, choosing a translation  

I prefer the more accurate Greek translations of the Jerusalem Bible. The new testament was written in Greek. I really don't like the "modern" type bibles like The Way, Good News or other versions of the Living Bible. Generally most translations are terribly lacking. Supplement your reading with the Gnostic Gospels, they are additional new testament era writings that were banned by Constantine's directive to the Council of Nicaea in the fourth century. You might even go so far as to get translations from the Eastern or Orthodox arm of the church such as Greek Orthodox and the Coptic church. Neither the Vatican nor Martin Luther are the preeminent authority on the bible.

I enjoy a hebrew/english version for old test, and a greek expanded english for the new.

I like the Good News version! I studied it in high school and is easy to understand!

if you need a good translation, try the New International version. Its easy-to-understand and very simple. But if you want the best, in my opinion, that would be the one you already have which is the King James version. It contains the rich poignant truths but its hard to understand but that's basically the whole point. You need to sweat to really grasp the whole meaning of it... Good luck!!!

I think you should go for nkjv version and use Dakes Bible for studying. In my place no one teaches the Bible and Dakes Bible helps me a lot.

Learn Hebrew and read it in the language of G'd and you cannot go wrong.

Shalom~Adoniah

I don't like to read out of just one translation. A fact is, there is none that are true translation, all are tainted by the people who did the translating. So I like to use at least two if not three or four at a time. I'll read the same passage out of each one, then take my own thoughts on it. I have a poetic mind, so the KJ and NKJ are always in my possession. I also love a good story, so I like the living translation, or new living translation, since these are written more along the lines of stories.
To get a different view, I recently obtained a New World Translation, this one sparks some creative and critical thinking on my part, because its written so completely different than any other I've read. A good study bible in any translation is a great find, because you can look into the culture, and history, that surround each event. Plus the maps and conversions help to understand more in-context.
But that's just my opinion:)

I use the NIV (New International Version) and the New Living Translation (NLT). I find them easier to understand. New Living is what they use for most of the youth Bibles because it is in the "natural, everyday English" that is easier to grasp, although it could also be good to use a translation with words or phrases that you wouldn't normally be able to explain in one reading because you are prompted to dig deeper into it and research more about it. That is always fun! I use New Living Translation for our youth group at church. I grew up with the NIV though and I use it for deeper studies. :)

Logics requires (as Spock says :) ) that the best version is the original one. Of course, it's important to know the Bible no matter what the version is, but if You really want to know what the Bible says, You have to study IT in its original version, the Hebrew one. This because most of the meanings in the original version have been lost (or taken out from it) with the translation. Take a look, for example, at the Psalms. The hebrew word for "by", means also "to" or "for"...And these are not the only changes that there are from the original version...