[.ca] Classic Reference Bible-NASB (ISBN 0310931290)

Good Bible:
I find the NASB to be the most critical in my study of the Word. I agree with the aforementioned comments about the size of this Bible. It's very nice and easy to handle. I also agree with the comments about the genuine leather binding, it is not very good. I would love to be able to find this Bible in a high grade Moroccan leather. I've only found one in calfskin but with black pring only. My other one complaint is that sometimes the red letters of Christ are dark, other times they fade. My eyes require a darker print so it can be a strain. My one heartfelt request of Zondervan is for them to publish the NASB/Life Application Bible in a high grade leather, (i.e., Moroccan or calfskin) with the red letters of Christ. It is impossible to find. God bless your studies!

Wonderful:
I found this translation of the holy Word to be both stirringly beautiful in its language and accurate in its translation. Highly recommended for people who want to know what the original writers were really writing.

Simple and Honest Evaluation:
Honestly, there are several good translations. I own several. My choice is the 1977, NASB copyrighted version. It has great Greek translations, and still keeps the proper uses of you, thou, and thee, etc... Though this translation is no longer published, it still can be found today. There is nothing wrong with the updated 1995 version. And I must also state (in my opinion), there is nothing wrong with the KJV, NKJV, and the ESV Bibles, they're all great translations. I pray that some day they'd all come together in one combined translation, keeping the proper English usage of the word you, and refining their Greek to English translation. I strongly recommend NOT using the NIV nor some other versions, for they water down "The Word of God".

NASB - 1977 ed., 1995 (Update), or Next edition????:
Overall - I strongly recommend the NASB Update Edition bible over the KJV, NIV, or any other I've read. I've used the NASB translation since the original Creation House volume. For my money, the NASB's the most accurate. Concerning the Greek Text, my studies show any verse the NASB questions, is indeed questionable, and those it omits, absolutely deserve omission. The Lockman Foundation, for some reason, in the 1995 Update Edition, reversed their tradition of accurately translating some Old Testament tribal names, reverting to the KJV errors. (Reason for 4 stars.) The Update Edition does correct the 1977's translation of Matthew 18:18, returning to a translation closer to the more accurate 1975 edition's rendering. (No translation's perfect. For instance, I haven't found one that accurately translates John 20:23.) The NASB Classic Reference Bible is a good size for carrying and reading. I'd say it's just about the perfect size for a personal bible. A bible should be comfortable to hold, carry, read, and use when presenting Christ. In my opinion, the Extra Large study bibles are a nuisance to carry, uncomfortable to read (while standing, lying in bed, sitting on a couch, or in a recliner), cumbersome when presenting Christ and possibly intimidating. In short, luggable bibles belong in a study, where a desk can support them. Unfortunately, publishers put the quality bindings on their more expensive study bibles because they think people will pay more for these massive tomes. Subsequently, I haven't found what I'd call a QUALITY edition in the medium format size. I also own a Zondervan NIV Classic Reference Bible that's bound in Top Grain Leather. The binding on the NASB version is disappointing. I may have gotten a sub-standard copy because the binding on mine is an INSULT to leather bound bibles everywhere. Still, Zondervan's Classic Reference bible is a good selection. If Zondervan wised up, bound it in genuine Moroccan Leather, and printed it on quality bible paper it'd be great.

Good translation, but uses a poor Greek text:
I utilized the NASB as my primary Bible for several years. I did so as it is a very accurate translation. This can be seen by comparing the NASB with the word-for-word translation in an interlinear. Most often, the NASB compares very favorably with this literal translation. However, depending on which interlinear one is using, there might be times that the NASB will differ significantly from the interlinear and even from other fairly literal translations like the KJV and NKJV. The reason for this difference is that the NASB is based on a "Critical Text" (CT) type of Greek text while many interlinears and the KJV use the Textus Receptus (TR). The reason for the differences between these two Greek texts is very complex, and deciding which is the most accurate can take a lot of study. But wanting to have the most accurate Bible possible, I took the time to do such study. And in the process, I became convinced that the TR was to be preferred to the CT, and slightly better than the TR was the more recent Majority Text (MT). So despite its literal accuracy, IMO, the NASB had a serious defect in being based on a less reliable Greek text. So now I utilize the NKJV or LITV, both of which are based on the TR. I discuss this issue at length in my book difference Between Bible Versions. My book also has a full chapter review of the updated, 1995 edition of the NASB, along with reviews of over 30 other versions of the Bible.