Switched Keys

In English speaking countries we are blessed to be able to read the scriptures with many different versions of the Bible. Many of them attempt to give a literal, word for word, interpretation, while others attempt to give you a thought by thought interpretation. 

There are also some that carry the thought process to an extreme by paraphrasing. Then there are those that attempt to amplify terminology, often with synonyms. Finally there are translations that attempt to use the common of a particular group.

It's only practical for each person to have there own preference, buy to really get the meaning from a passage it may be helpful to refer to several different versions during your Bible study. Preachers will often quote verses from different versions to better convey their messages. 

Instead of having multiple Bibles, one way to do that is to get a paper parallel Bible. Another way is to get a Bible app, like AndBible, with multiple versions available. 

Bible Versions

Here's a quick overview of different t translations, most of which are available in AndBible.

Literal 

Among the literal versions is the old King James version. The more recent New American Standard (NASB) is also a literal version. A lesser known literal version is the LSV (Literal Standard Version). Yet another older version is YLT Young's Literal Translation. Published in 1862, it comes from Robert Young, the same person that published Young's Concordance.

My preference is for the literal since you can easily reference the particular Greek word being translated. The app Bible Study (AndBible) enables users to view the Greek Strong's reference for individual words, although not all literal versions in AndBible have those references.

One way to quickly find out if a version of the Bible in AndBible supports Strong's is to select Compare under Commentaries, then select Strong's mode text and links. Versions with Strong's will have numbers. 

Thought for thought

However, a string of translated words often doesn't have the same meaning in English as in the original language. That's the idea behind thought for thought versions. NIV (New International Version) is the most popular version in this category. 

Paraphrased 

Paraphrased versions carry the thought for thought concept to an extreme. They summarize and often elaborate on the text. Popular paraphrases include

• NLT (New Living Translation)
• JB Phillips 
• OEB Open English Bible 

Translation for Translators is something of a paraphrase although it does include Strong's numbers.

Common language

Finally there are versions that attempt to translate the text into easy to read terms for certain readers. One of those versions is the BBE Bible in Basic English (simple words). For example BBE might replace"propitiation" with "offering". Yet another coming language version is the PEV (Plain English Version). PEV is often wordy and could also be considered a paraphrase. One unique text that attempted to present the scripture so that the young crowd of the 1970s could relate to was Word on the Street, by Rob Lacey.

I like to look at common language versions to see how a particular type of person might relate to a passage.

Other versions 

One website that covers a lot of the versions, with different categories is

https://www.bartehrman.com/bible-versions/

Can you trust your version?

I think most of the popular Bible version are true to Scripture, but there are versions of the Bible in circulation that are deceptive propagated by different "churches". Some call them cults, although in the strictest sense Christianity is a cult. The question is whether it is a truthful interpretation or not.

While I could name a few as warning, I'm convinced that God can guide the true believer into all truth, including what Bible to follow. Furthermore, access to the commonly accepted Greek text can help serious students to discern truth from error and deception. 

Avoid Distractions 

One of the churches I attended suggest that you get a paper Bible to avoid distractions when reading a electronic version on your phone. That's a valid point, although you could also get a dedicated device for Bible Study, like a tablet. They are fairly cheap and you don't have to worry about it ringing. With a digital device you have the ability to easily refer to other versions, consult resources like maps or commentaries, and even dig deeper into the original text. 

Not only is a dedicated device important, you will also need to dedicate time for Bible study.