SUBJECT:  Bible

QUESTION:  What Bible translation do you recommend?  Can you describe some of the more popular translations and versions?

ANSWER:

Bible Translations:

The purpose of this document is to discuss some of the Bible Translations and show why we primarily use the King James Version.  The contents of this document were gleaned from various articles and web sites around the Internet.

The King James vs. the NIV  (excerpt from an article)

The King James Version is a word-for-word translation. Other translations, such as the New International Version (NIV), are meaning-for-meaning translations. As George Kackos rightly said in the July 1991 Plain Truth magazine, both methods have their strengths and weaknesses. In using a mixture of KJV and NIV in our family Bible Studies at home, we have been shocked at some of the invalid interpretations of the NIV. Instead of being easier to read for our children, the NIV often is more difficult for children to understand than the King James. The multitude of modern translations have not captured the elegance and beauty, nor the overall accuracy of the King James Version.

C. S. Lewis sagely remarked, Odd the way the less the Bible is read, the more it is translated. In spite of its imperfections, the King James Version remains a masterpiece. Believers should use the KJV for their main study Bible, and other translations as secondary study aides.

Description of some of the Bible Versions

New International Version (NIV)

                             The New International Version is a translation

                             of the Bible made by over a hundred scholars

                             working from the best available Hebrew,

                             Aramaic and Greek texts. The goals of the

                             translators were to produce an accurate

                             translation that would have clarity and literary

                             quality. The NIV had its beginning in 1965. The

                             NIV New Testament was published in 1973,

                             and the Old Testament was finished in 1978.

                        New American Standard Bible (NASB)

                             While preserving the literal accuracy of the

                             1901 ASV, the NASB has sought to render

                             grammar and terminology in contemporary

                             English. Special attention has been given to

                             the rendering of verb tenses to give the

                             English reader a rendering as close as

                             possible to the sense of the original Greek and

                             Hebrew texts.

                        Revised Standard Version (RSV)

                             The Revised Standard Version (New

                             Testament, 1946; Old Testament, 1952) is one

                             of the most widely read translations of the

                             Scriptures. Formally, the RSV is a revision of

                             the AV(Authorized Version of 1611, otherwise

                             known as the King James Version) and the

                             ASV (American Standard Version of 1901),

                             utilizing the best texts available at the time.

                        King James Version (KJV)

                             In 1604, King James I of England authorized

                             that a new translation of the Bible into English

                             be started. It was finished in 1611, just 85

                             years after the first translation of the New

                             Testament into English appeared (Tyndale,

                             1526). The Authorized Version, or King James

                             Version, quickly became the standard for

                             English-speaking Protestants. Its flowing

                             language and prose rhythm has had a

                             profound influence on the literature of the past

                             300 years.

                        American Standard Version (ASV)

                             First published in 1901, this has long been

                             regarded as the most literal translation of the

                             Bible. This makes the ASV very popular for

                             careful English Bible study, but not for ease of

                             reading. While the KJV was translated entirely

                             from "western manuscripts," the ASV was

                             influenced also by the older "eastern

                             manuscripts" that form the basis for most of

                             our modern English translations.

                        Darby Translation

                             First published in 1890 by John Nelson Darby,

                             an Anglo-Irish Bible teacher associated with

                             the early years of the Plymouth Brethren.

                             Darby also published translations of the Bible

                             in French and German.

                        Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

                             The Bible text designated YLT is from the

                             1898 Young's Literal Translation by Robert

                             Young who also compiled Young's Analytical

                             Concordance. This is an extremely literal

                             translation that attempts to preserve the tense

                             and word usage as found in the original Greek

                             and Hebrew writings. The text was scanned

                             from a reprint of the 1898 edition as published

                             by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids

                             Michigan. The book is still in print and may be

                             ordered from Baker Book House. Obvious

                             errors in spelling or inconsistent spellings of

                             the same word were corrected in the computer

                             edition of the text.

KING JAMES VERSION –Why it is so highly recommended.

Traditionally, the King James version is the version used by the Churches of God though we do not deny the use of any other version.  Following is an excerpt from a report on the King James Version.

The King James Version Of The Bible  (an article found on the Internet) by Steven Houck

Preface

The Bible is no ordinary book. It is not a human book. The Bible is God's inspired and infallible Word-God's Book. It is the Book which God has given to His people to teach them the Truth which they must believe and the godly life which they must live. That is why the Bible is so important for every believer. Without the Holy Scriptures the believer has no Word of God. He has no standard of what is the Truth and what is the lie, what is righteous and what is wicked.

It is, therefore, imperative that every child of God takes great care that the Bible version which he uses, defends, and promotes in the world is a faithful translation of the Word of God.

On this point, however, there is much confusion. There are many versions available today and they are all promoted as the best.  Some are advertised as the most accurate. Others are advanced as the easiest to understand. All of them are justified by the supposed inferiority of the King James Version.

The truth of the matter, however, is quite different. The King James Version, although it is almost 400 years old, is still the best translation available today. It was translated by men who were both intellectually and spiritually qualified for the work. The great version which they produced is faithful to the originals, accurate, incomparable in its style, and easily understood by all those who are serious about reading and studying God's Word.

The King James Version of the Bible is the version which we ought to use both in our churches and homes. It is my prayer that God will use this history of the King James Version to give the reader a better appreciation for this Bible.

 

God's Word to His Church

Authorized Bible

The new translation did not immediately take over all others. For some time there was a struggle with the Geneva Bible. But in the end, the people of God recognized the superior qualities of the King James Version so that it conquered all others. It has gone through hundreds and hundreds of editions since it was first published in 1611. Some changes have been made in the spelling, punctuation, italicizing, and cross references. Nevertheless, the King James Version which we have today is basically the same as that published in 1611. It is still the choice of God's people too. Even with all the competition from the modern versions, the King James Version is one of the most popular of all versions.

As far as we know the King James Version, also called the Authorized Version, was never authorized. Even though it was appointed by the King, it was never approved by Parliament nor the Convocation, nor the Privy Council. Nevertheless, it is recognized by God's people as the Authorized Bible-God's Authorized Bible. God has so worked in the hearts of His people that it has been recognized as God's Word by generation after generation of English-speaking Christians. It has been recognized as the version which God has given to us in His good providence. There is no other translation so universally regarded as God’s Word.

The Best Version

Even though the King James Version has its weaknesses, it is an excellent translation and by far the best version available today.  We must not be taken in by the modern versions and their claims. Our 400 year old Bible is to be preferred above all others because it is better than them all.

1) It was translated by men who are unsurpassed in their knowledge of Biblical studies.

2) The translators were pious men of God who believed in the inspiration of the Holy Scriptures.

3) It is the mature fruit of generations of English translations as well as the careful work of its translators.

4) The King James Version is based upon the Received Text rather than the critical Greek text of modern versions.

5) It is a word-for-word translation which faithfully and accurately reflects the originals.

6) The language is one of reverence and respect which gives honor to the majesty of its Author.

7) Of all the English versions of today, it alone is the Bible of the Reformation.

8) Our spiritual forefathers thought so highly of it that they were willing to suffer and even die for it.

9)   It is the version which has been recognized for generations and generations as the Bible God has given to His English-speaking Church.

---end quote from Steven Houck article---

More Version Descriptions:

Following are some more descriptions I found on the Internet:

King James Version (1611, KJV)

Most biblical quotations you will read in our publications are from the KJV. Many of us have used the King James Bible for so long and are so familiar with it, we just hate to change. The main argument for keeping it is that some of the best concordances are based on the King James Version. Unfortunately, the language has changed so much since 1611 that the old Bible simply does not mean what it used to mean.

Keylock suggests that one reason we keep using the old KJV is that we love its style. According to the King James Bible, Jesus told His disciples, "Let not your hearts be troubled." The Good News Bible tells the disciples, "Do not be worried and upset" (John 14:1). The KJV has a beauty of style that is rarely matched.

Revised Standard Version (1952, RSV)

The Revised Standard Version retains much of the beauty of the King James Version while getting rid of many archaic expressions. Unfortunately, the Revised Standard Version has now had more than forty years to become archaic itself. The RSV was especially noted for its scholarship, but we have discovered so much about the Bible since 1952 that even the RSV is out of date. So, the Revised Standard Version Bible committee has released a New Revised Standard Version (1989, NRSV). Naturally, this reflects the progress of scholarship in the intervening years.

New American Standard Bible (1963, NASV)

According to Keylock, "The most literal, word-for-word translation on the market today . . . is the New American Standard Bible." Some authorities consider the NASV choppy and hard to read. But for those who have no background in the biblical languages, it serves as an interesting counterbalance to some of the more modern free translations or paraphrases (as the Living Bible). However, even this literal translation slips up in places. In Mark 7:19, for example, the words "Thus He declared" are gratuitously added. They are in no ancient Greek manuscript.

The Jerusalem Bible (1966, JB)

The Jerusalem Bible and the New American Bible have replaced all earlier Bible translations among Catholic readers. Many scholars consider them good translations except for some Catholic idiosyncracies and some rather opinionated notes.

New English Bible (1970, NEB)

The New English Bible, the first British Bible to break completely with the King James tradition is remarkable in that it is a work intended to be both accurate and literary. It is one of the few modern translations which has attempted to maintain the literary standards of the King James and Revised Standard Versions.

Some scholars charge that the NEB translators did too much rearranging of the text. Nevertheless, it makes good reading.

Living Bible (1971, LB)

As Keylock points out, the Living Bible is not really a translation. It was an attempt made by one man to put the Bible in a language his children could understand. It is easily the most readable contemporary interpretation of the Bible. The reader should not approach the Living Bible expecting to find scholarship, however, as its author knows neither Hebrew nor Greek. Others have suggested that it is no more readable than the New International Version and that the author's doctrinal views are visible in both the translations and the footnotes.

In spite of all this, it does read well and is extremely powerful--particularly in the Old Testament prophets. But one does need a counterbalance--perhaps the New American Standard Bible.

Good News Bible (1976, GNB)

Newsweek magazine said the Good News Bible was "useful for new readers, but short on poetry and majesty." It is translated by Southern Baptist Robert Bratcher and is what Keylock calls a "dynamic equivalence" translation. By that he means that the translators did not attempt to make a literal translation. First they ask what the biblical text really means and then they try to find the equivalent meaning in contemporary English. One has to wonder, however, whether "Happy are those whose greatest desire is to do what God requires" is any better than "Blessed are they who hunger and thirst after righteousness."

New International Version (1979, NIV)

Keylock concludes that the New International Version is "rapidly developing into the closest thing to a standard Bible among evangelical Bible-reading people in America." Many scholars feel that the NIV is a balanced translation. It stays close to the Hebrew and Greek text without becoming stilted as the NASB. Still, the NIV is another dynamic equivalence translation, and much depends on what the translator thought the author meant. This creates some theological problems, especially in the translator's interpretation of Paul.

New King James Version (1982, NKJV)

As its title suggests, the NKJV stays very close to the King James Bible simply replacing archaic words and phrases with more contemporary expressions. The purpose of the NKJV is to "maintain that lyrical quality which is so highly regarded in the Authorized Version." Scholars generally agree that they accomplished that, but wonder if the translation went far enough in making necessary revisions.

Other studies have found the New King James to be full of errors and actually change meanings, doctrines and truths of the Bible.  It is not recommended.

Reader's Digest Bible (1982, RDV)

The Reader's Digest Bible is simply a condensation of the Revised Standard Version by about 40 percent. Keylock points out that the strongest criticism has been to the introductions to some of the books, which adopt critical views of the Bible. It is really not a useful translation even for an amateur who is settling in for a serious study of the Bible.