Opinion of The Living Bible

[The world will shine with light in our nightmare]

The Living Bible is a paraphrased version of the American Standard Version that was written specifically for people with poor reading skills or no previous background in Bible study.  Although it became popular in Evangelical circles and youth-oriented Protestant groups, it has been criticized for diverting too far from the original manuscripts, to say the least.  Here are some examples:

KJV (Lev. 3:13): "And the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about."
TLB: "The priest shall throw its blood against the sides of the altar."

KJV (Judges 7:20b): "And they cried, the sword of the Lord and of Gideon."
TLB: "All yelling for the Lord and for Gideon."

KJV (1 Sam. 20:30) "Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman."
TLB: "You son of a b****."

KJV (1 Kings 18:27): "Cry aloud: for He is a God: either He is talking or He is pursuing."
TLB: "Perhaps he is talking to someone or else is out sitting on the toilet."

I own a Bible that's convenient for me in that it includes red text, a large font, reading plans, etc., but the language is rather "advanced," you could say.  I'm looking into versions that have the same material but are written in simpler language that I can use for college.  The problem is this version changes the text so much that I'd feel embarrassed reading it aloud.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

While its translation of 1 Kings 18:27 might not be the politest, it might well be more accurate.  The original text could be quite earthy at times. It's translation of 1 Sam. 20:30 eschews literal accuracy for conveying the sense with a single word, as in the original, instead of three. Still, if what you seek is something closer to a word-for-word translation, the Living Bible isn't what you'll want.

Technically, the Living Bible has been superseded by the New Living Translation. You might want to consider the Good News Bible which is another dynamic equivalence translation.  I tend to prefer the more advanced translations, yet sometimes they try so hard at being literal translations that they miss the flow and rhythm of the original.

[Randy Bobandy]

Oh my God, this is hilarious.

[CatoMinor]

It could help as an aid perhaps, but its best to just dive into the non paraphrased versions so that nothing is missed.

[DemPGH]

KJV (Judges 7:20b): "And they cried, the sword of the Lord and of Gideon."
TLB: "All yelling for the Lord and for Gideon."

KJV (1 Sam. 20:30) "Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman."
TLB: "You son of a b****."

TLB is absolutely preferable in those instances, and is certainly acceptable in the other two examples.

I wish we could bring back "whoreson" - that's pretty good, and you see it in Shakespeare a lot. "Fie for shame!" is also good, as is "How now?" in place of "What now?"

I guess I generally like idioms and colloquialisms, be they old or new.

[H. Ross Peron]

May I suggest the ESV?

[afleitch]

KJV (1 Sam. 20:30) "Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman."
TLB: "You son of a b****."

It'll be fun if it catches on.

2214 AD;

'It's not a metaphor, he literally was the son of a female dog cositsinthebible. Checkmate, science!'

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

KJV (1 Sam. 20:30) "Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman."
TLB: "You son of a b****."

It'll be fun if it catches on.

2214 AD;

'It's not a metaphor, he literally was the son of a female dog cositsinthebible. Checkmate, science!'

Those who think that way would never accept the Living Bible because it's not based on the Textus Receptus.

[afleitch]

KJV (1 Sam. 20:30) "Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman."
TLB: "You son of a b****."

It'll be fun if it catches on.

2214 AD;

'It's not a metaphor, he literally was the son of a female dog cositsinthebible. Checkmate, science!'

Those who think that way would never accept the Living Bible because it's not based on the Textus Receptus.

I think I saw a joke fly over your head. It's in the grass behind you somewhere

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

KJV (1 Sam. 20:30) "Thou son of a perverse rebellious woman."
TLB: "You son of a b****."

It'll be fun if it catches on.

2214 AD;

'It's not a metaphor, he literally was the son of a female dog cositsinthebible. Checkmate, science!'

Those who think that way would never accept the Living Bible because it's not based on the Textus Receptus.

I think I saw a joke fly over your head. It's in the grass behind you somewhere

That joke is probably by the dry remark I tossed.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

It's actually a paraphrase, not a translation.  Neutral.