Bible Translation/Version Suggestions?

AndrewX said:
Three good study aids that I have found helpful:

Hidden Wisdom in the Holy Bible, Vols I & II, by Geoffrey Hodson

Esoteric Christianity, by Annie Besant

The Gospels as a Mandala of Wisdom, by Geddes MacGregor
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I am unfamiliar with the first and third suggestions and will check them out. I am familiar with Besant's Esoteric Christianity. In fact, you can read it--in full, I believe--at either of these two sites: Esoteric Christianity, or, The ... - Google Books or Esoteric Christianity or The Lesser Mysteries by Annie Besant.
 
Use as many different translations as you can get your hands on, for none of them are the originals. Use them as a whole, and with care.

Do not fall into the trap of believing that "newer translation is better translation" or "older sources are better sources". There have been a lot of parallel manuscript traditions, and we have no way to know which tradition really is closest to the originals, nor how each tradition differs from the others.
 
Dogbrain said:
Use as many different translations as you can get your hands on, for none of them are the originals. Use them as a whole, and with care.

Do not fall into the trap of believing that "newer translation is better translation" or "older sources are better sources". There have been a lot of parallel manuscript traditions, and we have no way to know which tradition really is closest to the originals, nor how each tradition differs from the others.
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Understood. The earliest biblical manuscripts available for translation are copies of copies of... In short, we'll likely never have any original manuscripts and, thus, can only go by those that are available. (Heck, if mankind ever were to find the first version of a manuscript, we'd still be left with a bit of doubt as to its originality.)

I agree that we can never truly know which biblical translation is closest to an original manuscript's words/meaning. I theorize that people ought read whichever version(s) "speak" most meaningfully to them. It makes little sense to try to read a translation that is either too complex or simplified. It's better to seek the right "fit" for one's comprehension level.

Presently, I'm studying the ESV translation, which suits me nicely. :D
 
The Orthodox have finally come out with an English Bible. I like it for the notes & comments.

By the way, for non-Xtians it would help if you could replace or supplement the acronyms for the varied translations with their actual titles.
 
Skull said:
The Orthodox have finally come out with an English Bible. I like it for the notes & comments.

By the way, for non-Xtians it would help if you could replace or supplement the acronyms for the varied translations with their actual titles.
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No problem, NASB= New American Standard Bible. It looks like I have the "updated Edition". :)

Does this new Orthodox English Bible have a special name?
 
Joedjr said:
No problem, NASB= New American Standard Bible. It looks like I have the "updated Edition". :)

Does this new Orthodox English Bible have a special name?
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Orthodox Study Bible - I have 10 posts but the link has not been approved yet. Just go to orthodoxstudybible dot com
 
The OSB is nice, but its current virtue is being the only one on the market. There is another project currently active, as well: EOB - The Eastern / Greek Orthodox Bible based on the Septuagint (LXX) and Patriarchal Text

Unlike the OSB the EOB uses the accepted Orthodox text as its basis instead of the NKJV. The EOB is also a more scholarly edition, with multiple manuscript tradition variants presented whenever possible. It is supposed to be close to publication.

The OSB is best seen as a halfway measure to an acceptable English language version. Better than nothing, of course.
 
Skull said:
The Orthodox have finally come out with an English Bible. I like it for the notes & comments.
Click to expand...

I will definitely need to look into that version.

By the way, for non-Xtians it would help if you could replace or supplement the acronyms for the varied translations with their actual titles.
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I don't label myself as "Christian"--or anything, really--but I can clarify a few Bible translation acronyms:

ESV = English Standard Version
NIV = New International Version
RSV (NRSV) = Revised Standard Version (New Revised Standard Version)
KJV (NKJV) = King James Version (New King James Version)

Joedjr already clarified the meaning of NASB; so, of course, ASB = American Standard Bible.

There are many more versions. A good number of them can be viewed (and compared) here: Online Parallel Bible - Compare Bible Versions and Translations
 
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