Bible Recommendations
There are many good Bibles available on the market today. To assist you in choosing one, I have provided you with some tools you may find helpful. Below you will find:
- A chart comparing the four Bibles I am recommending
- Links to each Bible's website so you can explore it further
English Standard Version (ESV)
This is is a word-for-word translation. With this type of text the translators, as much as possible, take each "word" from the original Greek or Hebrew text and find the closest English word to put in its place. If you like the King James prose, you may find this a good contemporary, updated replacement. Visit the ESV website here for a closer look at this type of Bible.
New Living Translation (NLT)
This is a thought-for-thought translation. Translators take the "meaning" of the original language and rewrite it in modern language so it is easy to read and understand. This is very easy to read because it was written on a sixth grade level. This is the version most often used by the pastors of ONE Church where I minister. Learn more about the NLT at their website.
The Message (MSG)
The Message is a translation by Eugene Peterson. It is written in very contemporary language and brings a refreshing breathe of air to the Scriptures. I consider this a paraphrase version of the Bible and therefore do not recommend it as your primary source of the Scriptures. However it is a must have as a secondary Bible. You can discover more about the Message here.
New International Version
The final translation we will look at is the NIV, a thought-for-thought Bible. I consider this the top Bible on the market today. Though not as easy to read as the NLT, it is very solid in it's translation and is written on a seventh grade level. It is important to note that the NIV will be updated in 2011. Learn about the NIV here.