Personally if this was my first bible I would go for the one that I found easier to understand. Nowadays I have several versions that I like to cross reference in my studies and I get a far deeper understanding.

I think if you go to Psalm 83:18 and the word God or Lord is there an not the personal name of God, you should keep searching until you find one that has God's name.

Either one is a good choice. I have both and use both. I like to compare them and I have never found an instance where they contradict each other, or where one leaves out something important, or adds something unnecessary.

I was raised on Revised Standard Version but now use KJV

I've compared the KJV New Testament to the original Greek and it's extremely close. I haven't compared the NIV.

The original KJV is still very widely used, held in high regard and people swear by it and yet “the King James Version HAS GRAVE DEFECTS" and "these DEFECTS ARE SO MANY AND SO SERIOUS as to call for revision . . ." These are not my opinions but quotations from orthodox Christian scholars themselves in the preface to the revision of the KJV. The NIV is said to be more faithful to the manuscripts but, in common with all versions of the Bible, it contains clear evidence of man’s interference with scriptures. These show up as exaggerations, prejudices, sexual perversions and other texts inappropriate for a holy scripture. You can check up some examples for yourself here Genesis 19:33-35, Genesis 35:22, Genesis 38:15-18, Leviticus 12:2-5, Numbers 31:17-18, Deuteronomy 20:16-17, Joshua 6:21 Joshua 10:28-30, Judges 3:31, Judges 15:15-16, 2 Samuel 12:11-12, 2 Samuel 13:5-14, 2 Samuels 16:22. These are just a tip of the iceberg. Whichever version you go for, perhaps both, you’ll be able to compare most of the Bible accounts with their shorter, cleaned up and perhaps more accurate versions in the Holy Qur’an. These original manuscript texts are readily available but they are in the original language. Translations in English are freely available and you can download free copies from many sites including http://allahsquran.com/

The King James Bible. Forget the NIV, my friend. It may be easier to understand, but it is very corrupt! Here is something to check out about it if you like: http://jesus-is-savior.com/Bible/new_international_perversion.htm Stay away from the "New King James Version" too. Just stick to the old King James Bible. Thank you and may God bless you. :) -In Jesus' Name.

I ONLY use the Tyndale "Living Bible". King James used almost 90% of his English translation to write his Bible. William Tyndale died a martyr for God. (burned at stake). He was Catholic but resigned. A member of the clergy remarked "better to have the pope's LAWS than God's". They did not want the common people to have the Bible, it would take away their power. So, he vowed to bring translate it into English so we could all read the WORD.I think that it took him about 10 years undercover. He spent time in prison under bad conditions. They finally tried him in court, thought they burned all his work, but they didn't. But my MAIN reason for using only his is his vow in court ," he swore , he changed not a word to the best of his abilities. He was a vey educated man. Knew 8 languages. Friends and colleagues said "when he spoke any one of them , you would sware he was using his native tongue". there is much on your computer about him, he loved the LORD and people. Just type in William Tyndale, it is very interesting. there are differences, have found quite a few. "the meek shall inherit the earth ", for example, is not how he translated it. I use KJV for comparison and also because my studies use KJV and they are different. God Bless

The NIV is generally a fine translation- there are some issues, I admit, but they won't get in the way of any doctrines. The problem with NKJV is how hard it is to understand- and if you don't understand it, you may as well be reading in Swahili, or any number of other languages you don't know! Personally, if you want accurate, I'd go with the NASB (New American Standard Bible). Either that, or, as mentioned above, if you can afford it, get a few Bibles and cross-reference whenever you get the chance. The Bible I use: Thompson Chain-reference NIV. It's expensive (I got it as a gift) but has a whole bunch of handy cross-referencing and commentary along the bottom.

Great question. When looking at translations of Scripture, there are basically three schools of thought. Literal, Dynamic, and Free. The "Literal" translations of the Bible look to translate the text directly from the Greek or Hebrew and try to be as close as possible to the original text. The problem here is that much of the historical distance is kept (weights, measures, connotation, euphemisms, etc) and the english may be poor and hard to understand. (Examples: King James Version, New American Standard, etc.) The "Dynamic" translations try to eliminate some historical distance and clean up the English by looking at the Greek and Hebrew text and translating words, idioms, and ideas. The problem here is that things may be demphasized for the sake of understanding the passage. (Examples: New International Versiion, New American Bible, New English Bible, Good News Bible, etc.) The "Free" translations are the most subjective. It looks to eliminate all historical distance and speak soley the language of the reader. The problem here is that the Bible is wrapped up in a culture and much of that culture is used to teach lessons throughout scripture (i.e. the Jewish wedding/Coming of Christ) and with the Free translation much of that is translated into Western language that doesn't carry the same weight or pack the same puch as it did in the Greek or Hebrew. Hebrew is a very picturesque language using word pictures to describe the things of God. Greek is a highly inflective language and the placement of a word depends on how it ends. Much of those aspects are lost in translations. You would be VERY well off if you could read Greek or Hebrew and dig into the Scriptures that way, but thanks be to God that He speaks to us in our own language and we can be confident that the message of Christ in the Bibles we have is just as powerful today as it was when it was first penned. As far as tranlsational issues, I would encourage you to get a "Parallel Study Bible." It has 4 (maybe more) translations side by side that way if you are studying in the NIV for example, you can look over to the KJV and see what is emphasized or included that the NIV may have even left out. There is no perfect translation. My advice to all would be to read and study the Word of God as much as you can. Read all translations. Compare them. Read Biblical commentaries. Soak it all in. The best thing we can do as Children of God is to be a sponge to everything that He has to say to us. Hope this helps! God bless!

accuracy isnt too important.. its not like ull be tested for it, id go with the one u can relate to easiest.

Do yourself a favor and get both! Its a great way to get a different wording. Some things you might not understand in one bible may make more sense in a different translation.

The answer is in your question... Get the one thats easier to understand. I have both. Both are OK. If you really want to understand stuff though you will need to compare against the greek and aramaic.

You might want to talk to your priest, as each different version has different interpretation of things, some major, some very minor. The priest of your church, can guide you towards a version that would follow the teachings of your church.

For authenticity you'll need to go back quite a bit more that the NKJV - Try Aramaic. As for "accurate" - it's all fiction, my friend. Find the version that's most pleasing.

The Authorized King James Version 1611 If the old one's worked, we don't need new ones. Thee means you Thou means you http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Bible/NIV/why.htm

What do you mean by "accuracy" in a Bible? No Bible in English can be a perfect representation of the Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek originals. Translation is not a perfect art. For example, should the Greek word used to describe Mary, Mother of Jesus, be "virgin", "maiden" or "young woman"? If you have an opinion on this, could you justify it? Each new variation has been made by people who were, genuinely and devotedly, trying to represent the word of God in the language they spoke. So if someone says one edition is "more accurate", they are saying it is more to their taste, or that they are closer in opinion to the team that wrote that version than to other teams. In that the KJV was used amost exclusively by English-speaking theologians for about three hundred years, its version is likely to be closest to mainstream theology. But if you come from a "non mainstream" chhurch, another translation may match your churches theology better.

You're right. The NKJV IS more accurate, and the NIV IS easier to understand. Personally, I think the relatively new ESV is a good combination of those two - it doesn't "dumb down" the language as much as the NIV does, at the expense of accuracy, but it is presented in more modern and understandable English than the NKJV. If you have to pick between those two only, I'd probably go with the NIV, because even the most accurate bible is useless if you can't understand it. But you should take a look at the ESV and see if it looks easy enough for you to understand, since it is more faithful of a translation and less of a paraphrase.

1) "- Formal equivalence A literal translation tries to remain as close to the original text as possible, without adding the translators' ideas and thoughts into the translation. Thus, the argument goes, the more literal the translation is, the less danger there is of corrupting the original message. This is therefore much more of a word-for-word view of translation. The problem with this form of translation is that it assumes a moderate degree of familiarity with the subject matter on the part of the reader. The King James Version (KJV) and English Standard Version (ESV) are two examples of this kind of translation. For example, most printings of the KJV specially mark words (using square brackets or italics) that are implied but not actually in the original source text, since words must sometimes be added to have valid English grammar. - Dynamic equivalence A dynamic equivalence (free) translation tries to clearly convey the thoughts and ideas of the source text. A literal translation, it is argued, may obscure the intention of the original author. A free translator attempts to convey the subtleties of context and subtext in the work, so that the reader is presented with both a translation of the language and the context. The New Living Translation (NLT) is an example of a translation that uses dynamic equivalence. The New International Version (NIV) attempts to strike a balance between dynamic and formal equivalence; some place it as a "dynamic equivalence" translation, while others place it as leaning more towards "formal equivalence". - Paraphrase A paraphrase, or thought-for-thought, translation goes even further than dynamic equivalence, and attempts to convey some key concepts while not retaining even a dynamic equivalence with the text. Paraphrases may even omit large sections of text, or add other explanatory material not in the original as part of the main text. Paraphrases are typically not intended for in-depth study, but are instead intended to put the basic truths of the Bible in language which could readily be understood by the typical reader without a theological or linguistic background. The Message Bible is an example of this kind of translation. The Living Bible is a paraphrase is the sense of rewording an English translation, rather than a translation using the paraphrase method." Source and further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_version_debate Further information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible_translations http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_translations_of_the_Bible BibleGateway.com: A searchable online Bible in over 50 versions: http://www.biblegateway.com/ Here you can also find the two versions you mentioned. (I personally prefer to use this portal than a particular book)

Either one will do, but U must Understand it, so do Urself a favor & get a good Bible Handbook as well. It should tell U about the customs & practices of the time. The World of Politics & the multitude of other Religions. A good Hebrew, Greek, Aramaic, Chaladee Dictionary is also needed. A copy of Strongs Concordance is great too. John

yes u are right that the NIV is easier to understand... it takes alot of the words that we rarely use today out... so my advice is choose the version that u feel persuaded by your heart and purchase a nice one in that version, since bibles are rather cheap i would purchase the other version so u can see and compare for yourself goog luck

Either is good. The NIV is really a good translation too. But, what translation do they use in the church you attend? That's a thing to take into consideration.

You have hundred different versions of the Bible and not one of them are accept for the Vatican, which one manifest they are apocryphal books, false versions. Why? The answer is very simple. You cannot accept a different version from the original one, the Vulgate Latin. This is the best Bible, the original, since the rest are versions whose writers transmuted the literal sense of the words to adapt the verses to the new belief of faith. One only example. The apocryphal Bibles speaks of the length and breadth, but the Original one, the Vulgate Latin manifest LATITUDE and LONGITUDE. What is the difference between length and Latitude? What is the difference between breadth and Longitude? Get a dictionary and look for the answers.

I use an Amplified Bible, which has most English permutations of the original Hebrew and Greek.

Very good question! I'd strongly suggest the NKJV because it's terminology is more acute and "punchy". It is very reliable!

I have the NIV, King James, NKJV, Geneva, and the NASB. I use the New American Standard most of the time mainly because it has been excepted by many scholars as the most literal and accurate translation there is. The NIV is quite easy to understand as is the New King James. It all depends on what you want out of a Bible. I use the New American Standard, Thompson Chain Reference Bible. I like it because it takes a verse that may talk about spiritual warfare then on the side column it gives another reference covering the same theme. It allows Scripture to interpret Scripture. Some study Bibles may give you the author's opinions and ideas on what a verse means but they may not always be correct. Rely upon the Holy Spirit to open your spiritual eyes as to what a verse means, chapter or book is saying.

I suggest the NKJV over the NIV. Even the King James itself is flawed but the NIV is way too modernized. Best compromise is the NKJV. If you could afford to get parallel text, go for it. The Bible was in Original Old Hebrew the one without vowels), Aramaic and Greek. The errors in the orginal textus receptus was mostly found in the Koine Greek language (NT). If you are looking for a home Bible, I recommend a New Scofield Study NKJV Bible. They have footnote references for disputed words just in case some 'quoter' thinks he can interpret it on his own. Some even have a bit of Strong's concordance at the back which is always good. The size as I found out depends on age. I once saw a great Bible with the thinnest paper about letter size with large print soft leather cover with Scofield notes. Grandmas and kids found it easy to use. Still looking for this one all over the net. Hope your choice of Bible makes for better learning.

Get a parallel bible. Mine has the New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible in it. I also have the King James I received at communion around here somewhere.

Find it out for yourself by looking at them online: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/ Biblegateway have also a lot of other versions, in English and in other languages. Here the list of the available versions: http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/ Here you can find some further information about those Bibles: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NKJV http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_International_Version I think it is a question of individual preference. I use different versions online.

Buy a Geneva Bible.

even though we have our translation of choice, we also have a collection of different bible versions. this way we compare our translation to others. we also have a parallel bible, these can come in compilation of several translations. i recommend you get both.

kings james version is the best. i know its a little hard to understand but when God opens your eyes with your faith, its a wonderful feeling to understand what most cant.

I would recomend The Comtemporary English Version. It is just like talking to an average Joe.

I vote for the Life Application Bible. Or, if you are a teenager, The Message is exceptional.

Ooooh ooooohh.. New KING JAMES PICK THE NEW KING JAMES BIBLE!!!

Get hold of a copy of "New Age Bible Versions" by Gail Ripplinger. Some people discount her and her book because she does not have a string of letters after her name, but I believe after having read her book she has done her research. You will learn which you should buy. For those of you with negative comments: If you personally have not read Ripplinger's book please do not DR me on hearsay information.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz what?

I am more inclined to ask you to buy the NIV because we are using it as our church Bible. However if you could afford it, it would be good if you buy both the versions.

Oh gee, get the one with the coolest cover.

Neither - the fact that you can appreciate that the two versions are different must surely make you question whether the Bible can actually be the word of God.

accuracy is in the eye of the beholder.

Definiatly the NKJV the NIV takes God's word and twists it around... even taking some verses out of context...... also I have been reading the KJV sinece I was 6 years old and even at age 6 I never thought it was any harder to read than the NIV (we do the KJV at church and the NIV at school) so please if you really want to learn more about your savior BUY THE NKJV

Buy a Parallel bible that has both! My bible has King James, American Standard, Amplified and NIV. I read NIV when I want a light reading and Amplified when I really want to study.

After just finishing Bible College course on bibliology and sources of translations- we were on the NKJV- the hottest best direct from the original textus recptus straight to OUR MODERN language is the ESV. NIV to me is a big departure from NKJV. ESV is the hottest thing.

Choose the King James Bible. It's the most accurate. All other versions are very DANGEROUS. The more you read, the more you understand. "We must also be aware that the Bible is under attack. Satan, who succeeded in selling the first "revised" edition of God's Word to Eve in the Garden of Eden, has surely been busy in this 20th Century along the same lines. We know about the "population explosion" and the "explosion of scientific knowledge," but we are also in the middle of a "Bible translation explosion"- a veritable flood of new Bible translations, versions, revisions and paraphrases, all claiming to be the "most accurate," the "most readable" and the "most up-to-date." The publishing and sale of these new Bibles has become a highly profitable business, employing all the psychological approaches of modern advertising to sell them to the public. Some think this proliferation of Bible versions is wonderful. But serious-minded, thoughtful people must eventually ask, "Which Bible is the real Bible, the true Word of God?" In 2 Corinthians 2:17, the Spirit of God warned against the "many which corrupt the word of God " Therefore, it is not surprising in studying church history to discover that such attempts to corrupt the Word of God were clearly evident in the altered, polluted and revised manuscripts purporting to be the Word of God that have existed through the centuries. Unfortunately, many people today fail to see that even greater corruptions of the Word of God are taking place before our very eyes. The purpose of this leaflet is to share with God's people, simply and briefly, some of the important information we have found in studying this important subject." That's an excerpt from "http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Bible/all_corrupt.htm" It's all true.

if you are having this much problem in that then use a comparative bible one type on one side and the other type on the other side. my personal favorite is a "hebrew greek study bible" it is usually only in KJV but above each word is a number that then relates you to the back (extended strongs concordance for word definition) and tells you the exact word or words it could be) ex. i did a study on the "snake in the garden of eden" and snake can also be serpent and dragon. hmmmmhhhh that makes some more sense talking about revalations...anywho GOD BLESS +2

Both

I used the NIV for years but then I found a Bible simply called the book. It is in The New Living Translation and is very understandable all relevant. But I still think the NIV is the most effective for teaching.

BOTH are problematic. ***NIV*** [pros] * up-to-date translation (note: in some passages, enlightening) * employs best available source texts * translation by committees of appropriately-accredited scholars * about middle-of-the-road between formal and dynamic equivalence, which is good for accuracy [cons] * only available in 66-book edition * noticeable conservative evangelical bias * excessive use of gender-inclusive pronouns * 7th grade reading level (results in loss of precision) ***NKJV*** [pros] * employs best available source texts * translation by committees of appropriately-accredited scholars * conservative use of gender-inclusive pronouns [cons] * slightly dated translation * only available in 66-book edition * 7th grade reading level (results in loss of precision) * fairly word-for-word literal, which is bad for accuracy * tries too hard to emulate the wording of the KJV, which means that often there is archaic word usage and often there is imprecise word usage when more precise words are available . . . . *** my thoughts and recommendations *** The NIV is good for a conservative evangelical who wants an easy-to-read Bible. * The NKJV should be used only by people who want to use the KJV but find it too difficult to understand. The NKJV is a very good modernization of the KJV but is not comparable to the best modern, scholarly translations in accuracy and precision and modernity of language. . . . . *** What's better? *** For the user of a 66-book Bible who wants the most accurate and precise translation, I recommend the Revised English Bible. For the Catholic I recommend the New Jerusalem Bible. For the "with Apocrypha" Bible reader I recommend the Revised English Bible with Apocrypha. For the Eastern Orthodox Bible reader I recommend the New Revised Standard Version with Apocrypha (because it includes 3 & 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151). . . . . *** for someone who wants a KJV-style Bible of the highest caliber, I recommend the NASB-1995. Like the KJV it is very word-for-word literal (which is NOT good for accuracy), and the high reading level allows it to be more precise than most competing offerings. It's widely considered to be the most scholarly 66-book Bible available (though not the only one: the NRSV also is regarded so). Note that the NASB has a fairly obvious conservative bias - even moreso than the NIV (both more obvious and more conservative).

There are more people out there that recognize the King James Bible as the holy Bible if you're going to get a Bible that everybody will accept and not say to you oh that's a Jehovah witness Bible or oh that's Catholic Bible or oh that's a Mormon bible. Get the Divine name King James Bible it's the real authorized King James Bible that puts back the name Jehovah in every place where that name should appear. That makes that Bible probably the best choice it's not quite as easy to understand as the niv but you'll put to rest the endless arguments that oh that's not the real holy Bible