Comments on: Why I Switched to the New Living Translation

By: Jim Goodwin

Jim Goodwin — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 18:28:55 +0000

In reply to Evie Polsley. Bonnie thanks for your reply…I find NLT easy to understand and read. I have both NIV study Bible (passed on from my wife…she’s with Jesus now) and a newly acquired ESV study Bible and I like all three plus the MSG. I discovered the YouVersion app several years ago and really like the fact you can choose any version you wish to read on your devise or computer. One Bible reading program for daily reading I like is Bible Recap with Tara Lee Cobble found there. (Website also) Thanks again great comments. .

By: Evie Polsley

Evie Polsley — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 17:18:26 +0000

In reply to Donnie Beno Jones. Thank you for sharing this!!

By: Donnie Beno Jones

Donnie Beno Jones — Wed, 17 Jan 2024 21:27:35 +0000

As a retired Younglife inner-city leader for many decades, I have found that The Bible in NLT version is perfect for our youth ages 15 and up that come back from camp as Christians or they are in the process of thinking about becoming a Christian. We give them, at least here where I live in Pennsylvania a NLT Bible because they like to come to our campaigners groups which is for new Christians or those youth thinking about it and want to come where their friends are and even though they may not be a Christian yet, This gives them an easy to read and easy to understand Bible that they can read in their spare time and not need help interpreting what the Bible says to them as they would with other versions .
I believe the NLT is sixth grade second month reading level. As a retired teacher as well, this reading level is perfect for anyone to the point where, when I was asked to stand and read passages in church one day, I had several people come up to me and ask what version this was because they liked it and understood it much easier than they did their NKJ or their ESV or their NIV. Being on the Younglife committee here, we will continue to give freely to our kids the NLT version. After all one of Martin Luther’s main points in life was for the average everyday person to have a Bible and to freely understand what it means without having to rely on another person to interpret it for them. Thank you for allowing me to comment. The Bible in the NLT version is changing a lot of young people’s lives !

By: Evie Polsley

Evie Polsley — Thu, 26 May 2022 16:55:17 +0000

In reply to zack. To help make translations choices there is a wonderful book published by IVP "One Bible, Many Versions" It is extremely helpful in better understanding Bible translation.

By: Evie Polsley

Evie Polsley — Thu, 26 May 2022 16:52:04 +0000

In reply to TOM CRICK. Thank you for sharing your story!! We love how God draws people closer to him through the NLT!

By: TOM CRICK

TOM CRICK — Mon, 23 May 2022 20:13:44 +0000

WOW! It was a joy to come across this article. I’m now 78 yrs old. Started out in teens w/The King James Bible, reading, studying, memorizing and using to witness. I loved what I had because I believed it was the Word of God. A lot of years went by that the KJV language and understanding of it were an obstacle to it blessing me. I came across “THE BOOK”, a translation that was so understandable and enjoyable and just looked at it to find that it was special addition of the NLT, 1998. Then in 2019, purchased the “LIFE APPLICTION STUDY BIBLE” (NLT) with cross-reference verses and foot notes. WOW, WOW, WOW, – JOY, JOY, JOY. I enjoy it so much and feel it has helped grow me Spiritually in ways I would have loved to have had help me when I was younger. It is the “Holy Word of God” but also a tool, an instrument thru which the Holy Spirit can work – even more so the better I understand it. I write other cross-reference verses, and notes in the margins. I underline in red and blue ink for verses and thoughts that speak to me so I can easily spot them. I don’t worship it, but my God and Savior that the NLT so wonderfully reveals to me.

By: zack

zack — Mon, 23 May 2022 18:48:49 +0000

I’ve been trying to decide whether to choose CSB or NLT as a family devotional and reading bible and one I can get for my kids to read on their own too. Both have a somewhat lowered reading level compared to ESV which has been my standard for a long time.

In general from more difficult to less difficult I would rank ESV -> CSB -> NIV -> NLT in that order. I do fear NLT may have taken a few too many liberties for the sake of readability, lowering the reading level so much that some of the richness of language is gone. I really like the readability of NIV, it also feels very smooth and natural to me. But CSB gets high praise, similar to NLT, while diehard NIVers tend to not like newer revisions and stick to the 80s revisions which I don’t fully understand.
So then, I’m still left contemplating CSB versus NLT and I’m open to anyone’s particular viewpoint on that.

By: Evie Polsley

Evie Polsley — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:03:46 +0000

In reply to Dr Austin McCaskill Jr. Thank you for sharing this! Love to hear how God is using the NLT and thank you for your ministry!

By: Evie Polsley

Evie Polsley — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:01:51 +0000

In reply to Amanda. Thank you! We pray he is drawn closer to the Lord through reading the NLT!

By: Evie Polsley

Evie Polsley — Mon, 23 May 2022 17:01:06 +0000

In reply to Samuel Kwame Forson. Thank you for sharing this! Love hearing how God uses the NLT to draw people closer to Him!