Bible Translations: Old & New October 28, 2013 Issue

For understanding and fresh insight

Louise Hays Doolittle

I own 17 translations of the Bible, two that include the New Testament only and The Word, which is a collection of 26 translations. When I reach for one of these books it’s because I don’t fully understand a verse in the King James Version and I want a fresh look at it.

I frequently start with the New Living Translation and then the Contemporary English Version for a fresh rendering. I also like the New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, and New English Bible translations. It’s enlightening, too, to check the New King James Version.

After checking the above translations I sometimes reach for the Amplified Bible to get close to the original meanings of Hebrew or Greek words. Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance can also be helpful for this. But sometimes I find the Amplified Bible annoying to read because of the repetition—noticeably in the Beatitudes—and the translators’ personal opinions enclosed in brackets. 