HOW TO BUY THE BEST BIBLE
You’ve decided to buy a Bible. Great! The best Bible for you to buy is the one you’ll read, so let’s find the best one for you. If you’re new at this, it can be quite overwhelming. If you’re not new at this, you may still need some guidance on how to find what you want. There are so many different types of Bibles.
Before you go shopping at your local store, or go looking online, spend some time getting familiar with the differences and similarities of your options.
The first question you need to address is: Why are you buying a Bible?
Are you
- Buying your first Bible for yourself
- Buying an additional Bible for yourself
- Buying a Bible as a gift
Your answer to this question will help narrow the options and make your buying choices so much easier.
Before you click one of those three options, let’s take a look at this page. To your left (or above if you’re on a phone) is a navigation tool that will help you explore the various features of the bible you will buy. The most important of these will be the translation you choose. You’ll want to take a careful look at the options listed on that page, then dig deeper for the one you like the best.
Three translations from a list of many
Next in importance is deciding between a study Bible, a devotional Bible or a Bible with just the text of the original Bible (no extras added by the editors).
And finally, of course, is price. You can spend anywhere from $10 to $100 on a Bible, depending on what features you choose.
The information provided here should help you choose wisely. If you have a pretty good sense of what you want, click ahead to your next page. If not, read on.
A few basics about the Bible before you click ahead. The reason there are so many options is because the Bible was not originally written in English. When you translate any language, there are many options you can choose for a given word of the original text. The Bible has been translated into English since the 14th century (that’s the 1300’s). That’s a lot of time to translate a lot of different versions. But every translation is working from the same original text, so the differences are not dramatic.
Every Bible will include the text of the Old Testament and the New Testament. You can also buy the New Testament as a separate book. (It’s pretty rare to find a copy of just the Old Testament.) And almost every Bible will come with a set of maps at the end of the book.
Every Bible will have the Old and New Testaments
For more information about the content of the Bible you can choose the “Next Steps” link from the navigation tool. But first, focus on your buying choices. Once you’ve bought your Bible, come back and explore the “Next Steps” information.
As I sit in my living room, I can see about a dozen copies of the Bible on my bookshelf. And the two I use the most are currently sitting on the dining table. First is the one I inherited from my mother when she died, that I am currently using for my daily Bible reading. Second is the copy that I take to church with me on Sunday, the one I use for studying and for looking up passages. I have quite a bit of experience buying Bibles and I probably own one of each of the most popular translations. I also have a degree from a Bible college in Christian Education, so the Bible was actually my textbook for most of my classes. I have so many Bibles because I love to read it. For me it is a source of direction, inspiration and hope.
Now it’s your turn. Click ahead to the pages that will be most helpful to you. And let me know what you decide. When you get a chance, fill out the contact form that you can access on the right. I’d love to hear from you.