u/Primary-Vehicle-8323

It's my first time reading the Bible and I want something reasonably poetic/readable and scholarly/accurate/unbiased.

I'll be getting NRSV NOAB as a reference bible for when I want to gain more depth into a passage, so I want my main Bible to be a completely different translation (so not apart of the KJB/RSV family) and be immersive.

The RNJB and NABRE are the most suitable options I've found.

RNJB copies I've found however have such bad ghosting (pages showing ink from adjacent pages), but other than that it seems very reputable.

I'm not sure if NABRE copies have same issue as I haven't seen them in the store, but I was led to believe there is a lot of footnotes, much of which questionable. I'd rather no footnotes since I'll have my NOAB for that. And it seems NABRE isn't very well liked for its writing style... Isnt it a bit watered down for the sake of being easily digestible for teenagers?

Any other options you'd suggest?

I’m planning on reading the Bible as an atheist with a philosophy background. I’d like something enjoyable to read, scholarly (i.e., reasonably accurate and minimal bias), and comprehensive (includes Deuteronomy).

​

I want to read the Bible to help me understand why it is so widely read and revered, including by many of the greatest philosophers across history. I want to pick the right Bible so that I’ll never have to worry about having the right translation again, assuming I’ll never be a Biblical scholar.

​

The number 1 recommendation in the subreddit seems to be the NRSV NOAB. However, I think this is far too bulky to hold while reading, the layout seems messy, and the notes seem a bit much for a beginner to read through. I can’t imagine becoming immersed while reading this. But since people also advise against relying on a single translation, I’m thinking of getting the NOAB (updated edition) anyways as a secondary Bible; I’ll use it for its essays and to switch to whenever I’m struggling to understand, or want to know more about, a particular passage.

​

Which brings me to my question: finding a primary Bible. It only makes sense for this translation to be a very different lineage from the NRSV, and if I’m not mistaken, the likes of NIV and NKJV are relatives.

​

The two best options seem to be:

1. RNJB by Henry Wansbrough (poetic, seems scholarly, used by Catholic church in Australia/NewZealand/Ireland)

2. The Hebrew Bible by Robert Alter & The New Testament by David Bentley Hart (retains original literary qualities, seems scholarly, highly regarded in this subreddit)

​

However, the RNJB’s available to me have pretty bad ghosting, which seems to be the case for most Bible in the store (do people just get used to this?!). Whereas Robert Alter’s translation is missing Deuteronomy and is VERY expensive.

​

What do you think?

​

Thanks in advance!