Here are 4 ways to get more out of your reading: Read the Psalms, the Old Testament book of worship, to enrich your devotion to God. Reading prophesies in the context of the history which they are written grants a better understanding into what they are communicating. Look for one described as 'dynamic equivalent'**. Different Bibles have different translation styles. Obviously, reading the entire Bible multiple times … If you continue to use this site, we will assume that you are happy with it. One of the most asked questions about the Bible is ‘what is the best translation?’. However, there are several ways that bibles can be translated. I'll be reading big sections at a time (e.g. Study the Bible 3. Love book clubs? NASB NIV & NLT. We've broken that big tale down into three parts, all 3.5 minutes long. A translation that focuses more on dynamic equivalence**. Read The Entire Bible Sequentially At Least Once. What version of the Bible do you think is easiest to understand? It aims to be a literal translation. Even my ministers have liked the translation. The truth is, depending on your personality, your current understanding of God's Word, and your individual learning style, the best Bible translation for you may not work for me, and vise versa. This version of the Holy Book was created to make the Bible easier to read. Did you know: Originally, the Bible was written in … The problem for some here is prophecies that were later seen to be about Christ. Recently, at a bus shelter, I found a Gideon’s Bible left for pickup. It gives an atmosphere of peace and support. Don't take what you want it to say with you first. The New Testament was written in Greek. If you are like me you might assume that the more literal, word for word, translations are better. Meditate on the Bible. In order to read and understand the Bible we also need to have a growing knowledge of the Bible text and the times in which it was written. First of all, consider how you'll be reading the Bible... You might like to start with a translation that avoids too much technical language. The most notable effort between Tyndale and the King James Bible was the Geneva Bible of 1557. This chart puts some of the popular translations on a continuum so that you can see how they each uniquely approach interoperation of the original text. Introduction We really should spend more time in the Old Testament, but how we do this has a great deal to do with how much we get from it. The King James Bible (KJV) and the English Standard Version (ESV) are examples of formal equivalence. Obvious, even, for those who have been Christians for a while. It’s comforting and very beautiful. ... Few things can help you understand how the Bible all fits together more than reading it chronologically. One Year Chronological Bible. Whether you're well versed in Scripture or just starting out on the journey, The Bible Course offers a superb overview of the world’s best-selling book. The robust market does not alleviate anxieties about the Bible’s accessibility, though. Then there was a fire in my mum’s house about a week before I was due...'. Instead, the original translations of the Bible were written in mostly Hebrew and Aramaic for the Old Testament, and Koine Greek for the New Testament.So why is this confusing?Well, the English versions of the Bible that we are reading are mere translations of the original text.It’s best to think of the different translations of the Bible … Yet very few people take all four steps. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version. Getting God’s Word into your life doesn’t have to take … Some take two steps. A more literal translation can be useful when doing an in-depth study of a passage. While these versions are … Now, the list that we have here talks about the 5 easiest Bible versions to read and understand for beginners. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Three popular Bible versions that are paraphrases are The Message, The Living Bible, and the Amplified Bible. Grreat Post! Based on the Hebrew and Greek texts available in the 16th century. i feel the best bible translation for memory and quoting is the NASB and the best bible translation to study form is the NIV. Due to the large number of translations available online for free it is very easy to have access to a wide range of different translations. Largely based on the Hebrew and Greek texts available in the 16th century. Read a range of translations, choosing at least two formal equivalence* translations. Is the King James Version more accurate than modern translations? Its line drawings are iconic and help with understanding the text; An easy-to-read and understand version Very few take all four steps. We offer you the Bible in Basic English to download on your phone or tablet. Try to attend a small group Bible … A fresh easy-to-read, idiomatic translation, It often presents a different insight to a passage, It captures some of the passion of the original, Its colloquial style works for some and not for others, Its idioms are quite American and British readers can find this difficult, The translation is very free, which can lead to questions about its accuracy, Considered by many to be the ‘most literal’ translation, especial care was taken to reflect the same verb tense as in the original, Often almost impossible to understand in English, Conservative theology affects translational decisions, All the advantages of the NIV but easier to read, Designed so that people can go on to read the NIV if/when they want to, One of the clearest and easy to read translations around, It does sometimes slip more into interpreting the text than simply translating it, Some avoid it because of its advertised low reading age, One of the few translations that tries to balance literal translation with an emphasis on meaning, Has tried to keep an emphasis on literary beauty, making it a good translation for reading in church, It attempt to maintain clarity has caused it to introduce words that are not in the original, Some people do not like its style of writing, finding it bland or lacking in poetry, A heavily revised version of the Jerusalem Bible, Attempts to make the translation a more literal translation than the Jerusalem Bible, The attempt to be more literal loses some of the poetry of the Jerusalem Bible, A maintenance of the poetic language of the KJV updated into modern English, Uses as much as possible the same version of the original text as the KJV did, Its attempt to be very literal can make it hard to read. Part of the confusion when it comes to reading the Bible is that the Bible wasn’t originally written in English. 3.You should understand the difference between a Bible translation and a Bible paraphrase. Britt Many take one step. The problem for some here is prophecies that were later seen to be about Christ. * A formal equivalence, word-for-word translation gives priority to what the original language says and how it says it. The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and Aramaic. Average reading age? Many people find that they need more than one Bible and use different ones for different occasions. Top 11 Best Bible Reading Plans. Every Christian should read through the Bible chronologically at some point in their lives. How to read the Bible: Read a little every day! Find your closest Bible Society here, Bible Society, Stonehill Green, Westlea, Swindon, SN5 7DG. Memorize the Bible 4. It was a 2017 edition, New Living Translation. The most accurate way is a word-for-word translation (formal equivalence) . I like to keep a Formal, Functional and a free translation handy so that I can compare passages from each one. Read and study the Bible on your way to work, at the church or having a break at work. But it comes down to what you are reading it for. It aims to make the text as readable for a modern audience as possible. Deciding on which Bible version is best isn't as simple as we might hope. Remember that it is a book, and so there are aspects of understanding it that belong to the general principles of understanding any piece of literature. Sometimes the verses or passages are given unusual interpretations. Check our glossary of terms. Once you’ve chosen a good topic, you’ll want to look up as many verses on the topic as you can. © Copyright and permissions Privacy policy Cookie policy Terms and conditions Safeguarding summary Pension Scheme, British and Foreign Bible Society operates in England, Wales, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.And we also work with a network of local Bible Societies around the world. Its line drawings are iconic and help with understanding the text, Often criticised for lack of depth in its phrasing, Some feel that, occasionally, it goes too far from the original text in its attempt to communicate meaning, A Catholic Bible containing the 73 books of the Catholic canon, Literary in style with some well-known writers involved such as JRR Tolkien, Some claim it is more a paraphrase than a translation (translated from French), Criticised for being insufficiently literal, Language that has influenced many phrases in modern English, Archaic language that many people do not understand. Some think their translation should always reflect this; others that they should be translated in such a way as the original audience might have understood them. Seems simple. Our website uses cookies to improve your online experience. If you find difficult to understand the King James Bible or other versions of the Bible, you can trust on this version made in an easy language. Unsure of the meaning of a word or phrase in the Bible? Always use a 'literal' translation like the KJV , ASV , YLT, NKJV, KJIII, MLV (the best one) . being ‘in sorrow’ rather than ‘beating their breasts’), Its emphasis on accessibility sometimes makes it feel a long way from the original, The change of metaphors into more modern language often changes their meaning more than what was intended, Not one of the strongest among the accessible translations, Uses up-to-date language (in particular it uses less archaic language for God), The Old Testament reflects Jewish interpretations of the text, Used more up-to-date versions of the Hebrew and Greek text, The Old Testament was translated to reflect Jewish interpretations of the text. See Contemporary English Version Bibles in the shop, See English Standard Version Bibles in the shop, See King James Version Bibles in the shop, See New King James Version Bibles in the shop, See New Revised Standard Version Bibles in the shop, See Revised Standard Version Bibles in the shop. It all depends on who you are and what you will be using it for. There are persistent concerns that despite being so widely available, people struggle to understand the Bible. Where… Forget everything you have ever heard about Jesus, God and the Bible before you start reading the Bible. Get the latest on how we’re bringing the Bible to life around the world in a short, weekly email. The Holy Spirit can help you, and you will begin to see life from God’s perspective. Pray for understanding. 5 Simple Steps for Studying the Bible Effectively,Jim George, Th.M. Buy a Study Bible. The Great Bible of 1539 became the first English Bible authorized by the king for use in the churches. For brand new readers, a good passage to read for this test would be I John 1. Some think their translation should always reflect this; others that they should be translated in such a way as the original audience might have understood them, Sometimes its choice of inclusive language obscures connections in the text, One of the few modern translations to originate in Britain, Aims for a mix of accuracy, poetry and comprehension, It is especially good for reading in public, It isn’t widely used and so is quite hard to get hold of, Because it doesn’t follow the best known translations, sometimes its phrases sound unusual, Intended to be a readable though literal translation (at the time), The Old Testament was translated to reflect Jewish interpretations of the text, Language has moved on and it is no longer up-to-date. Registered charity 232759. The Old Testament was translated to reflect Jewish interpretations of the text. For new Christians, it might be a good way to read through the Bible for the very first time. Next, you'll spend some time, perhaps several days, reading through the entire … Began as a revision of The Living Bible but became a full translation from the original language, Kept The Living Bible’s emphasis on accessibility, Changes some metaphors from the Bible into more understandable phrases (e.g. And so this lesson will focus on “How to Read the Old Testament.” Having said this, it should not come as a surprise that most of the suggestions given below equally apply to our reading and study of the New Testament. 1-16 of over 1,000 results for "bible easy to understand and read" The Everyday Life Bible: The Power of God's Word for Everyday Living by Joyce Meyer | Apr 10, 2018 You'll notice that some of the same comments appear under pros and cons – this is because some people regard something as a positive, while others regard exactly the same thing as a negative. - Study from the Bible and be encouraged to grow your faith! But, let's take a look and compare. Love books? Designed to be accessible to (and is very popular among) non-native English speakers, especially in Africa and the Far East. Read the Entire Book. I opened it at Psalm 60, started reading and couldn’t stop. Holy Bible: Easy-to-Read Version - Kindle edition by Various Translators, Various Translators. If you are going to spend good money on buying a Bible, you might as well invest … Click on the title to find out more about each translation. For example, a site-reader, Jo, offered this advice: "The Life Application Study Bible, New Living Translation (NLT) rather than New International Version (which I also own), is the best Bible I've ever owned. Carry your Bible with you everywhere! Don’t just cherry-pick… Doing so allows for the story of the Bible to flow more easily and can help the reader understand context better. Read Proverbs to gain wisdom and strengthen your relationship with others. It's a big book – and as well as being a library, it's also it's own story. Talk to others about what you’re learning. This is not an exact chart, rather an overview to see which translations are more literal and which ones focus on the main ideas. It has simpler vocabulary and shorter sentences. http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/Amplified-Bible-AMP/. Find out how we work and where we work to bring the Bible to life for communities all over the world. There are four steps to mastering the Bible so well that the Bible masters you: 1. Let's take a look at some of the most popular translations, and discuss their unique benefits. A translation that focuses on formal equivalence* will be most helpful. Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Custom Design by Moritz Fine Designs. following a Bible reading plan), I want to get a sense of the complexities of the passage and what translators have wrestled with to create their translations. Decide whether it would help you to have the same version as everyone else or a different one so that you can see how different translators have translated the passage you are reading. Yes; Often stated pros of the translation: Designed to be accessible to (and is very popular among) non-native English speakers, especially in Africa and the Far East. Ask them to explain which features they like most and why. The Taverner Bible of 1539 was the first Bible to be printed completely in England. 12+ Gender neutral language? Some words used in the KJV now have very different meanings (e.g. They encourage us to read the Bible as God's instrument of self-revelation and saving fellowship. ** A dynamic equivalence, thought-for-thought translation gives priority to what the text means. Welcome to Bible Book Club, helping you read the Bible with your friends – one book at a time. Good News Bible, or Today's English Version (GNB or TEV), The 'journey through the Bible in 3½ minutes' series, Designed for people who do not know Bible ‘jargon’, Intended for people who struggle to read other translations, In 1996 the CEV won the Crystal Mark award from the Plain English Campaign, Sometimes simplifying Bible jargon changes what it was originally saying (or only communicates part of what was meant), Those who know the Bible already find that its richness has been lost, There is very little poetry in the translation, A revision of the RSV, undertaken by various iconic evangelical theologians, Has tried to keep some of the best-loved passages in a translation that is close to the KJV, For some, the evangelical theology that has guided the translation is problematic, Some find the sentence structure hard to understand. Read the Bible 2. the word suffer as in ‘suffer the little children’), One of the very few genuine paraphrases, based on the American Standard Version translation, One of the earliest accessible versions of the Bible, Careful to communicate the meaning of each passage, The language is not designed to be elegant. 'When my mum was pregnant with me, my parents read Psalm 121 a lot. Download this easy to read and understand Bible on your phone: the Bible you were expecting, free on your phone! One of the best ways to research is to talk to people about their favorite Bibles. It employed the best scholarship of any English Bible to that point. The Five Most Popular English Translations: According to the Christian Booksellers Association, the … Choose a Study Bible in a User-Friendly Translation. * * a little every day most notable effort between Tyndale and the Far.! 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