The Holy Bible

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There are several versions of the Bible on the market. The original books of the Bible were in Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic. In 1611, the Holy Bible was translated from these texts to what we now call the King James Version. Since then there have been multiple versions, King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV), New International Version (NIV), The Living Bible, and many more. Most of the United States are using one of the first three. The reason for the different versions is due to the ease of reading from the translations. I personally use the KJV or the NKJV, due to it being the original translation from the Greek and Hebrew and Aramaic. There are those that prefer the NIV due to its ease of understanding. The KJV is very hard to read unless you can understand thee and thou, etc. The NKJV removes most of the thee and thou terminology and makes it a little smoother to read. The NIV takes all of the previous information from the King James Version and the New King James Version and replaces the verbage for everyday usage. It is much easier to remember scripture from the NIV.

The following list will help you to choose what Bible is right for you:

1. Choose one that you will understand. - By determining what version is easiest for you to read and comprehend.

2. Choose one that will last you a while. - This is not saying to go and spend $100 on a Bible, but you do want one to last more than a week.

3. Choose one that will be easy for transporting. - One that you are willing to carry with you is more likely to be used than a big bulky tabletop Bible that will never be moved.

That is basically it. There are several other options you can get in a Bible, such as:

Red letter edition - all words of Christ are written in red

Concordance - This gives you scriptural references in the Bible for words that you are looking for

Maps - Maps allow you to follow paths of the disciples, Moses during the exodus, etc. Nice to have

Scriptural references - References to other areas of the Bible that might give a better explanation, parables of Jesus, steps to Salvation, witnessing, etc.

There are other study and reference materials that you can utilize:

Bible Dictionary - just that, a dictionary for Bible terminology

King James reference - References notes that were written from the original translation that were made from the Greek or Hebrew Bibles.

Commentaries - Commentaries actually run through the Bible and try to explain what it is you are reading

There are many other reference materials out there. Do your research before buying what you need.