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Originally Posted by etexas  Quote:
Originally Posted by Pilgrim etexas,
I doubt anyone will argue with you with the NASB's accuracy, unless it's that occasionally it's so accurate that it's not readily understandable. Other times I've noticed that they will render a word into idiomatic English when the literal translation is probably just about as understandable. But you can probably find similar examples in every translation. For a CT translation the NASB is the one I generally turn to as well.
I think that the NASB and NKJV are the two best modern translations for study purposes. Since I am using the KJV more now, I don't refer to the ESV that often. I don't even have a copy of it anymore since I got rid of mine during my recent move. But the Crossway does seem to keep coming out with interesting editions of the ESV.
If you like the NASB, don't worry about it even though the ESV is the hot new translation right now.
Nice to see you posting here again. | Thank you Brother. As a King James man I would not say I am worried about the issue, as you noted, the ESV is the "hot" translation now, I was simply curious about how my PB Brethren felt about the what seems to be a marketplace struggle between these two literal CT based translations.  |
I can tell you this when it comes to marketplace, from what I've seen. Other than Lifeway (Southern Baptist Bookstore) you will be hard pressed to find a good selection of NASB's in retail stores today. Lifeway probably continues to carry a variety of NASB's because a lot of preachers shop there. Of course, unlike many other stores, Lifeway also does not sell the TNIV, which leaves more shelf space for the NASB and other versions. The NASB continues to hang around the bottom half of the CBA's top 10 bestselling translations and its primary constituency is probably pastors, seminary students and those who have used it in the past who are replacing their copy. Of course you also have those who will collect every version possible. At one time, when people who used CT translations were becoming serious about studying the Bible would put their NIV aside and get an NASB, but today it seems that the choice for many is the ESV instead. This is due to the ESV's marketing campaign (including online) and the fact that many do find it easier to read than the NASB and more literal than the NIV.
When it comes to marketplace, if a new translation has a good marketing push behind it, it will sell. When the full NASB came out in the 1970's I think it overtook the AV for a time, but was itself overtaken by the NIV. The Living Bible sold a lot of copies in the 1970's as well, as have the NLT and the Message more recently. The AV of course continues to sell in large numbers, even though it typically isn't consistently #1 anymore. The NKJV has always sold well too although I don't think it's ever consistently been #1 in sales.