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73 of 78 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Lot to Offer at a Low Price, October 2, 2002
Dollar for Dollar, the New Living Translation (NLT) is probably the best and most intriguing type of Bible I've ever bought. I don't pretend it's my favorite Bible of all--because it isn't really a Bible, it's a paraphrase of the Bible as opposed to a true translation. But I really like it. Of course, any translation of the Bible is going to be some sort of paraphrase, because different languages use different idioms that have to be rendered into English using different words. There are "strictly literal" bibles like the NASB that go for a word-for-word approach; most bibles are "literal" bibles like the New Revised Standard and New International, the latter in particular taking the "freedom to be idiomatic." ... The physical presentation of this modestly-priced version is worth remarking on. For fake leather, it looks reasonably genuine, and there are other colors available besides the best-selling black. The type is quite small, but uses a blocky sort of Roman setting that makes reading as easy as possible, even the red letters. The pages are ordinary paper, not "onion-skin." About my only gripe is that the text is too close to the inner margin, but this tome (made in Mainland China) is well-stitched, not the sort of bindery to fall apart quickly upon heavy use. For very little money I advise the avid Bible reader--or the Bible reader who finds passages in his/her favorite Bible a little hard to fathom (and who among us has not?)--or the just-plain curious to invest in this handsome, intelligent little paraphrase. If your experience is like mine, you'll be surprised at how likeable it is.
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45 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Bible - with a few caveats, April 5, 2005
The New Living Translation is a very readable revision of The Living Bible, and is an excellent Bible for casual reading. The English is contemporary, the wording generally clear and uncluttered.
Most of the caveats are found in the introduction. By the way, if you're not in the habit of reading Bible translation introductions, I highly recommend it. A little careful reading of the intro. will yield valuable dividends in your studies, and in weighing the pros and cons of different translations.
Basically this is categorized as a "thought-for-thought" translation, as opposed to a literal, or "word-for-word" translation. Which is good in terms of readablity. But something will inevitably be lost in the process, so it weakens its value as a study Bible.
If you believe in the inspiration of scripture, then you would have to believe that the words, as well as the thoughts, are important. Thoughts are more nebulous than words, hence, translation of thoughts becomes much more subjective, and prone to the translator's bias, intentional or unintentional.
Take as an example, Matt. 7:13 in the NLT, "The highway to hell is broad and its gate wide for the many who choose the easy way" As the footnote says, though, it is "the way that leads to destruction" which Jesus is referring to. A check of an interlinear or Greek Bible will reveal that Matthew did not use the Greek word Hades, which translates "Hell". So the translators have added their own spin, changing Jesus' words to fit their own theology. Every translator will do this to some degree, but the reader needs to be aware when he is reading the translator's thoughts, not the Bible writer's thoughts. In almost every case where the New Living Translation has opted to footnote a verse, I find the footnoted rendering to be more accurate, and hence, preferable.
The introduction also reveals that cultural idioms have been revised, to make them more understandable to the modern reader. However, a literal translation that presents them as they were written can offer valuable insights into the cultural milieu of the Bible's writers - you wont get that with the New Living Translation.
The NLT follows the pack of modern translations in substituting LORD or GOD for the divine name. This is a whole area of controversy, and this is not the place to address that controversy. Just to note that the NLT translators, like most others, have taken it upon themselves to eliminate something that the original Bible contained, changing it to fit an agenda which prefers not to include the divine name in those thousands of instances where it was originally included in the Bible.
The footnotes of the NLT, as mentioned, are valuable. The meaning of Bible names are sometimes footnoted, and many times when a verse contains a pun or a play on words, it is footnoted. Footnotes in the New Testament alert readers to quotes from the Old Testament, but unfortunately, the verse quoted is NOT footnoted in the Old Testament portion, a sad omission.
Overall a very readable modern translation, and worth having a copy of. Along with this I would recommend The Interlinear Bible by Jay Green (a very literal translation, along with the interlinear word-for-word), and Truth in Translation by Jason Beduhn.
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29 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Easy to read, but it compromises the text in some areas, April 27, 2000
The New Living Translation of the Bible is loved by many for its readability, yet it does have it's problems. While it is more faithful to the text than its predecessor, there are areas where the translators speculate regarding the true text. This is fine on occasion, but there are areas where the NLT actually stretches the text. For instance, in the narrative of Jacob and Leah, Leah's biggest fault was that she had "pretty eyes." While the meaning of this phrase is difficult in Hebrew, the meaning is clearly NOT the one set forth in the NLT. On the whole, it tends to be faithful to the Greek and Hebrew while being easy to read. Would recommend this for those unfamiliar with the Bible.
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