https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/

read it in any version you wish.

That should read, "16 added verses in the KJV." The NIV is from older mss than the KJV.

The first two are translations. The fact that you say they are not is evidence of your lack of understanding.

No, they are not. No, they are based on a text type that are only the oldest of THAT text type and of that type, it is nased on 2 uncials that date from 325 and are full of corrections and erasurers. Those types are Alexandrian texts. Not the oldest, not the best, and certainly the least amount of ancient text. Alexandrian text makes up less than 10% of all ancient texts. Try again.

That still makes them translations...

We don't have any originals. I'm not sure what you are looking for.

We also have very few texts that date before the 4th century.

P52 is arguably the earliest manuscript we have (dates c. 125 CE). It contains a tiny bit of John 18 on either side. It's only the size of a business cared and is fragmentary.

P46 Dates around 200. It contains 10 letters attributed to Paul, including Hebrews (not Pauline).

Otherwise, you start looking at Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus (4th century codices), and Codex Vaticanus (5th century).

[[[Further - there are no two ancient manuscripts of biblical texts that are exactly the same. All have variants, accidents, etc.]]]

JG -

Biblegateway.com offers basically any translation you'd ever want to read, for free.

Study them all and live by them.

If Jesus is your Savior, it won't matter which version you use.

or which church you go to.

Listened to that man many years when I was in the tractor or pu. Some times in the car now. My little radio in the house won't pick up the station and can't get it on my computer. Like his sense of humor. He died many years ago but his programs are still broadcast, that says something.

The internet and electricity might not be around forever.

They are not always around now.

Printed books still have a place in my life. Same as cast iron skillets, axes, fishing poles and damn good rifles.

It matters if there is a version I can read and understand faster. But thank you for your unsolicited advice.

That's fine. Just mentioning a free option. YMMV in terms of preferring a digital or print volume. I prefer print, too.

Unsolicited?!? You started this thread and asked for advice.

No, I asked for FAVORITE version. And that reply was to a "it doesn't matter" statement. It does matter, that's the point. And the reply has nothing to do with jdk1985.

KJV. What Jesus spoke! I just like the sound of what I learned as a child. The true 1611 version gets a little difficult, I'll admit.

New American Standard 95 version for us. That is the version we read and memorize in

King James. I don’t want any watered down versions or “easy to read” stuff.

Can’t go wrong with NIV or ESV. I always liked how the NIV reads…easy to read, but doesn’t feel watered down. I don’t have nostalgic feelings about KJV; it always seemed unnecessarily flowery to me. Nothing wrong with it though.

I often look @ several to see the differences. Some are striking. I found that NIV leaves out to many important parts. I use the NLT on my daily post on FB because the people I want to reach need an easier way to understand what the verse is saying. That being said if you have never read John Gill's commentary you don't know what you are missing. John Gill 1697-1771 The way that he used ancient literature to discuss almost every single sentence is truly amazing. If you enjoy really studying Gods Word I HIGHLY recommend you google his work.

https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/

NIV, ESV

KJV here.

03/03/2021

Was the last post until this morning.

If man had anything to do with it, it's flawed.

Favorite? That's an easy one:

Ecclesiastes 10:1

"The heart of the wise inclines to the right, but the heart of the fool to the left"