Bibles

Of the seven different versions of the Bible that I have read from cover to cover, The Complete Jewish Study Bible, has made the most lasting impression upon me so far. In “Illuminating the Jewishness of God’s Word” as proclaimed on the cover, my experience of the scriptures has been fuller and richer.

Each version I have read—Revised Standard Version (RSV), New International Version (NIV), New Living Translation (NLT), The Message (MSG), and English Standard Version (ESV)—has been an important part of my faith journey; and not one of those versions is any better than any other version.

What made reading this version particularly alive was the context—insights into the history of the times about which it was written and through which it was written, explanations of misunderstood words, use and pronunciation of Jewish names, and the perspective and purpose of Jewish festivals.

Other versions of the Bible may have those kinds of features as well, but this Jewish experience seems to have filled an intense yearning within my spirit while further deepening my awareness of God.