What are the types of English translations (literal, interpreting, literal + interpreting); Holman (HCSB), King James (KJV), Contemporary English (CEV), Good News (TEB), The Message, etc? We consider The Message as an "interpreting" translation, and the KJV as a literary translation. Is that correct? -- Cristian & Erika Paduraru (Bucharest)

Yes, there is a wide spectrum of English Bibles, from the paraphrases (Message) to the stricter versions (King James). Here are some thoughts for you:

1. Some versions are modern, some are archaic. But every version becomes archaic, out-of-date, sooner or later! The KJV is already 400 years old. The New King James (NKJV) would be a better choice.

2. Some versions are more literal (more accurate but less readable). Others are more readable (but less accurate). Usually you cannot have it both ways.

3. All the versions you mentioned are good, but none is perfect. Only the originals (in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek) were perfect.

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