Preferred Bible Version

[Haruo]

There are no inexpensive Esperanto Bibles these days. But the 1926 text should be in the public domain, so if one wanted to one could.

[Chris]

While browsing thru the various English translation found at Biblegateway.com, I discovered The Voice. I really like it. I am going to use it, this week, along with William F. Beck translation for Acts 8: 26-40. I read this story in 7 or 8 bibles tonight, and The Voice is the only one that offers some clarification as to why the Ethiopian asked if there was anything to prevent him from being baptized. In a footnote (within the scripture), it says "possibly a reference to the Jewish prohibition of full participation in temple worship by men who have been castrated----a prohibition he likely encounters in this very visit to Jerusalem." I will share this with y class because they have probably never heard that before. I had not.

[James]

I use the RSV/NRSV almost exclusively for study and devotional reading. I do not carry a Bible to church. It is hard to keep track of a Bible when I sing in the choir. Instead, I have a church Bible (NRSV) which stays in my Sunday School class. I use several other versions for reference. I have a Criswell study Bible and a Liberty (Falwell) Study Bible which I use when I want to review what fundamentalists say about the Bible. I use the Message when studying Paul. In the Message, Paul almost makes sense.

I received my first RSV from my home church. It was the complete Bible and just published, but I have also had a KJV from an early age. I always took my KJV to Florida for my long summer visits to my mother's family. My RSV would have caused a way at Knight's Missionary Baptist Church.

For the Pentateuch, I prefer the Schocken Bible/Commentary. It is proclaimed the most accurate translation ever. At least it translated Gen 1:1 correctly.

[James]

Several month's ago I spent a Sunday afternoon on Barns and Noble web site counting the number of Bible translations currently available in English. I think I remember coming up with a total of 64.

[Haruo]

[Rvaughn]

One type of study Bible I have often thought of purchasing (but have failed to up to this point) is a Chronological Study Bible. Anyone own or use one of those?

[Haruo]

Historicity isn't of primary importance to me, but sometimes vantage points other than one's customary ones can come in handy in broadening one's vision or providing new things to look at, so a Chronological Study Bible might not do me any harm; a Bible where the texts were given in the order of composition might be enlightening, too, though of course there's even more disagreement about that than about the order of the events recounted (and whether they even have any historical reality, viz. Jonah).

[Rvaughn]

Yes, I can see that could be problematic, and even a downside of a chronological study bible that could create confusion. Will we go by the historical timeline of the events or the historical timeline of the writing? Whose historical timeline will be accepted or rejected? Lots of leeway there. Still, I have thought it would be interesting to read the Bible through that way.

[Chris]

[Stephen Fox]

Ive read Adam Nicholson's God's Secretaries and KJV is the best music. What maybe 5 percent of the world's readers are curious enough to appreciate or make insight from other versions, so it ends up just being some kind of church parlor game.

KJV was good for Paul and Silas and its good enough for me

[Sandy]

[Chris]

[Rvaughn]

[Chris]

[Rvaughn]

Thanks, Chris. Interesting account of how you got it. I had not heard of this one. I searched the title and found it on Amazon.