Even the most Bible-savvy Christian has felt overwhelmed when confronted with the enormous number of Bible choices available today. A few decades ago, the only questions that had to be asked had to do with price and color. Now, buyers are faced with about a dozen various popular translations and paraphrase versions of the Bible. These are then divided into Bibles for children, teens, women, men, and a few other specialty areas. After that, you have to decide on paper, leather, or hard back editions. Do you want that Bible in the traditional order of the 66 books, chronological, or topical? You can rummage through the quality of paper it contains. Somewhere along the way, decisions have to be reached about the strength of the commentary and helps included in the volume. You may even be asked to choose a special author who gives his or her opinions throughout the pages of the text. If you are not a regular Bible user or a minister, you may just walk out without a Bible at all.
The primary consideration is to ask how the Bible will be used. If someone just needs an attractive volume to sit on the coffee table to give the living room a spiritual look, it does not really matter what lies between the dust covers. You just want to find a pretty one that is a little larger than usual. If it has lots of pictures and is a red-letter edition, you are home free. Try not to spend more than about $50 on this Bible because it will almost never be used.
If this Bible is going to be carried by a child or teen, you may want to consider a paperback edition. Younger people like paperbacks because they are easy to read. If they are not taken care of properly, not much is lost because they will cost a lot less than the same volume in a better binding. For an older teen, you may want to shop for a Bible that is more suited toward an adult. Children like Bibles with pictures. Since they will usually be guided by an adult in their study of the Bible, a children's Bible that contains more of the stories of the Bible and not a complete text can be a great choice. The holes in the narratives can be filled in by a parent or church school teacher when necessary. The language will be dumbed down to a low level that will allow young readers to learn to enjoy reading the Bible.
Teens will normally enjoy a Bible filled with relevant teen and family related articles that are interspersed with the Bible text. A newer translation will usually be appreciated because the wording will be more modern and generally written in a less scholarly fashion. If they head off to Bible school or a Christian college after high school, you can upgrade their Bible at that time.
With adults, it is all about determining their level of understanding and Bible exposure and knowledge. For the novice, you need to find a Bible that is easy to navigate and a contemporary version. It is more important that it be readable than packed with the most informative commentaries. In fact, sometimes it is much better to get less commentary for the newer Christian because the doctrines espoused in the volume may contradict the teachings of the church he or she is attending. This can be very confusing for someone who is still sorting out their belief system as a Christian. They really just need a way to be exposed to an understandable Bible text and a modest concordance to help them find the more significant passages of Scripture. At this point, it is preferable for the person to have questions answered by the pastor or mentor than by an unknown commentator.
For the long-term mature Christian, you want to think about the quality of the book itself. Ask if this Bible will last under heavy usage. Unless your budget will not allow it, buy a high-grade leather binding with extremely good paper quality inside. This Bible will need to last 7 to 10 years to be useful to the Christian who carries it. More than likely, it will find its way into a Bible carrying case. So, quality is key. Try to find a Bible that has commentaries written toward the denominational leanings of its owner. For example, do not buy a Catholic Bible for a Baptist friend. If you need it, ask for help with this from the store personnel. Look at the last part of the Bible after the Book of Revelation. In this area, you need to see a nice assortment of maps of the middle east that relate to periods covered throughout the text of the Bible. There should be a concordance that uses at least 20 to 30 pages. After these items are located, things such as a Bible dictionary, a listing proper names and meanings, a synopsis of the books of the Bible, a harmony of the gospels, or various sections covering important things about Jesus may be included. If it has the maps and concordance, try to get one with at least 2 or 3 more study areas in the back.
A good Bible should have columns down the middle of the page or down each margin filled with Scripture chain references. These are important even for casual Bible study. Each book should have an introduction page that tells about the author, theme, and period of the book. Things like tabs for quick reference to the books and red letter editions need to be checked on by someone close enough to the person that you are buying for to make sure that you choose this correctly. Some people really like these extras. Some people really hate them. Find out ahead of time.
Now, to tackle a few of those versions of the Bible. For extremely conservative Christians, you will almost always be safe with the King James Version. For younger and newer Christians, the language can be daunting. Old established Christians find the King's English to be comforting. The next version to consider is the New International Version (NIV). This Bible will read similar to the King James, but without the "thee" and "thou" terminology. A few areas of the Bible will be somewhat different because modern scholars viewed original language texts differently than the translators 400 years ago. New King James is an excellent Bible for study. It follows the original, but the language has been brought up to date. Many today are enjoying the Contemporary Translation, but it is slowly seeming to leave the market.
A translation that is gaining ground is the New American Standard translation. At this point, this translation is seeming to fit in nicely along with the NIV among new and old Christians alike.
For safety, check with others that attend the same church and find out what translations are most often used for study and in the pulpit. It is probable that your friend will enjoy a translation that allows him or her to read along as Scripture is read during worship services and in classrooms. Nearly all translations are now available for all ages and genders in the quality of materials used in manufacturing the Bible and the level of helps available inside its covers.
I will leave you on your own to decide what size and color of Bible to purchase. If you do not know the recipient well enough to make these choices, you may want to choose a different gift.
