Aug 01, 2011 the one that you have trouble putting down is the best bible translation for you. This study tool can help people see how different translations and versions have interpreted the original greek and hebrew languages. Partial bible translations into languages of the english people can be traced back to the late 7th century, including translations into old and middle english. Compiled list of all english translations of scripture or scripture portions by harvey bluedorn. Use a wordforword translation for careful bible study and teaching. The disadvantage of literal translations is that they are harder to read because more hebrew and greek style intrudes into the english text.
Comparing bible translations requires the capacity to generalize from a large number of examples stretched across 66 books translated by various scholars andor committees of scholars, and to do so multiple times, once for each translation being compared. Study bible verses using niv, kjv, esv, and all versions found on one page. New international version niv we, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will. This explains the difference between the kjv and all cited modern versions. L wonderly bible translations for popular use london. Use highlighting, underlining, and take notes while you study the bible. Bible for themselves and create an easy steppingstone from a childrens bible to an adult bible. Jan 31, 2014 comparing bible translations requires a knowledge of greek and hebrew. Available for ios, android, blackberry, windows phone and more. This comparison demonstrates that the 1909 and 1960 spanish versions are akin to. Many would say the new international version niv or even the new american standard bibile nasb is the. This study tool can help people see how different translators have interpreted the original language. The five translations are the nasb, kjv, esv, niv, and phillips nt. Comparison chart of english bible translations showing style or type of translation and readibility or grade level.
Formal equivalence a word for word rendering of the original language into whatever language the reader needs, i. Comparison of bible translations i believe that the bible is the holy word of god. Most people come to their conclusions as to which are good and which are bad without. Interesting to see the niv agree with the kjv against the nasb and esvs treatment of the phrase in his blood. Among english translations the roots o thif s philosophy are deep. The holy bible, from the textus receptus bible translations. King james i of england launched this translation for englishspeaking protestants in 1604.
In 2000, new world translation of the christian greek scriptures was released in albanian. As stated earlier, most translations arise out of methodological or practical concerns. Analysis theological orientation for what stated theological purpose was the translation or revision made, if any. New international version niv we, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field god has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you. The new testament is still based on the textus receptus, but has footnotes where the united bible society and majority text differ. Comparison of bible translations faith lenders home. It is not just a good translation of the word of god. A comparison of 9 bible translations page 1 of 2 pages navigate. The kjv vs the modern versions there are thousands of. To decide which is the perfect word of god, first we contrast the two major categories of english translations to see which most consistently glorifies the person and work of the lord jesus christ and is free of obvious errors.
Throughout this post i provide a bible translation comparison of the top 10 most accurate bible translations so you can compare them all and make the best choice for you. Every effort is made to retain both the word order and sentence structure of the original hebrew or greek. Read, hear, and study scripture at the worlds mostvisited christian website. Pdf the bible is the most translated and retranslated book in the world. Its all found in the bestselling bible translations comparison pamphlet that offers an easytouse. Divine inspiration is not limited to the original languages. Over 2,049 versions in 1,399 languages the bible that goes. When viewing this document in adobe reader as a pdf, you can use the bookmarks in the column on the left as if they were links, that take you to that part of the document just by clicking them with your mouse pointer. Est literalness from 10 to 1, where 10most literaldouayrheims challoner rom cath drc english standard version esv 2001.
Over 2,049 versions in 1,399 languages the bible that. Click to download the top 10 bible translations pdf. Standard bible nasb and the familiar king james versions kjv, including. A comparison of over 30 english translations of the bible. Njab comparison chart of bible translations showing style. Bible translations comparison, laminated wall chart. Online parallel bible compare bible verse versions. The back side contains a glossary of terms, guidance to choose a translation, explanation of why there are so many bible translations, and the three most popular greek texts.
This comparison demonstrates that the 1909 and 1960 spanish versions are akin to the wescott and hort catholic line of manuscripts. None are the infallible word of god, so all contain errors we choose to believe that god is able to keep his word pure and perfect, even in english. To be truly responsible when comparing two english translations, you simply have to know whats going on in greek and hebrew and textual criticismin hebrew, too, not just greek. Compiled list of all english translations of scripture or. Many would say the new international version niv or even the new american standard bibile nasb is the word of god.
While a more literal translation may be preferred for study, a less literal translation may be desired for devotional or casual reading. Dated by the year when the last portion was completed, sometimes listed a second time after a major revision. Like most things that should go without saying, it really cant. Bible verses by comparison, read verses using all translations. American bible society is pleased to offer licensing rights to a variety of bible texts, artworkillustrations, scholarly editions, bible atlasmaps, and videoaudio in the following bible translations, reinavalera 1960. Ever wondered why there are so many different versions of the bible. Not too long ago, the king james version kjv was the goto bible for english speakers, but the last few decades have produced many new bible translations. Also notes if apocrypha is available or if using gender neutral language. Share scripture with friends, highlight and bookmark passages, and create a daily habit with bible plans. A later editor of the vulgate preferred alexandrian readings and as a result, the vulgate and the english translations based on it have been sort of a slightly byzantineleaning hybrid of the two text types.
Download the free app and access your bookmarks, notes, and reading plans from anywhere. View key bible passages sidebyside to compare the csb to the hcsb, niv, esv, nlt, and kjv. The good, the bad, and the ugly part one by james r. The old testament was written primarily in hebrew with small parts in aramaic. Its not enough to check a few key passages, though thats a start. These bibles are available in pdf format for easy download or online reading. Grow your faith with devotionals, bible reading plans, and mobile apps. At catholic answers we are often asked which bible version a person should choose. Are you looking for a bible but the overwhelm of all the choices is leaving you confused. The holy bible textus receptus edition john through revelation fully conformed. A list of the translated holy bible in many languages including chinese, korean, italian, german, and more in pdf book format. Compare bible verses in all translations bible compare translations. The first english translation done by associates of john wycliffe was a very literal translation, corresponding wordforword whenever possible. Njab comparison chart of bible translations showing.
A parallel bible contains two or more translations for easy comparison. It barely edges out the esv, primarily because it is slightly more literal. If at least some copies and translations are not perfect, we do not have the perfect word of god anywhere today. Its all found in the bestselling bible translations comparison ebook that offers an easytouse format, full color design, and glossy finish. Every effort is made to retain both the word order. A comparison of over 30 english translations of the bible by gary kukis updated november 2, 20071 this is not a work which requires you to begin reading on page 1 and continue on to page2 and then page 3. Approximately 50 of the best bible scholars and linguists of his day spent seven years on the translation, which was a revision of the bishops bible of 1568.
Accuracy in bible translations comparison of the kjv. Number of translators translation philosophy example verse nasb apb1new american standard bible 1995 11. Usually, a book on a bible translation will only compare or contrast versions based on trying to promote the version being written about. Bible translation comparison chart free download as pdf file. More than 450 translations into english have been written. If you are thinking about purchasing a bible for yourself or as a gift, here is a quick guide to help you understand some of the choices available. Use bible verses by comparison to read all translations side by side. Introduction by dwight gingrich, chart by brent macdonald my personal recommendations. The veracity and authority of pure copies and translations is important because no originals exist today. Compare bible verses in all translations bible study tools.
How do you know which translation is best you, your friend, your child or teen. Bible translations in a spectrum from thought for thought, to word for word and paraphrase. Welcome to the parallel study bible it is the main intention of our online parallel study bible to allow users to study verses using more than one translation and version. This handy foldout pamphlet compares 20 most popular translations reading level describes the purpose of each translation explains texts used for translation gives sample verses in each translation bible translations comparison offers help in understanding translators different approaches wordforword, thoughtforthought, paraphrase, or. Read gods word at anytime, anywhere using the youversion bible app. Some have been given very little help about how to pick a bible translation, but keeping in mind a few tips will make the decision much easier. Included is a verbatim englishlanguage translation, as close as one might come to a true wordforword translation. Translation philosophyformat balance between a wordforword translation and thoughtforthought, with an emphasis on meaning for simplification. Est literalness from 10 to 1, where 10most literal douayrheims challoner rom cath drc. I have had a deep interest in bible translations and issues for a while now. However, while jesus most likely spoke aramaic, most of the new testament was originally written in greek.
Bible plans help you engage with gods word every day, a little at a time. It has a majestic style and it used precise translation rather than paraphrasing. When comparing translations for a bible verse, users can read. This results in a translation as close to word for word in the. It is the intention of our compare bible verses by translation pages to allow users to study bible verses using more than one translation and version. Bible translations comparison by rose publishing issuu. Gods will general bible translation comparison charts.
Translations and types languages of the bible obviously, the bible was not originally written in english, italian or any modern language. The csb, nasb, niv, nkjv, and the nlt were taken from the gateway website. This study tool can help people see how different translations and versions have interpreted the. Its easy to see the corruption in the modern translations. Compare bible translations and versions comparison this is a unique bible study, showing many differences in bible verses in many different bible translations in comparison tables. This version is a thoughtforthought translation that seeks to retain the readability of the living bible, but with greater accuracy and fidelity to.
The new living translation is a dynamic equivalence translation based on the work of 90 bible scholars and a smaller team of english stylists. Tens of millions of people are using the bible app to make gods word a part of their daily lives. If you dont know which translation you want, check out the verse comparison chart in this brochure. Comparing bible translations by faith we understand. Giveaway three types of bible translations and how to.
The new living translation nlt, published in 1996, is the product of 90 bible scholars from around the world, from various theological backgrounds and denominations. This handy foldout pamphlet was created to serve as a consice yet very informational reference for understanding the history, intent, purpose behind and audience for todays most popular english bible translations. This is an important question about which catholics need to be informed. The first form is often referred to as the word for word method or technically, formal equivalent. Bible translation comparison chart new king james version. Many find it helpful to consult more than one translationor to use different translations in different settings. W hich english translation of the bible is best for you. Discover what the translations have in common, how they differ, and which one is best for you. A few of the above bible versions are translations of translations and not directly from an original greek text. Formal equivalence word for word intermediate functional equivalence meaning for meaning paraphrase hscb holman christian standard bible jb jerusalem bible roman catholic nab new american bible roman catholic neb new english bible. Quite likely, you may want to skip over much of this and go directly to the summary table which is followed by some very important tables.
The one that you have trouble putting down is the best bible translation for you. For now, my library of english new testaments is comprised of twentyeight versions. A comparison of 9 bible translations bible study 101. For the best image of this chart click here if you would like to see a comparison chart of a selection of these translations please click here incidentally, even a cursory study of english bible history shows the importance of william tyndale, whose translation of the new testament in 1525 under bitter persecution formed the fountainhead of subsequent english translations. Conclusions most recommended translations new american standard bible while no translation is perfect, the nasb is the best overall version widely available. Bible translation chart each translation on the market has unique features, but in general, there are two forms of bible translations. The king james version also known as the authorized version is unique. There is disagreement about whether the word paresis means remission, forgiveness or passing over, leaving unpunished. Jun 25, 2012 discover what the translations have in common, how they differ, and which one is best for you. Lots of people who have done this find that eugene petersons the message is the best bible translation for them, but i could never really get into that version. Of the versions and translations listed, the nkjv is the most meticulous about using italics to indicates words and phrases which are not actually found in the greek or hebrew. These illustrate the changes from the hcsb to the csb in the context of other leading bible translations and are made with gratitude for each translation. The kjv vs the modern versions there are thousands.
Modern bible deception verse comparison study the premise behind the modern bible versions, such as the niv and esv, is that theyre easier to read, but the deception lies in the fact that they are missing words and verses, which is forbidden by god. Formal equivalence word for word intermediate functional equivalence meaning for meaning paraphrase hscb holman christian standard bible jb jerusalem bible roman catholic. While we may not understand how god preserves his words perfectly, we trust that he did so because he promised he would. Bible translations comparison pdf download download. Study book of jude verses using niv, kjv, esv, and all versions found on one page. Which bible translation should i use a comparison of 4. These scholars and stylists went back to the original languages and sought to produce the closest natural equivalent of the message in natural, contemporary english. The new revised standard version is the version most commonly preferred by biblical scholars.