Reputable Bibles
Digital Bibles
Study Bible (App) *w loads of connected resources to verses 😀
LSB 2021 🌟 (also at biblegateway.com)
NASB 95🌟
ESV (basically "easy to read meets nasb")
NLT (simple thought by thought version)
Others:
Geneva - the Bible Christians brought to America
Fun reading - Reformers old English versions online
Parallel feature. You can read 2 to 5 versions at a time to compare them at the same time.
Interlinear Bible feature. You can review the exact words from Hebrew or Greek that translate into English, as you read along.
Physical Bibles
Low cost physical Bible (cheap)
Kjv for reading along with dramatized audio (cheap)
LSB Legacy Standard Bible 2021 basic ver
NASB 1995 normal print size
NASB 1995 floral cover
NASB Large font
NASB giant font
Study Bible
LSB Legacy Standard Bible 2021 (soon)
Study Bible (app) *loads of free stuff inside [free]
NKJV Study Bible 95?
NASB Study Bible print 95?
NASB Study Bible ebook 95?
NASB Study Bible hardcover 95?
NASB Inductive Study Bible 95?
NKJV Evidence Study Bible
Addl Study Bible tools
App version is great for using along side your physical Bible. This free app has 95,000 cross references and 45,000 footnotes. Along with study messages verse by verse. Includes helpful articles, related blog posts, and FAQ, and has additional (fee) add on for helpful Commentary notes. Accessable by clicking the little letters in the verse to open that tab. The cross references are hyperlinks so you can read each one, utilize the above tools, and get back to reading your physical Bible. The app and majority of its contents are free and cover over 5,000 sermons and research from over 53 years in the pulpit and ministry. Are available in audio, video and transcript form between the app and gty.org. They have been many years globally on the radio prior to the internet, and youtube, and are also live streamed today, and saved in the archive vault with free access for all of us.
You can search Scripture for a word, either as a study or curiosity 😊. It will pull up a clickable infographic chart showing where the word appears and what parts of the Bible, and how many times it appears in the Bible. It is pretty fun.
Audio Bibles (free)
* match to version your reading
Studybible.org app already has audio feature in it.
NASB Dramatized (1995 ver)
Dramatized KJV (old English) very cool version
Youtube dramatized version kvj
NLT (easy to read version)
You can buy other audio versions, or listen thru app store downloads for fee elsewhere.
About the Legacy Standard Bible version :
The reason LSB was created, was because the nasb 2020 came out and recieved bad reviews; among Christians that translation was called "a step backwards" (from the 95 version). Plus LSB 2021 ver made really great translation decisions both on the text itself and proper usage of God's name Yahweh is used. They worked hard to ensure it was best possible literal to orig language. Many pastors are now also using it in the pulpit. Those who read it truly say its the best.
The publisher site has many types of options from single colum to double colomn w wide margins etc, and childrens versions. You can browse their site to look at the options. Home menu on left side should show them.
Versions to stay away from
...are all the 4 in the red zone of the chart, and many would also include the NIV. Most NIV you will find today are purposely altered for modern politics and gender, and have strayed away from the actual original languages meanings of words. Very dangerous! Words have meanings and altering the Bible distorts the Word of God. Stay far from any NIV Bible. Here's an in depth review on it. Even a basic skim shows the modern NIV should be avoided. I counred over 85 occurances where this publisher changed He, She, Man, Him, Her to a different word. They changed 40% of the words in the translation from '84 ver to the newest version. I don't care what fluffy or neat Bible studies they put into that version,we should avoid it. Note: Those "studies" could easily be published separate of the Bible text, to its own study guide, but they dont. Why?, if they put it in big heavy Bibles it brings in more $$ and the publisher, (at the same time using marketing tactics), tries to trap you in using that edited version.
If you happen to find a NIV 1984 ver. at a thrift shop, yardsale, estate sale, family heirloom, or used book online, then it's fine. But I would just avoid that version at all costs. Just before covid era, they pulled every digital 84 version off the internet to force people into the newer version. So avoid it. It is considered a corrupt version by most.
Far better versions are out there.
About study Bibles, today you can find studies of various kinds across the internet on reputable ministries sites, and can easily do sermon studies, [such as book by book at gty.org], you dont need those 2 in 1 books that publishers market. Marketers don't care if the book they sell and promote are reputable, theyre only looking at $$$$, but we who read the Bible are looking for accuracy.
Fortunately the NLT overtook the NIV in 2008 as the most popular version for those with 8th grade reading levels (likely as gifts for 7th, 8th and 9th graders, and those sort of illiterate, or those learning English, and those who dislike reading). NLT is nice for a simple read through the Bible, so you can grasp what is in Scripture before moving on to a more theologically sound version.
The NLT is fine for easy reading and for clarifying something a bit hard to understand in other versions. But adding a Bible in the green area to your reading "along side it" to really grasp Scripture is important, and adding a good commentary or doing studies from sermons will also help in those areas, [such as the studybible app]. And in general are good to pair with your daily reading.
Also theres a couple newer "versions" to be wary of: Passion, and the Message & Living Bible were written by an individual person and not a translation team. It was based on their perception and would be best to stay away from. Most stay away from the NRSV as the translation team included many who were not committed to the authority of the biblical text.
And theres a Queer version that was recently published, which should be avoided as it actually altered the Bible, by purposely removing words, and changing genders to neutral or other, to fit the pro lgbt agenda. They altered God's Word.
So just stick with the trustworthy versions in the green area of the above shown chart.
If you are in the mid reading range [8th and 9th grade, sort of illiterate, learning English, or have a hard time reading], I would recommend the NLT or ESV. It is basically a mix of NASB and easy readability of NIV-like. It was meant as a higher quality version for low reader skills. But is a good version as you see on the chart for reliability.
Otherwise I just recommend the 95 NASB or the '21 LSB. They are much better versions for reading & studying Scripture.
Check your literacy rate here (last section )
Indepth look at versions published prior to 2010, if it interests you.
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