WHICH VERSION OF THE BIBLE SHOULD I READ?

There are many versions of the Bible available today, and each has been translated into every conceivable language. Each generation seems to latch onto a certain translation but there are those which are always in demand.

Many people like the King James Authorised Version which was translated in 1611, although the language is sometimes hard to follow it does offer a very close translation to the original. Today the English language has become very diluted and tainted by modern speaking. Words have multiple meanings and others just don't appear any more. The language of today is said to be less flowery and more direct. However with the advent of the computer the English language is quickly becoming a mix match of symbols and abbreviations, in other words lazy. This is why the Authorised Version (A.V) is unpopular with the younger generation.

People wanted a more up to date translation, or more to the point a translation which was EASY to read. Whilst there is nothing fundamentally wrong with this, you have to be very careful when translating because you can detract from the original meaning when you are trying to make a sentence flow easier. Who ever is doing the translating must understand the original inside and out to be able to pass on the true word without misinterpreting its intentions.

The main popular versions of the Bible in use today are as follows. The dates given are taken from the Bible as the first published or written date, either in part or whole.

New International Version (N.I.V) - 1965.
The Amplified Bible (AMP) - 1958.
Authorised King James Version (A.V) - 1611.
New Authorised King James Version (N.K.J) - 1979.
The Good News Bible (G.N) - 1966.
Revised Standard Version (R.S.V) - 1946.

There are many, many more versions and some even translated into dialects but these can not be considered as accurate representations of the Holy Word of God.

You would think that the translations should not differ from each other that much as they must all be translated from the same source. However this is not so, each different version used various sources all reputedly from the original. Many scholars spent years translating each of these versions and with all the best will in the world each has some of the translators own ideas, theories or views. However minuscule you can not get a true and totally accurate translation where mankind is involved. This is why when you look at each version you will find small to large variations of different verses, missing words and in some cases missing verses.

For example if you look at ACTS 8:37 in some of the above mentioned versions.

Authorised King James.

And Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest, And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

New King James.

Then Philip said, If you believe with all of your heart, you may. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Revised Standard.

Misses verse out altogether.

Amplified. (shows all verse in italics)

And Philip said, If you believe with all your heart (that is, if you have a conviction, full of joyful trust, that Jesus is the Messiah, and accept Him as the Author of your salvation in the kingdom of God, giving Him your obedience, then) you may. And he replied, I do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

New International Version.

Misses verse out altogether, but sometimes in the margin.

Good News Bible.

Misses verse out altogether.

The main differences in this particular verse is the appearance or omission. Some Bibles choose to leave this verse out altogether while others include it but relegate it to Italics, signifying that it is not necessarily in the original.

Another example can be found in Mathew 20:16 where a well known phrase - many are called, but few are chosen - can be found.

Authorised King James.

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many are called, but few chosen.

New International Version.

So the last will be fist and the first will be last.

The Amplified Bible.

So those who (now) are last will be first (then), and those who (now) are first will be last (then). For many are called, but few chosen.

And yet another well known phrase - Get thee behind me Satan - from Luke 4:8.

Authorised King James.

And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, thou shalt worship the...

New International Version.

Jesus answered, It is written: Worship the...

The Amplified Bible.

And Jesus replied to him, Get behind me Satan, It is written, you shall do homage...

If you look at the following list of verses in the A.V Bible and then the N.I.V, you will see many instances of omissions. Other versions will put the omissions in Italics to denote their controversial belonging, but they do include them and it does give the reader the opportunity to study for themselves the various original Greek and Hebrew texts and make their own mind up.

Eph 3:9, Col 1:2,14,28, 1Thes 1:1, 1Thes 3:11,13, 2Thes 1:8, 1Tim 4:1, 2Tim 4:22, Titus 1:4, Philemon 6, Heb 3:1.

In Mathew 11:23 the A.V uses the correct word HELL as translated from - Greek. HADES whilst the N.I.V uses DEPTHS, but in some margins does give the word Hades. Again in Mathew 9:13 the A.V uses the word REPENTANCE with respect to the calling of sinners, whilst the N.I.V does not include this word at all, neither does the Revised Standard Version.

A final example can be found in the Lord's prayer, in Mathew 6:13 where again words are omitted and yet we always say them.

Authorised king James.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen.

New International Version.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

In the margin once again it tells the reader of the N.I.V that later manuscripts do put the other words in. And this is the problem, the age of the manuscripts which were used to translate the new versions. If all were translated from one original copy we would be able to check easily at the consistency of a translator, but in these cases the translators used different 'original manuscripts'.

What should you do then if all these versions do not entirely correspond to each other, if the Words of God have been diluted. The answer depends on why you are reading the scriptures. As long as you stick to the main line versions you can be sure of getting at least a version that has been written by Christian's for Christians. For the purposes of getting the Word of God in its basics into your head and heart any of the above versions will do admirably. BUT you must remember that to get secrets out of the scriptures you must go back to the original language.

It is a little like a car manual which comes with a car. In it are the basics of running and servicing your new car so it will not let you down and take you trouble free on many long journeys. But there comes a time when you need to look deeper, when problems can not be solved by the basic manual. Then you need to get a proper, more in depth manual, something the manufacturer would use, something which was written when the car was created. Only when you study the in depth manual can you see the intricacies of what you are dealing with and the secrets behind how each component works.

There are many INTERLINEAR Bibles in the shops which show a modern version next to the original Greek. But again look closely at the introduction and read the preface. You want a Bible which translates the original EXACTLY and does not do half the job for you. For example the Greek language to the English is like other modern day foreign languages in that sentences are reversed.

Instead of saying 'He went down the road', when you translate it, it could actually say ' The road, went he down'. Some Bibles will print the translation under the original Greek for you but put the sentence in the order which is easily read. This is very good of them but actually does not give you what you want. A Bible which prints the original language and any other version should be hard to read without the modern day version accompanying it. Below are 3 typical phrases in Greek in their literal translation with their printed final version.

On the same = together
Because of this = therefore
By way of excess = excessively

Another point to remember about original Greek and Hebrew is the complexity of the language compared to English. The word LOVE for example we would use in any circumstance but either add the word 'really' or 'a lot' to either end of love to denote the intensity of that love. We would also change the tone or volume of our voice to get over the same feeling. This is not the case in the Bible, Love has many different meanings but has been translated the same. The word in the original is not even the same but the English language can not accommodate these changes and so it is left to the individual to study and examine words as and when the need arises.

Words like love can also contain valuable information as to the correct translation. PHILANTHROPIA is the 'love for man', hence kindness towards one another, where as PHILARGURIA is the 'love of money' and PHILADELPHIA denotes 'brotherly love'.

Mathew 20:28 is another example of a word being translated, not wrongly but inaccurately.

Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his LIFE a ransom for many.

The word LIFE in this verse does not mean what we all take and perceive it too mean. There are two translations of the word LIFE and they are ZOE and PSUCHE. The one in the above example is PSUCHE and means Soul. Another example of PSUCHE can be found in Acts 20:10

And Paul went down and fell on him, and embracing him said, trouble not yourselves for his LIFE is still in him

An example of the word ZOE can be found in Romans 5:10 and refers to the actual life of a person the day to day living.

For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his LIFE.

Speaking generally PSUCHE is the individual life, the living being, the Soul, whereas ZOE is the life of that being.

In conclusion you can see that various translations all have their good and bad points but when ever you are studying you must not rely on versions which put over the Word of God in an easy to digest way. You will find that the Words of God have probably been misinterpreted, unintentionally in most cases but with dire consequences. God can not get over a truth if the words you are reading do not contain that truth to start with. Remember well the words of Revelation 22:18-19

For I testify to every one who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.