What kind of Bible translation should I purchase?
Q. With so many different Bibles on the market, how do I know which one to choose? Is there a Bible that is better than others?
A. Good question. There are Bibles on the market that are of better quality than others. When purchasing a Bible ask yourself the question, “Why am I purchasing a Bible?” If you are purchasing a Bible to read you will want one that is in good readable style. If you are purchasing a Bible for study then you will want a Bible that follows a good literal translation. Let me explain the translation process.
There are three primary ways in which a translator may proceed. These methods include literal word-for-word, dynamic equivalence, and paraphrase. Each has their place.
As a translator works within the Bible’s original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek), he must make decisions regarding word meaning, context, ancient idiomatic expressions, etc. To produce a reliable translation it must reflect the meaning of the original author. A word-for-word translation will provide you a literal representation of this meaning. The translator will even work to follow, as much as possible, the original word order. This will provide the reader a good translation, leaving him to make decisions for himself in Bible study.
The translator using dynamic equivalence is more concerned about looking at the whole picture rather than at each individual word. He will make more interpretive decisions for the reader. As he translates, he will interpret the passage based on what he thinks is the proper meaning over all. This creates a more readable style, but loses effectiveness for study. One is not sure if the printed word is a literal translation or the result of dynamic equivalent interpretation. If one purchases a Bible for study you will want to make these decisions for yourself.
The translator using the paraphrase method is simply paraphrasing. Great, many times for simple reading, but poor for study. The translator has taken great liberty in interpreting the meaning of passages and is not tied to word order or specific meaning. A paraphrase translation is not technically the Bible. It is a paraphrase of the Bible. This is extremely important to remember.
The following are a few translations for these methods:
Word-for-Word
King James, New King James, New American Standard, & English Standard
Dynamic Equivalence
New International (NIV), New Living Bible
Paraphrase
The Amplified Bible, The Message
I would suggest a word-for-word translation since many like to have a Bible to read as well as study. The New King James, New American Standard, and English Standard are good translations and are also quite readable.