Favorite Bible Translation?
Wednesday, October 03, 2007
For the past few years, I've been using Ellsworth Kalas' The Grand Sweep: 365 Days From Genesis Through Revelation as a guide to reading through the Scriptures in a year. I'm about to finish my third year of this practice, and so far I have used the NRSV, the NIV, and the RSV for my yearly treks.
It is helpful to see how actual translations are different. But to me, the truly fascinating differences are those between various study editions in their footnotes and introductory articles. (For a good example, just go compare the HarperCollins NRSV Study Bible and the Zondervan NIV Study Bible. It's remarkable.)
I want to use a new translation in the coming year, but I've run out of the ones with which I am familiar. I grew up with the RSV, used the NRSV in divinity school, and turned to the NIV during my first appointment in ministry. The only other version I've even heard read very much is the KJV.
My question: What version do you prefer in your own study and devotion? One of the ones already mentioned? Another one? And why?
I am leaning a little bit toward the New Jerusalem Bible right now, mostly because it is an accepted Roman Catholic translation and I've never read one of those. But I'm willing to be persuaded otherwise!
Labels: Bible translations, Holy Scripture
posted by Andrew C. Thompson at 12:43 PM
12 Comments:
The RSV is my favorite translation. I'm not happy with the NRSV in a number of places, particularly the OT and one or two squirrelly places in the NT (Mat 18:15 - for Pete's sake, make it "brothers and sisters"!). The NIV gets Paul all screwed up (Rom 1:17 - God's righteousness, NOT a righteousness from God) in several places. Since I have many evangelical credentials, I tried the ESV which does a decent job of updating the RSV, but the print style sucks -- I hate it that some publisher thinks I'm so poor at reading that I need a title for different sections!
So...I use the NRSV that my mom gave me in 1994 for Christmas and occasionally the TNIV which does correct the NIV's Paul difficulties for the most part. So, I'd give a vote to the TNIV.
I, for one, am a huge fan of the ESV. The print doesn't bother me. I think it is the best modern translation for ease of use that still remains close to a literal translation. However, if you read the NRSV a lot, there isn't going to be a lot of difference. It is a bit hard to go back to a dynamic equivalence translation, but I know I really liked the NLT. It was very easy to read and gave flow and accessibility that a more literal translation can't really give.
Two versions that are very different, but that I like are the New Living Translation, which is closer to a paraphrase than the others mentioned and the New American Standard which is closer to a transliteration, but I think still very readable.
I use the NRSV for bible study and sermon preparation. My NRSV is heavily marked up with notes from years of school, seminary, and churchwork.
I use the NASB for personal growth and study. It is clean of any notes, so each study session is fresh.
Cross+flame, I like the idea of using a Bible with no markings for personal study. I hadn't thought of the way that my own margin notes from past years might influence the way I read each time I come back to the text. Thanks for that suggestion!
The ESV is my typical choice, though in addition to using the RSV, NRSV, and TNIV from time to time, I really like the HCSB and, if it were available in a better wide margin addition, I might use it full-time.
thought I'd throw in my thoughts, since you asked...
I was surprised how many people like the ESV. I use it pretty much all the time, but I don't really know anyone else who does. Guess I'm just not cool. My only problem with it was I couldn't find one with print that wasn't TINY... I did finally snag a nice one at a used bookstore. (there's a thought- reading one with someone else's notes in the margins...)
I've spent some time using the New Jerusalem Bible as well, and I found that some things are worded very differently, even the most familiar verses. I don't really have the knowledge or background to be able to tell if that's good or bad, but I liked it for a little bit of a fresh voice. I hope you have a great time in Rome! Sarah and I are jealous!
My personal study Bible is NASB, which is a good translation. It's not the best, but I can't afford to buy every translation out there. I also preach from it because it's a high quality translation and lays flat on the pulpit. At some point, I need to get a pulpit NRSV and switch to it.
When writing exegesis papers, I use the RSV: a formal-equivalency translation without the NRSV's theological baggage.
I've only used the ESV for study reference, but I say give it a go!
Thanks to everybody who weighed in. Seems like the ESV is pretty popular right now. (Wasn't it just published a couple of years ago? And wasn't it done in some ways as a response to the NRSV, by folks who weren't happy with the direction the NRSV took from the RSV?)
I went ahead and got the NJB, but that is mostly just because I am really interested in reading a translation that is different than anything I've read before. In that sense, what Ted mentions about unfamiliar wording will be a good challenge.
In the future, I will probably go with the ESV. I'm also glad so many people mentioned the NASB. I haven't read from it in a long, long time, but it was the first Bible I ever got in church - in the third grade!
Andrew, I got my copy of the ESV, which I preordered, the day after Sept 11, 2001. The ESV was done by evangelicals, Calvinists mostly, who thought a lot of the RSV and were disappointed in the NRSV. The text of the ESV only deviates from the RSV 6% and I'm pretty sure all they do is restore "virgin" to Isaiah and make sure "predestined" is the translation of choice in places where it wasn't in the RSV.
Interestingly enough, D.A. Carson, Reformed evanglical scholar extraordinaire, says the NRSV is a good translation and said so in a Reformed Theological Journal article in 1991 (I think).
I like the NRSV (our pew Bible),
the RSV (I grew up using it and
it was the translation we used in
every class in theological school,
I love it!), NIV (my wife's favorite the one in used most often
in my last church). These are the
three I use most often. I check
some others when I'm studying: REB, NASB, TEV, Phillps, JPS for
the OT (I always check this one!).
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