Bible translations: Which one is best for you?

This is it – the year you’re planning to read through the entire Bible. But which Bible? There are so many translations to choose from. Are they all the same or are some better than others? Maybe you’ve tried before, using that old Bible your grandmother gave you, but found it tough going. Or perhaps you’re following along with the version used in your church or small group but would like to compare what you’re reading with other versions.

Navigating the plethora of Bible translations can be a daunting task. The good news is that most of them strive to present God’s Word in a way that’s accurate and readable. This too is a daunting task, giving rise to a variety of approaches. No translation is perfect, nor are all equal, but by God’s providence there’s a version (likely several, in fact) that will engage your mind and grip your heart.

Why so many translations?

When choosing a Bible translation, the first thing we may ask is, why are there so many of them? The simplest answer is because language changes over time. New words appear, old words change their meaning or drop out of usage altogether. Grammar and syntax also evolve, along with figures of speech that reflect the changes in culture. In the preface to the original King James Version published in 1611, the translators noted the ongoing need for future translations to accommodate these realities.

Accuracy and readability

Beyond the changes in our own language over the years, there’s a much larger linguistic and cultural gap between us and the original biblical texts. The Scriptures were written in Hebrew and Greek, with a smattering of Aramaic, between about 2,000 and 3,500 years ago, in lands around the Mediterranean and in the Ancient Near East. The biblical authors lived and wrote in a cultural context whose customs and ways of seeing the world are utterly alien to ours. As a result, there are phrases, concepts and even whole passages that are difficult to grasp from a modern perspective.

Some readers may assume Bible translation is merely a matter of mapping each word in Greek or Hebrew onto a corresponding word in English. But that’s not how languages work. Even without the vast cultural distance, every language has different ways of expressing similar ideas. Word choices, word count, grammar and sentence structure don’t correspond neatly from one language to another. Popular idioms, taken literally, become meaningless in a different language. The range of meaning and nuance makes translation as much of an art as a science.

When it comes to translating the Bible, or any text, there’s a necessary tension between accuracy and readability. On the one hand, the translation should be faithful to the original text, but on the other, it should be clear to the modern reader. Leaning toward one will always be at the cost of the other, yet both are vital to a proper translation. The trick is to find the right balance, and all Bible translations fall somewhere on the spectrum between accuracy and readability. In other words, there’s no such thing as a “100 per cent literal” translation – nor is such a thing possible or desirable.

Literary beauty

God is beautiful and creative, so it follows that his Word should reflect those qualities. Rather than revealing himself through a textbook or an instruction manual, he chose to speak through diverse human authors using their own words, circumstances and literary talents. The Bible is a library of 66 documents containing a variety of genres, including law codes, genealogies, historical narrative, poetry, prophecy, biography and personal letters. It’s a totally human work, yet also the very Word of God. Like the Incarnation of Jesus, this is a mystery we don’t fully understand, but embrace and affirm.

In the desire to be accurate as well as readable, translations have at times ignored this indispensable quality of literary beauty. Striving for accuracy, they’ve flattened the Scriptures into an academic style that reads more like a scholarly lecture than a literary work of art. Or else, in pursuit of readability, they’ve produced a colloquial text that fails to convey God’s glory and majesty. The best translations, however, recognize that God’s Word is meant to speak to our whole person, capturing our hearts and minds with eternal truth as well as beautiful language.

Comparing translations

There are two major approaches that lie at the opposite ends of the translation spectrum. One is known as formal equivalence, or “word for word,” which emphasizes accuracy through word choices and grammatical structure that conform as much as possible to the original. The other approach, known as functional or dynamic equivalence, meaning “thought for thought” or “idea for idea,” stresses readability by adapting the language and grammar to make it more clear for modern English readers.

All translations use a blend of these two approaches, leaning to one polar end or the other to varying degrees. A third category, paraphrases, can’t be considered true translations, but are more like retellings in contemporary colloquial English. They may offer a fresh view on a given passage of Scripture but are not designed to be used as a main Bible version.

Here’s a brief survey of some popular translations, listed along the spectrum from formal equivalence (accuracy) to dynamic/functional equivalence (readability).

New American Standard Bible (NASB): A favourite among scholars, it seeks to reproduce Greek and Hebrew grammar as closely as possible in English, which can make reading difficult in places.

King James Version (KJV): The most popular and enduring English Bible, with an elevated poetic cadence but also much archaic language that can make it hard to understand for modern readers.

New King James Version (NKJV): A modern update of the KJV, replacing archaic or obsolete words and phrases while mostly retaining the overall poetic cadence of the original.

English Standard Version (ESV): An “essentially literal” translation that seeks to retain the voices of the original authors in clear and elegant English, excellent for personal study and public reading.

Christian Standard Bible (CSB): A “dynamic equivalence” translation with less archaisms than the ESV, it offers the ideal balance between accuracy, readability and literary excellence.

New International Version (NIV): The most popular translation in modern English, leaning slightly to the functional equivalence end, written in clear, contemporary, but not overly colloquial English.

New English Translation (NET): Occupying the middle ground along with the CSB and NIV, available for free online, it provides copious notes explaining context, grammar and translation choices.

New Living Translation (NLT): Firmly on the functional end of the spectrum, with distinctly different wording than the more formal translations, it offers a different perspective on familiar passages.

The Message (MSG): The most popular and best of the paraphrases, it can provide some surprising and delightful turns of phrase to help make sense of difficult or obscure passages.

The Living Bible (TLB): Another reasonable paraphrase occupying a similar niche as the Message, but not quite as fun or bracing in its choices of colloquial language.

Choosing your translation

All translations may not be equal, but there’s no such thing as a “best” translation. Instead, it’s best to think of translations as suitable for a variety of personalities, occasions, reading styles and levels of comprehension. Some people find a literal or traditional approach more to their taste. Others desire the smoothness and clarity of a translation in contemporary English. Still others appreciate the literary qualities of a version that emphasizes beauty of expression. Different versions may be ideal for public reading, private devotions, careful study, memorization or reading to your children.

Along with choosing a primary translation for regular use, it’s a good idea to have at least one or two others at hand, preferably reflecting a range of styles. Reading from these differing perspectives can offer a more rounded view of the text and shed new light on it.

The Bible is God’s living and eternal Word, which he spoke through ancient people writing in ancient languages and preserved for us through the art and science of translation. He has fashioned each of us in his image, with our array of personalities, preferences, strengths and weaknesses. Whichever translation suits us best, the Holy Spirit can and will open our eyes to discover a vista of fresh wonders in his Word.

Sources and further reading

Jacob Edson, “Complete guide to Bible versions: Comparison, history, and philosophy of top Bible translations,” Bible Gateway, June 12, 2024.

Karen Engle, “The best Bible translations: All you need to know and how to choose,” Logos, June 16, 2022.

Gordon D. Fee and Mark L. Strauss, How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions, Zondervan Academic, 2007.

Wesley Huff, “One Bible, many versions,” author’s blog, October 13, 2020.

Caroline Thompson, “The reference desk: Comparing Bible translations,” Lifeway Women, September 22, 2021.