What Version Should I Use?
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In Deuteronomy 4:2 we read, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.” In Proverbs 30:5, 6 we read, “Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.” In Matthew 15:7, 8 we read, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.” In Galatians 1:8, 9 we read, “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Finally, in Revelation 22:18, 19 we read, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
God is serious about keeping his message pure. It is inconsistent for us to preach that we ought not to add to nor take away from the word of God, and then choose a Bible translation that does just that. A translation should be understandable and legible. However the deciding factor in choosing a specific Bible translation should be whether or not the translators have accurately reflected the word of God in their translation.
There are many translations available to choose from today in the English language. You can view fifteen different translations of the Bible on the American Bible Society’s web page. Some of those translations are: Contemporary English Version, New International Version, New American Standard, Amplified Bible, New Living Translation, King James Version, English Standard Version, New King James Version, 21st Century King James Version, American Standard Version, Worldwide English, Young’s Literal Translation, Darby Translation, and the Wycliff New Testament. In addition to these there is the Revised Standard Version, the Easy to Read Version, the New English Bible, and Today’s New International Version. No doubt there are many more that I am not listing here.
There is nothing wrong with reading different versions of the Bible. There is nothing wrong with owning any particular version of the Bible. It is not a sin to compare different versions of the Bible in your own personal Bible study. It is sinful for a translator to place a translation before you which does not accurately reflect the word of God, or which contains deliberate efforts to insert human doctrine. If one represents a translation of God’s word as the word of God when it does not accurately reflect God’s word, then that person is endorsing an effort to add to or take away from the word of God and that is sinful. The Bible clearly states this to be sinful.
So what are some ways that I can tell whether a translation is representative of the word of God or not? First of all, read the translators preface. If they display within the preface an acknowledgment that the Bible is the infallible and inspired word of God that is a good start.
Second, learn what philosophy of translation the translators have used. There are two basic translation philosophies in circulation today. There is the philosophy that a translation should be as literal as possible except where the original languages are clearly idiomatic. On the other hand you have the philosophy that seeks to translate not the words, but the thought of the text. You really want to find a translation that is based upon the literal method. The thought for thought “translations” contain human opinions about what the original text means, not an accurate representation of the original text.
Third, does the translation use italicized words for the words that have been added to clarify the meaning of the text? You will notice in the KJV, ASV, NKJV and ESV that italicized words appear every once in a while. These are words that the translators have added, but they have identified them for you so that you will understand that they are not part of the original Greek text. It is an effort on their part to be faithful to the original. Some versions do not italicize the words that they add to the text. This blurs the line as to what words are God’s words and what has been inserted by man.
Fourth, compare the translation with other translations. You will probably be surprised at how many mistakes you can find in the various translations by doing this. (No translation is perfect and there are going to be some problems with any of them.)
Each Christian has the personal responsibility to decide what translation he or she will use. However, when it comes to public teaching, preaching, reading, or personal evangelism, we should use a translation that is going to accurately reflect God’s word. Some good translations for the most part are, KJV, ASV, NASB, NKJV, and the ESV. I would use one of these for serious Bible study and the others for reference. There are many translations that should not be used in a public way lest we distort the word of God. The NIV is not a good translation of the Bible. In the preface they specifically state that they are going beyond a literal word for word translation. Their translation philosophy is one thought for thought. They do not italicize words that have been added to the text for the sake of clarity thereby failing to acknowledge that their insertions are not the words of God. The translators have also attempted to put their own human doctrines into the text. Within the NIV New Testament alone the Greek word which is best translated “flesh” is translated some twenty-four (24) times by the phrase “sinful nature.” This is an obvious effort on the part of the translators to insert the unbiblical doctrine of original sin into the Bible. Another so-called translation, which is really a paraphrase, is the New Living Bible Translation. It does not even make a pretense of trying to translate the original languages. Instead, the translator has just created a “Bible” based on his personal interpretation of what he thinks each verse means.