A User's Guide to Bible Translations: Making the Most of Different Versions

What Bible should you use? KJV. NIV. NASB. NRSV. ESV. TNIV. The Message. NLT. It's never been easier to find a Bible in English. Still, it's never been harder to decide what Bible to use. Formal or conversational? Traditional or inclusive language? Word-for-word, meaning-for-meaning or paraphrase? A User's Guide to Bible Translations escorts you through the history of Bible versions in English from Wycliffe and Tyndale to the English Standard Version and Today's New International Version, with explanatory glances at the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts and brief introductions to translation theories along the way. In straightforward language, David Dewey explains how we ended up with so many versions of the Bible, shedding light on the difference between word-for-word and meaning-for-meaning translations, the controversy over gender accuracy, and issues of theological bias. Dewey also reminds us that it's not enough to ask, Which Bible is best? We need to ask, Best for what? For personal study? For reading aloud? For leading a Bible study for inquirers? For lending to an international student struggling with English? Filled with charts comparing versions and diagrams showing translation difficulties, A User's Guide to Bible Translations is just that–an easy-to-use handbook for digging through the mountain of translation options until you find the right Bible for the right purpose.