What's the best Protestant Bible Translation?

[JodyTJ]

Of all the Protestant Bibles out there, which one would you recommend?

 

[St_Worm2]

Of all the Protestant Bibles out there, which one would you recommend?

Hi Jody, my principle Bible is the NASB (New American Standard Bible). It is a true translation and is great if you want it for study purposes (it is a fairly easy read too).

The ESV runs a close second (English Standard Version) and is perhaps a little more readable/modern. It is VERY popular among Protestants and Protestant churches these days.

The NIV (New International Version) is very readable and is the best paraphrase available (it reads like a "translation" rather than a paraphrase, actually).

Then there is the King James Version and the New King James Version. The King James is the most famous "Protestant" Bible, but it is difficult to read (having been written originally in 1611 AD).

One thing you might do is go to ONLINE PARALLEL BIBLE and you can read them all there. Choose a passage of Scripture that you like and see which translation seems most comfortable to you.


Hope that helps!

--David

 

[ChristianT]

I say NAS and ESV would be the most popular, but my favorite and one which seems like it's becoming more popular is the HCSB, which admits it is a word-for-word and thought-for-thought translation. the NASB is very useful for accurate study.

 

[WisdomTree]

There are no best Protestant Bible, but there are a lot of good ones.

First of all, do you prefer dynamic or literal? Secondly, do you prefer newer translations or older translations?

 

[St_Worm2]

There are no best Protestant Bible.....

I have some "King James Only" friends who would disagree with you ..

But, I agree ..

--David

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

What are protestant bible translations? I never heard of them.

 

[ChristianT]

What are protestant bible translations? I never heard of them.

They're any bible that doesn't include deuterocanon works and are generally used in Protestant churches. Examples are the KJV, NLT (New Living Translation), and the more loose MSG (Message).

 

[Unix]

Help me decide whether I should buy the RSV reverse interlinear NT!:

I would be glad if someone pops in an encourages me to cancel for example these:
[...]
Reverse Interlinear Revised Standard Version New Testament $49.95 (that's just the Gk data, the English would not go away if canceling)

Post in: Help me decide which book orders to cancel!

 

[redrose42]

I use The King James version ...I love it...its a matter of taste...its all
God's word...our road map as long as we are here on earth

maggie

 

[WisdomTree]

Of all the Protestant Bibles out there, which one would you recommend?

If I may ask, why are you looking for a Protestant Bible?

 

[hedrick]

Of all the Protestant Bibles out there, which one would you recommend?

It depends upon your approach to the Bible and what you want. For serious study you probably want something fairly literal. At that point it depends upon your view on the Bible. From my point of view many conservative translations adjust the OT text to conform to NT quotations and do a few other things like that. But evangelicals will prefer those translations. Among conservative translations you have to decide how conservative. Major translations such as NIV and ESV use consensus textual criticism. That is, they make use of manuscripts found since the KJV and corresponding advances of scholarship. But some people reject that scholarship. They'll want to stick with KJV or NKJV.

So for fairly literal translations you've got:

* mainline: NRSV
* conservative with textual criticism: NIV, ESV, NASB, Holman. NIV and maybe Holman are slightly freer than the other two.
* conservative rejecting textual criticism: KJV, NKJV

For freer translations the current mainline alternative is probably CEB, though I still like the Good News and the REB. There are so many conservative options that I'm not going to try and rate them.

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

Thanks ChristianT.

 

[REPHAIAHPEDAHEL]

I used loads but I like the KJV, NKJV, AMP.

 

[SilentShadow100]

There is no such thing as a "protestant Bible." There is the Bible, and there are translations of it.

The KJV is always reliable, and I recommend it as it is popular among all denominations (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and false unitarian churches).
I find the ESV easier to read and it's also reliable.
NIV is easy to read, but not very reliable and shouldn't be used if you have a choice.
NKJV is, like the NIV, not very reliable and shouldn't be used if you have a choice.

 

[ElainaMor]

There is no such thing as a "protestant Bible." There is the Bible, and there are translations of it.

The KJV is always reliable, and I recommend it as it is popular among all denominations (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and false unitarian churches).
I find the ESV easier to read and it's also reliable.
NIV is easy to read, but not very reliable and shouldn't be used if you have a choice.
NKJV is, like the NIV, not very reliable and shouldn't be used if you have a choice.

How is the NKJV less reliable than the KJV and ESV?