How to Choose a Bible

by Krisan Marotta | May 31, 2012 | 04 Bible Study 101, How To Study, Study Tools

Bible Study Tools #1: Translations

Translations of the Bible: The first essential tool for Bible study is knowing the difference between the translations and owning several good translations of different types.

Step 1: Understand what a “translation” actually is

Many people imagine that translators just match each Hebrew or Greek word with the one perfect English word, almost like using Google Translate on the original scrolls. That’s not how translation works. All translation includes some level of interpretation — because the translator has to first understand what the writer meant, and then choose English words and sentence structure that carry that meaning.

That means:

No English Bible is 100% “pure and untouched.”
Differences between translations don’t automatically mean one is faithful and the other is corrupt.
You will understand the Bible better if you compare more than one translation.

So instead of asking “Which version is the correct one?” a better question is “What is this translation trying to do, and is that helpful for what I’m doing right now?”

5 Ideas you should not believe about your English Bible

Since every translation is an interpretation of the original language, you should consult several translations of different types when studying the Bible.

Bibles fall on an interpretation scale. It will improve your study if you know the difference and have one of each type.

Step 2: Learn the Types of Translations

Word-for-word (also called “literal” or “formal equivalence”)

Goal: Stay as close as possible to the actual words, grammar, and structure of the original Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek.

Strength: You see the wording the biblical author used, even when it’s a little stiff in English. This helps you do careful study, because you can often see repeated words, connectors (“therefore,” “so that”), and key phrases.

Examples often placed in this bucket:

NASB (New American Standard Bible)
ESV (English Standard Version)
NKJV (New King James Version)
KJV (King James Version)

Note: The ESV was produced by a team of more than 100 scholars, and aims to be “essentially literal,” meaning it tries to keep the wording and structure of the original languages while still sounding like modern English.

Also note: Some of these translations (like NASB, KJV, NKJV) mark words in italics to show you which English words were added for clarity that aren’t literally in the original text. That honesty lets you see where translators had to smooth the grammar.

Thought-for-thought (also called “dynamic equivalence” or “functional equivalence”)

Goal: Prioritize clarity of meaning in today’s English, even if that means moving farther from the exact word order and sentence structure.

Strength: Easier to read, especially if you’re new to Bible study or reading out loud in a group.

Trade-off: Because the translators are explaining the idea for you, they sometimes “make up your mind” on unclear phrases. In places where the original text leaves some healthy tension or ambiguity, a dynamic translation may smooth that out so you don’t even see the other possible meanings.

Examples often placed here:

NIV (New International Version)
CEV (Contemporary English Version)
NLT (New Living Translation)

Some notes:

The NIV is often described as “thought-for-thought.” While it’s helpful for newer believers, this version is not my first choice for in-depth study, because it can be inconsistent in how it translates certain words and sometimes hides places where the original wording could legitimately be read more than one way.
The CEV was designed at an easier reading level for public reading and younger readers.
The NLT started as an update to The Living Bible (a paraphrase) but grew into its own translation from the original languages. It still leans readable/interpretive.

Paraphrase / Free rendering

Goal: Restate the big ideas in very current, conversational English. The translator is not trying to preserve exact wording or grammar; they’re trying to make it land emotionally and clearly.

Strength: Can help you “hear it fresh,” especially in familiar passages.

Warning: A paraphrase is doing both translation and interpretation for you, very openly. You can’t always tell where the biblical author stops and where the paraphraser’s opinion starts. My recommendation: Don’t use a paraphrase as your primary study Bible. Save it for later, after you’ve looked at a more literal translation yourself.

Examples:

The Message
The Living Bible

“Mediating” or “Optimal Equivalence”

Some newer translations (for example, the CSB – Christian Standard Bible) describe themselves as trying to balance accuracy and readability. They aim to keep the structure and key words when possible, but smooth them when that would be confusing in modern English. StudyLight.org calls this a “mediating” approach, and CSB’s publishers describe it as “optimal equivalence.”

This kind of translation can be very approachable for everyday reading and group study while still staying fairly close to the original wording.

Step 3: Match the translation to your purpose

Here’s the simplest way to decide which translation to use today.

Use a word-for-word translation when you’re doing serious study

When you’re marking up the text, chasing repeated words, looking at argument flow, or asking “What exactly does Paul say here?” you want to sit as close as you can to the original wording. A formal-equivalence translation (like NASB, ESV, NKJV, KJV) keeps you near the author’s own words and leaves the hard parts hard so you wrestle with them yourself.

That matters, because sometimes the exact wording is part of the argument (think of Paul building a metaphor off a single noun or Jesus pointing speaking in hyperbole).

In translations like NASB and NKJV, words in italics are there to show you which English words were added to make the sentence readable. That transparency helps you see what’s solid and what’s translator-supplied.

Use a thought-for-thought translation when you’re reading in big chunks

If you’re sitting down to read five chapters, or you’re reading out loud to someone who’s new to the Bible, a dynamic translation (for example NIV, NLT, CEV) helps you follow the overall meaning without stopping every sentence to untie grammar knots. It lowers the reading level and clears out churchy phrasing.

Many teachers say that’s a gift for new believers or younger readers. Just remember that these translations sometimes smooth out the “hard edges,” so check a more literal translation if a verse seems unusually simple or unusually strong.

Use a paraphrase after you’ve done your own work

Paraphrases (like The Message) can wake you up to tone, emotion, and urgency. That’s useful, after you’ve looked at the passage in a more literal translation and formed your own understanding. Don’t build doctrine from a paraphrase, and don’t treat it as if it’s the exact wording of Scripture.

Step 4: Have more than one Bible

But you don’t need a whole shelf anymore. You can compare translations for free online, but you do want at least two solid translations from different spots on the spectrum.

My favorite site is BibleGateway.com

BibleStudyTools.com: Compare Bible Verses in all translations

Why?

If two translations that are both careful and respected say basically the same thing, you can be pretty confident you’re seeing the main idea.
If they differ, that’s a yellow highlighter: “Slow down. This line is tricky. Ask questions.”
Seeing differences keeps you from building a huge theological point on one quirky English word.

A very workable combo for most people is:

One “word-for-word” style (NASB, ESV, NKJV, KJV).
One “thought-for-thought” style (NIV, NLT, CEV) or a mediating translation like CSB.

Use the first one for study and the second one for flow and clarity. You’ll be surprised how often that solves confusion.

Step 5: Watch for these helpful markers

As you choose, here are a few practical things to look for:

Transparency. Does the translation show you when words were added to make English work (often with italics in NASB, NKJV, etc.)? That honesty helps you know where you’re standing on “solid ground” and where you’re on “thin ice.”
Team translation, not solo rewriting. Major study translations are usually produced by teams of qualified scholars from different backgrounds (for example, the ESV was created by more than 100 evangelical scholars and pastors). That kind of committee work helps guard against one person’s pet theology taking over.
Reading level. Some translations aim at about an 8th-grade reading level (ESV); others are intentionally simpler for younger readers or people for whom English is new (CEV). Pick what you can actually read with understanding. Struggling through every sentence is not a sign of holiness.
Purpose stated up front. Some Bibles will tell you their philosophy right in the preface — “essentially literal,” “dynamic equivalence,” “optimal equivalence,” “mediating,” and so on. CSB, for example, says it aims to balance accuracy and readability (“optimal equivalence”).

If a translation is honest about what it’s trying to do, you can be honest about when to use it.

Step 6: So, which one should you pick?

Here’s a simple path forward:

Pick one main study Bible from the more word-for-word side (NASB, ESV, NKJV, KJV). These stick close to the original wording and let you see what the author actually said.
Pick one “clear English” Bible (NIV, NLT, CEV, or CSB). Use it for smooth reading, family reading, or first-pass comprehension.
Use paraphrases like The Message as a supplement, not your foundation. Think of them like a devotional commentary — helpful for warmth and perspective after you’ve done the work in a more literal text.

And remember: owning (or bookmarking) more than one translation is not a sign of doubt. It’s a sign of respect. Since every English Bible involves some amount of interpretation, comparing translations is one of the easiest, healthiest Bible study habits you can build.

Bottom line

You don’t need “the perfect translation.” You need two trustworthy ones that you’ll actually read.

Choose one that keeps you close to the original wording, and one that helps you hear the message clearly — then read, compare, and keep asking good questions. That’s how you grow

Bible Versions Comparison of Literalness

MORE LITERAL LESS INTERPRETATIVE MORE WORD FOR WORD							MORE PARAPHRASE MORE INTERPRETATIVE** MORE CONCEPT FOR CONCEPT
Young’s Literal	NAS ASV	Amp ESV	KJV NKJV RSV	NRSV NAB	NIV NJB	NCV ICB	NLT Phillips	GNT CEV	TLB	Msg
NAS = New American Standard Amp = Amplified Version ASV = Authorized Standard Version 1901 ESV = English Standard Version RSV = Revised Standard Version KJV = King James Version NKJV = New King James Version				NRSV = New Revised Std Version NAB = New American Bible NJB = New Jerusalem Bible NIV = New International Version NCV = New Century Version ICB = International Children’s Bible			NLT = New Living Translation Phillips = J B Phillips Paraphrase GNT = Good News Translation CEV = Contemporary English Version TLB = The Living Bible Msg = The Message