And if one reads it cover-to-cover as a Lenten discipline, not only is it a particularly rigorous form of intellectual self-mortification; it also emerges as a story of Humanity making slow halting progress (with many setbacks) in "getting it less wrong."
I think what I'd prefer is a translation that's as accurate to the original meaning of the text as possible.
I've read the Bible a few times, 3 I think, though over a much longer period of time, usually over the period of a year or two. I'll go through it then start over. I have to admit I find the King James Version difficult to read and follow. I'm a Catholic so I usually read the New American Edition and a few years back I picked up the new Revised edition which is supposed to be more faithful to the original text. I'm currently on 1 Maccabees (one of the Deuterocanonical books--or apocryphal to many Protestant faiths for those not familiar with some of our extra books).
I can understand the frustration some like Christopher feel, esp. reading some of the earlier books like the later parts of Exodus and pretty much all of Leviticus--which is heavily focused on all the various rules the ancient Hebrews had to follow and specifics about their sacrifices. I do read through those books during my readings but they're tough books to get through.
One thing that I do find interesting is at weekend Catholic Masses there are large parts of the Bible that don't get read (masses during the week are more comprehensive in their readings). And I'm sad to say many of my fellow Catholics don't know a lot of what's in the Bible because their only exposure is weekend masses. I chose to be Catholic while in college back in the early 1990s and by then the Catholic Church was encouraging Scripture reading but old habits die hard I guess. But for me, since I chose this way of life, I thought it was important to read Scripture.
For people like Christopher, who have a tough time making it past some of the more legalistic chapters early in the Bible I might suggest that it's not necessary to start from Genesis really. I might recommend starting with the New Testament in fact. The Christian Bible is centered around the Gospels after all. And then maybe read Genesis, the early chapters of Exodus, some of Numbers and Deuteronomy, then from Joshua to Esther (or 2 Maccabees if it's a New American Bible) has a more historical narrative and less legal. You can always skip the chapters that lose you and perhaps go back to them at a later time if one wishes to read the entire Bible.
As a Catholic, I don't interpret the Bible literally...in fact, I sort of think that misses the whole point. It's more about what it teaches us. I can't help but think if we all lived as Jesus truly taught in the Gospels and as we read in the various Letters, that this world would be a better place. That goes for believers and nonbelievers alike. Because what Jesus truly taught is to love your neighbor and to take care of one another. Strip it all down and that's the message. How much better would this world be if we all lived by the Golden Rule. You don't have to be a Christian to love your neighbor.
Sorry, don't mean to preach. As a believer though I can't help but feel Jesus must be very disappointed in us. We use our free will to screw one another over and it doesn't have to be that way.
