VERSIONS OF THE WORD

The Bible still comes in basic black. But you'll find Bible covers in plenty of other colors too, as well as various translations.

There also are numerous study Bibles that include a wealth of historical and cultural information along with the regular Bible text.

There's a study Bible for teen-agers and another for women.

In addition, there are parallel Bibles, which feature several translations side by side.

A number of children's Bibles are available too, featuring Bible stories.

Jane Glaab said Bibles come in many models.

"It's like buying a car," said Jane Glaab, co-owner of Living Water Books & Gifts, a Christian bookstore in Cape Girardeau.

Glaab said Bibles come in various prices too, ranging from about $6 to more than $100 in some cases.

Cynthia Adams, Glaab's partner in the business, said there was little variety in Bibles years ago. It was more a situation of one-size-fits-all.

But that is no longer the case. "There are hundreds of ways to get your Bible," said Adams.

The Bible is also on cassette tapes and even computer disks.

"There is something for everybody," Adams said. There is even a picture Bible that tells the stories in comic-book form.

The Bible is the most widely read book in history, scholars have pointed out. More copies have been distributed of the Bible than of any other book. It has been translated into more languages than any other book.

The most sacred book of Christian and Jewish religions, both faiths consider the Bible to be the word of God. The Bible has two major parts, commonly called the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jews accept only the Old Testament, which is also known as the Hebrew Bible.

A variety of Bibles can be found at The Way, a Christian bookstore and gift shop in Jackson.

"They all read just a little bit different," said the bookstore's owner, Brenda Phelps.

Some people enjoy having several versions of the Bible, she said.

The Rev. Andy Pratt welcomes the wide variety of Bibles that are available today.

"I think it makes the Bible more attractive to people at different stages of their life," said Pratt, who serves as campus minister at the Baptist Student Center at Southeast Missouri State University.

Still, the notes in study Bibles aren't the Scriptures, he pointed out. "The text, that is what is important to us," said Pratt.

There have always been differing versions of the Bible, he said.

All Bibles in English are translations. The New Testament was originally written in Greek.

"The sentence structure in Greek is very different from the sentence structure in English," Pratt said.

In Greek, he said, the writer will put the most important word first in a sentence.

Pratt said a good English translation tries to balance the original wording with wording that makes sense in our language.

A number of versions, such as the New International Version, are designed to put the Scriptures into today's English.

But the King James Version, written in 17th century English, still ranks among the most popular translation of the Bible.

At Gospeland Book Store in Cape Girardeau, the King James Version and the New International Version are the most popular translations.

The King James Version dates back to 1611. "It was the authorized version of that time," said Melinda Cook, who manages Gospeland.

Many people prefer the King James Version because of the beauty of the language, said Cook.

"You have your old-timers that have been raised on King James and they pass that on down," Cook said.

But today, Christians can choose from a number of versions. They include the New King James Version, a modern translation completed in 1982. The new version removes the "thees" and "thous."

The New International Version, widely accepted by Protestant denominations, was completed in 1978.

One of the newest translations is The Message, which has put out portions of the Bible.

The Message was translated from Greek and Hebrew. The goal was to translate the Bible into language that inner-city children in New York City could understand, Cook said.

"It has caught on across the nation," said Cook.

She said the various versions of the Bible appeal to different people.

"We want that Bible to fit you like a glove," said Cook. "We want you to use it."

The stories are the same, but the words vary depending on the particular translation of the Bible.

Here's a look at how Job 36:33 reads in different versions.

New International Version

"His thunder announces the coming storm; even the cattle make known its approach."

King James Version

"The noise thereof sheweth concerning it, the cattle also concerning the vapour."

New Revised Standard Version

"Its crashing tells about him; he is jealous with anger against iniquity."