Which Bible Do You Use?
Well I've been planning on doing this for a long time but I'm a horrible procrastinator. However I'm moving to Texas in a bit and now just seems like the right time for changes in my life. I cut my hair and I'm also finally starting to read the Bible.
It got me curious about which versions/translation the Christians on this forum use? And is there any particular reason you chose that version?
I'm not remotely a Christian, but I do have a Bible (though I'm not entirely sure where it is at the moment... my mom borrowed in a long time ago, and may not have given it back yet). I asked a good friend of mine who took some religious studies courses in college what version I should get if I wanted an accurate one, and I think it was the New Revised Standard Version, which is what I bought. I'm tempted to switch to the KJV when I eventually go back to it just for the flowery language.
I started reading the Bible along with a historical context guide that he also recommended to me, Stephen Harris's Understanding the Bible (I found an old version on Amazon for pennies), which was very informative, though I didn't come remotely close to getting through all of it.
Originally Posted by Fynn
Nevermind, Boobies came up with the objectively best answer.
I have the King James Version.
A Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament (also a N-A Greek-English NT) and a JPS (Jewish Publication Society) Hebrew-English Tanakh. These are the standard original language side-by-side versions of each book.
I've read all the standard translated versions as well, KJV/NKJV/NET/NIV/NRSV, etc.
I don't read much these days, but when I do I use the Hebrew and Greek versions, both to keep my Greek and Hebrew from getting too rusty and because the original's always better. In the Hebrew especially, there's a musicality that just doesn't translate into English at all. The Greek is similar, but I've never been able to get a good hang on pronouncing it fluently. I have to stop and think about how to pronounce the 4-5 syllable words and it messes up the flow.
I got given a bible by a Gideon once, they came to my school and handed them out. My mum and I had good laugh about that because of a related Bill Hicks joke. I don't know what version it was though, and I only read a little bit of it.
I'm not a Christian but I took an excellent class in college on the Bible. We used the Oxford Annotated Bible. It was really great and the annotations were extremely informative and helpful. You've made me want to dig it up and read some of it again. There really are some great stories and some beautiful writing in the Bible.
Google.
I think when I was religious I was using the NRSV, although the KJV obviously has the most aesthetically pleasing language.
This is what I mostly refer to now:
Skeptic's Annotated Bible
Which uses the KJV, but it also recommends the Blue Letter Bible, which allows for comparison of a bunch of different translations.
Last edited by The Man; 05-28-2013 at 09:18 AM.
Rofl I love it.
The Mormon version is KJV but has handy cross-annotations, a dictionary and so forth. It's also got a section that will point you to every single time [a topic of your choosing] was mentioned. Great for academic study, Bible-bashing, or whatever your preferred past-time is.
It's probably the best you'll get until the Klingon translation of the Bible is finished (they're still working on it, but you can't blame them really)
I used the King James version. Right now, I have that pocket red one that you often find in hotels (Gideons).
Do I really read the bible? I sort of feel embarrassed as a Christian but I don't read it too often. Perhaps I'll read a few chapters of a book, or if I'm feeling really up for it read an entire book, but... eh. I find talking to my school chaplain gives me more information.
The mormon one, before I burned it.
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