What translation?

What translation? The basic Bible that you use regularly ought to be a translation that is accurate and literal. You must be exposed to what God said exactly, even if you find a more literal translation not so easy to read. If we believe that God inspired all the words of the Bible, we must know precisely what those words are. While it is true that any translation has to take some liberties in the nature of translating, you should have one that takes as few as possible. The King James is literal but the language archaic. The New King James is literal with updated language. The American Standard Version (1901) is literal but not widely used today. It has been largely replaced by the New American Standard version, which is literal. The Revised Standard Version is also literal, though some liberal theological biases show up in it. No literal translation will read as smoothly as a freer one, but you need one for detailed, in-depth study.

You may also want a freer translation for easier and faster reading. The Modern Language Bible is more on the literal side though not quite as literal as the others I mentioned. The New International Version stands about midway between the literal translations and the true paraphrases. It could be labeled a free translation. Today’s English Version is somewhat freer than the New International Version and its vocabulary is simpler. The New English Bible is still a little freer, but it is not widely used in the United States. The Living Bible is an example of a true paraphrase that many have found very helpful. But be cautious about using a free translation or a paraphrase alone or always.

Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie’s Concise Guide to the Bible (San Bernardino, CA: Here’s Life Publishers, 1983), 56.