Recommend a bible/place to purchase?

Lenin Skynard

Hey all. For a while I've been looking to get myself a decent copy of the bible for various purposes. I'd like to make a project of reading the whole thing to fill in gaps in my knowledge and I also need it for reference. I've had various copies of the very thin-paged paperback ones that do the rounds but I'd like something better quality and more durable.

I need it to have both new testament and old testament. I was thinking of buying one of the English language versions rather than the traditional King James for the sake of readability but I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not?

Anyways, ideally I'd like to find one online, preferably from a seller within Ireland, hardback would be nice but I know it'd stretch the budget a bit. I'd like the pages to be a good thickness too with no seepthrough.

Any and all thoughts or suggestion welcomed and appreciated.

Manach

You could try Veritas?. They have an online presence as well as bricks & motor. There both have a wide variety of different types of Bibles plus numerous commentaries are available.

keano_afc

I'd recommend a new King James for you. It has the content of the original King James but without the thees thous and wilts.

Alternatively, the English Standard Version is good. I use the ESV for reading and the NKJV for sermon and study prep.

homer911

If paper quality etc is important to you, you really need to get into a Christian Bookshop where they can advise you of the benefits of each format and translation - where are you located and perhaps people can make recommendations? If in Dublin City, there is Veritas, Footprints and the National Bible Society to name three. There are many good Christian bookshops around the country, but they are generally low profile

uck51js9zml2yt

New king James is about the truest of the modern versions. Its a translation, not a paraphrase.
There are Christian bookshops on abbey st Christian publications centre and Talbot st ,footprints.

I normally buy online at a fraction of the price. Normally from the US.

Lenin Skynard

There is actually a Christian bookshop just around the corner from me and I'd thought to go in but I tend to be useless in shops when confronted with choosing from multiple options of a similar item and more often than not, I regret my choice. So I figured I could research a little more if buying online.

I didn't know there was a new King James version, that sounds about right for what I'm looking for. Maybe I can have a good look online and find a rough ballpark of what I'm after and then head into that bookshop and ask.

Thanks again.

uck51js9zml2yt

I've used this website several times and found them good to deal with.

http://www.christianbook.com/nkjv-second-edition-bonded-leather-black/9780718020804/pd/020804

I normally get a real leather cover as its more flexible and lasts longer, though the bonded leather is a good start.

This is the one I normally use

I never have a problem with customs due their being no VAT on books here an the low value.

Nick Park

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

There is actually a Christian bookshop just around the corner from me and I'd thought to go in but I tend to be useless in shops when confronted with choosing from multiple options of a similar item and more often than not, I regret my choice. So I figured I could research a little more if buying online.

I didn't know there was a new King James version, that sounds about right for what I'm looking for. Maybe I can have a good look online and find a rough ballpark of what I'm after and then head into that bookshop and ask.

Thanks again.

If you go to http://www.biblegateway.com you can read chapters of the Bible from dozens of English translations. Find out which translations work best for you, then ask at a Christian bookshop if they have any of them in stock.

Cen taurus

Apparently you can obtain a free hardback bible at the website below, by completing 10 bible quizzes.

www .freebible .ie

It's the NIV version, which is a pretty good and very readable version of the Protestant Bible.

I'm not in any way associated with the site, so other than that I don't know much about it.

Lenin Skynard

Cen taurus wrote: »

Apparently you can obtain a free hardback bible at the website below, by completing 10 bible quizzes.

www .freebible .ie

It's the NIV version, which is a pretty good and very readable version of the Protestant Bible.

I'm not in any way associated with the site, so other than that I don't know much about it.

It's been a while but I thought I'd post in here anyways, in case somebody is in the same situation as I was.

I did buy a King James bible from the liturgical book shop. I'd had a read through the different styles and find it to be quite readable once you keep going. The copy I bought was a €10 paperback and not very durable but it does the job.

However, I also completed the quizzes on the website linked to me by the poster I quoted above. It took the people from the website a while to send out the book (10 weeks or so), but it is indeed a very nice copy of the NIV bible. It' hardback and very nicely printed. Well worth doing if you're looking for a bible.

Labarbapostiza

Is there any particular text that's used by bible scholars.

That would be, the bible text, plus a side by side commentary.

leonil7

bought the latest edition of the Reformation Study Bible 2015, ESV, leather bound. if you buy it in the US (cheaper), it is excluded from customs tax. can buy from Amazon and a lot of other online stores. make sure its the 2015, as there are 2 previous editions.

Nick Park

Labarbapostiza wrote: »

Is there any particular text that's used by bible scholars.

That would be, the bible text, plus a side by side commentary.

Real scholars would tend to use the Hebrew and Greek texts. And they would never rely on one commentary.

Peregrinus

The question of which edition is best does depend on what you want it for. If you're doing systematic bible study, you might want one with lots of explanatory notes, contextual material, notes about possible alternative translations of particular phrases, etc.

On the other hand, it its for prayer and reflection, you might prefer one with a good, flowing English style - i.e. a good literary style might be more important to you than technical accuracy at the expense of a stilted style.

Nick's suggestion that you browse Biblegateway.com is a good one - they have scores of translations, so you can e.g. pick a chapter or two that you are already familiar with, and then read them in several different translations. Pick one or two translations that you like, then go to Veritas or Footprints or similar and see if they have a hard-copy version of one of those translations that appeals to you.

The thing is, though, that Biblegateway has an awful lot of translations that would not be easily available in hard copy, especially if you are requiring hard copies with good binding, good typography, etc. (A lot of bibles are produced to be affordable, which means they can skimp a bit on paper quality, binding, typography and design. From what you say, that's not what you're looking for.)

So you might do best to concentrate on the most popular translations that are available in many hard-copy editions, and find one you like. Your chances of then getting a hard copy that you like are better. The most popular translations are the Revised Standard Version, the New Revised Standard Version, the New International Version, the Authorized Version, the New American Bible, the Jerusalem Bible, the New Jerusalem Bible. You should be able to find a selection of printed editions of all these translations without too much difficulty.

The Jerusalem Bible isn't on Biblegateway.com - copyright issues, I imagine - but I mention it because it's one of the translations that often gets praised for its literary qualities and so might be of interest to you. It is available online elsewhere, if you google it.

On edit: One other factor that you may wish to bear in mind is that not all bibles contain the same range of texts. Different traditions within Christianity have slightly different lists of the works that they regard as canonical scripture. As regards the New Testament, they're all identical; they contain the same books. But as regards the Old Testament, most Protestant traditions recognize only 39 books, the Catholics recognize 46, the Orthodox 51. (Though you won't find too many Orthodox translations on sale in Ireland.) Depending on the "stable" that your translation comes from, it may have more, or fewer, books in the Old Testament. Some translations are available in alternative editions - for example the Revised Standard Version generally has 39 OT books, while the Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition has 46.

Whether this matters to you is up to you. For most Christians using the Bible for prayer, reflection and devotion, my take is that it doesn't matter a great deal. The Bible that you will read, however many books it has in the OT, is going to be of more use to you than the Bible that you will not read. All other things being equal, perhaps, you might choose between two otherwise equally attractive editions on the basis of which one conforms to the particular Christian tradition that you identify with.

Terrlock

Download e-sword for the PC, you can also get it for a mobile phone.

You can use that to download lots of versions of the bible and even let you look at the original Hebrew and Greek word meanings.

Great tool if you seriously want to study the bible.