NKJ or ESV ?

The TNIV is my favorite with the HCS falling right afterwards . Of English translations the KJV is the least understandable because of the antiquated language . But the NKJ and the NAS and NASU follow right behind . The ESV is after them . The language is a bit more intelligible . There are still many places that the ESV uses awkward word order and cumbersome phraselogy . But on my scale it is an improvement over the aforementioned .

 

I like both too. I haven't used the NKJV in years and am currently using the ESV quite regularly. So I guess it would be fair to say I like the ESV more.

 

Rippon,

please tell me that your statement regarding the TNIV as your favorite was a typo....

If it was not, may I ask you meet me in another thread to discuss why it is your favorite?

 

What is the TNIV?

 

Todays New International Version: with updated Gender Language.
I enjoy both the NKJ and the ESV but the ESV is my favorite by far. It's a good sound translation and we use it in everything at church.

 

Esv for me.

 

ESV for me, although I would not have any problem using the NRSV, TNIV, NIV or NASB'95 if that is what the church was using.

ESV - essentially literal translation with gender accurate language footnoted
NRSV - good literal translation that uses gender accurate language
TNIV - good dynamic translation that uses gender accurate language
NIV - good dynamic translation
NASB'95 - very literal translation

KJV and NKJV are basically the same thing, don't really care for either.

 

It took me a long time to pick a translation that was best for me. After some 10 or so years of studying scriptural source texts and language, I chose the NIV. But I use the ESV and KJV somewhat regularly.

 

I like the ESV very much. I read it more than all the others. It has a traditional "ring" to it and IMHO is very accurate, readable and memorizable.

Our Church uses the KJV which, of course, is lovely, though a little bit difficult to comprehend in places. If one took the KJV and updated the language and punctuation with the ESV (or NASB), it would come out very much like the NKJV (manuscript differences aside), which is also a good formal translation.

 

I was wondering , go2church , why you put the TNIV in the dynamic category ? If it can be considered dynamic at all , it is mildly so . In reality it is closer to being more literal ( not as much as the NASU , of course ) with functional equivalence at times , just like the ESV .

 

I never cared too much fo the RSV, so I guess there may be a little ingrained prejudice there. I have used the ESV very little. My favorite is the NKJV, most likely because it reads much like the KJV, the Bible I "cut my teeth on."

 

I just got my first copy of the ESV. So far I like it. I've been using the NKJV for the past several years, though.

I like the KJV because it was written when words carried more specific meanings than they do now. So some passage are more clear if you want to put the work into understanding the English. But it's harder to read, which is why I use the NKJV. When words aren't clear, I go to the Greek/Hebrew.

Bottom line: The jury is out for me on ESV because I haven't used it for more than a day. But I'm checking it out.

 

I like the NKJV better than the ESV because of its textual base - although I do find the ESV a little easier to read.

 

Rippon,
I think go2church placed it there because of it's place on the "scale". Zondervan, the publisher of many NIV family bibles has a "scale" that places the differing translations from most "Word for Word" to most "thought for thought". The Interlineal, NASB,AMP and ESV are at the far end of the WfW, while the Living Bible and The Message and CEV are at the extreme other end (TfT). NIV and TNIV are right in the middle. Bruce
PS Tony, I have used the NKJV (extensively but not exclusively) for the past 23 years and obviously recommend it. I am reading through the NIV this year; next year I plan to read through the ESV - the fellow who manages our local Christian bookstore is using it himself and highly recommended to me when I was purchasing my NIV back in November.

 

Rip,

The TNIV seeks to communicate the meaning of the text, which at times requires a freer translation then if you just translated the words. All English translations do this to some degree, some more then others, the TNIV does it more then the ESV and NASB.

 

I prefer the NKJV over the ESV because I prefer the underlying text platform over that of the ESV. I do think the ESV is a good conservative transltation.

 

I've been sold on the ESV since i was in Seminary at SBTS, and that was not long after it was introduced.
I use it for my personal Bible study time and the majority of my preaching and teaching.

As for the NKJV, i do like it also and it is one of the translations i will frequent.

 

I like the ESV over the NKJV, but the NKJV is probably the best of its text family. I think the ESV could be improved in many places, though.