What to get next?

Busy reading the versions you have?

:tongue3:

 

Nothing wrong with that!!!

 

I'd suggest the New Living Translation.

It's very readable and easy to understand and will complement the variety of translations you already enjoy.

Rob

 

I would suggest an NIrV. That's going to be my reading through Bible next year.

 

I'd check out the Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament...

Actually given the variety of translations you already have the New Living Translation might actually be a good one. You have several fairly strict translations, or formally equivalent, (ESV, KJV, NASB) and only one mediating, or middle of the road, (NIV) so maybe th NLT or Contemporary English Version or New English Bible would be ideal.

You don't need another formally equivalent translation. Another mediating translation like the New English Translation, NET, (at bible.org for free w/notes) or the New Jerusalem Bible (NJB) would be good.

BTW, I just used a lot of technical language without qualification. I am taking my notes from Fee and Strauss' excellent book How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth. By formal equivalent a mean a translation that adheres to translating the text as word-for-word as possible. By dynamic equivalent I mean a translation that adheres to translating the text concept-by-concept. By mediating I mean a translation that has feet in both camps. A middle of the road. Hope that helps.

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1598562126/?tag=baptis04-20

or

http://yalepress.yale.edu/yupbooks/reviews.asp?isbn=9780300065800

 

I agree that you already have a pretty good balance of translations.

You might want to check out e-sword.net. There, you can download many of the older translations for free, including the ASV, Darby, Douay-Rheims, Geneva and Bishops translations. You can also download, again for free, many of the older commentaries (Jammison-Faucett-Brown, Calvin, Wesley, Darby, etc.).

 

You have received some good advise here; allow me to emphasize a few--

No format facilitates the comparison of passages better than a parallel Bible (as SALTCITYBAPTIST suggested). I have several with 8 translations (across 2 pages) and the KJV and the NIV are often included as versions among the multiple ones displayed; their presence gives a familar point of reference (particularly helpful when looking at very loose translations such as The Message, The Living Bible, TEV, Phillip's, etc.).

I agree with preachinjesus that you may want to add a 'mediating' translation to your collection. The KJV, NASB, and ESV are each in the Tyndale-KJV tradition (that is, they are revisions of previous work started by Tyndale). Only your NIV stands apart. I like the NET, and the NLT is a good choice (as Deacon also suggested); but don't neglect the HCSB either. I don't like the NEB very well (very liberal and British) or the NJB (would have Catholic influence); nor am I fan of the CEV. If you don't want to stray far from the Tyndale-KJV roots you may wish to read the NRSV (considered a current scholastic standard).

If you have any interest in the heritage of the English Bible then you may want to select Tyndale's 1534/5 New Testament and one of the Geneva Bible editions (as TC suggested). They both come in modern-spelling editions, although they can still be a little difficult to read.

If you want to check out a Majority Text-based version I'd recommend the ALT (Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament).

A real gem if you can find it is the Modern Language Bible (a.k.a. the New Berkeley).

 

Is that a complaint?

 

It's a joke. You know, HUMOR? Try it sometime.

 

KJVO humor is hard to get sometimes. :smilewinkgrin:

 

So it's a joke when you direct a comment to someone by saying :"Busy reading the versions you have? Where's the humor in that? What's the punchline?

But, according to you (on2/10/09) :"I own different versions and COMPARE them, not CONSULT them. Big difference! And comparing them leads me into confusion..."

 

Oh geeez, Rippon, is your real name SCROOGE? For Pete's sake, you must be a real blast at parties. How 'bout you and me just don't talk anymore, OK?

"Busy reading the versions you have?"
It was a "play on words" Did you not notice the "smiley face" after my post? What a grouch you are!.:BangHead:
Merry Christmas, Ebenezer!

 

An Ebenezer is a stone of help (see 1 Sam. 7:12). An Ebenezer is anything or anyone reminding us of God's presence and help. So thank you for the compliment.

 

I suggest the NLT, the Revised English Bible, the Good News Translation, or the God's Word translation. If you would like a more formal equivalent translation, I suggest the Geneva Bible or the Modern Language Bible. :type:

 

Just get them all New Interpreters study NRSV is cool. Bible in Basic English and the New English Bible are great too, thing is when you look at the greek you see that you need more than one.