What version of the Bible do you prefer to read?

Oh, and if anyone wants to see my collection and a few of my comments about the translation, you can read my post: http://url.mattjonesblog.com/bible/ Hope it helps! :)

I like the New King James Version best but looking one with larger print I know NIV has the print I want but the NKJ doesn't which is really frusterating because they have the Super Giant print in the OKJ.

But WHY do you like the NKJ?

I have a study Bible that is one of my favorites. I think I still have just about all of my old Bibles, it's so hard to change to a new one, because I write in mine, I have notes and notes and more notes and favorites marked in mine.

I've seen bibles that do just that, they have about 4 different versions combined into one text, so you can compare page by page all 4 versions at one time.

I also read the NIV and NKJV. I heard the message was good to but never read it.

That is one of the reasons I am not a fan of the King James: it is a translation of a translation. The Amplified is pretty good about bringing out nuances of the text that you might not normally see, but it isn't great for doing read-throughs because it doesn't flow very well.

Most church I have been in don't use the KJV or the NKJV, at least that I have seen. Most churches use the NIV.

Either that, or the Douay-Rheims Bible. I'm not familiar with it, though.

By "catholic bible" do you mean the King James?

The "different words" happen because there isn't always an exact translation from the original language into the English. Sometimes there might be multiple words that could work. Translation is a hugely complicated science. I am not a huge fan of the King James because it is based on versions of the scriptures (the "textus receptus") that are not as reliable as other sources (this is also where differences in wordings come about).

The hebrew scriptures were written by 40 diferent human beings over a period of 16 centuries to record it, but God himself directed the writting by his active spirit. In 2 Timothy 3:16,17 All scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for all teaching and reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness, that the man of God may be fully competent, complteely equiped for every good work.

But the JWs have changed things from the original scriptures...

I trust Bibles to try to go back to the originals as closely as possible without modification. That is why I don't like the JW Bible, it has been modified to fit their needs.

A report published in 1971 shows that here are possibly 6,000 handwritten copies containing all or part of the hebrew scriptures; the oldest dates back to the third century B.C.E. of the Christian Greek Scriptures, There are some %,000 in Greek, the oldest dating back to the begining of thew second century C.E. There are also many copies of early translations into other languages. It is true that some translations of the bible adhere more closely to what is in the original ;anguages than others do. Modern paraphrase Bibles have taken liberties that at times alter the original meaning. Some translators have allowed personal beliefs to color their renderings. But these weaknesses can be identified by comparison of a variety of translations. But you do believe in the bible so what do you find hard to accept in the JW's bible?

Yes, the New King James version is a very good choice and one I use as well on occasion.

Can you expand on what you mean by "too many liberties"? Thanks!