Bible Translations: Which One is Right for Me?

“Which one do I choose?”

Well, that would actually depend on you. However, according to a recent poll conducted by Lifeway, many Bible readers prefer a Word-for-Word translation:

A LifeWay Research study conducted in August 2011 found that three out of four Bible readers in America say they prefer a literal translation of Scripture even if some of the words or concepts do not fit easily into modern culture…Nearly half (46 percent) strongly prefer a literal translation, and 28 percent somewhat prefer a literal translation. Fourteen percent somewhat prefer a translation to reflect current context while 4 percent strongly prefer such a translation. Seven percent are not sure.

So, back to what we are looking for. Bible translations tend to be split up into two main categories: Word-for-Word and Thought-for-Thought.

Two Main Categories: 

Word-for-Word

Word for Word is just that: the translators seek to stay as true as possible to the original documents.Word-for-Word is also known as Formal Equivalent. One other definition for this type of translation I like is: “These translations attempt to reproduce the Greek and Hebrew as exactly as possible into English. Words, figures of speech, and sometimes even the sentence structure of the original languages are reproduced in a much more limited way in this type of Bible.” Because of this, versions such as the New American Standard Bible (which happens to be the one tend to be a little choppy or wooden in places where the English grammar structure does not match that of the Greek or Hebrew.

Thought-for-Thought

Thought for thought tends towards the modern day reader being able to understand the text versus the Bible being literally translated. Another way to understand this philosophy of translation is Dynamic Equivalent. A solid definition for this is: “These Bibles run on a more thought-for-thought philosophy than the Formal Equivalent translations, but do so in a much more sparing manner than paraphrases. Greek and Hebrew figures of speech are replaced with modern rough equivalents. They are more readable in a sense, though sometimes in a freer translation some passages become more interpretations than translations.” Thus, a translation such as the New International Version will be somewhat easier to read, because their focus is going to be on the reader more so than the original grammar structure.

Some Resources when Considering a Translation:

Zondervan’s Chart and Explanation.

This graph was produced by Zondervan. They actually differentiate between three types: Formal, Functional and Reflecting the Original Reading Experience. Their reasoning is as follows:

Tending to the upper right corner of the diagram, a third group of translations—represented by the white circle—seeks to recover the priorities of the original documents themselves, allowing readers to perceive the form of the original and the meaning of the original at the same time. Striving for the optimum blend of authenticity and accessibility in every verse, these translations allow modern-day readers toexperience—as far as possible—what it would have felt like to be part of the Bible’s original audience.

Also, they have a chart where you can actually and read samples from various translations, and they also give a short description on the distinctives of each translation. That chart is here and is in pdf as a download to keep it handy.

If you perform a Google search such as “Bible Translation Comparison” you will find a plethora of ideas, opinions, and motives. However, I used Zondervan as an example here because they are a trusted publishing company. Of the publishing companies I checked they were the only ones who had easy access to such a chart/comparison sheet. However, if you are out and about and stop in a Lifeway store, they should have a free booklet for those asking questions about translations.

Final Thoughts

When I have been asked, “Which one should I choose?” I tell people what I prefer and what I preach from (which happen to be one in the same: NASB). In fact, a good place to start is what translation your Pastor preaches from. If he preaches from the NASB, then many Word-for-Word translations should be fine. If they have an affinity for the KJV, I will usually encourage them to try out the New King James, for ease of reading while keeping the some of the beauty of the original.

If they are asking because they want something new or they are confused, I will usually encourage them to try out the English Standard Version, New American Standard Version, New King James Version,  or the more recent Holman Christian Standard. I encourage them in this direction, because again, I preach from the New American Standard, and for ease of reading along during a sermon. However, as I said before, it really depends on the person and what they are looking for. I hope and pray this helps, if I can be of any further assistance with questions, email me. Otherwise, happy reading!