Bible scholars/researchers: What is your favorite version of the Bible?

by restrangled 51 Replies latest jw friends

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  thomas15

  Another good Bible translation is the net Bible. It is, as the name implies, on the net www.bible.org

  This Bible has about 70,000 translators notes, is available in either hard copy or electronic. There is or will be a modual for e-sword. The hard copy is not free but for what you get it is a good deal. I think the electronic versions are free, they used to be I know.

  The translators notes go into detail as to why certain passages were translated the way they were, offers good alternative renderings and gives reasons why some popular mis-translations are wrong, as for example John 1:1 in the NWT.
• 

  restrangled

  Thomas, thank you so much for all the info posted here. Just had a great conversation with my mom about using other bibles besides the NWT.

  She told me when she studies, she always has 4 different bibles she looks stuff up in, not just the nwt. She also told me to hang on to the NIV. She said she owns about 10 different versions, and that she likes to refer to that one and the New Jerusalem Bible.

  Its very clear between us, that I am no longer a JW but researching on my own, and not needing any more JW input for any reason.

  She also agreed that the JW's taught more rules and regs through the years than anything else, and could understand why I would not want to be involved anymore, and just research on my own.

  r.
• 

  snowbird

  But for me it is hard to describe the pleasure I get from reading and studying the Bible.

  I second that emotion.

  Sylvia
• 

  thomas15

  r.

  I'm happy to assist. Is your Mom a JW? How long were you a JW? Sorry if this has been answered before.

  Thanks,

  Tom
• 

  restrangled

  Thomas...

  I am a 3rd generation JW. My grandmother came in during the early 20's, my mother born and raised, me born and raised in, plus 6 aunts and uncles, married, with over 24 cousins all raised in. I think 3 or 4 still in, Aunts and Uncles all still in, or died in. Oldest Uncle never in or either of his 4 kids.

  Like you, picking up this version just purchased and looking things up seems to feel special. It is so beautifully bound, nothing like picking up a NWT .... another cheap mass produced book. It really is special. On sale at $50.00 down from $79.00. All black leather and zippered.

  With room for family history, gilt edged pages, and large enough print to read with maps, etc., but not oversized.

  No Dinosaurs on the maps by the way!

  r.
• 

  Narkissos

  I'm not very familiar with English Bibles but I have used the NIV a little and I know about the Scofield peritext (introductions & footnotes) from a French adaptation of it (somewhat smoothened under the balancing influence of the French editor, the late Evangelical scholar J.M. Nicole). I'm sorry to say this sounds like one of the worst combinations possible from my own perspective (that of a historical and literary critical approach to the Bible texts, to summarise). The NIV is easy to read but shows harmonistic tendencies which often obscure the differences between the texts (which is not surprising as it is an Evangelical-only production). However, the interpretive framework of the Scofield peritext is much more problematic imo: not only is it committed to a narrow fundamentalistic approach of the text (which systematically rules out historical criticism for instance), but more importantly it imposes a global (dispensationalist) interpretive framework on the whole Bible which imo is often no less alien to the texts than the WT one. Cf. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scofield_Reference_Bible

  I mostly use the NRSV which I have found to be a pretty good translation so far (in spite of a few odd trends which are easily noticeable because they are consistent, e.g. "inclusive language" -- "brothers and sisters" for "brothers" --, often semantically correct but sometimes questionable). If the New Jerusalem Bible peritext corresponds to the 1998 edition of the French Bible de Jérusalem (I'm not sure about that) I would recommend it because it reflects some of the best current scholarship available.
• 

  restrangled

  Narkissos...NRSV. (New Revised Standard Version)????Pease help here, I am not that familiar with all translations, and I really repect your opinion.

  r.
• 

  Narkissos

  That's it.

  But again, I know this one to be fairly good but I couldn't say if it's the best because I haven't really "practiced" a lot of English versions.

  Also, both the NRSV and the NJB contain the "Apocrypha" (= "deuterocanonical" OT books) which give some more background to the NT than the narrower "Protestant" (including NWT) canon.
• 

  restrangled

  I am shamefully BTTing my own thread for others who have not seen this....

  Anyone please post your opinions! All replies welcome!
• 

  Cadellin

  Quick check indicates the New Jerusalem Bible was published in 1985, which means it doesn't necessarily correspond to the French, I would guess.