Introduction
- There are over 100 English translations of the Bible!
- God intended for us to read and understand His word.
- Matthew 24:15 – “let the reader understand”
- Luke 10:26 – “how does it read”
- Ephesians 3:4
Translating isn’t as simple as it sounds
- No translation is inspired or perfect.
- Example: Exodus 20:14 typo in “The Wicked Bible”, 1631 – “thou shalt commit adultery”
- Languages change over time.
- When the King James Version first became available, some criticized it for being too easy to understand!
- There is usually no word-for-word correspondence.
- Example: “Como se llama?” in Spanish:
- “How yourself call?”
- “How do you call yourself?” (Translation philosophy similar to the NASB.)
- “What’s your name?” (Translation philosophy similar to the NIV.)
- Example: “Como se llama?” in Spanish:
- Grammar and word order are different.
- Example: John 3:16
| Word-for-word | Thought-for-thought | |
|---|---|---|
| KJV | CSB | NLT |
| NASB | NIV | NCV |
| NKJV | NET | GNT |
| ASV | NAB | CEV |
| ESV | NRSV | NIrV |
Word-for-word translations aim to closely reflect the original.
- Preserve the Holy Spirit’s phrasing
- I Kings 2:10 – ASV vs. NLT
- I Thessalonians 2:12 – NKJV vs. NLT
- Make it easier to notice repetition
- “immediately” in Mark
- “abide” in I John (Compare I John 2:24 in NASB vs. NLT)
- Let readers interpret for themselves
- I Thessalonians 4:3
Thought-for-thought translations aim to interpret the meaning of the original.
- These translations are generally more readable and natural.
- Acts 27:17 – Compare ESV vs NIV vs NLT.
- Matthew 23:5 – Compare NASB vs NIV vs NLT.
- Psalms 23:5 – Compare ESV vs. GNB.
My recommendation: Use several word-for-word translations as your main Bibles
- KJV, NASB, NKJV, ASV, ESV
Compare some thought-for-thought translations to prompt deeper looks … just know what you’re reading!
- I Timothy 5:22
