How to Choose a Translation For All Its Worth

I was intrigued by the title of this book. Having read other books by Gordon Fee, I gravitated towards this series after reading his How to Read the Bible For All Its Worth. I won’t spoil his conclusions. You will have to buy the book to get those. Fee goes through most of the translations giving examples of the differences. He is meticulous in his comparisons between them. While a book of this size is unable to capture every difference, there is enough to help any Bible reader make up their own mind about the translation(s) they use for both daily Bible reading and more in depth examination of the Scriptures. While Fee is a Bible scholar, he makes looking at the translations very simple. I did have some biases regarding some versions, but found myself being more open to some of them after reading this book. I recommend it very highly. It doesn’t take long to read and is very good value for money.

As a Bible student and teacher, I love books like this one. Despite being a slow reader, I've ploughed through more than half the book in a couple of nights. (I can't spoil the ending because I'm yet to read it!)\\r\\n\\r\\nFee & Strauss give a tantalising survey of the issues involved in translation, so that regular users can judge between the myriad English versions. They offer many good examples, from virtually every version in use today. \\r\\n\\r\\nMany people will enjoy the book, but it definitely errs towards the technical side of translation. The authors are strong proponents of dynamic/functional equivalence, and could have devoted a little more space to WHY it's more important to preserve the meaning of Scripture rather than the grammar of the original. Nor do they appear to engage at all with those who would argue in favour of the latter. \\r\\n\\r\\nBe wary of the title. This isn't a book for everyone. Nor is it merely a superficial guide to different versions. But for those with interest in or responsibility for choosing between versions, or any interest at all in translation, it's a well-written presentation by two professionals. They clearly love the Bible, and want to make it accessible for God's church to whom it was given.