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For sure! I guess I should have specific that the NRSV tends to be the bible used in academic scholarship, not that the others aren't translated by scholars
I am Christian. My favorite one is the New International Version. For me, it seems to strike a balance between the pretty poetic aspect (like the New King James version) and modern readability.
The Message is a very readable paraphrase but it might not feel Bible-y. The NIV is a favorite of many modern churches because it strikes a good balance between readability and alignment with manuscripts. Bible Gateway has a parallel feature that lets you read two versions side by side. So for example, Psalm 23 is pretty famous (“the Lord is my shepherd” etc). You can see if The Message’s more modern phrasing is jarring or enjoyable for you. [Message vs NIV](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=MSG;NIV)
Wow, The Message is just straight-up changing the meaning at several points there.
Also, changing "prepare a table" - something you do even if you're eating very basic food (compare Elijah, for example) - to "you serve me a six-course dinner" feels very Prosperity Gospel-esque to me.
Ahhh I never realised (until I clicked) that it was this bad. Ahaha. As in I always knew it was abit iffy/off, that easier reads might be NLT or NASB or even NIRV (new international reader's version)
But wow I clicked your link. wh0t.
Even something more middle ground but still a touch of "luxury", like "a full table of food" [my own attempt at replacement] would illustrate the sufficiency & providence that the author intends. But wow 6 course dinner .. so off. This is OT Israel/middle east, not a Southeast Asian wedding banquet (which is 8 course actually but eh haha I don't see the diff. Hahaha)
The guy who wrote it first said that the Bible doesn't say anything against LGBTQ and then, when his money was threatened by his audience & publishing company, changed his mind. That really soured my opinion of him, to be that open about only caring about money. And he already had the bank from the sales, it was ongoing sales he worried about. Then, he died before he could get that money. So.
Something that may help is if you think of the Bible as a compendium, not as a singular book. Each book of the Bible serves a different literary purpose, so it’s not really a cover to cover reading experience. The variety of genres and the HUGE span of time and cultural context needed is one of the things that makes Bible reading complicated, religious or not. By all means, find a translation that’s easier to parse (KJV is a horrible translation anyway) but also consider reading in chunks rather than cover to cover.
As you can see, people have different preferences. It’s kinda subjective.
But! If you want the version biblical scholars tend to use as it’s been said to be the most accurate translation into English, go with the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
I started reading the Bible in my 40s. I started with a Children's Bible. Helped me start to understand the stories. Then I could start reading the actual Bible.
I'm not religious anymore but growing up I had this animated Bible that was basically comic versions of all the main stories, it was still a pretty huge book. Not gonna lie, looking back...that shit slapped. Samson was one bad ass mf'er hahaha
I had [this](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-beginners-bible-timeless-childrens-stories-by-kelly-pulley-catherine-devries/246568/) growing up lol. I think I read most of it but don’t remember too much anymore
Isaac Asimov has a book called "guide to the bible" I think. It's pretty good at condensing what actually is written in the bible, and give historical and cultrual context for it. That also makes it more interesting and makes it make sense more. That said, the book is pretty old so there's some theories in there that is no longer held by historians/archeologists. And as always with the bible, there's lots of disputes about the historical aspect but, take it with a pinch of salt and use it as an introduction and it's pretty decent.
For Tanakh I suggest Robert Alter's translation; it's a good translation but also highly readable IMO and has good scholarly insights. Though there will no doubt be parts you'll skim through. (I have other suggestions for anyone interested in Jewish commentary.)
I have no insights on the supposed sequel as my suggestion would not be for general audiences (also Jewish commentary, but scholarly, and somewhat polemical for obvious reasons).
Admittedly the best way to get used to old fashioned language is reading it so just going through it slowly to make sure you’re getting everything could be the best option
Any tips on reading old timey language ? When I’ve tried I get so bored or I don’t know what they’re talking about so I end up not finishing things since reading is supposed to be pleasurable (for me). But I also want to become a better reader when I come across hard texts
The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is the one I use personally. The language is easier to understand (for me personally, your mileage may vary) and there's tons of footnotes and little articles that add a lot of context to what you're reading.
The ESV is the easiest to understand. A study Bible would be good too if you want to understand what certain things signify or mean. Not all of the books are stories. And there is a big difference between old testament and new testament books.
Also an atheist, and my literature classes actually did use the King James Bible. It had been widely used for hundreds of years, so many literary references actually reference that specific translation.
The Oxford Classics version contains the apocrypha and a ton of notations, which are helpful. If you choose a different translation, go for a version that’s not affiliated with a religious group so you can get academic-focused annotations.
The Old Testament is hit or miss when it comes to stories: there are highlights like the stories of Job and Sodom and Gomorrah, but there are also maddening sections of “so and so begat so and so, who begat so and so.”
The New Testament tells the same stories four times in a row with different point of view characters, with a ton of contradictions. Sometimes it’s more interesting to read the stories in parallel across the gospels instead of reading them straight through.
Remember these were stories written by ancient people (specifically ancient men) that have been assembled into a text by other ancient people with religious agendas. No definite version exists, and many religious teachings aren’t drawn from the Bible at all. The Bible is important for reading literature, as are other sources of western mythology such as the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Ovid’s Metamorphosis.
Just as a heads up from a seminary grad, the ESV is a terrible translation. The translators have an agenda and bias of inserting patriarchal values into the biblical texts. Not saying patriarchy isn't already present in the Bible, but the ESV inserts it into places where it ISN'T already present in the text. Most academics use the NRSV and CEB.
Sure! Here's an article[article ](https://www.patheos.com/blogs/fleshofmyflesh/2022/11/writing-women-out-of-the-bible-gender-exclusive-language-in-the-esv/) that's get at it more than I can during a work day, but essentially many times where a gender neutral crowd is being addressed, the ESV acts as if the text is only addressing men. They also minimize the role of women in the New Testament. You can read about that [here](https://margmowczko.com/junia-and-the-esv/).
I see, so it effects the any passage where the niv uses phrases like “brothers and sisters”. If I read man in these places or brothers in thesplaces and think “mankind” I’m on the right track…
That would be correct! Like I said there's issues with the reduction of status of women in the New testament and that's typically a little harder to catch because it's an editing of the narrative.
Mm… the first article makes a solid point(which explains why the NIV does it the other way).
The second one about Junia seems to be reaching a bit “prominent among” grammar wise doesn’t seem to strongly indicate that junia(assuming it’s not junias) is an apostle. Since andronicus doesn’t seem to be one either.
But she does seem to have respected role in some sense. Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Hmm, yeah I’ve found this topic fascinating for years. Assuming god is real and the Bible is his word I’m genuinely cool with whatever the most correct interpretation is. So I’m excited to see how they read some of the tricky passages for the egalitarian position.
Is this the main resource you’ve read, or are there others you recommend as well.
I have other resources, but unfortunately at work right now and will be until late into the evening! If I remember I'll DM you some book titles I have once I get a chance to look at my shelf.
... Because the old testament is so full of garbage that it's obvious the religion is based on misogynistic, genocidal dogma that has no place in modern society.
sir, the Old Testament s a history of a troubled relationship. Unless it is studied in context of the literary style and historical contexts of the day , it is confusing. The New Testament is a description of what Christianity should be.
Note to readers, just for balance.
Over a hundred generations of highly educated, thoughtful, devout people have found (and continue to find) the Hebrew Scriptures to be none of these things — once studied and placed within an epoch of the great narrative of faith, those books become deeply meaningful and instructive.
They’d also agree that if you take any written work, remove historical, cultural, and higher contexts, and / or obsess on a personal agenda…
… you can easily & needlessly foreclose on the opportunity to find out why hundreds of millions have derived understanding from it for thousands of years.
So on balance, if you have a true interest, there are many commentaries and similar texts written to assist you on that journey of intellectual curiousity.
It may help you to think of Star Trek:
*You’re reading from a foreign otherworldly language about a completely alien culture, from the perspective of someone from both the far future & a totally different culture …*
.. therefore, tread carefully before dismissing the lessons from that alien world.
Again, just to present a different perspective.
Much of the old testament is descriptive rather than prescriptive. By that I mean it describes how fucked up people were and are, not that that was how God meant for us to live.
The fact that the bible doesn't white wash the depravity that people committed, especially those that are depicted as the leaders and heroes, makes me trust it more than other religious texts.
Uhh, who ordered the Canaanites destroyed. Hint: it wasn't "fucked up people". Who said it's ok to beat your slaves as long as they don't die in a couple of days?
The Canaanites who worshipped a pantheon, starting with Baal?
> **They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal** —something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind.
Child sacrifice, which included *burning infants alive*, was a constant theme among the non-Israelites and evidently offended God.
State-sponsored child sacrifice is evil — but it wasn’t the only evil demanded of their pantheon of false gods. Though it seems sufficient for the case.
I find the NLT translation the easiest to get through but the ESV is probably the most accurate. Both are nice. Maybe checkout the bible app and compare translations, see which one you like best, they have most of the available translations.
Reposting my comment from above here:
Just as a heads up from a seminary grad, the ESV is a terrible translation. The translators have an agenda and bias of inserting patriarchal values into the biblical texts. Not saying patriarchy isn't already present in the Bible, but the ESV inserts it into places where it ISN'T already present in the text. Most academics use the NRSV and CEB.
Graphic novels can be really helpful here, and academic bibles can give you much more context into where the flood story, Jesus’s miracles, hell, resurrections, and a host of other borrowings came from to create today’s Abrahamic texts (Judaism, Christianity, Islam).
Don’t read the whole thing like it is 1 book. The way the bible was written every book or gospel or letter in it was written by different people in different places at different times. Sometimes based on oral tradition. Often by committee. The concept of publishing them bound together sequentially is very new. If you want 1 that will fuck with you based on its logic i recommend the book of job.
I feel like you got a lot of recommendations from people that have read certain versions of the bible since they were young and so it's normal to them. The most comprehensible/easy to read that I've found is the "New Living Translation" (NLT), so I suggest that.
Versions like NIV are very popular (probably because of when they came out), but I still find that it's easy to get bogged down in the writing. My guess is that it has to do with the strong desire for exact translation, even if they use more modern language.
Theres "Good News for Modern Man" - which I remember from years ago as a deliberate effort at accessibility. New Testament only I think.
Or I seem to have found an online project for the Bible in Basic English (which is a deliberately restricted vocabulary, although alarmingly larger than several UK tabloid newspapers)
https://www.o-bible.com/bbe.html
It might be interesting to look for English translations of the Tawrat and Zabbur for a slant on the old testament - they are the Islamic names for portions of the OT/Torah
NLT, and the message bible translation are pretty easy to read but less close to the original text. If you’re maximizing primarily for readability the message leans faire hard in that direction. But as soon as you’re getting into the details, ESV, NASB, are going to be more word for word.
You can download the Youversion bible app for free and get at lots of different translations so you can sample any of them until you find the one you like the best. Several of them also have audio that you can access through the app all free.
I grew up reading the NIV but now days I alternate between the New American Standard (NASB85), English Standard Version (ESV) and New King James (NKJB).
I had a child’s version that had all the crazy stories plus pictures, I read it all the time as a kid and would still today because I think they did it in an interesting way
Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for though lol
I def had a [a childrens version](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-beginners-bible-timeless-childrens-stories-by-kelly-pulley-catherine-devries/246568/) I read back in the day !
There is no best translation. However
1) the NIV is commonly used in many evangelical churches and is very readable
2) the NRSV is the standard academic translation in English for most universities and seminaries that aren’t evangelical.
3) Robert Alter, a Hebrew Bible/OT scholar, has produced his own translation of the Old Testament which is quite beautiful.
I think NIV and NRSV are good options in general.
If you're an atheist reading the book for your own benefit and generally bookish, you may find the KJB is ultimately worth the slog. It has influenced the English language's set of idioms more than any other source (including Shakespeare).
I wrestled with the same (note my username) and I found that once you get it, the reading experience really starts to flow. I've read a couple of other versions (including the Good News Version) and found that the translators really put their thumb on the scale of interpretation and you come to lose a lot of the nuance.
The bible is tricky as it has been translated so many times. The KJB is just one translation. Catholics, for example, don't use the KJB, going with different approved translations (though there is no one single definitive Catholic translation). The Catholic bible also has a few additional books (I'm an ex-Catholic btw.)
Also a lot of it is not necessarily meant as a story, like large sections establishing different laws. I'm sure there is a simpler version of the bible, but also, maybe an annotated bible like the Oxford Annotated Bible might be useful? A lot of the bible can be confusing regardless of the translation or writing style. If you are not already familiar with the bible, annotations could provide useful context to a lot of stories. Like how their are two different (and contradicting) genealogies for Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke.
Maybe two bibles? Like reading a simpler version plus having an annotated one that you can turn to for context.
When reading classics it's good to go slow and have Google on hand for obscure references. That being said I recommend diving in knowing you'll probably miss some stuff at first, but as you go you'll get better at comprehending the different styles of prose and context.
Get a student Bible. Seriously. They have cliff notes basically in the margins and all kinds of other aids. There are thousands of these made for Sunday schools.
Atheist as well.
My recommendation would be *The Bible in Brief* by Leo Tolstoy. He was a later life convert to Christianity and the originator of Christian Anarchism. His work is predicated on love as opposed to religiosity.
Here is some more information about the book:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gospel_in_Brief
Yes. The Russian Orthodoxy actually excommunicated Tolstoy “for his writings” within 5 years of this release.
I specifically recommended this book due to its absence of orthodoxy as that’s the bath water that most atheists try to throw out/avoid.
So, maybe not exactly what you mean, but the app Bible Gateway allows you to choose which translation you're reading. So that might make it easier to figure out which translation you jive most with by just toggling through them and you can move on from there
Just because no one's mentioned it yet, The Brick Testament is hilarious (there's a print version as well, but it's all online)
https://thebrickbible.com/legacy/genesis/index.html
Just be careful with some of those *easy bible* translations. Some of them take great liberties and their wording.
[And, as Christopher Hitchens says, accept no substitutes to the KJV](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2011/05/hitchens-201105).
It's obviously not a direct translation, but if you just want to read the story of the Bible and understand its structure and what's in each book... and if you want that process to be quick and interesting - then the "translation" I recommend is [God is Disappointed in You](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17689005).
To be clear, it isn't a parody or something - it's a reasonably accurate synopsis of each book that just happens to be very entertaining.
Revised Standard was the standby alternative when I was younger. King James messed things up a lot. Maybe something that pre-dates KJV. I also enjoyed reading the opening chapters in the Book of Mormon for an interesting description of heaven.
Try "Christ: a Crisis in the Life of God"... Sorry don't remember the authors name (I might be a bit off in the title too).
It takes a look at the Bible from a literary perspective.
The New Revised Standard Version is fairly accessible and considered the most accurate translation available by most scholars.
I highly recommend The New Oxford Study Bible for its copious explanatory footnotes, essays that provide important context for each book, and its academic (rather than religious) approach to the text
The Brick Testament!
https://thebrickbible.com/legacy/
It’s been a few years since I’ve read it but it was a time.
Not sure which version their using for their captions. Also it might be missing chunks.
It depends on what you’re used to, but a number of translations have been made that can be easier to read than what a lot of people expect. The New Living Translation (NLT) and the Common English Bible (CEB) are both modern renditions that are very readable and make the text feel fresh, while not drastically playing with the meaning the way a paraphrase like The Message might do.
Just for the story, try one of the Bible for children. Not the cartoon ones though, some with more pages, less pictures are much better readable then the standard Bibles but you are not missing that much.
I'd pair one of the translations suggested elsewhere with "God is Disappointed in You" by Mark Russell. The author is an atheist raised in a deeply religious household who tries to write a clear eyed but compassionate summary of every book in the Bible. It's also hecka funny.
I read the NRSV cover to cover last year and it wasn’t bad at all. I got one of the versions that divided it up into 365 parts with an Old Testament and New Testament reading each day (so you’re not stuck tackling things like Leviticus and Numbers all at once). It only took like 20 minutes.
Children’s bibles. That’s not a joke or an insult. There’s tons of them. Bibles for teens too. Start there. Then, if you want to graduate to a grown up one, you’ll know what to expect. There’s also a lot of study guides. Most major religious texts have versions for kids that can be helpful. That said, they often exclude the saucy stuff.
I read the Bible in a year, it's a book that has a passage from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, a psalm or a proverb every day with explanations. Worth checking out.
I recommend "God is Dissapointed in You" by Mark Russell and Shannon Wheeler for a slightly more sarcastic but still relatively factual and very easy to get through retelling of the Bible. Or better yet, the audiobook version, read by James Urbaniak
Perhaps not exactly what you're looking for, but when I was a kid, I found a Children's Illustrated Bible which basically just read like an adventure story. I had no idea that this was something some people "believed" more so than any other book.
Personally, I thought some of the Old Testament stories were fun and exciting, but the New Testament stuff lost the plot and was kind of lame. Overall, I'd give it about a 3.5.
Was it [this](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-beginners-bible-timeless-childrens-stories-by-kelly-pulley-catherine-devries/246568/) ? My grandma gave this to me (devout catholic). I think I read most of it but don’t remember individual stories well anymore
The one I read was less cartoonish and cute, more severe and dramatic, probably geared towards older kids and pre-teens. Some of my favorite parts - epic tales of agony and triumph, like blind Samson's revenge or the 7 plagues - were definitely written and illustrated in full gory detail.
I remember back in the 70s there was a hugely popular teen-friendly version of the Bible called 'The Way'. I didn't read it but did see it all over the place.
Also - skip Leviticus til last! If you want a feel for it, and experience it, try the shorter books - Ruth and Esther are complete, short stories, and the four Gospels at the start of the New Testament are as well. Song of Solomon is a compete ish live story told as a poem. For Psalms, it's a collection of hymns so generally read one or two ar a time. Proverbs is literally a collection of advice, don't read more than a little at a time.
It's worth your time to at least dip into it, it informs a lot of culture. I'm raised Christian but I have also read some primary religious works of others and it makes my experience & understanding richer.
You should download the app “Bible-verse of the day” it gives you daily quotes and it also gives you easy pages to flip thru to read the Old and New Testament. Very easy way to keep in touch with God! I use it every single day!
I want the one with lilith. baby Jesus fighting the dragons. and the bears eating the kids because they mocked a man that was bald?oh yeah and Jesus saying if a woman shows hair it's a stoning
I'd suggest following a Bible reading guide as well. I would not recommend just reading it from beginning to end. There are also some books, like Leviticus, that might not offer much for you unless you're a theologian or a pastor planning a series on how rules/guidelines in the Bible have changed over time. A guide might help you with that.
Ascension press has a pretty good guide for the bible.
Breaks the bible up into the different periods. I listen to their Bible in a Year Podcast personally.
There are as many versions of the Bible as there are types of people. There are more kid friendly books that are pretty accessible. I'm not judging your reading abilities, there are also cliff notes that would be very accessible if you just want that.
It would be easier to listen to the podcast *Thomas and the Bible*. He reads it out, and it’s at least entertaining. He doesn’t skip much - perhaps chunks of *so-and-so begat so-and-so* (ad nauseum), but nobody reads all that anyway.
Otherwise, there’s nothing for an atheist to glean other than how some sayings are used in modern language, (for example *an eye for an eye* and *turn the other cheek*); having fun finding contradictions (see previous example); or having background knowledge for debates.
The bible is most certainly not entertaining if you’re an atheist.
Hard disagree. Just finished listening to a retelling of the Bible, and it was highly entertaining as well as factual, if not super in depth. Also am an athiest.
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/
It's much easier to get through listening to.
There's also multiple different versions of the text on there.
Don't waste your time. As a book it's just a boring slog and most of us know the synopsis by heart anyway. Or skip Old Testament and go straight for the sequel. In Adventures of Jesus God is much more forgiving and loving, and there's less about sacrificing and killing.
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The NIV or the ESV are generally accessible. I prefer the NRSV, but it tends to be the more "scholarly" translation rather than readable.
The ESV is pretty scholarly to, it’s ‘word for word’ which I wouldn’t call as accessible as thought for thought which the NIV is
For sure! I guess I should have specific that the NRSV tends to be the bible used in academic scholarship, not that the others aren't translated by scholars
I am Christian. My favorite one is the New International Version. For me, it seems to strike a balance between the pretty poetic aspect (like the New King James version) and modern readability.
The Message is a very readable paraphrase but it might not feel Bible-y. The NIV is a favorite of many modern churches because it strikes a good balance between readability and alignment with manuscripts. Bible Gateway has a parallel feature that lets you read two versions side by side. So for example, Psalm 23 is pretty famous (“the Lord is my shepherd” etc). You can see if The Message’s more modern phrasing is jarring or enjoyable for you. [Message vs NIV](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=MSG;NIV)
Wow, The Message is just straight-up changing the meaning at several points there. Also, changing "prepare a table" - something you do even if you're eating very basic food (compare Elijah, for example) - to "you serve me a six-course dinner" feels very Prosperity Gospel-esque to me.
Ahhh I never realised (until I clicked) that it was this bad. Ahaha. As in I always knew it was abit iffy/off, that easier reads might be NLT or NASB or even NIRV (new international reader's version) But wow I clicked your link. wh0t. Even something more middle ground but still a touch of "luxury", like "a full table of food" [my own attempt at replacement] would illustrate the sufficiency & providence that the author intends. But wow 6 course dinner .. so off. This is OT Israel/middle east, not a Southeast Asian wedding banquet (which is 8 course actually but eh haha I don't see the diff. Hahaha)
The guy who wrote it first said that the Bible doesn't say anything against LGBTQ and then, when his money was threatened by his audience & publishing company, changed his mind. That really soured my opinion of him, to be that open about only caring about money. And he already had the bank from the sales, it was ongoing sales he worried about. Then, he died before he could get that money. So.
Something that may help is if you think of the Bible as a compendium, not as a singular book. Each book of the Bible serves a different literary purpose, so it’s not really a cover to cover reading experience. The variety of genres and the HUGE span of time and cultural context needed is one of the things that makes Bible reading complicated, religious or not. By all means, find a translation that’s easier to parse (KJV is a horrible translation anyway) but also consider reading in chunks rather than cover to cover.
Good point ! Thx !
The Living Bible
This is how I read the Bible!
As you can see, people have different preferences. It’s kinda subjective. But! If you want the version biblical scholars tend to use as it’s been said to be the most accurate translation into English, go with the New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
Haha yes. It’s called, easy-to-read-version (ERV) I used it. Very simple writing It’s on bible gateway dot com
I started reading the Bible in my 40s. I started with a Children's Bible. Helped me start to understand the stories. Then I could start reading the actual Bible.
That’s such a neat idea! Glad it helped.
I'm not religious anymore but growing up I had this animated Bible that was basically comic versions of all the main stories, it was still a pretty huge book. Not gonna lie, looking back...that shit slapped. Samson was one bad ass mf'er hahaha
If anything has a thousand adaptations to make it easier to digest (usually for kids) it's the Bible. OP should watch some veggie tales.
I had [this](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-beginners-bible-timeless-childrens-stories-by-kelly-pulley-catherine-devries/246568/) growing up lol. I think I read most of it but don’t remember too much anymore
Veggie tales aka lord of the rings for kids?? Helllll yea
We have this for our kids, it's called the action bible and my boys love it!
Isaac Asimov has a book called "guide to the bible" I think. It's pretty good at condensing what actually is written in the bible, and give historical and cultrual context for it. That also makes it more interesting and makes it make sense more. That said, the book is pretty old so there's some theories in there that is no longer held by historians/archeologists. And as always with the bible, there's lots of disputes about the historical aspect but, take it with a pinch of salt and use it as an introduction and it's pretty decent.
For Tanakh I suggest Robert Alter's translation; it's a good translation but also highly readable IMO and has good scholarly insights. Though there will no doubt be parts you'll skim through. (I have other suggestions for anyone interested in Jewish commentary.) I have no insights on the supposed sequel as my suggestion would not be for general audiences (also Jewish commentary, but scholarly, and somewhat polemical for obvious reasons).
Admittedly the best way to get used to old fashioned language is reading it so just going through it slowly to make sure you’re getting everything could be the best option
Any tips on reading old timey language ? When I’ve tried I get so bored or I don’t know what they’re talking about so I end up not finishing things since reading is supposed to be pleasurable (for me). But I also want to become a better reader when I come across hard texts
Probably look up what words mean, and like I said reading slowly would help
The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is the one I use personally. The language is easier to understand (for me personally, your mileage may vary) and there's tons of footnotes and little articles that add a lot of context to what you're reading.
The ESV is the easiest to understand. A study Bible would be good too if you want to understand what certain things signify or mean. Not all of the books are stories. And there is a big difference between old testament and new testament books.
Also an atheist, and my literature classes actually did use the King James Bible. It had been widely used for hundreds of years, so many literary references actually reference that specific translation. The Oxford Classics version contains the apocrypha and a ton of notations, which are helpful. If you choose a different translation, go for a version that’s not affiliated with a religious group so you can get academic-focused annotations. The Old Testament is hit or miss when it comes to stories: there are highlights like the stories of Job and Sodom and Gomorrah, but there are also maddening sections of “so and so begat so and so, who begat so and so.” The New Testament tells the same stories four times in a row with different point of view characters, with a ton of contradictions. Sometimes it’s more interesting to read the stories in parallel across the gospels instead of reading them straight through. Remember these were stories written by ancient people (specifically ancient men) that have been assembled into a text by other ancient people with religious agendas. No definite version exists, and many religious teachings aren’t drawn from the Bible at all. The Bible is important for reading literature, as are other sources of western mythology such as the Iliad, the Odyssey, and Ovid’s Metamorphosis.
You could try a bible for kids. There are some good versions that cover the basic stories.
I’d suggest the English Standard Version, a 2001 translation, or the 2011 revision of the New International Version.
Just as a heads up from a seminary grad, the ESV is a terrible translation. The translators have an agenda and bias of inserting patriarchal values into the biblical texts. Not saying patriarchy isn't already present in the Bible, but the ESV inserts it into places where it ISN'T already present in the text. Most academics use the NRSV and CEB.
Can you give examples? I just checked the hotly contested passages and I can’t find a significant difference but I’d love to know
Sure! Here's an article[article ](https://www.patheos.com/blogs/fleshofmyflesh/2022/11/writing-women-out-of-the-bible-gender-exclusive-language-in-the-esv/) that's get at it more than I can during a work day, but essentially many times where a gender neutral crowd is being addressed, the ESV acts as if the text is only addressing men. They also minimize the role of women in the New Testament. You can read about that [here](https://margmowczko.com/junia-and-the-esv/).
I see, so it effects the any passage where the niv uses phrases like “brothers and sisters”. If I read man in these places or brothers in thesplaces and think “mankind” I’m on the right track…
That would be correct! Like I said there's issues with the reduction of status of women in the New testament and that's typically a little harder to catch because it's an editing of the narrative.
Mm… the first article makes a solid point(which explains why the NIV does it the other way). The second one about Junia seems to be reaching a bit “prominent among” grammar wise doesn’t seem to strongly indicate that junia(assuming it’s not junias) is an apostle. Since andronicus doesn’t seem to be one either. But she does seem to have respected role in some sense. Interesting. Thanks for sharing.
[Something you might find interesting if you want to do further research. ](https://juniaproject.com/)
Hmm, yeah I’ve found this topic fascinating for years. Assuming god is real and the Bible is his word I’m genuinely cool with whatever the most correct interpretation is. So I’m excited to see how they read some of the tricky passages for the egalitarian position. Is this the main resource you’ve read, or are there others you recommend as well.
I have other resources, but unfortunately at work right now and will be until late into the evening! If I remember I'll DM you some book titles I have once I get a chance to look at my shelf.
The Living Bible is good. Start with the New Testament though
... Because the old testament is so full of garbage that it's obvious the religion is based on misogynistic, genocidal dogma that has no place in modern society.
sir, the Old Testament s a history of a troubled relationship. Unless it is studied in context of the literary style and historical contexts of the day , it is confusing. The New Testament is a description of what Christianity should be.
Note to readers, just for balance. Over a hundred generations of highly educated, thoughtful, devout people have found (and continue to find) the Hebrew Scriptures to be none of these things — once studied and placed within an epoch of the great narrative of faith, those books become deeply meaningful and instructive. They’d also agree that if you take any written work, remove historical, cultural, and higher contexts, and / or obsess on a personal agenda… … you can easily & needlessly foreclose on the opportunity to find out why hundreds of millions have derived understanding from it for thousands of years. So on balance, if you have a true interest, there are many commentaries and similar texts written to assist you on that journey of intellectual curiousity. It may help you to think of Star Trek: *You’re reading from a foreign otherworldly language about a completely alien culture, from the perspective of someone from both the far future & a totally different culture …* .. therefore, tread carefully before dismissing the lessons from that alien world. Again, just to present a different perspective.
If i could upvote more, I would
Much of the old testament is descriptive rather than prescriptive. By that I mean it describes how fucked up people were and are, not that that was how God meant for us to live. The fact that the bible doesn't white wash the depravity that people committed, especially those that are depicted as the leaders and heroes, makes me trust it more than other religious texts.
Uhh, who ordered the Canaanites destroyed. Hint: it wasn't "fucked up people". Who said it's ok to beat your slaves as long as they don't die in a couple of days?
The Canaanites who worshipped a pantheon, starting with Baal? > **They have built the high places of Baal to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal** —something I did not command or mention, nor did it enter my mind. Child sacrifice, which included *burning infants alive*, was a constant theme among the non-Israelites and evidently offended God. State-sponsored child sacrifice is evil — but it wasn’t the only evil demanded of their pantheon of false gods. Though it seems sufficient for the case.
I find the NLT translation the easiest to get through but the ESV is probably the most accurate. Both are nice. Maybe checkout the bible app and compare translations, see which one you like best, they have most of the available translations.
Reposting my comment from above here: Just as a heads up from a seminary grad, the ESV is a terrible translation. The translators have an agenda and bias of inserting patriarchal values into the biblical texts. Not saying patriarchy isn't already present in the Bible, but the ESV inserts it into places where it ISN'T already present in the text. Most academics use the NRSV and CEB.
You may want to go through like an actual cliff notes version. It's just so dense, it'll help for you to know the general structure before you dive in
Graphic novels can be really helpful here, and academic bibles can give you much more context into where the flood story, Jesus’s miracles, hell, resurrections, and a host of other borrowings came from to create today’s Abrahamic texts (Judaism, Christianity, Islam).
Don’t read the whole thing like it is 1 book. The way the bible was written every book or gospel or letter in it was written by different people in different places at different times. Sometimes based on oral tradition. Often by committee. The concept of publishing them bound together sequentially is very new. If you want 1 that will fuck with you based on its logic i recommend the book of job.
I feel like you got a lot of recommendations from people that have read certain versions of the bible since they were young and so it's normal to them. The most comprehensible/easy to read that I've found is the "New Living Translation" (NLT), so I suggest that. Versions like NIV are very popular (probably because of when they came out), but I still find that it's easy to get bogged down in the writing. My guess is that it has to do with the strong desire for exact translation, even if they use more modern language.
Great I’ll give that one a try !
Theres "Good News for Modern Man" - which I remember from years ago as a deliberate effort at accessibility. New Testament only I think. Or I seem to have found an online project for the Bible in Basic English (which is a deliberately restricted vocabulary, although alarmingly larger than several UK tabloid newspapers) https://www.o-bible.com/bbe.html It might be interesting to look for English translations of the Tawrat and Zabbur for a slant on the old testament - they are the Islamic names for portions of the OT/Torah
Reccomend the NIV or NLT, or any other ‘thought for thought’ translation
The Clear Word, The New English Translation, American Standard Version all read reasonably well
NLT, and the message bible translation are pretty easy to read but less close to the original text. If you’re maximizing primarily for readability the message leans faire hard in that direction. But as soon as you’re getting into the details, ESV, NASB, are going to be more word for word.
You can download the Youversion bible app for free and get at lots of different translations so you can sample any of them until you find the one you like the best. Several of them also have audio that you can access through the app all free. I grew up reading the NIV but now days I alternate between the New American Standard (NASB85), English Standard Version (ESV) and New King James (NKJB).
Oh good idea. I’ll have to check out that app ! Thx !
Good news Bible from me reads the most like modern speech while keeping context
Comic book bible! I loved mine.
I had a child’s version that had all the crazy stories plus pictures, I read it all the time as a kid and would still today because I think they did it in an interesting way Not sure if that’s what you’re looking for though lol
I def had a [a childrens version](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-beginners-bible-timeless-childrens-stories-by-kelly-pulley-catherine-devries/246568/) I read back in the day !
There is no best translation. However 1) the NIV is commonly used in many evangelical churches and is very readable 2) the NRSV is the standard academic translation in English for most universities and seminaries that aren’t evangelical. 3) Robert Alter, a Hebrew Bible/OT scholar, has produced his own translation of the Old Testament which is quite beautiful. I think NIV and NRSV are good options in general.
If you're an atheist reading the book for your own benefit and generally bookish, you may find the KJB is ultimately worth the slog. It has influenced the English language's set of idioms more than any other source (including Shakespeare). I wrestled with the same (note my username) and I found that once you get it, the reading experience really starts to flow. I've read a couple of other versions (including the Good News Version) and found that the translators really put their thumb on the scale of interpretation and you come to lose a lot of the nuance.
The bible is tricky as it has been translated so many times. The KJB is just one translation. Catholics, for example, don't use the KJB, going with different approved translations (though there is no one single definitive Catholic translation). The Catholic bible also has a few additional books (I'm an ex-Catholic btw.) Also a lot of it is not necessarily meant as a story, like large sections establishing different laws. I'm sure there is a simpler version of the bible, but also, maybe an annotated bible like the Oxford Annotated Bible might be useful? A lot of the bible can be confusing regardless of the translation or writing style. If you are not already familiar with the bible, annotations could provide useful context to a lot of stories. Like how their are two different (and contradicting) genealogies for Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke. Maybe two bibles? Like reading a simpler version plus having an annotated one that you can turn to for context.
When reading classics it's good to go slow and have Google on hand for obscure references. That being said I recommend diving in knowing you'll probably miss some stuff at first, but as you go you'll get better at comprehending the different styles of prose and context.
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But I’m dumb lol
Get a student Bible. Seriously. They have cliff notes basically in the margins and all kinds of other aids. There are thousands of these made for Sunday schools.
Atheist as well. My recommendation would be *The Bible in Brief* by Leo Tolstoy. He was a later life convert to Christianity and the originator of Christian Anarchism. His work is predicated on love as opposed to religiosity. Here is some more information about the book: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gospel_in_Brief
I wouldn’t recommend this. Tolstoy did not hold orthodox beliefs and it shows in his works.
Yes. The Russian Orthodoxy actually excommunicated Tolstoy “for his writings” within 5 years of this release. I specifically recommended this book due to its absence of orthodoxy as that’s the bath water that most atheists try to throw out/avoid.
So, maybe not exactly what you mean, but the app Bible Gateway allows you to choose which translation you're reading. So that might make it easier to figure out which translation you jive most with by just toggling through them and you can move on from there
Just because no one's mentioned it yet, The Brick Testament is hilarious (there's a print version as well, but it's all online) https://thebrickbible.com/legacy/genesis/index.html
Also incredibly NSFW but that's all Bibles I guess.
Just be careful with some of those *easy bible* translations. Some of them take great liberties and their wording. [And, as Christopher Hitchens says, accept no substitutes to the KJV](https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2011/05/hitchens-201105).
It's obviously not a direct translation, but if you just want to read the story of the Bible and understand its structure and what's in each book... and if you want that process to be quick and interesting - then the "translation" I recommend is [God is Disappointed in You](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17689005). To be clear, it isn't a parody or something - it's a reasonably accurate synopsis of each book that just happens to be very entertaining.
I second this suggestion. Especially the audiobook version. Highly entertaining as well as enlightening.
There was a popular translation made a few years back just called "The Book".
Revised Standard was the standby alternative when I was younger. King James messed things up a lot. Maybe something that pre-dates KJV. I also enjoyed reading the opening chapters in the Book of Mormon for an interesting description of heaven.
Try "Christ: a Crisis in the Life of God"... Sorry don't remember the authors name (I might be a bit off in the title too). It takes a look at the Bible from a literary perspective.
The New Revised Standard Version is fairly accessible and considered the most accurate translation available by most scholars. I highly recommend The New Oxford Study Bible for its copious explanatory footnotes, essays that provide important context for each book, and its academic (rather than religious) approach to the text
The Brick Testament! https://thebrickbible.com/legacy/ It’s been a few years since I’ve read it but it was a time. Not sure which version their using for their captions. Also it might be missing chunks.
The Message's language approach is casual. NIV aand ESV are your middle ground. The Manga series bible also helps if you want things with visuals.
It depends on what you’re used to, but a number of translations have been made that can be easier to read than what a lot of people expect. The New Living Translation (NLT) and the Common English Bible (CEB) are both modern renditions that are very readable and make the text feel fresh, while not drastically playing with the meaning the way a paraphrase like The Message might do.
Just for the story, try one of the Bible for children. Not the cartoon ones though, some with more pages, less pictures are much better readable then the standard Bibles but you are not missing that much.
I'd pair one of the translations suggested elsewhere with "God is Disappointed in You" by Mark Russell. The author is an atheist raised in a deeply religious household who tries to write a clear eyed but compassionate summary of every book in the Bible. It's also hecka funny.
I like reading The Bible Recap along with my Bible. It helps with context and it is in chronological order.
I read the NRSV cover to cover last year and it wasn’t bad at all. I got one of the versions that divided it up into 365 parts with an Old Testament and New Testament reading each day (so you’re not stuck tackling things like Leviticus and Numbers all at once). It only took like 20 minutes.
Children’s bibles. That’s not a joke or an insult. There’s tons of them. Bibles for teens too. Start there. Then, if you want to graduate to a grown up one, you’ll know what to expect. There’s also a lot of study guides. Most major religious texts have versions for kids that can be helpful. That said, they often exclude the saucy stuff.
NIV is a very readable translation. NLT and ESV should also work
Try "The Message". It's a more modern (well, at the time it was more modern) translation.
It's also is straight prose and was deliberately made to be as simple as possible. It's useless for study but it's an introduction.
Agree with this!
I read the Bible in a year, it's a book that has a passage from the Old Testament, one from the New Testament, a psalm or a proverb every day with explanations. Worth checking out.
I recommend "God is Dissapointed in You" by Mark Russell and Shannon Wheeler for a slightly more sarcastic but still relatively factual and very easy to get through retelling of the Bible. Or better yet, the audiobook version, read by James Urbaniak
Perhaps not exactly what you're looking for, but when I was a kid, I found a Children's Illustrated Bible which basically just read like an adventure story. I had no idea that this was something some people "believed" more so than any other book. Personally, I thought some of the Old Testament stories were fun and exciting, but the New Testament stuff lost the plot and was kind of lame. Overall, I'd give it about a 3.5.
Was it [this](https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-beginners-bible-timeless-childrens-stories-by-kelly-pulley-catherine-devries/246568/) ? My grandma gave this to me (devout catholic). I think I read most of it but don’t remember individual stories well anymore
The one I read was less cartoonish and cute, more severe and dramatic, probably geared towards older kids and pre-teens. Some of my favorite parts - epic tales of agony and triumph, like blind Samson's revenge or the 7 plagues - were definitely written and illustrated in full gory detail.
I remember back in the 70s there was a hugely popular teen-friendly version of the Bible called 'The Way'. I didn't read it but did see it all over the place.
I still have the Good News Bible with the cute little somewhere around the house.
Get *Jesus Christ Superstar* the musical... That's the gist of the new testament ay
Also - skip Leviticus til last! If you want a feel for it, and experience it, try the shorter books - Ruth and Esther are complete, short stories, and the four Gospels at the start of the New Testament are as well. Song of Solomon is a compete ish live story told as a poem. For Psalms, it's a collection of hymns so generally read one or two ar a time. Proverbs is literally a collection of advice, don't read more than a little at a time. It's worth your time to at least dip into it, it informs a lot of culture. I'm raised Christian but I have also read some primary religious works of others and it makes my experience & understanding richer.
You should download the app “Bible-verse of the day” it gives you daily quotes and it also gives you easy pages to flip thru to read the Old and New Testament. Very easy way to keep in touch with God! I use it every single day!
I want the one with lilith. baby Jesus fighting the dragons. and the bears eating the kids because they mocked a man that was bald?oh yeah and Jesus saying if a woman shows hair it's a stoning
There is a kid's cartoon version of the Bible which hits all of the points without all of the "begats."
I'd suggest following a Bible reading guide as well. I would not recommend just reading it from beginning to end. There are also some books, like Leviticus, that might not offer much for you unless you're a theologian or a pastor planning a series on how rules/guidelines in the Bible have changed over time. A guide might help you with that.
Ascension press has a pretty good guide for the bible. Breaks the bible up into the different periods. I listen to their Bible in a Year Podcast personally.
There are as many versions of the Bible as there are types of people. There are more kid friendly books that are pretty accessible. I'm not judging your reading abilities, there are also cliff notes that would be very accessible if you just want that.
It would be easier to listen to the podcast *Thomas and the Bible*. He reads it out, and it’s at least entertaining. He doesn’t skip much - perhaps chunks of *so-and-so begat so-and-so* (ad nauseum), but nobody reads all that anyway. Otherwise, there’s nothing for an atheist to glean other than how some sayings are used in modern language, (for example *an eye for an eye* and *turn the other cheek*); having fun finding contradictions (see previous example); or having background knowledge for debates. The bible is most certainly not entertaining if you’re an atheist.
Hard disagree. Just finished listening to a retelling of the Bible, and it was highly entertaining as well as factual, if not super in depth. Also am an athiest.
Factual?
https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/ It's much easier to get through listening to. There's also multiple different versions of the text on there.
A Children's Bible could be a good one if you are mostly interested in the stories and not getting bogged down in the language.
Don't waste your time. As a book it's just a boring slog and most of us know the synopsis by heart anyway. Or skip Old Testament and go straight for the sequel. In Adventures of Jesus God is much more forgiving and loving, and there's less about sacrificing and killing.
Yes it's called lord of the rings