I recently bought a new Bible. For the last eight years, I have been reading the New Living Translation. The NLT is a very good, readable version of the Scriptures. Before the NLT, I used the New International Version (NIV) for almost ten years. The NIV is another really good translation of the Bible. And before the NIV, I used a New American Standard Version of the Bible.
Why are there so many different translations of God’s Word? Language and its usage change regularly. While the King James Version of the Bible is beautiful, people do not talk that way and haven’t for many years. People want to read the Scriptures in a translation that is easy to understand.
Even with the advent of the YouVersion Bible app and so many other good Bible apps for smart phones and tablets, I still prefer reading and studying a paper Bible. I love the YouVersion and regularly use some of their devotional materials. It is great to be able to check different translations quickly on my Ipad, but I really like my paper Bible.
My new translation is the English Standard Version. There are different types of translations of the Scriptures. The NLT is a translation that seeks to use modern language to convey the Word of God. Rather than giving a literal translation, the NLT provides more of a thought-for-thought translation. The ESV is more of a word-for-word translation of the Bible. The ESV website says, “The English Standard Version (ESV) is an “essentially literal” translation of the Bible in contemporary English. Created by a team of more than 100 leading evangelical scholars and pastors, the ESV Bible emphasizes “word-for-word” accuracy, literary excellence, and depth of meaning.”
Of course, the beauty of having many different translations of the Bible is that everyone should be able to find a version that they enjoy. One of the benefits to using a Bible app is that you can compare several different translations to see which one you like the most. After you find your favorite one, though, I would recommend buying a paper translation to go along with your electronic one. The benefits of reading a paper Bible is that you can underline, highlight, and write notes in it as you go along.
What is your favorite version of the Bible?
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