How many versions does the bible have?

does bible really has that many verisons? isnt it hard then to believe which one is true? in islam. there is only one Quran and no 2nd or 3rd verisons.. and how many versions does a bible have ?

flossheal, you have to go farther back.

Originally translations into Latin were so that more people could read and understand the Bible since by then most people could not understand Greek, Hebrew, or Aramaic.

Over the centuries fewer people learned Latin and what started as the popular language became the language only known by the clergy and scholars. In particular the clergy liked this arrangement; they liked to study scripture and tell their followers what it said. By this time the church staunchly faught against translating the Bible into the venacular. In a famous example John Wychliffe so angered the church with his English lanugage Bible and his advocacy that every Christain should have access to the Bible that not only did the Church ban and burn his Bible but after his death they ordered that his bones be burned and that all records of his existance be destroyed. The church literally tried to erase Wycliffe from history.

There are dozens of versions. However, the dead sea scrolls & similar are old texts that validate much of the modern work.

Even so, with any old text (try reading Don Quixote in old Spanish) you'll see issues between word usage of 500 years ago and today.

Translate Spanish to English, for example, and there are nuances and meanings that can't convert. Same with other languages and English. Generally, for any given religious text, it's the ultimate 'truth' of the text that matters, and not the nuances of the translation or historical shifts in meaning.

Personally, the NIV (New International version) is the easiest to comprehend.

Are you asking english Versions or world wide?

There have been many people over the years that felt it was their duty and calling, to create a new version, however, the ones that I have read, all pretty much say the same thing, I think the King James Version, is widely read and accepted by most in the faith, along with many more. When I first got saved, I cut my teeth, so to speak, on the King James Version, and it continues to be my favorite today, however, I enjoy reading other versions from time to time. I even bought a bible with 4 versions in it, so that I could compare what the others were saying, and I found them all to go right along together. With a very few exceptions. I think there may have been some newer ones that try to change the basic wording to suit themselves, but, if you are familar with the earlier versions, you can quickly spot the errors. If I were new to this, I would go along with what most of the older Christians reccomend. Many in the early church died for what they believed, so, the word has been safely guarded and passed down, from generation to generation. I have no problem trusting it.

Well no but I think Suni and Al-Quaeda have their unpublished translations.

The 'versions' are just translations into our own languages - once the Bible was read in Latin, which most people couldn't understand. That kept the word of God from the majority of the people. Now, the goal is to translate the Bible into every world language, so that everyone can get to hear it/read it in their own language.

I assume that you speak Arabic, so you have the privilege of understanding the Quran. I had Muslim friends in Britain who spoke English and Urdu or Bangladeshi, so they basically recited prayers and the Quran in a language which meant little or nothing to them. It is this problem which, for Christians, has lead to the Bible's translation into so many languages. It leads to a few problems (are all the translations absolutely accurate?) but it solves more of them (people know for themselves what they believe and why).

Filletofspam, your reply is good so it's been moved to the top of the page by this 'bug' thing, so now this won't look like a reply, but it is...

You're absolutely right.

I guess I skipped the history to talk about what's relevant these days, but as I was writing about the problems of not being able to read and make up your own mind, that's exactly what I was thinking about. And it was all men, too...

there are a lot and they are not same of course

some where around... elevendy billion I believe

versions are just interpretions for people to understand it better. Yet some versions take out some of the real meaning. So yes, there are a lot of versions.