Should I pick the Jerusalem Bible, the New King James, the New Revised Standard Version, or the New International Version? I am an atheist, so I want to read the Bible from a literary standpoint.
>>18691717From purely literary I would say NKJV or even just the KJV itself. Are there any passages you are already familiar with? You could look those up and see how they compare in the versions you're considering and just pick the one you think reads the best.
Douay Rhiems
>>18691717Yeah, I was catholic so I read it a little bit before. I'm torn between the NRJB and NKJV:24He put another parable before them, ‘The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.25While everybody was asleep his enemy came, sowed darnel all among the wheat, and made off.26When the new wheat sprouted and ripened, then the weeds appeared as well.27The owner’s servants went to him and said, “Sir, was it not good seed that you sowed in your field? If so, where do the weeds come from?”28He said to them, “Some enemy has done this.” And the servants said, “Do you want us to go and collect it in?”29But he said, “No, because when you collect the weeds you might pull up the wheat with it.30Let them both grow till the harvest, and at harvest time I shall say to the reapers: first collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burnt, then gather the wheat into my barn.”’24Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”
>>18691786meant for>>18691761
>>18691786If you ever read/have interest in the deuterocanonical books NRJB might be preferable actually.
>>18691717Doesn't matterStart with the Gospel of John
>>18691717Depends on what you mean literary? The King James Bible is not the most accurate but it is one of the most culturally and literary influential texts in the English language.
>>18691808Like in "I want to read Tolkien because he is the father of fantasy"
>>18691826Prof Tolkien's translation of Jonah is in the Jerusalem Bible!
