One further note: There is a story told about the Protestant Evangelist Billy Graham. Perhaps it is an apocryphal story, but it contains a great deal of truth. According to it, when he was asked the question "Which is the best Bible?" he replied "The one you read."
I endorse this sentiment, at least in good measure. So long as there is nothing seriously defective with it (and there are a few seriously defective Bibles), whichever Bible will best get you to read Scripture is the best Bible for you. The style and tone of the Bible you read isn't as important as the fact you are reading it and learning from it. If you find the style of the Bible is hard for you to read and you aren't comfortable with it, get a different style. Almost any Bible that is in your hands being read is better than almost any Bible on your shelf lying unread. Get whatever one you feel most comfortable with and will most incline you to read it. The general knowledge one will gain of Scripture will, for any person well grounded in the faith, overcome any minor imperfections that the translation may contain, and by comparing it with other translations, you can get a sense of what those imperfections are.
This brings up a final point. Sometimes people ask the question "What is the best Bible to read?" as if they are planning on getting just one Bible and reading none others. Unless economic or other considerations intervene to prevent a person from owning more than one Bible, this is a mistake. So long as one can afford them and has access to them, several different Bibles are better to own than just one, single one.
The reason is two-fold: First, every Bible contains imperfections, and by comparing one Bible with others, you can get a sense for what those imperfections are. Second, even if the Bible you are reading does not make a mistake in translating some verse, it may not express that verse in a way that will be as clear to you as some other translation. You may struggle with understanding what a verse is saying in one translation, then pick up a different one and suddenly it will be clear to you, not because one translation was wrong, but because one was not as clear to you and the verse's meaning didn't click into place in your mind as readily as it did when you read it phrased the way the other translation rendered it.
I'll be attaching three charts. The first one explains the difference between the three sorts of Bibles out there (literal, dynamic, and specialty). The second one is a chart of the different translations, a review, and whether it is recommended for Catholics. The third chart will show the difference between the Bibles in terms of a reading from the Old Testament and the New Testament.
Please download these charts in the order that I put them up. It will help you a lot more that way. If you don't see your Bible translation listed, or if you have any questions, please private message me, and I will try to help you.
Also, recommended for Bible study is to get a literal translation of the Bible; an orthodox, one-volume Bible commentary; and a small Bible dictionary.
