can anyone recommed a good bible text

[davidinalameda]

I don't want to go buy the first one I see

thanks!

[lavenderdiva]

1. NAS - New American Standard.

IMHO, the translation that is most accurate, and easy to read...

[Rabrrrrrr]

2. I love my Oxford annotated NRSV with apocrypha

Assuming that by "text" you mean "translation", since if you want the best Bible text, you need to go to the few libraries and museums that have them and try to swing a deal.

[davidinalameda]

3. I'll go hunt down a Gutenberg

:bounce:

[Rabrrrrrr]

4. No, a gutenberg is also just a translation

not a text.

:-)

[davidinalameda]

5. okay

hehe

[RevCheesehead]

6. If you're not sure what you want yet,

check out the Oremus Bible Browser. You just type in a text (like John 3:16-17), hit the drop-down screen, and see the differences in translation for yourself. I wish I had found this years ago.

http://bible.oremus.org/

Currently, the most recent, accurate translation is the New Revised Standard Version. (NRSV)

The best paraphrase around is The Message, by Eugene Peterson. It's written in contemporary language, and IMO, is theologically true to the text. Both of these versions are on the Oremus browser, so check it out for yourself.

[davidinalameda]

7. thanks

[flamingyouth]

8. I second The Message.

I really like that one. :thumbsup:

[Critters2]

13. I dunno

Paraphrases make me uncomfortable, whether it's _The Message_ or _The Living Bible_. I'd rather work with a good, scholarly translation. Fewer of the editor's biases.

[elshiva]

9. Second NRSV!

[AwakeAtLast]

10. I like Conversational English

but I also keep an NIV handy. The CE sounds great when read aloud.

Hope this is helpful!

:hi:

[StoryTeller]

11. The two translations I like best...

1) New American Standard (NAS)-- this one is good if you want more of a literal word-for-word translation. The problem is that some of the metaphors and idioms get lost in a literal translation.

2) Today's New International Version (TNIV)-- this is that new NIV translation that has all the conservative and fundies angry because it dares to be more gender neutral than other translations. It's actually a very responsible, fair translation that provides a good balance between getting at the MEANING of the text and being LITERAL about word choices. So I recommend it because first, it's a good translation, and second, because the publisher, Zondervan, needs support and encouragement to continue providing it in the face of the attacks it's received.

If I'm really going to study any portion of the Bible, I've found I really need 2-3 different translations to get a full picture of what the original language was trying to express. The one RevCheesehead suggested is a good one, too. Translating always involved a lot of trade-offs between what the original author meant, and how the literal word might be perceived or understood in our culture now. It's not an exact science, and I don't care what they say, ALL translators have a certain bias they work from. So it's a matter of trying to get a consensus from several different translations and studying what different scholars say, until you arrive at a conclusion that seems to fit best what the overall scope of the Bible is.

[Critters2]

12. Harper Collins NRSV

or the New Interpreter's. I use them both for sermon prep.