I want to start reading the bible since I have always heard about it my entire life and yet I have never really read through it from cover to cover. The problem is that with so many iterations and translations throughout the centuries I have no idea what is a good starting place to really dive into this good book. I heard that the King James Version was the most standard and common aside from the New International Version, but what does this board suggest?
What is a good bible for those who have never read it before? I am looking to get a physical copy of it too.
And on an unrelated note, what is the best physical copy of the Quran too?
I heard that aside from the King James Version that the New International Version was the other most common one. What is the difference between these two iterations?
Adam Cook
Depends. If you're an autist and/or protestant. Read KJV. If you want something that's accesible in its translation NABRE is my favourite modern translation. Also, side note, you mentioned reading cover to cover, I advise against that. And you really ought to read it with a study guide/study bible
Cameron Lewis
KJV
>In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
>For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
NKJV >In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
>For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
NIV >In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
>For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Charles Butler
NIV is literally just a modern rendition of the KJV. The guy who wrote it loved the KJV, but he realised that it didn't click with people they were trying to convert, because the KJV is like 500 years old. So they rewrote it in modern American English
Logan Johnson
Is this book really that dense that it is the one book that one can't read from cover to cover?
Carson Long
Every single line has more commentary and analysis than some books get, so yes
Ian Sanders
How long until we have a translation that essentially says that trannies aren't degenerate freaks? I know this is coming and I am anticipating the shitstorm.
Angel Ramirez
The Orthodox Study Bible.
Bentley Phillips
No, it's got nothing to do with the denseness. It's just that there's a heap of shit in the OT that really is of little use reading and will be of little interest to you. Most are more intrigued by the NT. My suggestion would be something along the lines of reading the first 5 books of the OT, then go to the 4 gospels of the NT, do the rest of the NT (excluding revelations). Then go back to the OT to do the Psalms. Then go do revelations. And amongst all that, you should be going back to the OT to fill in the references that the NT makes to it (this is where a study guide is important). And then perhaps reading some of the fun OT books, like the book of Job
Matthew Kelly
But the lines can be comprehended without that extra analysis, right?
Genesis 1:6-8 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so. And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
Isn't this basically saying that God separated the oceans from the sky?
Nathaniel Gray
As a hobby I steal gideon bibles from hotels when I go travelling
Michael Robinson
Are those bibles even worth reading though?
Owen Kelly
I don’t read them
Easton Lopez
It's true not every single line needs analysis, and you can mostly understand it on a base level, but you do get far more meaning out of it if you get an analysis. For example, last Sunday, Mark 1:40-45 was read out. It's about when a man with leprosy approaches Jesus. The passage can be understood on a base level just by reading it, but a study bible will redirect you to Leviticus 14, that way you know what the Jews at the time actually believed of lepers and how they treated them. Then you'll start to draw some parallels that you wouldn't have gotten earlier, for example, in Leviticus, it states that a leprous person must stay out of settlements, but when Jesus heals him, he ends up staying out of the towns. So in this way, we can see that Jesus has not contracted the disease, but still suffers the consequences. This is a precursor for Christ dying on the cross for our sins. He himself did not commit these sins, in fact, he cures us of it, but still pays the price for our sins nonetheless.
Joshua Stewart
OP, you're going to get many contradictory answers, people of different beliefs have their own favourites.
If you want a modern academic understanding of what the Bible says, there are several options. The NRSV is the latest in a line of academic translations, it's made by an ecumenical committee of scholars from different denominations and even a Jewish scholar. The ESV is essentially the Protestant equivalent, and the NABRE is a modern Catholic one with excellent introductions and notes. Eastern Orthodox have the Orthodox Study Bible, though it doesn't use critical scholarship, for example its Old Testament only uses the Septuagint (the Greek Old Testament) as a source rather than every source as critical translations do. There is also a small minority of radically traditional Catholics who insist on the Latin Bible as the only textual source, they usually recommend the Douay-Rheims.
They're mostly NIV bibles from my experience.
Jacob Johnson
>OP, you're going to get many contradictory answers, people of different beliefs have their own favourites.
But which one is the closet to the original texts and which one is preferred by the main group of believers? I presume that is Catholic since they were the first Christians and Protestants started from when a King wanted to cuck his wife.
Nolan Wilson
The King James Version is the only rightful bible since the rest occurred because readers couldn't comprehend it. If you disagree then you are a degenerate.
Carter Peterson
There isn't one, you won't find a single best translation.
Michael Carter
See
Bentley Barnes
The King James Version is usually considered the definitive iteration of the Bible so I would suggest you start there.
Gabriel Foster
Learn another language and read the Bible in that language. Seems about as reasonable as researching different translations like an autist. I bet most people asking about this will never read it through, and maybe a small percentage will read the NT. Literally get the most accessible/attractive edition you can find and read it.
Adrian Smith
If you appreciate the English language at all, read the KJV. If the language throws you off at any point, look up the passage in another translation for clarity. Also, starting with the New Testament is probably a good idea. It's shorter, easier, more directly influential on the Christian West, and it will give you a background of what to look for in your reading of the Old Testament. The New Testament is beautiful on every page; the Old Testament has a fair amount of filler.
Easton Campbell
Is the Bible beautiful when read and comprehended in Spanish or Italian?
Zachary Cox
There already is. Protestants have no defense against it either.
It's not an iteration, it's a translation. And why the hell would I know what's different about that bible? Read it for yourself if you're that interested.
