Tap Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Dh recently started attending church. I would like to get him a bible. If I ask him for input, he will say that he will just use what is available in the pews, but I would like to get him his own to have at home, and then he can decide if he would like to take it with him or not. I also want to buy dd13 a new Bible. She still has the same soft pink, cheap version that I bought her for Awanas when she was a Cubbie. I bought a cheap one, thinking that she would ruin it and we could replace it with a nice leather copy when she was old enough. LOL Well the pink one is still going strong, but I would still like to follow through with replacing it with a leather copy, that she can keep into adulthood. All of our other copies in the house are not easily portable versions. What I want: thin (or at least, not thick), lightweight, leather (or similar long wearing material), and NIV. There in lies another question...the newest version or the pre-2011 version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 font size is important to me. I looked at some with about an 8 size font, it's just too small to truly enjoy reading. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 You asked which version. I'd try to choose the one used in church so that when the pastor reads from scripture, the Bible you are holding matches. I also asked a pastor what they recommended we look for (in our case, it was cross-referencing). I'd avoid a study Bible because it's possible it may conflict with what your church is teaching. It's good to know other possibilities/beliefs, and I wouldn't want to be looking at something different in my personal Bible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 font size is important to me. I looked at some with about an 8 size font, it's just too small to truly enjoy reading. What font do you like? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hillary in KS Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 In our house, translation is the most important. (NASB or ESV) After that, we like those with more durable covers. I'm not a fan of the group-targeted Bibles (Wemen's Devotional Bible, Men's Really Manly Bible, Hipster Teenage Demographic Bible, etc.) so we tend to purchase the basic versions. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 What font do you like? I couldn't find the font size on my favorite bible, but I would think at least 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinder Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I like study Bibles; I think the discussions are interesting to read. I often find the notes at the bottom of the page helpful in figuring out context/meaning. I also like the cross-reference notations. I like black-letter Bibles, not red-letter. The red-letter hurts my eyes. If you go to Christian Book Distributors you can search Bibles by version and features (like font size and binding). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JVA Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Probably the same version he'd hear read at church so he can follow along. I'd go with a study bible so he could get more understanding of passages but you'll want the editors to reflect your theological system: Armenian, Reformed, Neo-reformed, etc... Getting them engraved with their names will make it more special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ereks mom Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 (edited) Dh recently started attending church. I would like to get him a bible. If I ask him for input, he will say that he will just use what is available in the pews, but I would like to get him his own to have at home, and then he can decide if he would like to take it with him or not. I also want to buy dd13 a new Bible. She still has the same soft pink, cheap version that I bought her for Awanas when she was a Cubbie. I bought a cheap one, thinking that she would ruin it and we could replace it with a nice leather copy when she was old enough. LOL Well the pink one is still going strong, but I would still like to follow through with replacing it with a leather copy, that she can keep into adulthood. All of our other copies in the house are not easily portable versions. What I want: thin (or at least, not thick), lightweight, leather (or similar long wearing material), and NIV. There in lies another question...the newest version or the pre-2011 version? I far, far prefer the 1984 NIV to the tNIV. I haven't really compared the NIV 1984 to the 2011 NIV yet. Translation is very high in importance to me. I like my NIV1984, and dh, a Southern Baptist minister, prefers the HCSB. We also like the NASB and the NRSV. We love the beauty of the KJV, but it's not very readable. The NKJV is okay, but not as good as the others I've mentioned. The God's Word translation is pretty good; that's what we got for EK when she was about your dd's age. Dh & I prefer to steer clear of paraphrases, such as the NLT. or the Good News Bible. The easy-to-read versions (NIrV, CEV, NCV) are pretty good for kids, but the context isn't as full as the others, and may not be best for a teen. After 1) translation, I look for 2) study notes, preferably detailed. I'd definitely want a study Bible (I LOVE my NIV Study Bible--I've been using it, really using it, for 20 years now); I like study notes at the bottom and I like center column references. I'd also want a good concordance and plenty of maps and charts. Font size is next (I'm 51, you know!), and then a quality cover. I do NOT like bonded leather. I prefer genuine cowhide, but that's expensive. I like the new synthetic leatherette stuff, but that's kind of thick, which you said you don't want. I don't like hardcover Bibles, but they're better than bonded leather or paperback. Words of Christ in red is good, but not a deal-breaker if the Bible doesn't have it. And I would never buy a Bible that is thumb-indexed; I despise those things! If you want info on a specific translation, PM me and I'll ask my dh, who knows even more about these things. Edited December 4, 2011 by ereks mom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 What I want: thin (or at least, not thick), lightweight, leather (or similar long wearing material), and NIV. There in lies another question...the newest version or the pre-2011 version? All of those things are important to me too. Additionally, I like a Bible that gives some study notes, with cultural explanations and cross-references to other scripture. I like a topical index and a variety of maps. I think you'd be fine with any NIV in the past decade. It's likely to be up to date on scholarly information in the study notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 Print that is large enough for this middle-aged woman to read :glare: No "words of Jesus in red" :tongue_smilie: A concordance with more than 20 words listed Book introductions and outlines are nice Color maps are nice A pretty cover is also nice :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sahamamama Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I'm not a fan of the group-targeted Bibles (Wemen's Devotional Bible, Men's Really Manly Bible, Hipster Teenage Demographic Bible, etc.) so we tend to purchase the basic versions. :) :lol: This is funny, thanks for the laugh. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 It must have a lot of cross-references imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OnTheBrink Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 I like large print, letters of Jesus in red, and lots of maps. I also like wide margins for making notes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hannah C. Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I much prefer single column Bibles, but those are really hard to find. The Message, the HCSB Minister's Bible, the Life Application Study Bible, the NASB Inductive Study Bible, and some of the Harper Collins NRSVs are single column, at least in the prose sections. Wide margin Bibles are also quite exciting. The HCSB Minister's Bible and the NASB Inductive Study Bible are both wide margin. You can also find wide margin editions of other translations, but they tend to be more expensive. If you want to know about really nice Bibles (leather, etc.) I would suggest the Bible Design Blog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
acurtis75 Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) I prefer a study Bible with lots of good notes and cross-references. I like John MacArthur's study Bible. I enjoy reading either King James or New King James but also have the NASB because that's the version our church uses during worship. ETA: many years ago when I first started attending church with my husband my parents who are atheist Buddhists bought me a very nice leather study Bible with my name embossed (is that the right term for writing on leather?) on the front. It was one of th nicer and mor thoughtful gifts my parents have given me. It was kind of their way of saying we think you are crazy but since you're an adult we'll support this whole religion thing for the sake of relationships. Edited December 5, 2011 by acurtis75@yahoo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myeightkiddies Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Print that is large enough for this middle-aged woman to read :glare: :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I think I prefer the 1984 NIV, but that might be because I am used to it! If I am used to reading a verse a certain way (particularly if we have memorized it!) I want it to stay that way! You can go to Biblegateway.com and look up several passages in both, and you can get a feel for the differences. I like study Bibles, with the notes at the bottom, but that might be overwhelming for your dh if he's new to all this. I would go for a really basic version for him. DD--it depends. Is she ready for a study Bible yet? NIV has many thinline versions available. You can get deals on the 1984 versions right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 (edited) I like the Concordia Self-Study Bible in NIV, the hardcover version, a lot. It has been my workhorse Bible for over 15 years. It has study notes, essays at the beginning of each book, maps, charts, diagrams, etc. But it's a nice amount of information, not overwhelming. It's the best single volume Bible of its kind that I have seen. It's fine for 7th grade and up, I think. Concordia has a newer study Bible that has more extensive notes, and it's good, but I don't know that I would recommend it for someone who is sort of recently churched. It's so much more complicated. It might be a little over the top. It is also only available in ESV, and you wanted NIV. Edited December 5, 2011 by Carol in Cal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJoy Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 This might be a bit too far-thinking for a 13-year-old :D, but when I was 18 I got a Bible with a leather cover but purposely had only my first and middle name imprinted on it because I wanted to leave room for a married name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 After narrowing down the version, I would say font, font size, and formatting (good use of white space and margins), not necessarily in that order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Personally I like KJV, and room for notes. Wouldn't recommend KJ for everyone. But lately I've been bringing my Kindle, using a couple of versions on it and transferring notes later. I can write on paper quicker than I can type on the Kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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