Which Version (Translation) of the Bible to Use

This is an extremely hard question to answer:
 
1. The discussion about Bible versions to use is a repeat of one we had less than a year ago! You end up in 
circular arguments and catch 22s. The Katamaros (The Book of Daily Readings) in our Church uses KJV, 
actually it is done by cut and paste from KJV. So, for us to dialogue about the Bible and have good 
discussion about it, it is more expedient to use the same version.  
 
2. For Bible studies, it is a good idea for serious Bible study to have a parallel edition, they are sold in all 
Christian Book Stores, with three or four versions to compare the different translations. Also, a more 
useful tool is a Greek New Testament with common translation and linear (literal) translation. Those are 
more difficult to follow, but are extremely valuable. 
 
3.  For your information, the most common Arabic translation of the Bible is distributed by the American 
Bible Society, and is a translation to Arabic from KJV. It is not an original work. We all grew up with that  
Arabic version. I don't like it, but it is common. The Coptic Church official Arabic version is not 
commonly available. 
 
4. The idea of translating the New Testament from Coptic is in my opinion not  a good idea, because you 
will be adding infidelity to infidelity. Has nothing to do with languages, but has a lot to do with 
Linguistics. Anytime you translate one language to another, you loose some of the fidelity of the original. 
For this reason, please save the effort. If we want to do a real service, we should go back to the Greek, and 
we should. 
 
5. I also challenge the scholars to find gross inaccuracies or plain errors, and there might be some. Point 
them out and ask the International Bible Society for action to correct such if any!  
 
6. For our Church to adopt another version for Church use, I believe that it will require a careful 
examination by the Holy Synod. These things also tend to take a long time because they are serious 
matters. Here is some explanation of the different translations origins from the Home Page of the 
International Bible Society: 
 
New International Version (NIV)  
     The New International Version is a translation of the Bible made by over a hundred scholars 
     working from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. The goals of the translators 
     were to produce an accurate translation that would have clarity and literary quality. The NIV had 
     its beginning in 1965. The NIV New Testament was published in 1973, and the Old Testament 
     was finished in 1978.  
 
New American Standard Bible (NASB)  
     While preserving the literal accuracy of the 1901 ASV, the NASB has sought to render 
     grammar and terminology in contemporary English. Special attention has been given to the 
     rendering of verb tenses to give the English reader a rendering as close as possible to the sense 
     of the original Greek and Hebrew texts.  
 
Revised Standard Version (RSV)  
     The Revised Standard Version (New Testament, 1946; Old Testament, 1952) is one of the 
     most widely read translations of the Scriptures. Formally, the RSV is a revision of the 
     AV(Authorized Version of 1611, otherwise known as the King James Version) and the ASV 
     (American Standard Version of 1901), utilizing the best texts available at the time.  
 
King James Version (KJV)  
     In 1604, King James I of England authorized that a new translation of the Bible into English be 
     started. It was finished in 1611, just 85 years after the first translation of the New Testament into 
     English appeared (Tyndale, 1526). The Authorized Version, or King James Version, quickly 
     became the standard for English-speaking Protestants. Its flowing language and prose rhythm 
     has had a profound influence on the literature of the past 300 years.  
 
American Standard Version (ASV)  
     First published in 1901, this has long been regarded as the most literal translation of the Bible. 
     This makes the ASV very popular for careful English Bible study, but not for ease of reading. 
     While the KJV was translated entirely from "western manuscripts," the ASV was influenced also 
     by the older "eastern manuscripts" that form the basis for most of our modern English 
     translations.  
 
Darby Translation  
     First published in 1890 by John Nelson Darby, an Anglo-Irish bible teacher associated with the 
     early years of the Plymouth Brethren. Darby also published translations of the Bible in French 
     and German.  
 
Young's Literal Translation (YLT)  
     The Bible text designated YLT is from the 1898 Young's Literal Translation by Robert Young 
     who also compiled Young's Analytical Concordance. This is an extremely literal translation that 
     attempts to preserve the tense and word usage as found in the original Greek and Hebrew 
     writings. The text was scanned from a reprint of the 1898 edition as published by Baker Book 
     House, Grand Rapids Michigan. The book is still in print and may be ordered from Baker Book 
     House. Obvious errors in spelling or inconsistent spellings of the same word were corrected in 
     the computer edition of the text.  
 
7. Finally, I believe that all the conventional versions: KJV, NKJV, NIV, RSV, NASB are acceptable.  
The question is which one to use for daily readings, and which ones to use for Bible Study. One has to 
stick to a single version to be able to memorize a few verse of the Holy Bible. Don't forget that above all 
things, we need the guidance of the Holy Spirit through prayers and supplications to get the true meaning 
of the Word of God. Asking your forgiveness. God Bless. 
 
Ekhristos Ansety, Christ Is Risen Indeed! 
 
William Hanna 
St. Louis, Missouri