How to Compare Bibles
A person desiring to purchase a copy of the Holy Bible---as a gift, for example, or for personal use---has many versions from which to choose, including the King James Version, the New International Version and the New Jerusalem Bible. Several features merit attention and offer points of comparison.
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Accurate Translation
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A good translation accurately expresses in English the content of wording as written in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. The King James Version is considered to be an accurate literal translation of the original sources. The New International Version uses idiomatic English with a high degree of accuracy. The NIV, the New Jerusalem Bible and the New Revised Standard Version represent biblical scholarship of the 20th century, including efforts to bridge the gap between literal translation of the original texts and the meaning their writers intended.
Apocrypha
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The Douay-Rheims Bible and the New Jerusalem Bible include 15 books---sometimes called the "Apocrypha"---not included in many other versions. Some of these books record the history of the Maccabees' struggle for Jewish independence; others provide context for content found elsewhere in the Holy Bible.
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Ease in Reading
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Today's English Version and the New Living Translation have a free conversational style that is easy to read. Editions of the NIV and other versions of the Holy Bible are available in single-column format, which some may prefer to the usual double-column format. Most versions are published in standard editions and large-print editions.
Helpful Features
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Most versions of the Holy Bible include features intended to help the reader understand the essential content. Among such features are footnotes, concordances, maps and explanatory words at the beginning of each chapter.
Word choice may also be an important comparison point. The language of the NIV, for example, removes ambiguity associated with certain passages. One of the distinguishing characteristics of the New Revised Standard Version is the use of gender-neutral language, each instance of which is cited in footnotes.
Considerations
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A reader may not only prefer one version of the Holy Bible over another, but may also favor one edition of a particular version because of the presence or absence of a feature. Some editions of the New Revised Standard Version, for example, include the Apocrypha while others do not.
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References
Resources
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