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I have a friend in Sweden who is a new believer and I want to buy him a bible translated in his native language. Unfortunately, the only two translations I've found are the 1917 translation which is expensive and rare, and the more recent which seems to be the Swedish equivalent of the NLT of NIV. Is there an NKJV or ESV equivalent in Swedish?

Thanks in advance. God Bless.

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    Have you reviewed the wiki page on Swedish language Bibles?
    – bradimus
    Sep 13, 2017 at 17:31
  • Welcome to Christianity.SE. For a quick overview, please take the Site Tour. For more on what this site is all about, see: How we are different than other sites. Meanwhile, I hope you'll browse some of the other questions and answers on this site. Sep 13, 2017 at 18:14
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    The New World Translation is available free online in Swedish.
    – user32540
    Sep 13, 2017 at 18:27
  • @4castle Do you know if there is a way to get the NWT in Swedish in print? Feb 25, 2021 at 22:01
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    @AnthonyBurg Yes, you can obtain a printed copy by contacting one of Jehovah's Witnesses, and they will deliver it to you. But if you live in a place where Swedish is not common, it may take some time for the Bible to be ordered and shipped to your area. It's all free.
    – user32540
    Feb 26, 2021 at 10:40

2 Answers 2

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Wikipedia has a list of Bible translations in the Swedish language. There are two types of Bibles:

  • Official government-sanctioned translations, used by the Lutheran Church of Sweden
  • Other translations

The 1917 version that you found is most likely the 1917 års bibelöversättning, which is a government-sanctioned translation. The latest government-sanctioned one is the Bibel 2000. Given that it is used by the Lutheran Church of Sweden, which is the largest denomination in the country, you ought to have an easier time finding this version.

Other translations are most commonly available in the New Testament only, but it looks like the Svenska Folkbibeln (Swedish People's Bible) is the most popular non-government modern translation that contains the entire Bible. Wikipedia has an unsourced claim that this translation was commissioned in response to conservative concerns that the Bibel 2000 was strongly influenced by liberal theology and higher criticism, but I couldn't find anything on my own to confirm this (although I'm limited to English sources since I can't read Swedish).*

It does not appear that a Swedish translation to the New King James Version (NKJV), or English Standard Version (ESV), are available. I suspect that is because they are of interest to English language speakers, but less so to Swedish speakers who would prefer a translation from the original languages to their own language.

*As a personal note, I'll say that it's not worth getting worked up over whether a Bible translation is "conservative" or "liberal"; I personally can't tell unless I really search for differences. Just get a Bible that you can find. If your friend attends a church that uses a certain translation, that's an excellent version to pick up, and means they will read the same words in both services and private study.

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There is now a Swedish New Testament translation called the Reformation Bible, a revision of the Swedish Carl XII Bible of 1703, which was based on the original Greek manuscript known as the Textus Receptus. All original Bible translations, including The King James and New King James Versions are also based on the TR. However almost all other modern Bible translations are based on the Nestle Aland manuscript, first published in 1898, and considered by many to be the product of liberal minded scholars. I agree with Thunderforge that which version is not that important for a new believer. My first Bible was a Good News Bible, which I loved. Later the Lord led me to study from the KJV, but I still refer to modern translations. In any case, for anyone who wants a Swedish Bible translation that is not based on the Nestle Aland, The Reformation Bible New Testament is the only one that presently exists.
It can be read free online here http://bibelonline.se/

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