Which Bible translation is best.

[historic salve]

Good grief. This isn't a debate thread. It is a recommendation one, and that's a request for what's your particular "I like..." I have virtually every last translation that there is of The Bible and each of the paraphrases too, so my vouching for the The Amplified Bible is not without this information to help me compare them.

I didn't see your post. Sorry, I wasn't trying to sleight you.

[gharfish]

It was Abelard's post that bugged me. It doesn't encourage readers to select the text they prefer. It doesn't easily lend itself to distortion of biblical truth by some individual or group. Nuts to these !

We both like the N.E.T. That's a good recommendation, I think.

[timspong]

I use the ESV mainly. The NASV, NRSV, and the NET bible are all good. They are literal yet very easy to read. The NRSV and ESV are very similar apart from the fact that the NRSV uses more PC gender inclusive language.

The dynamic equivalent translations like the NIV, NLT, the message etc, are more like commentaries IMHO rather than the actual sacred text. When they get it right they are great and add clarity, when they get it wrong, they are awful and completely obscure meaning.

I still like the poetic language of the KJV though and still use it occasionally. The NKJV is a good attempt at being easier to read, but still uses the same flawed greek text as the KJV and you also lose out on most of the great poetic language of the KJV. I consider the ESV to be where the NKJV tried to be.

Even the RSV is pretty good, but got labeled as a heretical bible, mainly because of the way they translated virgin to young woman in Isaiah 7:14. If you actually think about it, when Isaiah gave the prophesy, everyone would have assumed him to mean young woman. It is not until the NT and Matthew 1:23 that the full meaning of the prophesy would become apparent and virgin would have been used instead.

[Silver Hand]

- Literal translation I do in depth study from: NASB, because it's the most literal, often annoyingly so

- General translation of choice: ESV, because it's basically literal, but not annoyingly so

-Translation used when sharing my faith: usually NIV, because it's popular and widely used