What Bible Translation?

If they'd attend church with me I'd give them a NASB which the pastor preaches from.

If not I'd give a new believer an NLT.

Yes, a Study Bible edition would be frosting on the cake.

Rob

 

For a new believer, I would give an Nltse. I wouldn't suggest a study Bible until after the person read through the Bible on their own first.

 

I'd give 'em an ESV..

 

The KJV.....

 

I think the ESV is an EXCELLENT translation of the inspired Greek and Hebrew....I highly recommend it!

 

I have a Holman as well.I read the preface(something onlys should practice) of both the Holman and the ESV,and discovered they are translated from the exact same Greek and Hebrew sources.But,I have to say,the Holman does not read as smooth as the ESV....


Both are excellent translations of the inspired Greek and Hebrew!

 

I'm going to talk practice, not theory:

I did this on Christmas Eve for a 1-year-old-Christian (age- 46). I showed him a NIV like he had read through twice. I offered him a 365 days of reading type NIV, a real-time-order NIV, and a HCSB with just the text and translator foot notes. He took the HCSB saying "I can only read one at a time; I'm not a fast reader. He is a master builder & can drive any of the machines they use for building the foundation of big buildings. He is not good at learning/study type tasks like for a Bachelor's degree. I think I made a good deal. The HCSB (Here's Christ's Simple Bible no, really Holman Christian Standard Bible {Holman Publishing, 2003} ) .

He also turned down my Western Apache Language New Testament (KJV interlinear) saying he didn't read Apache and aught to stick with English. What he doesn't understand is that the Apache at the nearby Apache Reservation, the ones who still use Apache Language speak the Eastern dialect of Apache.

 

"FTR, there is no such thing as any 'Holman' translation!"

Signed, Language Cop

"Hmmm! Is it just me, or does 'L.C.' seems 'a mite testy', tonight?"

Ed

 

A little off the OP message.

I gave my adult brother a NIV readers edition for Christmas this year. He is not interested in the Bible but he attends church with us when he visits, which is every holiday and other weekends throughout the year. I thought it was time that I gave him a Bible.

I gave the selection a lot of thought. I considered a NLTse as others suggested and it is not without its good points. I also considered a study Bible, again either the NIV study Bible or the NLT study Bible. At the top of my list though for a study Bible was the NLT Discover God Study Bible. This edition has a lot of useful information for a new believer. The problem is my brother is not a believer and I finally concluded that too much information would be counter productive. So I gave him a text only Bible and a separate book (a Bible handbook) to go with it.

In the end I think I made the right choice. The thinline Bible I picked out has the Italian Duo-tone cover and looks and feels very nice. I pray that my brother will read it.

 

I think a lot of it depends on the educational level of the new Christian. For a well-educated individual, I would be more likely to give them an NASB. For someone without a high level of education, I would probably give them an NLT or NIV. I like all of these translations, but I think that critical study is best done in a "word-for-word" translation. For a new Christian without much education, the terminology and sentence structure of Bibles like the NASB may cause issues.

 

Isn't it possible that a fairly intelligent person may be well-suited for an NLTse or TNIV?An NASBU may be a little too unnecessarily awkward in English (not as poor as the ESV though).Perhaps some individual of the type you mentioned may appreciate less biblish and more direct,standard English.

 

It would depend on the person's age and background if I could choose what to give them.

For a younger person (under 18), I would probably choose an NIV student study Bible or maybe the NIV study Bible if they were curious and liked to know stuff.

I would give either an NIV study Bible or an NASB study Bible to most people over 18. When I was a new believer (and I was way over 18!), I used an NIV study bible and it was very helpful. I prefer the NASB now but see the value of the NIV for new believers.

For some people with little or no Christian background or exposure, I might choose something like the NLT as their first Bible (encouraging them to go to something else later). I didn't realize there was an NLT study Bible. I might choose that one.

 

I would and have given them a Holman Christian Standard.

For the older brethren I suggest the HCSB Apologetics Bible. I love it!

 

I will speak from experience.

When I first came to the Lord, I was given a KJV. I used it, or tried to use it. I am a smart guy and always have been, but I really struggled with the KJV. In school I played Dungeons & Dragons, so I was well acquainted with the langaugs used in the KJV, but it was just so hard to understand it (poetic or not).

After a while (a few years), I got hold of a NIV New Testament (at Promise Keepers '95, in Atlanta). I got more from that than I had all the years before in the KJV. Why? I could actually understand what was written. i didn't have to translate the translation to "get it".

I now carry and use the NKJV. I like the NASB and have enjoyed what I have read from the ESV and HCSB (I don't own either yet).

For a new believer, I would give either the ESV or HCSB. It is more important that they actually be able to read with understanding the bible text, not adhere to someone else's standard of which translation is proper.

 

It depends on the age and background of the new convert. If it is a younger person who is either educated or planning on college I would give them a KJV.

If it was an older person or someone with little education I would give a KJV.

I know most of think I'm nuts, but I like it. The other versions that I am familier with are "too easy". When I read a NIV or similar Bible, it reads like a news paper and I forget what i read, When I read a KJV it makes me stop and consider what the writer is saying. Also, most if not all of the Churches I would recommend this convert to would be preaching from the KJV. Of course I would recommend my church first. If I didn't think it was the best, I wouldn't be there.

Most are probably thinking, "Not only is he a Free Willie but he's a KJVO also". While not KJO I would say I'm KJSP(King James Strongly Preffered). Go ahead, beat me up. I'm ready.

 

I prefer my old KJV as well, but far from KJVO.

I would tend to give a new person an NIV or even the Phillips..New Testament in Modern English. We are not looking at theology here. We are looking at a general reading with basic understanding.

Cheers,

Jim

 

Jim, who is that good looking young man next to you in your posts? :smilewinkgrin: