What is Your Favorite English Version of the Bible?

Lucian · Post by **Lucian** » Sat 26 June 2004 12:21 am

What is your favorite English version of the Bible?

What are your reasons for preferring it over the others?

Anyone have the Third Millenium Bible?

What do you think of it?

I posted the following bit about the RSV on another thread, but I think it is worth repeating in this forum since this is the Scripture Forum.

I own a pretty nice RSV with the Deuterocanonicals. I had always used the KJV or NKJV before.

Recently I have noticed what I regard as some pretty wimpy (and potentially seriously problematic) renderings in the RSV.

In Isaiah 7:14 the RSV translates the Hebrew word almah as "young woman" rather than "virgin." Here it is:

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold a young woman will conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel."

That seems to me to weaken the power and specificity of Isaiah's prophecy of the Virgin Birth of our Lord.

In 1 Corinthians 6:9 it translates the Greek word pornos (fornicators, whoremongers) as "the immoral," and the Greek words malakos (effeminate, catamites) and arsenokoites (homosexuals) as "sexual perverts."

Here is that verse:

"Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor sexual perverts . . ."

It seems to me these rather wimpy translations weaken the meaning of the respective verses in which they occur. They are much more powerful and specific in more literal translations.

"The immoral" can mean almost anything, and "sexual perverts" can be a relative term that depends for its definition on the standards of a particular community.

It seems to me the original Greek words were much more specific and left their readers or auditors in no doubt as to their meanings.

Has anyone else encountered similar problems with the RSV?

romiosini · Post by **romiosini** » Sat 26 June 2004 9:05 am

Good Lord! I never knew there was many versions of the BIBLE! So which version does the Church use?

Lucian · Post by **Lucian** » Sat 26 June 2004 11:26 am

romiosini wrote:
Good Lord! I never knew there was many versions of the BIBLE! So which version does the Church use?

Oh, those are only a few of the multitude of English versions, translations, paraphrases, etc.

I don't think the Orthodox Church has an official English version of the Bible. I think the official Orthodox versions of the Bible are the Septuagint Old Testament and the Byzantine Greek text of the New Testament.

Someone can correct me if I am wrong.

Elijah · Post by **Elijah** » Sat 26 June 2004 5:20 pm

romiosini wrote:
Good Lord! I never knew there was many versions of the BIBLE! So which version does the Church use?

Yup..There are literally at least over a hundred English versions of the Bible..

Грешник · Post by **Грешник** » Sat 26 June 2004 6:51 pm

My most used version of the New Testament is the Orthodox New Testament. Although there is the issue of it being a bit "too literal" at times, it is still a good translation. As for the Septuagint, i am waiting for my copy of the Septuagint, Brenton Translation. From what I know this is probably the best translation.

As for the issue of translations, this numbers climb faster than heat in Arizona in the summer. Those who have been here in the summer know wxactly what I am saying. For those not farmilliar, it get HOT FAST!

I digress. I also recocomend although i have only read parts, the Psalter of the Seventy. I believe it was the Book of the Month here a month or so ago. It is very good in my opinion.

Lucian · Post by **Lucian** » Sun 27 June 2004 1:23 am

My impression right now (subject to change with an increase in knowledge) is that the Douay-Rheims Bible is probably the best English version.

I know it is a translation of a translation (the Latin Vulgate of St. Jerome), but I read an analysis of it that pointed out how true it is to the original biblical languages. I don't remember all of the details, but I was very impressed with the D-R when compared with other English versions. The analysis I read had the D-R wording side by side with a literal rendering of the Greek NT, as well as the wording of some other English Bibles. The D-R was always true to the Greek. The others were not as consistent.

I also think it is good to stick with the work of an ancient Church Father like St. Jerome.

Otherwise, I like the way the NKJV reads, and the KJV is very majestic and musical.

Bruncvik · Post by **Bruncvik** » Sun 27 June 2004 2:17 am

Brenton's English translation of the Septuagint for OT
KJV for NT.