalms look ahead to the Messiah in his sufferings (Psalm 22) and in his glory (Psalm 110). The book of Psalms is one of the best loved books of the entire Bible, having something for every believer, no matter what their specific circumstances or feelings.”

Alongside that Introduction (as with all the others intros), each page briefly includes information on:

• Author(s)
• Date
• People
• Purpose
• Central Themes
• Memory Verses

20+ illustrated facts about Bible objects, structures, and places
including the Jerusalem Temple, its main contents, and the city at various times. As children see what these look like, the Bible text becomes more real to them. One picture, for example, is of a “Galilean Fishing Boat” with these words beside the illustration:

“Jesus and his disciples probably used a boat like this one that fishermen typically used. It could have held 15 men and was 26.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, and 4.5 feet high.”

Key verses to memorize
has a little key drawn within a circle and placed next to verses such as this one from John 8:12:

“…Jesus spoke to them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

A few pages later, the Bible story of “Jesus Heals the Blind Man” includes that verse, so the above key verse shows the page number to that event. The problem I had, however, was finding that and other pages by number – ironically because the generous illustrations and other fine features utilize the same space in this highly recommended edition of God’s Word.


Reviewed by Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020.

…

Conversing with God’s Word

We’ve talked about the God’s Word (GW) translation of the Bible before, but recently God’s Word to the Nations Mission Society sent me two newer editions attractively covered in flexible Duravella – one a two-tone gray and the other a two-tone burgundy and gray.

Both editions have large print, but the latter also has wide margins, which encourage us to respond to God’s Word with whatever thoughts or prayers come to mind. This “conversation” becomes a spiritual diary of sorts as we claim a Bible verse or prayer, especially if we add the date as a reminder. And, it can become a private study edition as we jot down insights and relevant notes, making this a priceless heirloom to hand down to the next generation.

The most important feature of the GW translation, however, is its readability. In an accompanying brochure, the “Word Choice” column says: “The translation team chose words that were natural in context and as easily understood as possible without sacrificing accuracy or faithfulness to the original Hebrew and Greek texts of the Bible.”

When it comes to “Gender References,” the brochure explains that “GW avoids using words like man and he if the Hebrew of Greek is speaking about people regardless of gender.” If, however, the text refers to a specific group such as the Jewish council, which consisted exclusively of men, the text will reflect that.

As a poet and writer, I particularly appreciate GW's “Translation Philosophy,” which does not “attempt to make all books or passages function on the same level. The more difficult books of the Bible are translated to the same level of difficulty as the original languages. In addition, abstract concepts in Greek and Hebrew are translated into abstract concepts in English, and concrete concepts remain concrete in translation.”

Both of these editions include an A to Z topical reference to scriptures on “The Teachings of Jesus,” providing an excellent resource for Bible study. Both also contain A to Z topics with their biblical references for “Life Applications.”

If you consider the Lenten season leading up to Easter as a time of intense reflection, you might turn to Psalm 51 as a memory-booster prior to corporate or private confession. Many churches refer to that psalm during Lent, but one of my favorite guides into reflection or meditation is The Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, which helps to align our attitudes with the ones the Lord wants us to have. Thanks to the high readable GW translation, the Beatitudes become even more accessible:

“Blessed are those who recognize they are
spiritually helpless.

The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.
Blesses are those who mourn.
They will be comforted.

Blessed are those who are gentle.
They will inherit the earth.

Blesses are those who hunger and thirst for
God’s approval.
They will be satisfied.

Blessed are those who show mercy.
They will be treated mercifully.

Blessed are those whose thoughts are pure.
They will see God.

Blessed are those who make peace.
They will be called God’s children.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for doing
what God approves of.
The kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

Blessed are you when people insult you,
persecute you,
lie, and say all kinds of evil things about you
because of me.
Rejoice and be glad because you have a great reward
in heaven!
The prophets who lived before you were persecuted
in these ways,” (Matthew 5:3-12.)


May God help us to take God’s Word to heart, soul, mind, and spirit in Jesus’ Name.

Mary Sayler, ©2020

…

My Favorite Study Bibles

Whenever I prepare for the Bible discussion groups I lead, I turn to the footnotes and articles from several study editions lining my desk, especially:

Amplified Study Bible from Zondervan
The NIV Study Bible from Zondervan
NKJV Study Bible published by Thomas Nelson
ESV Study Bible published by Crossway
Thompson Chain Reference Bible from Kirkbride

However, I'm sad to say I gave away the HCSB Study Bible from Holman to another Bible discussion leader, who needed one reliable resource instead of the many I prefer.

Each of those excellent editions gives a broad understanding of Bible people and their religious views, cultures, and geographical locations. But almost every time, I discover a little something more in my all-time favorite Bible - The New Oxford Annotated Bible with Apocrypha in the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), which I just learned has been released in a 5th edition in a leather cover currently on Amazon at half-price! 


Mary Sayler, ©2020

Bible Gateway: opening the gate to God’s Word

Bible Gateway has been my “go to” Internet resource for years, so it finally occurred to me to review the site that includes blog posts, podcasts, study notes, articles, and more. Most impressive, though,  is its being, as it says, “A searchable online Bible in over 150 versions and 50 languages.” 

Since I regularly receive review copies of new editions of God’s Word, my bookshelves are piled high with Bibles, but I certainly don’t have all 150 versions! So I often click onto the Bible Gateway site to compare translations and, especially, to research a biblical topic.

For example, when I felt urged to see what the Bible says about love, I readily found over 600 references simply by typing the word “love” in the Search box provided at the top of the main page. Then I added brief devotionals and published the book by that name.

That same Search box let me type in the Bible book, chapter, and verse(s) of the actual prayers in the Bible then compare numerous translations before paraphrasing them for the prayer book I've always wanted, the Book of Bible Prayers. Shortly thereafter, I published the Book of KJV Prayers with the same scriptures but from the King James Version only.

Instead of having to retype each prayer for the latter, I was able to copy/paste the KJV text directly from the Bible Gateway site into a word processing file then remove verse numbers and break lines into a more contemporary rhythm of speaking.

The site’s features also work wonderfully well in preparing sermons and Bible lessons. Not only does it take less time to look up topics and key scriptures, the site offers a wealth of translations for comparison. A quick click onto the version in place lets you immediately change to another.

If you look up a single verse, you can also see numerous versions of that same verse on a single page. By comparing the words chosen to translate the original Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic texts into English, we get a broader perspective of biblical truths, and we see that God’s Word truly is living, constantly speaking to us, and moving us closer and closer to the Lord.

Mary Harwell Sayler, ©2020

…