The Contemporary Parallel New Testament: 8 Translations: ... (ISBN 0195281365)

Exceedingly enlightening- 8 popular-evangelical versions...:
Who *really* needs 8 versions of the New Testament? I certainly didn't! But I *did* want 5 of the popular versions, and this was a very easy and effective way to get them. Here's a listing of all 8, from my very favorite to least... 1. NIV- New International Version '84: Accurate & readable- thank God for the NIV! I might not be a Christian today if it weren't for this version. It was the first time for me that the Bible truly came alive. It's *still* my favorite version! *Matthew 5:13- You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. 2. NLT- New Living Translation '96: *VERY* readable- & still pretty accurate. It's not word-for-word, but I like it! This and the NIV together make for very profitable reading. Add the NASB or NKJV to the mix for *real* rock-solid study. *Matthew 5:13- You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it useful again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. 3. NKJV- New King James Version '82: Great blend between accuracy, tradition & readability! A word-for-word translation, it retains the popular feel of the KJV. I like it! Many evangelicals insist that the NASB is more accurate, but I'll take the NKJV over NASB any day of the week. It's not that I'm a *fanatic* or anything- it's purely personal preference. *Matthew 5:13- You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 4. NASB- New American Standard Bible '95: Extremely accurate. Extremely word-for-word. Extremely evangelical! *Matthew 5:13- You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 5. KJV- King James Version: 1611 Authorized Version. Amazing impact on history. Still valuable today. *Matthew 5:13- Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 6. CEV- Contemporary English Version '95: *Very* pleasant surprise. This might actually grow on me. Maybe! *Matthew 5:13- You are like salt for everyone on earth. But if salt no longer tastes like salt, how can it make food salty? All it is good for is to be thrown out and walked on. 7. NCV- New Century Version '91: Kinda plain vanilla. Not necessarily a bad version, but really- how *many* do we need? *Matthew 5:13- You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its salty taste, it cannot be made salty again. It is good for nothing, except to be thrown out and walked on. 8. TM- The Message '95: Goodness gracious alive! What book am I reading? Actually, it's really pretty interesting. :) *Matthew 5:13- Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the God-flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? You've lost your usefulness and will end up in the garbage.

THE Parallel New Testament:
Any translation from one language to another must compromise due to the nuances of communication in one language or culture vs another. This is especially true when dealing with an ancient language such as NT Greek. For one that does not know Greek, the best way to find the true meaning of the original writer is to compare translations and sift out the real kernels. There are many parallel bibles on the market today, but this is the best for the New Testament that I have found. With the 8 most respected translations on the same page, comparisons are very easy. The layout of the translations on the pages is also very well thought out. With the NCV and CEV side by side, the NIV over the NKJV, the KJV next to the NASB, and the NLT over the Message, the most literal are ggouped in one area with the paraphrases at the other end and the more balanced versions in the center. One thing that I had trouble finding out before I ordered was the exact layout, so here it is: Top row KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT and bottom row NCV, CEV, NKJV, MSG.

Excellent Reference:
The only draw back is that it doesn't have the Old Testement. However, if it did the book might be to large to cary around. Great reference that allows you to compare 8 different translations side by side.

Bulky but reader-friendly for being 8 texts in 1.:
This is an extraordinary New Testament (because it is eight New Testament translations). While it is probably peerless as a convenient reference resource, and for personal or group study, it is not a good New Testament for casual reading. Because it is eight parallel New Testaments, it is necessarily bulky and can be mildly confusing since the reader must find his/her place every time a page is turned, as will happen every ten verses or so if one is simply reading any given version. This does not amount to a deficiency in this NT, or even to a complaint on my part; it is difficult to image how eight New Testament translations could be presented in parallel in a more reader-friendly format. It is a unique volume; highly recommended for the serious student of the New Testament.

An Excellent Addition to Your Bible Study Materials...:
During Bible studies, it is a real plus to have different translations available. This fine volume has eight translations on facing pages; it makes it so much easier to compare passages without having to flip through multiple Bibles. I rated this text as four stars because the print is extremely small and does require some concentration for those of us with less than perfect vision. Further, due to its size, it would have been helpful if the book had been thumb indexed. While it is easy enough to purchase tabs at any Christian book store, I find that they will tear off. This is almost a given with this book because the paper is so thin. I would love to see some publisher compile a similar Old Testament volume in both Contemporary and Precise Parallel versions. Yes, Guidepost does have something like that, but it only contains four translations.