聖經版本

在biblegatway.com上，聖經光英文版本就有59個。godcom.net上聖經中文版本也有12個。各取有代表性的幾個版本，節選《新約•馬可福音•第一章》對比一下可讀性。

英文版的取：

KJV：King James Version。英王詹姆斯一世下令翻譯的，1611年出版，也叫欽定版，可能是最早的英文譯本。為便於傳播教義，只用了8000詞彙量。由於都是頂級學者執筆，整個譯本凝練優美，流暢有力，文學性非常高。與莎士比亞的著作並稱現代英語文學的兩大基石。從傳播廣度上來看，影響力甚至高過莎士比亞的作品。後來出了修訂版NKJV（1979），更多地使用現代英語詞彙。

NASB：New American Standard Bible。是ASV（American Standard Version）的修訂版。ASV是1901年在KJV版本基礎上以符合美國使用需要進行的修訂。而NASB版本被認為是二十世紀最具有文學性的英文版本。

NIV：New International Version。這一版是多個英語國家學者，直接從希伯來文及希臘文等原文直接翻譯的全新譯本。為了便於在非英語國家傳播，所以用詞簡單，語法簡潔，通俗易懂。但文學性不可避免地打折扣。從1978年出版以來，已經超過KJV版本成為發行量最大的英文聖經版本。

中文版的取：

和合本：1890年上海全國基督教大會上，三個聖經公會（大英聖書公會，蘇格蘭聖書公會，美國聖書公會）決定出版全國通用的中文聖經。一共三個版本，官話（北京官話）版，深文理（文言）版，淺文理（淺文言）版。1919年4月出版官話和合譯本，1939年改名為國語和合譯本。後來官話版和合譯本經過陸續修訂，包括標點，編排，古舊文字替換等，形成了目前在華語地區通行的和合版中文聖經。

文理本：淺文理譯本由於實際上更偏文言而非白話，後來合入深文理譯本。文理譯本1919年6出版後，因當時白話文運動興起，未受廣泛接納。修訂再版之後，1934年印發了最後一版。

嚴復譯本（殘）：1907年上海第二屆全國基督教大會上決定合併淺文理及深文理譯本的工作（都只完成了新約的翻譯工作）。第二年，大英聖書公會駐華總代表文顯理基於當時民教關係緩和的氣氛，為了爭取高層知識分子，著手籌備翻譯一個「精英版」的文言文《聖經》。包括請嚴復翻譯全本的《馬可福音》。可惜嚴復太忙，最後只翻譯了前四章，於1908年由上海商務印書館印刷了500冊左右。嚴復是翻譯大家，他所提出的「譯事三難：信，達，雅。」為眾所熟知。他的譯文當然值得一看。

各版本《新約•馬可福音•第一章》：

Mark 1King James Version (KJV)

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.

6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Mark 1New American Standard Bible (NASB)Preaching of John the Baptist

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

「Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way;
3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness,
『Make ready the way of the Lord,
Make His paths straight.』」

4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.7 And he was preaching, and saying, 「After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8 I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.」

Mark 1New International Version (NIV)John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

「I will send my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way」—

「a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
『Prepare the way for the Lord,
    make straight paths for him.』」

4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: 「After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.」

馬可福音  和合本

1:1神的兒子、耶穌基督福音的起頭、1:2正如先知以賽亞書上記著說、〔有古卷無以賽亞三字〕『看哪、我要差遣我的使者在你前面、預備道路．1:3在曠野有人聲喊著說、預備主的道、修直他的路。』1:4照這話、約翰來了、在曠野施洗、傳悔改的洗禮、使罪得赦。1:5猶太全地、和耶路撒冷的人、都出去到約翰那裡、承認他們的罪、在約但河裡受他的洗。1:6約翰穿駱駝毛的衣服、腰束皮帶、吃的是蝗蟲野蜜。1:7他傳道說、有一位在我以後來的、能力比我更大、我就是彎腰給他解鞋帶、也是不配的。1:8我是用水給你們施洗、他卻要用聖靈給你們施洗。

馬可福音  文理本

上帝子耶穌基督福音之始、

如先知以賽亞所載雲、我遣我使在爾前、以修爾路、

有呼於野者、其聲雲、備主路、直其徑、

約翰至、在野施洗、宣改悔之洗禮、俾罪得赦、

舉猶太地、及耶路撒冷人、皆出就之、在約但河受其洗、而承己罪、

約翰身衣駝毛、腰束革帶、食則蝗蟲野蜜、

宣言曰、有後我來者、尤勝於我、即屈身解其履帶、我亦弗堪、

我洗爾以水、彼將洗爾以聖神焉、

馬可福音  嚴復譯本

上帝子基督耶穌，福音之始。如以賽亞先知所前載者曰：視之，吾遣使爾前，為爾導其先路。則有聲呼於野曰，平治主之道途，俾所行者直。於是約翰至，行洗禮於野中。宣教，言悔過滌除，及所以得赦罪者。猶太與耶路撒冷之民，空國從之，皆受洗於約旦之河。自首罪過。約翰衣駝毛之衣，腰革帶，而食蝗與野蜜，乃宣教曰：後我而來者，實具大力過我。我雖為之屈膝解履，且不中也。吾所為若行洗者水耳。彼所為若行者則聖靈也。