As a pastor I often get asked, "What's the best Bible translation or version that I can get for my youth or young adult?" This is kind of an open-ended question and one that I would respond similarly to anyone who would asked me.The best Bible translation or version that anyone could ever get is one that you understand!
A lot of people get hung up on denominational recommendations and think that they have to follow those recommendations to the letter of the law. But when you read a Bible translation and you have trouble understanding it, then what good is it? The point of owning a Bible is to be able to read the Scriptures and understand what the Scriptures say to you for your life. When you spend more time trying to decipher what the Scriptures are actually trying to tell you, it defeats the purpose. All that being said, I do have a few recommendations of some Bible translations that I think are good not only for youth and young adults, but for anyone.
1)The New Living Translation (NLT). In general< the New Living translation is a fairly new translation. It came out about 12 to 15 years ago.What I like about the NLT is that it is common ordinary everyday language that most anyone can understand, but doesn't lose the integrity of the original languages. As many will know the Living Bible, its predecessor, was a paraphrased version that did not use the original biblical languages.
2) the New International Version (NIV). The New International Version is a great mainstay and is widely accepted by most every denomination. While its language is not as inclusive as it could be, it's biblical interpretation is very well thought out and you can find the NIV in a wide variety of study Bibles and youth sensitive Bibles like "Youth Walk."
What you want to stay away from if you want a good solid Bible are the paraphrased Bibles (The Message, The Living Bible, etc.) While these are great second Bibles to have on hand to get a better understanding of the Scripture that you're reading, they do not make good study Bibles and they do not directly come from the original Greek and Hebrew so their meanings are somewhat skewed.
Good luck in picking your next Bible for your youth or for yourself. It is something that can be kept for a lifetime!
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