Bibles

My first bible was given to me as a Birthday gift a few weeks after I accepted Christ (almost 20 years ago).  It was a purple New International Bible (NIV).    I was young in the Lord and highlighted and underlined all kinds of stuff.  Looking back, I am sure that most of it I either misinterpreted or did not fully understand what I was reading.   That bible was not the most sturdy and it soon began to fall apart.

Soon after that I started to attend a very strict Calvinist style church. The girls had to were long skirts down to their ankle, the boys all wore suits and we only sang hymns out of the church hymnal. The pastor discouraged me from reading NIV and pushed King James Version (KJV) onto me over and over.  I purchased a KJV when my trusty purple bible was literally falling into pieces (I mean pages would fall out onto the floor when I opened it).   I tried so much to get interested in KJV.  The language felt outdated and I did not have much motivation to read it because I had no idea what it said.

I went back to the Bible bookstore and I purchased a leather-bound NIV study bible which has been with me for over 17 years.  It is covered in highlighted parts, underlined items and notes in the margins. On the front pages it lists important events in my life: Baptism, Death of my Dad, When I started to attend and left churches.   The back few pages have song lyrics and poems that have been inspirational to me over the years.  I have a bible case which contains pictures of my nieces and nephews when they were little, cards that have encouraged me, and scripture verses from previous bible studies I have attended.  You can tell which books get read the most (Psalms and Proverbs) and the least (Numbers and Deuteronomy) just by looking at where the creases are on the pages.  I am very good at sword drills and can quickly find things when I open it.   The bible is kind of like a little piece of my history.

But..It is familiar.   One of my goals this year was to read the New Testament between Christmas and Easter(Goal Achieved).    This is often a tradition of mine and while I have not done it every year since I became a Christian I can say I have done it most years.  I am incredibly familiar with the New Testament because I have studied various parts of it over the years.

It was suggested recently that I change the version I read.  A friend of mine explained that I am too familiar with my bible and maybe reading a new version will offer "Fresh eyes on scripture."  I think this is a great idea.  I am not invested in KJV and NKJV is very similar.  She suggested New Living Translation.

I went to the bible bookstore and found a discounted NLV in the teens section.  It is pink.   It is not a study bible, it is not leather bound and it is not something I plan on using to replace my old bible.  I keep this bible at work and read it in the morning before work.

Since I have completed my goal of reading the New Testament I have decided to go back and re-read the entire New Testament with my new pink, work bible.   Do I have "Fresh Eyes" on scripture?  Honestly, I am not sure since many of the stories in the gospels are familiar.  Perhaps with time that will change.

I am curious?  Which version of the Bible do you use?

~Sunny :D