What are your favorite Bible translations/paraphrases?

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Mine would have to be the New King James Version, the New International Version, and the New Living Translation.  I don't really like paraphrases that much because they are so different from the original text.

[asexual trans victimologist]

King James, New King James if I have to in the interests of clarity, New Revised Standard for academic purposes, Jerusalem or Confraternity if I need the Apocrypha for something.

[So the Heroes Fall]

My personal copy is the New Living Translation, and that's what my church typically uses.

[後援会]

The Bible Black.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

BTW: I think the King James Version is the best translation for literary purposes.  I'm taking a class on Old Testament literature right now and that's one of the translations that's been recommended.

[Zioneer]

Since I'm a Mormon, I use King James Version, as do all Mormon-printed Bibles. I've looked at other translations, but the rest just feel like they've lost something in trying to update it to modern vernacular.

As a side note, I thought this was going to be our favorite bible verses, and though I don't have a standard Christian Bible verse in mind, I do have my favorite Book of Mormon verse, which is 2nd Nephi Chapter 29 verse 3:

And because my words shall hiss forth—many of the Gentiles shall say: A Bible! A Bible! We have got a Bible, and there cannot be any more Bible.

[DC Al Fine]

I use ESV personally, although the KJV has a certain majestic element that no other translation can duplicate.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I use ESV personally, although the KJV has a certain majestic element that no other translation can duplicate.

Agreed.

[The Mikado]

KJV for pleasure reading, NSRV for scholarly citation.

NSRV sometimes goes a bit too far for me, like rendering "Leviathan" as "crocodile."  Crocodiles don't breathe fire.

[Sibboleth]

And Leviathan is such a pretty word as well.

[useful idiot]

I've used three translations as my primary Bible: the ESV, NASB, and NIV. The ESV is too political and driven by complementarianism for my taste. Its commitment to preserving patriarchal language is misleading (as misleading as the NRSV's gender-inclusiveness can be), and the fact that it's used and endorsed by guys I'm not fond of led to me switching away from it. I moved to the NASB, which my church uses, but it is just too woodenly literal; it's nearly impossible to read aloud without tripping over one's words. I disliked the old NIV but I think the new one (2011 update) is fantastic. I have yet to find a rendering I substantially disagree with in it, and although it over-interprets occasionally, I think it strikes an amazing balance with regards to gender and theologically sensitive passages. I take it to Bible studies and to church, and do my casual reading out of it.

When I want a formal-equivalence translation, or am doing any serious study, I'll compare it with the NASB and NRSV. I still use my ESV Study Bible as a quick reference for a conservative-leaning evangelical interpretation of a passage, and I use a New Interpreter's Study Bible (NRSV) for a moderate interpretation. I suppose if I wanted a thoroughly Historical-Critical study Bible I could shell out for a Harper-Collins Study Bible, but I don't really see a need when I can grab a liberal commentary from Liberty University's library here in town.

As for paraphrases, I love the Message, as Eugene Peterson is probably my favorite writer. If I'm studying a passage I will read it out of the Message just for kicks.

KJV for pleasure reading, NSRV for scholarly citation.

NSRV sometimes goes a bit too far for me, like rendering "Leviathan" as "crocodile."  Crocodiles don't breathe fire.

My NRSV says Leviathan, in Job, Psalms, and Isaiah

[So the Heroes Fall]

I probably actually read the New English Translation the most, just because that's the translation the app I have on my iPod uses alongside the KJV.

[useful idiot]

I probably actually read the New English Translation the most, just because that's the translation the app I have on my iPod uses alongside the KJV.

That's actually a great translation, and if you go on its website (net.bible.org), the notes that accompany the text are absolute gold. They are translational rather than interpretational, so they tell you why they chose to translate a certain word or phrase in a certain way, for almost every verse, and give you the possible alternatives. The notes are also great for comparing translations, so even if you're not using the NET, you can still look at the NET's note for the particular verse you want info for. It's all right there.

BTW, get the YouVersion app, it has almost every translation on it, including the NLT (another good translation), which you said you use.

[So the Heroes Fall]

I think I downloaded that one but it ran kind of weird, only tried for a few minutes though. This is the one I have now: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/holy-bible/id291877741?mt=8

The NET and NLT actually aren't too far off, so whenever the person speaking ever says that they didn't get a missal printed in time or they changed their sermon at the last minute so the verses on it aren't relating to it (there's one guy who does this a lot) and then they'll just put the usually NLT verses on the screen I usually just read it off my iPod instead, and they're never too far off. What I like about the above app is the KJV translation it has running aside the NET by default does the words of Jesus in red thing, so you can notice that even if reading the NET side.

[useful idiot]

I think I downloaded that one but it ran kind of weird, only tried for a few minutes though. This is the one I have now: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/holy-bible/id291877741?mt=8

The NET and NLT actually aren't too far off, so whenever the person speaking ever says that they didn't get a missal printed in time or they changed their sermon at the last minute so the verses on it aren't relating to it (there's one guy who does this a lot) and then they'll just put the usually NLT verses on the screen I usually just read it off my iPod instead, and they're never too far off. What I like about the above app is the KJV translation it has running aside the NET by default does the words of Jesus in red thing, so you can notice that even if reading the NET side.

Gotcha, yeah I haven't used it for the ipod, only for my android phone. Don't get too fond of the KJV, you might turn into a fundamentalist...

[anvi]

My comprehension of Hebrew is awful and of Greek is probably worse, so I am unable to judge the accuracy of the translations.  If I knew, I would pick the most accurate.  But the OP is about favorites.  Sure, KJV for literary purposes.  But, in my last phase of religiosity as a Catholic way, way back when, while also at the time being very interested in Biblical scholarship, I liked the Jerusalem and New Jerusalem Bibles a lot.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

Many people in my church insist on using the KJV or NKJV because they think it's closer to the original text (which is not necessarily true.)