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Which version of the Bible should you use? Is there an advantage in using many versions? Is there a best version or even one that may be said to be totally inspired and therefore 100 per cent reliable? These are some of the questions this sub-site seeks to answer as well as explain the reasons Messianic Evangelicals have their preferred translations.

To give you a sample of the way different versions render texts, here is a passage (compiled by James White) translated in several versions:

The first seven are all valid renditions, conveying the Hebrew concept literally. The others try to express the same concept using slightly different words whilst conveying the same meaning. The last four are examples of paraphrases or dynamic equivalent versions (e.g. NIV) which, though more readable for some, can sometimes take liberties with the original meaning. They should probably be called 'commentaries' for in that capacity they can be very helpful. Finding a balance between accuracy and conveyability is one of the tough jobs undertaken by Bible translators.

Bible scholarship is constantly improving translations but unfortunately the market is now flooded with so many new versions that it is hard to review them all. Worse, most of these new versions are not needed but have been published for commercial gain or to circumvent copyright issues. Quite simply, there is a glut of translations with most of them bringing very little new scholarship or manuscript discovery to the public gaze.

The list that follows, which contains Bible versions we have studied, evaluated and used over the last 40 years and so know quite well, is part scholarly and part subjective. There is, alas, no perfect translation, and probably never will be, though we have long sought for one, and even though one widespread cult is insisting there is. The nearest to 'perfection' that one can attain is, of course, to read the Bible in the original Hebrew and Aramaic, and the Greek translation that was in use in apostolic times. Nevertheless nearly all translations are adequate for the salvation message and the best ones contain all the important doctrines (though if you want to understand Paul don't read the NIV!). Ironing out the differences in translations is one reasion this website exists.

It should also be pointed out that some popular versions (like the NIV) are regularly revised and therefore appear in numerous editions, one of the latest being the less than satisfactory TNIV (Today's NIV). In the majority of cases the most recent editions are the best but this is by no means true of all. Some (like Catholic versions, the NRSV and some versions of the NEB, etc.) contain the Catholic Apocrypha and others (like the post 2nd editions of the messianic RSTNE) contain not only Apocrypha, some of the Pseudepigrapha but a revamped Book of Mormon! So be careful.

There are also some standard Evangelical translations like the KJV that have been produced with the Hebraic names for messianics. So the choice is potentially vast even if the quality is not uniform.

Another problem is doctrinal commentary footnotes like the infamous Scofield Reference Bible (SRB). Good versions like the KJV can, by association, be ruined by reference editions like this. You'll find the SRB listed in the last section of Bibles never to buy.

Because most of our members and friends cannot afford to purchase dozens of translations, the need for a list which they can intelligently select from has become more accute over the years. This list is not static but is constantly updated. The versions in any one particular section are in no particular order of preference.

We recommend that our readers own at least one Evangelical and one Messianic version out of the 'Excellent Versions' section. Since, understandably, purchasing ability often influences choice many will go for the cheaper mass-produced ones like the messianic Halleluyah Scriptures (a copycat version of the more expensive ISRV) or any number of Evangelical paraphrases. However, paraphrases are not usually reliable when it comes to doctrine even if they may be easier to read. Again, literacy levels will also guide the selection of some for whom we recommend the KNT, NLT or NIRV - these are good versions for young children starting Bible study too.

NCAY tends to use the NKJV in assemblies and even though this does not contain Hebraic names, most members soon become adept at making mental substitutions when reading out aloud - thus 'God' becomes 'Elohim', 'Jesus' becomes 'Yah'shua', 'Law' becomes 'Torah', and so on. We also increasingly use, as a supplement, N.T.Wright's Kingdom New Testament which is by far the best translation for understanding the writings of Paul, Wright being the world's leading Pauline scholar.

Unfortunately there is not, in my view, any Messianic translation comparable in quality to the best of the non-Messianic versions, most of which have strong denominational agendas and are one-man efforts. At this stage it is probably best to own several if you can afford it - the CJB, HRV and AENT are probably the best, though the latter two are only New Testaments. One of the problems we find with many messianic versions (e.g. ISRV, RSTNE) is that too many familiar terms (like 'cross', 'righteousness', etc.) tend to be replaced by less familiar and potentially confusing English words (like 'execution stake', 'right-ruling', etc.) which can make for communication problems in evangelism. We like to keep things simple and communicable - the point is not to show off how many Hebrew words you know but to win souls for Messiah and teach the true lifestyle of the saved.


NCAY'S LIST OF FAVOURITE
ENGLISH BIBLE VERSIONS
Last Updated on 31 January 2021

NB. Paraphrase versions should be treated as
commentaries or targums and not as translations!


1. Excellent Versions - Most Used in NCAY

  • New King James Version (NKJV) Evangelical Version
  • New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Evangelical Version
  • English Standard Version (ESV) Evangelical Version
  • Kingdom New Testament (N.T.Wright) (KNT) Evangelical Version

  • Hebraic-Roots Version (Trimm) (NT/Bible) (HRV) Messianic Version
  • Aramaic English New Testament (Roth) (AENT) Messianic Version with Aramaic text

  • The Original Aramaic New Testament in Plain English (Glenn Bauscher)
  • Various On-Line Peshitta New Testaments Aramaic text

  • Young's Literal Translation (YLT)* Evangelical Version
  • Concordant Literal New Testament (CLNT)* Greek text
  • Concordant Version of the Old Testament (CVOT)* Hebrew text
  • Benjamin Wilson's Emphatic Diaglott - New Testament (WED)* Greek text
  • Weymouth New Testament - original version (WNT)* Evangelical


    "The ESV is the NASB without semi-colons"

    2. Very Good Versions - Commonly Used in NCAY

  • Authorised King James Version (1611) (AV, KJV) Evangelical Version
  • New American Standard Bible (NASB) Evangelical Version
  • New International Version (NIV) Evangelical Version
  • Amplified Version (AmpV) Evangelical Version

  • Orthodox Jewish Bible (Goble) (OJB) Messianic Version
  • Complete Jewish Bible (Stern) (CJB) Messianic Version
  • Institute for Scripture Research Version (Koster) (ISRV) Messianic Version
  • Aleph-Tav Old Testament (Ricther) (ATOT) Messianic Version
  • Complete Messianic Aleph-Tav Scriptures (Sanford) (CMATS) Messianic Version


    3. Good Versions - Infrequently Used in NCAY

  • New English Bible (NEB) Evangelical Version
  • American Standard Version (ASV) Evangelical Version
  • Revised Standard Version (RSV) Evangelical Version
  • Revised Version (RV) Evangelical Version
  • Moffatt Bible (Moff.) Evangelical Version
  • Berkley Version (BV) Evangelical Version
  • Smith & Goodspeed Version (S&GV) Evangelical Version
  • J.B.Philips Version (JBP) Evangelical Version
  • Coverdale Bible (Cov) Evangelical Version
  • Geneva Bible (Gen) Evangelical Version
  • Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Evangelical Version

  • New Living Translation {paraphrase} (NLT) Evangelical Version
  • Living Bible {paraphrase} (LB) Evangelical Version
  • Good News Bible {paraphrase} (GNB) Evangelical Version
  • New International Readers Version {paraphrase} (NIRV) Evangelical Version
  • Contemporary English Version {paraphrase} (CEV) Evangelical Version

  • Restoration Scriptures True Name Edition - 2nd edn. (RSTNE) Messianic Version
  • Halleluyah Scriptures (HS) Messianic Version
  • Messianic Renewed Covenant New Testament (MRC-NT) Messianic Version
  • Kata Mattyah (Mt) True Name Version (Snyder) (KM-TNV) Messianic Version

  • Jerusalem Bible - 1st edition (JB) Catholic Version
  • New American Bible - Revised Edition (NAB-RE) Catholic Version


    4. Some Bad Versions - Never Used in NCAY

  • Inspired Version/Joseph Smith Translationi (IV/JNT) Mormon Version
  • New World Translationii (NWT) Jehovah's Witness Version
  • Douay Version (Dou) Catholic Version
  • Scofield Reference Bibleiii (Sco) Evangelical Version
  • J.N.Darby, A New Translation (Darby) Evangelical Version

  • Clear Word Bible {paraphrase} (CWB) Seventh Day Adventist Version
  • The Message {paraphrase}iv (ThM) Evangelical Version
  • Lolcats {paraphrase} (LoCa) Evangelical Version
  • The Word on the Street {paraphrase} (WoS) Evangelical Version
  • Pidgin English {paraphrase} (PE) Evangelical Version
  • New Spirit-Filled Bible by Jack Hayford {paraphrase} (NSFB) Evangelical Version
  • Hope for Today Bible by Joel Osteen {paraphrase} (HFTB) Evangelical Version
  • The Cotton Patch Bible {paraphrase} (CPB) Evangelical Version
  • The Voice Bible {paraphrase} (TVB) Evangelical Version
  • Common English Bible {paraphrase} (CEB) Evangelical Version
  • Mirror Bible by Francois du Toit {paraphrase} 'New Agey' Version
  • The Passion Translation {paraphrase} 'Pentecostal' Version

    i. The IV is a product of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now called the Community of Christ), a denomination of the Mormon Church, but is not strictly-speaking a "translation" as no Hebrew or Greek manuscripts were used -- it is an alleged correction of the KJV by Joseph Smith using "inspiration" only and is unreliable. It is also used by the main body of the Mormon (LDS) Church where it is known as the 'Joseph Smith Translation' (JST)

    ii. The NWT is a product of the Watchtower Bible & Tract Organisation and is not a translation either. It is a doctored Bible designed especially to reflect Jehovah's Witness dogma and is unreliable. This is probably the most mutilated Bible "version" on the market and should be avoided completely, although the latest (2013) Revised edition is a marked improvement on the first.

    iii. Our problem with this Bible (which is the King James) is not the translation but the numerous footnotes containing heretical, unbiblical teachings and has done more to damage Evangelical Christianity than perhaps any other published Bible.

    iv. Probably one of the worst translations on the market, an 'ultra-paraphrase' or (better still) 'mutilation'. As one commentator put it, what the Bible would look like if God were Eugene Peterson.


    Examples of some dreadful translations from modern paraphrase versions:

      "This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life" (John 3:16, The Message).

      "Nor do people put new tubes in old, bald tires. If they do the tires will blow out, and the tubes will be ruined and the tires will be torn up. But they put new tubes in new tires and both give good mileage" (Matthew 9:17, Cotton Patch Bible).

      "After they had checked out, the Lord's messenger made connection with Joseph in a dream and said, "Get moving, and take your wife and baby and highball it to Mexico" (Matthew 2:13, Cotton Patch Bible).

      "Before time itself was measured, the Voice was speaking. The Voice was and is God. . . . The Voice took on flesh and became human and chose to live alongside us. We have seen Him, enveloped in undeniable splendor-the one true Son of the Father-evidenced in the perfect balance of grace and truth" (John 1:1,14, The Voice Bible).

      "After the fire, there was a sound. Thin. Quiet" (1 Kings 19:12, Common English Bible).

      "Mankind is in the same boat; their distorted behavior is proof of a 'lost' blueprint" (Rom.3:23, Mirror Bible).


  • KJV-Onlyism - A recent review and the complete website


    If you would like us to consider other versions not mentioned on this list, please contact us with any website reviews which you think might be helpful.

    We do not review 'messianised' Protestant versions like The Sacred Scriptures (Bethel Edition) which is simply the old American Standard Version (ASV) which have 'Yahweh', 'Yahshua' and 'Elohim' substituted in. There are a number of cosmetic versions like this, such as The Word of Yahweh (Eaton Rapid, MI) which is basically a messianised KJV. None of these, in our view, add anying of value to our knowledge of the Scriptures and contain all the old errors of the Hebrew Masoretic and Greek texts.

    Non-English translations (e.g. German, Norwegian, Swedish, Afrikaans, etc.) are examined elsewhere on this website.

    "No translation from one language to another can ever be exact. Exact translation is as impossible as a square circle" (Dr.W.E.Sangster)

    ""Versions, or translations, are not inspired. If they were, all of them would be just alike. But the original manuscript was inspired" (B.H.Carroll)

    "Variety of translations is profitable for finding out of the sense of the scriptures" (King James Version 1611 Translation Committee)
  • Bible Versions: Which Ones?
    1. Bible Versions: Ning Archive Discussions (Art)
    2. Wipe the Dishes! Taking Care with Bible Versions (Art)
    3. The Primary Canon: Versions Used by NCAY (Art)
    4. King James Version Only? (Series)
    5. The 1611 King James Bible: The 400th Anniversary (Art)
    6. Old Testament Manipulation: Textual Crimes of the Masoretes (Art)
    7. Which Bible Version? Examining the Halleluyah Scriptures I (Art)
    8. Which Bible Version? Examining the Halleluyah Scriptures II (Art)
    9. In Search of a Bible: Which Translation Should I Use? (Art)
    10. King James-Only: Revisiting a Biblical Version Issue (Art)
    11. The RSTNE: Reasons to Be Careful (Art)
    12. New King James Bible: Why We Like It For Public Worship (Art)
    13. The Hebraic Roots Bible: I. The Footnotes (Art)
    14. The Hebraic Roots Bible: II. The Text, Star Passages (Art)
    15. The Hebraic Roots Bible: III. The Text, Test Passages (Art)
    16. The Hebraic Roots Bible: IV. The Style in Genesis & John (Art)
    17. What English Translation of the Apostolic Scriptues Should I Use? (Art)
    18. Life Through Children: Translations & Mysteries Revealed (Art)
    19. The Passion Translation: A Preliminary Examination (Art)
    20. Heinz W. Cassirer Version of the New Testament (Art)
    21. The Revised Calvinist Version of the Bible (Spoof)
    Also see the Scripture, KJV-Only? and The Masoretes websites

    Click here for lots of on-line Bible versions in English and other languages

    Key: Art=Article | FAQ=Frequently Asked Question | Sc=Science | St=Sermonette | Occ=Occult | OB=Olive Branch | PCM=Patriarchal Christian Marriage | NCCM=New Covenant Christian Ministries | Sab=Sabbath | Sal=Salvation | 5Com=Five Commissions | AI=Apostolic Interviews

    Recommended Books
    1. Bruce M.Metzger & Bart D.Ehrman, The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration (OUP, Oxford: 2005)

    "This thoroughly revised edition of Bruce M.Metzger's classic work is the most up-to-date manual available for the textual criticism of the New Testament. The Text of the New Testament, Fourth Edition, has been invigorated by the addition of Bart D.Ehrman - author of numerous best-selling books on the New Testament - as a coauthor. This revision brings the discussion of such important matters as the early Greek manuscripts and methods of textual criticism up to date, integrating recent research findings and approaches into the body of the text (as opposed to previous revisions, which compiled new material and notes into the appendices). The authors also examine new areas of interest, including the use of computers in the collection and evaluation of manuscript evidence and the effects that social and ideological influences had upon the work of the scribes. The standard text for courses in biblical studies and the history of Christianity since its first publication in 1964, The Text of the New Testament is poised to become a definitive resource for a whole new generation of students."

    Endorsement of this book by NCAY does not imply endorsement of B.D.Ehrman's agnosticism/atheism. B.M.Metzger was, by contrast, a devout Evangelical Christian scholar and minister (Presbyterian Church), and one of the most influential scholars of the 20th century. He was a contributor to the RSV and NRSV. Recommendation is based solely on the authors' competence in textual criticism.

    Metzger advanced the challenging yet compelling assertion that the early messianic community (church), which assembled the Messianic Scriptures (New Testament), did not consider divine inspiration to be a sufficient criterion for a book to be placed in the canon. Metzger said that the early messianic community (church) saw it as very important that work describing Yah'shua's (Jesus') life be written by a follower or an eye-witness, and considered other works such as the Shepherd of Hermas and the Epistles of Clement to be inspired but not canonical.

    He described three criteria for acceptance of particular writings as sacred, authoritative, and worthy of being read in services of worship, criteria which were generally adopted during the course of the second century, and were never modified thereafter, namely, orthodoxy (conformity to the rule of faith), apostolicity, and consensus among the messianic (christian) congregations. Metzger concluded that "in the most basic sense neither individuals nor councils created the canon; instead they came to recognize and acknowledge the self-authenticating quality of these writings, which imposed themselves as canonical upon the church (messianic community)" (from The New Testament: Its Background, Growth, and Content, 3rd ed., revised and enlarged (Abingdon Press, Nashville, Tennessee: 2003), p.381, and The Canon of the New Testament (Clarendon press, Oxford: 1997), pp.287-8.

    2. James R.White, The King James Only Controversy: Can You Trust Modern Translations? (Bethany House, Minneapolis, Minnesota: 2009)

    "Answering those who claim that the King James Version is the Word of God, James R.White examines allegations that modern translators conspired to corrupt Scripture and lead believers away from the true Christian faith. First published in 1995, and revised and expanded in 2009, The King James Only Controversy traces the development of Bible translations old and new and investigates the differences between newer versions and the Authorized Version of 1611. White's teaching clearly shows why we can trust the accuracy of the Bible as God's Word."

    Endorsement of this book by NCAY does not imply endorsement of J.R.White's Calvinistic Reformed theology, merely the author's competence in analysing the transmission history of biblical manuscripts.

    Purchase the WHOLE Website by clicking here

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    This page was created on 2 September 2010
    Last updated on 31 January 2021

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