"Jim -- Did you catch that show last night?
Pam -- No, I don't watch TV. I have a life.
Jim -- Really? What's that like?
Pam -- It's nice. You should get one.
Jim -- But then who will watch my television?
"
- the NBC sitcom "The Office"
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
I don't think we've discussed this sort of thing recently. What Bible translation are you all into these days?
My childhood was spent with King James. In my early adult years, I was a New American Standard guy. Since roughly 1996 I've been a New King James enthusiast, and here lately I've been reading a lot of the English Standard Version.
I still love my New King James, and I always will, but the English Standard Version is really doing it for me these days. I was recently given a copy of the ESV Study Bible -- it's amazing! Study Bibles can be so ... odd, and I tend to be leery of titles like The Dallas Cowboys Sports Fan Study Bible. (No, that bible doesn't really exist, but I'm sure I'm giving someone a great money making idea right now.) Thankfully the ESV Study Bible is full of good, useful historical and theological information (primarily from a Reformed vantage point), and at the very least it's a good resource to have in your library.
So what do you all like to read? I have no agenda here. I just like to talk about Bibles.
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Comments on "What Bible Do You Read?":
3. Jeff the Baptist
- 08/26/2010 7:52 am CDT
NIV and NASB. ESV might be great, but it's based on RSV which had some significant issues so I have a certain ingrained distrust of it.
5. Mary
- 08/26/2010 8:20 am CDT
I have been working my way through the translations since I gave my life to Christ. I am currently on ESV...next will be either the NLT or The Message.
8. Raindream
- 08/26/2010 9:07 am CDT
I grew up reading the New American Standard (maybe the NIV before that). I love the ESV now and have been very impressed by the ESV Study Bible, but I don't have one. My study bible is a New Geneva NKJV.
As I understand it, the ESV had those liberal interpretations or biases in the RSV text updated.
9. damien
- 08/26/2010 9:18 am CDT
in 1974 i began with the living bible, quickly moved on to the nasb for several years, shifted to the niv (my personal favorite for readability...i have a thompson chain reference edition), then on to the nkjv (open bible) until the esv appeared...and that's where i've been ever since. i prefer a bible with very few notes if any, but i do like cross references a lot. my dream bible would be an esv with large print, deep brown leather cover, in just the right compact size. i'm still waiting for that to come along. that'll be the bible i'm laid to rest with.
10. Shrode
- 08/26/2010 10:04 am CDT
What?!? No one reads the Holman Christian Standard Bible? {Shrode feigns shock and disbelief - he's being sarcastic}
NIV dude. If it was good enough for Paul and Silas, it's good enough for me.
11. Jared
- 08/26/2010 3:56 pm CDT
I used to alternate fairly evenly between NASB, NIV, and ESV. Now I pretty much use the ESV exclusively. I check other translations sometimes on BibleGateway or if a commentary I'm studying from uses a different one, but the only physical Bible I use is ESV (in several formats: my journaling Bible, the Literary Study Bible, the Reformation Study Bible, and the classic ESV Study Bible).
13. Dave
- 08/26/2010 7:21 pm CDT
Just before leaving seminary we were offered a printed edition of the New English Translation for 20 or 25 dollars. I bought it and when reading a printed Bible it's my preference, though I have a well worn NIV that I used for years. I use the NIV with other people as it is the norm for most and fairly easy to understand. For work and personal study, I mostly use the computer with Bible Works / NASB, NIV, KJV etc all open at once, with the Greek and Hebrew open with them.
14. Bill
- 08/26/2010 7:47 pm CDT
I started with the NKJV and used that translation for about 15 years. Love that Bible
I tried to get into the NIV. It always seemed kind of flat to me (not sure why). I remember the days when if you didn't have an NIV you weren't very cool :-) - I was even in Bible studies where the leader would ask someone to read a passage, and if they read it from a different translation, the leader would say, with a slight tone of exasperation, "does anyone have that in the NIV?" :-)
My inability to really love the NIV is probably a defect in me, not it.
I found the ESV online several years ago. I absolutely love that translation! That's my translation of choice now.
15. Bird
- 08/26/2010 9:11 pm CDT
So it looks like we've got a bunch of ESV lovers here. That's good. John Piper would be pleased with all of us. :-)
I was even in Bible studies where the leader would ask someone to read a passage, and if they read it from a different translation, the leader would say, with a slight tone of exasperation, "does anyone have that in the NIV?" :-)
Think of the poor guy somewhere who has the same story except the question was, "Does anyone have it in the KJV?" ;-)
16. Bill
- 08/26/2010 10:24 pm CDT
That's good. John Piper would be pleased with all of us. :-)
Yes - The chief end of man is to please John Piper and enjoy being JP-fanboys forever :-)
(at least in the theology-nerdosphere that we inhabit :-)
17. Deacontrek
- 08/26/2010 11:27 pm CDT
Grew up with and did all my memorization from the KJV, still use it as my main translation and since I have been taking notes in it for all these years (it doesn't have notes itself only cross references) I still use it as both my Bible for church and study, When my goal is easy reading rather than study, I use the NKJV or the NASB, sometimes the NIV which is the translation of choice at my church (I am usually not asked to read for the simple reason that I have my KJV and do not use the pew Bible NIV).
19. TheJoeGreene
- 08/26/2010 11:39 pm CDT
Grew up on the KJV. Moved to NASB in college. Jumped on the ESV bandwagon early on and don't expect to leave it anytime soon. I am one of the few that really likes the HCSB and the updated TNIV.
ESV for reading, study etc. but if I'm doing some sort of message or leading small group discussion then I break out my Essential Evangelical Parallel Bible (NKJV/ESV/NLT/Message).
21. Karl
- 08/27/2010 2:20 pm CDT
The private Christian school I attended K-12 used KJV exclusively (Bob Jones-esque Baptists). But the Presbyterian church I grew up in used the NIV and that's what I've pretty much stuck with.
I'd probably like the ESV but it has strong associations in my mind with militant "in your face" Reformed folks (kind of like the reformed version of the KJV-only crowd of Baptists I grew up around) and so I kind of have a mental block against it b/c of that. I know I should get over that and give it a try though.
22. Paul Wilkinson
- 08/27/2010 9:58 pm CDT
It's not ranking high in this survey, but I really like the flow of the NLT, and use it for clarity when materials I'm using are NIV-based or ESV-based.
23. Charlotte
- 08/28/2010 7:52 pm CDT
I didn't grow up reading any kind of bible much at all. Birth church read it for me, 2 minutes every sunday. Saved at 32 or so through a friends testimony and bible study fellowship Learned quickly that my churchs translation was insufficient for study SO ..I purchased a New American Standard. Bliss! I currently use NKJ, NASB and the message although the last one really and I mean REALLY takes liberties.
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I grew up reading KJV and NKJV, and that's what I have stuck with. When I download translations for my iPhone I sometimes check out ESV and ASV, but I find myself attached to the familiarity of KJV and NKJV.
And I could see someone making such a study Bible, Bird... throw in some references to Tom Landry, replace the "Armor of God" with the football pads, etc. Someone is doing it right now... :)