What kind of Bible should I get?

[sunnydays]

My husband was talking to a friend of ours on the phone earlier and our friend was asking him about the Bible. Our friend is an athiest but now wants to read the bible from beginning to end. He said he tried the KJV but didn't like it. My husband said he'd give him one of our bibles but I want to make sure he has one that is easy to understand and read. What kind of bible would you suggest we get for someone who is new to this? He's not a believer but him taking an interest in reading the bible is very exciting. :clap I'd like to get one at Lemstone's tomorrow since we'll be seeing him later that night.

Thanks!

[Porkchop]

My husband was talking to a friend of ours on the phone earlier and our friend was asking him about the Bible. Our friend is an athiest but now wants to read the bible from beginning to end. He said he tried the KJV but didn't like it. My husband said he'd give him one of our bibles but I want to make sure he has one that is easy to understand and read. What kind of bible would you suggest we get for someone who is new to this? He's not a believer but him taking an interest in reading the bible is very exciting. :clap I'd like to get one at Lemstone's tomorrow since we'll be seeing him later that night.

Thanks!
I might suggest Amplified or NIV even with my concern about some of the claimed word changes. The goal should be for him to read it and be clear about what it says. They both are pretty easy to read and understand and have are pretty good literal translations from what I have read. Certainly avoid any paraphrase sepecailly the Message and the new version of the NRKJ and NNIV...basically I would avoid most translations in the past 25 years or so. They are gender neutral and slanted for the political/social changes since WWII.

[Diane 1611]

I have a Life Application Bible, and the translation is the New Living Translation. There is a section in the back on how to bring someone to Christ, which you may find helpful. At the beginning of every book, there is an overview of the book, the main players, the time frame, etc., which is very helpful. There is commentary at the bottom of each page explaining the Scripture readings at the top. The NLT is very readable. The language is not stiff and formal and is very natural, which would help someone who has not read a Bible before.

It is a little bit expensive (it runs around $30.00 in hardback), but it does come with an Ilumina animated Bible and encyclopedia CD-ROM.

At www.christianbook.com (http://www.christianbook.com), you can view pages from versions of the Bibles they sell. That's how I decided I wanted the Life Application Bible.

May you and your husband be lights to lead your athiest friend to Christ! :D:

[Mr. Igg]

I saw your question earlier and didn't have time to post...after praying about it, I was going to suggest you consider the Life Application Bible in the NIV, which blends both of the previous two posters' recommendations. Maybe there's a trend here? :thumb

I've also prayed for your friend!

[nooneuno]

NASB or NIV

[blitzkreig]

Get him something with a built in study guide ... it is hard to improve on the Scofield. Find something like this in the NKJV ...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195275268/ref=pd_sxp_elt_l1/104-8148466-1407967

only cheaper ...

[Harley]

I might suggest Amplified or NIV even with my concern about some of the claimed word changes....
I'd go with the NIV over the Amplified, only because the Applified gets rather redundant sometimes in it's Amplification.

For another very good translation that's a bit more literal than the NIV, I'd offer the New American Standard.

[pilgrimian]

New American Standard Version

New King James

Amplified

English Standard Version

[JoelH]

I would suggest NKJV as a first choice. Your friend will have likely been exposed to secular English-language literature which means it is influenced by the KJV Bible. NKJV can help him in "getting" the familiar passage syntax that NIV and the NLT don't, and on the othr hand it is balanced with sensible vocabulary level. Anyone with junior high school English (and high school grad if he is ESL like myself) should be able to use and understand NKJ.

NASB is too difficult for straight reading - it is useful for serious scholarship studies but it is basically syntatically Greek and Hebrew rather than English. NIV is a good alternative but again the syntax would be quite hard to memorize and some has remarked it is like a commentary at some places.

Some are very glowing regarding the ESV. I have used it but don't find it too useful vis-a-vis NKJV.

Don't give him versions like the NRSV (this is ecumenical mainline Protestant and liberal Catholic translation) or NAB (New American Bible - this is a post-Vatican II liberal US Catholic church translation), or NJB (New Jerusalem Bible - another Catholic Bible). I would reluctantly give him the RSV since the secular world would be very familiar with this version but only if NKJV etc aren't available.

YBIC,

Joel

[roadrunner570]

When I got started, I got the NIV Starting Point Study Bible.

It has the plan of salvation at the front of it, and has notes throughout that helps new believers understand passages. It was a huge help for me.

[Tankermom]

I have always used the NIV but the NLT is becoming more and more popular these days.

[Shieldbearer]

For someone who is just starting out, the NIV. It has its issues when it comes to serious study, but for reading its okay.

I say this because I grew up in a KJV only household, the result of which was I didn't read much of the Bible because I couldn't understand it. I got an NIV Student Bible a couple of years ago, and as of now have read the NT about 6 times and the OT about 3 times.

At this point, I find myself going to other translations on the 'net to study, and I keep butting against the limitations of dynamic equivalent translation, so after lots of research, I decided to go with a NASB.

But for this person, I suggest an NIV, and if you are buying one, the NIV Student Bible is awesome for someone who hasn't read or studied much of the Bible.

[countmeworthy]

Doesn't the NASB have a student bible??? I LOVE the NASB but I do check other translations when I don't understand something.

[blitzkreig]

For those interested ... there is something called the MKJV (no not the NKJV) ... this is the "Modern King James Version" ... not the "New".

It is put out in very limited print so far.

This is a true translation and using the TR (Received Text or Textus Receptus or Majority Text or what ever you want to call it :B: ) from which the original Authorized Version (KJV) was translated ... and NOT the controversial Greek (Wescot and Hort) which has gave birth to almost every other modern translation translation including the NIV and the NKJV.

I use it a fair bit and like it as as old long term KJV reader it is familiar but yet a lot refreshed in the linguistics department ...

You can get it as a free add on to eSword ... (Modern King James Version, copyright © 1962-1998 by Jay P. Green, Sr.) and I think you can find it in some bookstores now ...

[LeahIA]

For an athiest, I'd recommend the NLT - an easy read over the KJV, etc. I'd be afraid he would lose interest and stop reading.