Okay, in that case, what version of the Bible are you suggesting to read? I have tried several versions but they all are written in old “English” and difficult to understand today.
I like the ESV - the English Standard Version.
Here’s a link to an online Bible site and it’s already set to the ESV.
http://legacy.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ESV
You can check out different versions to see which one you like the best. At the top there’s a drop down menu that gives you ever selection you could imagine for versions.
I like the ESV because its written at an adult level in modern English and seems to be a very accurate translation. I find it easy to read but not written down to an 8th grade level, if you get what I mean.
For Torah, “The Pentateuch and Haftorahs”, JH Hertz, Ed.
English and Hebrew texts together with commentary. Also, a good reference of translational sources including the King James.
Dear Deagle,
May I suggest the New International Version” of the Bible (NIV). It is written in 20th Century English and flows very nicely. I would also suggest you start in the New testament with the Gospel of Luke, a Greek Physician who was very compassionate and human in his tender details.
The Gospel of Mark is the oldest of the four, and was written for a Roman audience. So it’s action-packed, and “Just the facts”. It is also the shortest Gospel, and a therefore, another good place to begin.
Matthew was written to the Jews, so it begins with the Genealogy of Jesus, to establish His family line. It’s OK to skip over that for now and go to the next chapter. Matthew has most of the action of Mark, but with the Sermon on the Mount, it dives into the Sayings of Jesus.
John focuses on Theology, but in my opinion, is the most poetic and “deep” of the Four Gospels.
The Book of Acts, written by Luke, reads like a Adventure Story. It chronicles the history of the Early Church.
Another translation I have just gotten into is the NLT (New Living Translation) with its latest update in 2007, published by Tyndale House. It is scholastically sound, and was worded to be read aloud, so it “flows” even better. I am enjoying this new translation and am reading it like a novel!
Since the King James was done in 1611, it is going to read like the era, with a lot of archaic words and expressions that might mean something else today. The Psalms are particularly beautiful though, as they have a cadence reminiscent of the sonnets and language of Shakespeare’s century.
The NIV is available on line at Bible gateway, but I love the feel of the book in my hands, the texture of the pages, the smell of the leather, and the rustle of the paper.
best wishes for your journey!
A wonderful translation is the Revised English Bible. It is a British translation that seems to be grossly overlooked in America. It uses contemporary language without sounding breezy or colloquial and avoids theological slants found in other translations such as the NIV.
My answer is YES!
My first bible was “Good News for Modern Man “...It is written so that even a child can understand it.. I had never read anything in the bible when I bought that.. so anything “complicated “ was beyond my understanding I started to read the gospels,which are an account of the life of Jesus.. then acts..tells you what the apostles did after the resurrection of Christ.. the “epistles” were just letters written to the various churches ..
The OT can be very hard because it is out of chronicle order ...But the book of Isaiah is prophetic and beautiful ..The psalms are prayers
You can still buy that version ..and I would recommend it highly for a new bible reader