Bible translators have been translating away for centuries, and they're not done yet. The most recent estimates suggest we have over 50 various translations of the Bible into English. Currently the entire Old and New Testaments are available in roughly 450 languages, while various individual books or parts of the Bible have been translated into over 2,000 languages. What does that mean? It means Bible translators spend a lot of time at Starbucks! In some cases individual translations took decades to complete, that kind of dedication deserves great respect. We are all thankful for their diligence, but that presents a problem. If you read English, how do you choose from the 50 options?
Create Your Own Bible Library
My personal study library contains about half of the 50. The Message Bible translation is a great one for comparisons and teaching. The New King James or the NIV are my personal study Bibles . How should you choose? Here is the simplest breakdown: Imagine a long line; word-for-word (W4W), is at one end, and at the other end is, thought-for-thought (T4T). W4W means that as often as possible the exact English equivalent of the Greek was used. If you took another language in school you understand that sometimes sentence structure is reversed, punctuation isn't used at all, some words are omitted in one language. English is the same: I heard what you said, but did you mean to, or two, or too?
For most people, attempting to read a W4W Bible would be nothing but frustration. So translators developed the T4T approach. It basically says, the language isn't the same, and Luke isn't here to ask; based on what words do easily translate, and based on the topic of the chapter or book, we will attempt to determine as closely as we can what Luke meant. We call that thought-for-thought; what do we believe Luke was thinking? Bibles fall all along that line between W4W and T4T. Some tried to be more readable, some sought to be more scholarly. The Message Bible falls pretty close to the end of the line right near T4T.
A Bible Is To Read
People have preferences, and Bible scholars mostly have opinions, but either way there is a Bible for you. Some Bibles read like a novel - more conversational, but God's Word is very clearly portrayed. Some Bibles are translated more with the serious student in mind. The important thing is that you find a Bible you enjoy. What is the point of a Bible you do not or cannot read?
When it comes to reading, my other issue is my actual vision. If you're getting older, or the vision just isn't what it used to be, you may find that a Message large print Bible is best. I suggest you get several different Bibles . You will be amazed at what you discover when you cross reference the various versions. Some verses will make more sense in one translation and absolutely no sense whatsoever in another, but that is the beauty of having more than one.
Create Your Own Bible Library
My personal study library contains about half of the 50. The Message Bible translation is a great one for comparisons and teaching. The New King James or the NIV are my personal study Bibles . How should you choose? Here is the simplest breakdown: Imagine a long line; word-for-word (W4W), is at one end, and at the other end is, thought-for-thought (T4T). W4W means that as often as possible the exact English equivalent of the Greek was used. If you took another language in school you understand that sometimes sentence structure is reversed, punctuation isn't used at all, some words are omitted in one language. English is the same: I heard what you said, but did you mean to, or two, or too?
For most people, attempting to read a W4W Bible would be nothing but frustration. So translators developed the T4T approach. It basically says, the language isn't the same, and Luke isn't here to ask; based on what words do easily translate, and based on the topic of the chapter or book, we will attempt to determine as closely as we can what Luke meant. We call that thought-for-thought; what do we believe Luke was thinking? Bibles fall all along that line between W4W and T4T. Some tried to be more readable, some sought to be more scholarly. The Message Bible falls pretty close to the end of the line right near T4T.
A Bible Is To Read
People have preferences, and Bible scholars mostly have opinions, but either way there is a Bible for you. Some Bibles read like a novel - more conversational, but God's Word is very clearly portrayed. Some Bibles are translated more with the serious student in mind. The important thing is that you find a Bible you enjoy. What is the point of a Bible you do not or cannot read?
When it comes to reading, my other issue is my actual vision. If you're getting older, or the vision just isn't what it used to be, you may find that a Message large print Bible is best. I suggest you get several different Bibles . You will be amazed at what you discover when you cross reference the various versions. Some verses will make more sense in one translation and absolutely no sense whatsoever in another, but that is the beauty of having more than one.
About the Author:
You don't need to collect all 58 translations of the Bible in English, but 3 or 4 different ones is a good idea. Bibles are pretty inexpensive and very accessible now, thanks to the growing number of professional online Christian bookstores. You can find Bibles up to 50% off certain times of the year. I believe you would enjoy the fresh touch of the Message Bible; it has really grown on me. Be Blessed. Godspeed.