The Bible and modren language

[catmandu42]

Has anyone ever written a version of the bible using modren language? I’ve poked around, but haven’t found a version that omits all the “thou shalt” stuff for the more modren “you will”. Just wondering if there is such an animal, or would that be heretical in some way?

[caracal]

This site lists a few. I’m sure you can do a search to find online versions of each if you want to check them out.

[Mr2001]

:singing: With parts made in Japan, I am the modren man!

[robinc308]

Sure, there are heaps.

For many of the translations in the link provided by caracal try this site.

The Message is a translation of the bible that uses completely modern language. It’s not as word for word accurate as other translations, but rather attempts to translate the meaning rather than the words in a modern context including modern idioms.

[kniz]

King James still out sells all the others. Why? Well prose is for secular material and poetry is for spiritual material.

[Urban_Ranger]

Now that’s an amazing discovery.

KJV is for one thing a lot more well known than other versions, and is reasonably accurate. Therefore it is generally used as a baseline to compare to other versions.

[Squink]

Today’s English Version

This modern version of the Bible in mid-20th century American English, prepared by a group of American biblical scholars, is also known as the Good News Bible. Taking advantage of the many archaeological and manuscript discoveries as well as the insights of linguistic and biblical scholarship since the 16th century it was designed to meet the needs of a world-wide explosion of evangelism in a secular world where English had become the dominant international language and a familiarity with traditional theological terminology could not be assumed.

[Achernar]

I’m not sure what exactly the OP means by heretical, but there are definitely some people who would vehemently condemn these modern translations. There are people who would vehemently condemn any Engilsh translation other than KJV.

[Exapno_Mapcase]

*Originally posted by kniz *
**King James still out sells all the others. Why? Well prose is for secular material and poetry is for spiritual material. **

I’m curious about this. I don’t think that it’s true, but I don’t have good data on it. My feeling is that the Christian presses, like Zondervan and its many variations of the New International Version, far outsell everything else these days.

This site lists bible bestsellers and the KJV is number 13 with several Oxfords and NIVs about it, but I don’t know how comprehensive it is.

This other site also has other bibles listed ahead of any KJV.

I think there is a Christian Bookstore Association that keeps its own bestseller list, but I couldn’t find one, and Christian bookstores probably don’t keep tabs on sales of Catholic bibles.

kniz, do you have a cite for your assertion?

[toadspittle]

*Originally posted by Mr2001 *
**:singing: With parts made in Japan, I am the modren man! **

:singing: I’m just a man whose circumstances went beyond his control!
Hmm. Kilroy sounds a lot like old JC himself!