It is not uncommon to get questions about what "Bible" one should buy. Lots of people get confused by all the different translations out there. The answer to this question can be complex, but the most significant reason for all the different translation is that language changes. The original text of the Bible was written in three languages; Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. As scholars translate these languages into English, we run into the challenge of trying to express them in a way that is accurate to the original text and intelligible for the modern reader. Thus as our understanding of these ancient languages grows and as our own English language changes we seek newer translations to meet these basic needs. Most translations try to balance the factors of accuracy to the original text of God's revealed Word with Intelligibility; that is how easily the modern reader can comprehend the text. In accomplishing these goals, there are two general approaches scholars use.

Literal Translations come across a little more wooden because the translators try to stay very close to the Greek, Hebrew or Aramaic. Sometimes this can make for long or awkward sentences that are hard to understand in English. On the other end of the Spectrum are the Expanded Translations, the authors of these texts take more liberty with the language and in addition they will add in their own ideas and thoughts to help "clarify" the meaning in English.

It is worthwhile to note that translations that are more concerned with HIGH accuracy, tend to read at a HIGHER grade level which makes them more difficult to read for many people. The Translations that focus on reader comprehension, end up with texts that are appeal to a LOWER reading level and LOWER accuracy to the original text. If you want to find a good version that is easy for you to read, yet is faithful to the original Word of God, then compare some of these versions below.

[PLEASE NOTE: The Message is put in here as a reference only. It should not be considered a true translation, rather it is far more of a commentary because the author has added words and phrases that appear nowhere in the original text. The author inserts his own theological interpretations which are not necessarily faithful to the revealed doctrines of God..]

There are a lot of bad translations out there as some companies are more concerned with increased sales and some so called "scholars" are more concerned with social reform than obedience to God. That being said, there are also a lot of good ones out there to choose from as well. Here is a list of a few that are well done.

1.      Your primary study Bible should be one that is more toward the Literal end of the spectrum. 

o       New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update - (NASB95) - Reading Grade Level: 11 
o       New English Translation (NET). - Reading Grade Level: 11 (?)* (You can even read this Bible on-line at http://www.netbible.org/). 
o       English Standard Version (ESV) - Reading Grade Level: 8 
o       New King James Version (NKJV) - Reading Grade Level: 9 

2.      As a secondary Bible you can use for devotionals, prayer and meditation, you are encouraged to use a Bible from the Paraphrased end of the spectrum

o       Good News Bible (GNB) - Reading Grade Level: 6 
o       New International Version (NIV) - Reading Grade Level: 8

3.      An expanded translation may also help you by providing some good commentary on each passage

o       The New Testament: An Expanded Translation by Kenneth S. Wuest - Reading Grade Level: 11 (?)*

1.      Commentary is Just Commentary: The first thing you need to know is that these study notes are NOT equal in authority with the actual Bible text. These study notes are simply other people's opinions about the Bible and do not have the same value or reliability or authority. The people who write commentaries are just people like you and me. They may have more education, but that does not mean they write things that are inspired or on par with Scripture. It is dangerous when the commentary of Man becomes equal (whether by accident or not) with the Doctrines of God. 

2.      The Text is Best:  The second thing is that you do not need a special study Bible to understand what God is saying. Study notes can be of some help in giving you background information and cultural insights, but study notes can never replace God's ability to teach you by the power of His Spirit through the Christian disciplines of prayer and meditation. Often times these study Bibles can hinder the readers ability to understand the Scripture. The reader can get lazy and focus so much on the notes that they forget to pray and seek God's illumination on the passage before they seek advice or input from another writer. In many respects the commentary within the Bible is a corruption of the text. It often times removes the authority from God's Word and places it onto a human commentator. More concerning is that often times people read and get the Scripture confused with commentary and at a later date think they have read something that is in the "Bible" which is really only in the commentary. The more separate the text is the more authority is reserved to the Bible in the mind of the reader.

3.      Recommendations

o       Buy a Bible with no commentary at all, really it is ok! 
o       Find a Bible that has less commentary and large margins for your own notes Generally these are called inductive study Bibles. 
o       Avoid "study" Bibles that are too targeted; "teen" study Bible,"women's" study bible, "prophecy" study bibles. The more narrow the commentary the more narrowly you will read the text of Scripture which will hinder the broader application of passages to your life. 
o       Instead of relying on a commentary stuck into your Bible, buy a separate commentary that you can turn to when you need it.

Here are some final thoughts for those new to the Bible. A lot of people try to read their Bible from cover to cover. Few make it all the way through. This approach is difficult because the books of the Bible are not arranged so that one book always leads directly to the next. If you want to get a good overview, start by reading the gospel of John (New Testament) and then Genesis (Old Testament). By reading these two books, you get an overview of the life of Jesus and the big picture of God's creation and man's need for God. If you already have a familiarity with the Bible, you may want to start off reading the book of Romans or find a good study program. And no matter which translation you chose or where you starting reading, please remember that the Bible was written by different authors over many centuries, but there is complete unity in every conceivable aspect of Scripture. God is the sovereign author of each word in Scripture and thus no author or book can be considered independent. Each book is a testimony, one to the other, of the Truth of God's plan of salvation for his chosen people. We worship the One true God who inspired only one unified and effective written Word.