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
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