According to the “Guinness Book of World Records”, the Bible is still the best-selling book of all times. And it has been translated in more languages and dialects than any book ever written. “Wikipedia” records that “The full Bible has been translated into 670 languages, the New Testament has been translated into 1,521 languages and Bible portions or stories into 1,121 other languages. Thus at least some part of the Bible has been translated into 3,312 languages.”
And have you noticed the great number of translations of the Bible in modern English on the market today? Since 1900, there have been over 200 + New Translations of the full Bible or only of the New or Old Testament. The most common and most popular include . . .
- Contemporary English Version
- English Standard Version
- Today’s English Version (Good News Bible)
- The Living Bible
- The Message
- New American Standard Bible
- New International Version
- New Living Translation
- New Revised Version
- Amplified Bible
- Easy to Read Version
- Holman Christian Standard Bible
- J.B. Phillips New Testament
- New Century Version
- The Voice
And of course, the “King James Version” (KJV), except it was translated prior to the 20th century. Also known as the “Authorized Version,” the King James Bible under the authority of King James of England was begun in 1904 and was completed and published in 1611.
Have you noticed, in looking at the list of Bibles, that some use the word, “version” and others the word, “translation”? In fact, all Bibles can be classified into three categories:
- Versions
- Paraphrases
- Translations
What’s the difference and what are some examples?
Bible Versions:
A Bible version, also referred to by scholars as a formal equivalent or literal translation is a word-for-word translation of the text. As closely as possible, this approach seeks to keep the original word order, grammar and syntax of the original language (Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic). Some of the more literal translations include: the King James Version, the New King James Version, the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible. The most literal translation would be an interlinear Bible which has the text in its original language with the English equivalent under or beside the text.
Bible Paraphrases:
On the other end of the spectrum is the thought-by-thought translation. We know it as a “paraphrase”. Bible scholars like to call it a functional equivalent. This approach is concerned with putting the meaning of what a Bible passage is saying into everyday language making it easier for the reader to understand. It takes the idea of the original text and as accurately as possible conveys it in a targeted language, like English. Some examples would be J.B. Phillips New Testament, The Living Bible and The Message.
Bible Translations:
Sort of in the middle, between a “version” and “paraphrase” is the Bible Translation, also known, again by scholars as the dynamic equivalent or mediating translation. It tries to find a balance between the two approaches. It is more conversational in form which makes it easier to read, especially to an audience. Some examples include the New International Version, Holman Christian Standard Bible and the New American Bible.
So, which is the best? Well, it depends. If you are doing an in-depth Bible study, I would suggest using a word-for-word Version like the “New American Standard Bible”. If you are reading to an audience like a church congregation, then a more conversational translation such as the “New International Version” would be a good choice. And for devotional or casual reading, a copy of a paraphrase like “The Message” or “The Living Bible” may be preferred.
But I would suggest that the best Bible would be a “READ” Bible. You can own all the Bibles in the world, different versions, translations and paraphrases, but if they sit in your bookshelf and are never read, then they are no good to you. I think it was Billy Graham who said, “Everyone should have a ‘read’ Bible.” I agree. Pick up your Bible! Read it! Study it! Memorize it! It will bless you are everyone around you.
If you need a Bible reading plan, I invite you to visit my website www.cowboycountrygospel.com. There you will find two reading plans. Pick one or go on-line and find another. God Bless as you fall in love with God’s Word.