What is your preferred Bible translation?

I prefer the King James Version of the Bible. Of all the English language translations, I fall back on the KJV repeatedly as the most accurate, with the Textus Receptus manuscripts as its source. Having said that, I have always enjoyed the Old English in my casual reading as well as my studies. 

Love one another.

I try to read the New Testament in Greek.  I also like the Gothic translation, which is often the first to come to mind when I read the Gospels. My Hebrew isn't good enough to read the rest of the Bible so I tend to use an approved Jewish translation into modern English.

• KJV ALL THE WAY :) The King James Version (KJV) is the first originally translated Bible into English from the Old Testament Hebrew language & the New Testament Greek.  It is the closest to literal translation of the original text.  

• The NIV omits words/verses and dilutes meanings — especially evident when comparing the New Testament in the KJV side by side with the NIV.  

* Use the KJV — with the Strong’s Concordance so that unfamiliar words or passages can be defined from the original Hebrew or Greek.  

• Sadly, the NIV is biased AND has omitted verses and even changed literal meanings & contexts that were clearly worded in the KJV.   

Matthew 5:18: 

“For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.” 

When reading just to read the story, I read 'The Message'.  It's the bible redone as a modern novel.

The EOB:  Eastern/Greek Orthodox New Testament and the Orthodox Study Bible.

My preference is for Young's Literal Translation of the Bible.

Robert Young studied biblical Hebrew and Greek and finished his strictly literal translation in 1862. His third edition, published in 1898, is the one I have. Sixty years of study and work are at back of it. Having read many different translations over 4 decades, this one has not added to, nor taken away from the ancient manuscripts that formed the Received Text of scripture.

The Douay–Rheims Bible is a translation of the Bible from the Latin Vulgate into English made by members of the English College, Douai, in the service of the Catholic Church.[2]

The New Testament portion was published in Reims, France, in 1582, in one volume with extensive commentary and notes.

The Old Testament portion was published in two volumes twenty-seven years later in 1609 and 1610 by the University of Douai.

The first volume, covering Genesis through Job, was published in 1609; the second, covering Psalms to 2 Machabees plus the three apocrypha books of the Vulgate appendix following the Old Testament (Prayer of Manasseh, 3 Esdras, and 4 Esdras) was published in 1610.

 They offered insights on issues of translation, and on the Hebrew and Greek source texts of the Vulgate.

The purpose of the version, both the text and notes, was to uphold Catholic tradition in the face of the Protestant Reformation.

As a recent translation, the Rheims New Testament had an influence on the translators of the King James Version.

The Douay–Rheims Bible is a translation of the Latin Vulgate, which is itself a translation from Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. The Vulgate was largely created due to the efforts of Saint Jerome (345–420), whose translation was declared to be the authentic Latin version of the Bible by the Council of Trent.

Not only did Douay-Rheims influence Catholics, but it also had a substantial influence on the later creation of the King James Version.

The earliest known complete list of the 27 books of the New Testament is found in a letter written by Saint Athanasius, a 4th-century bishop of Alexandria, dated to 367 AD.[2]

It was the Catholic Church who decided the final lists of New Testament books during the Church Councils at Rome, Hippo and Carthage in the late 4th century.

Through the authority vested by Christ to his Church, the complete Christian Bible was compiled.

Obviously, there was no protestant sects yet during those days. Hence, it took around 400 years for the Catholic Church to exist before it compiled its Holy Book – the Bible.

These Catholic councils also provided the canon of the Old Testament, which included the apocryphal books.[3]

The oral traditions within the Catholic church formed the substance of the Gospels, the earliest book of which is Mark, written around 70 A.D., 40 years after the death of Jesus.

It is a fact that the Christian Bible is a Catholic Book. It was the Catholic Church who authoritatively decided the final lists of the New Testament books. And if the Catholic Church didn’t exist, protestant sects has no Christian Bible to use now. Because protestants sects/cults are just results of misinterpreting the Catholic-compiled book called Bible.

The Catholic Church who authoritatively decided on which books are part of the New Testament canon, has also the authority to interpret it. The Bible is not intended to be interpreted privately, which is the main cause of today’s more than 40,000 conflicting protestant sects.

I use the NWT as my primary Bible.  On my book shelf I have some 11 other Bibles, including the copy of the KJV my grandmother gave me. On my computer, some 8 different bibles installed and biblegateway.com on my home page.

I have to agree with Dr. Metzger and Dr. BeDuhn, when they claim the NIV is one of the most bias translation available today.

Bruce Metzger: (NIV) "It is surprising that translators who profess to have 'a high view of scripture" should take liberties with text by omitting words or, more often, by adding words that are not in the manuscripts."

It is true, Dr. Metzger disliked the NWT translation of John 1:1 but on a whole he said:

"on the whole, one gains a tolerably good impression of the scholarly equipment of the translators,"

Personally I have found the NASB and the NWT are almost identical in their translations.

Of these differences, Dr. BeDuhn stated the NWT is the more accurate.

Since everlasting life is based upon our knowing the only true God, the accuracy of our translation becomes very important.

My prayer for you is the same as Paul's.

“3 Praised be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for he has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in union with Christ,” (Ephesians 1:3)

“17 [pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the accurate knowledge of him.” (Ephesians 1:17)

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Mat. 5:48 GT be perfect