Bible Versions

Dear Victorious,

I'm shopping for a new Bible and am frankly a little overwhelmed at the number of translations that are available. Even within the translations, there are variations - such as a men's Bible, teen Bible, etc. Which translation is the best?

Marla V. - Euclid, OH

Dear Marla,

The simple answer is that the best Bible translation is the one that you'll actually read. I don't mean to be sarcastic or flippant with you, but that is the best practical criteria to use in selecting a Bible translation or version.

Of course the most important criteria is to pick a translation that is true. In other words, we want to avoid errors in context from the original transcripts that were God breathed. The differences between the various translations are a source of great conflict among some Christians. But for me, if they all same basically the same thing without losing or perverting the original intent, they're okay with me.

I like to take individual Scripture verses and compare them across multiple translations to make sure I understand what they're saying. I do that often at http://www.biblegateway.com/, which lets me put in a Scripture reference and then see it in about 20 of the most common English translations. Invariably, they all say the same thing. (Sometimes they say it word-for-word too!)

So a good way to check out a translation that you're interested in is to take some references from it and cross check them in other translations to be sure they say the same thing. A number of the most common are already approved by most theologians and acceptable in most Christian churches. My favorites include The Living Bible, The NIV, The Amplified Bible, The King James and The Message translations.

Some of the more traditional religions prefer The King James version. A few of them insist that it's the only legitimate translation we should use. I disagree with that though. I like it but find it to be a bit out-of-context with our modern use of the English language. The other translations I like are more modern and easier to read. And like I said, the one you'll actually read is the one that's best.