Re: Bible Translations

From: Harry_Harm@sil.org
Date: Tue Jan 21 1997 - 19:15:56 EST


  TO: B-Greek Listers
FROM: Harry J. Harm
DATE: 21 January 1997
  RE: Bible Translations

Dear All,

Greetings. I use many different translations and have been building up
quite a collection. Every now and then I teach a course called, "Why
Bible Translations Differ." In the last lesson I divulge which
translations I like best. To the surprise of some of my students I
don't have or recommend just one translation.

For word study I use the King James and the NIV. I find these useful
because of Strong's Concordance and the NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It
is amazing how much Greek and Hebrew data can be gleaned from them.

For my devotional reading I like to read large chunks of text at a time.
I tend to read various translations completely through from Genesis to
Revelation and lean towards the idiomatic translations. I can't
remember them all but I have read Phillips, the Living Bible, the Good
News Bible, Simple English Bible (NT), the New Century Version (New
Int'l Children's Bible), the Twentieth Century New Testament and am
currently reading the Contemporary English Version (just finished 2
Kings). The next version I read through will probably be the New
Living.

For any real study or translation I prefer the Greek text itself. My
Hebrew is weaker but I struggle along.

Then there are other versions which I consider to be better for public
reading, for witnessing, for memorization, etc.

At various times in my life I have relied on the King James, the New
American Standard, the New Berkeley Version and the American Standard
Version as my primary Bible.

I have a special fondness for Phillips, the Twentieth Century NT and the
New Century Version.

Sincerely,

Harry :{)



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