The Best Bible Version for Bible Study
If you are bilingual, have taken a foreign language class, or have a close friend whose first language is different from yours, you are familiar with one truth about languages: Nuances and meanings don’t always fully translate.
When your bilingual friend wants to explain one of his culture’s popular phrases, he may first give you a very literal translation, then compare his phrase with a popular American one that uses different words to communicate a similar concept, then combine the two for a happy medium.
Can we replicate this for the Bible to take in God’s words more fully?
Thankfully, we have plenty of Bible translations and easy access to them. That’s a blessing not everyone in the world enjoys. However, it has led many believers to a bit of confusion. After all, a wide selection begs the question: What translation should I use to study the Bible?
A Note about Reading Levels
There are three types of translations:
Literal translation: Word-for-word translations
Dynamic equivalent: Thought-for-thought translations
Transliteration: Paraphrases
Friend, not all of us are gifted in the same way, and that is perfectly fine. It is natural that some believers enjoy reading more than others, some find studying easier than others, and some read technical manuals while others prefer skimming social posts.
How deep do you want to get into studying the Bible? If you’re the studious type who reads run-on sentences without blinking an eye, a literal translation will be a fantastic choice. But if you struggle with reading difficult texts, the other type of translation are fine, too.
Don’t feel like choosing a paraphrase is a lesser choice if you believe it is the translation you would most easily understand. The best Bible translation is the one you read consistently!
Literal Translations
Bible versions that translate the text word-for-word are called “literal translations”. These provide the closest translation to the original language.
They can be the best choices for studying the Bible as long as they represent your preferred reading level. Because they stick so close to the original, the text can appear choppy or hard to understand in English. Cultural norms of the time are not explained but rather presented as they were to the original audience who naturally understood them.
Some popular literal translations are:
New American Standard Bible (NASB):
This Bible is one of the most literal translations we have in the English language. At times it may feel a little choppy but that oddly makes it easier to memorize (little side-tip). This was actually my preferred translation while I was in college. It gave me a real sense of studying the Bible as close to the original as I could while still reading English.
English Standard Version (ESV):
The ESV is currently the preferred version of many conservative churches. It reads more fluidly than the NASB while still taking great care to translate as close to word for word as is sensible in the English language.
Dynamic Equivalents
Translations that use a thought-for-thought concept are considered "dynamic equivalent" translations. The intention of the translations is to allow today’s reader to understand the Bible as similarly as possible to how the original readers would have understood it.
Dynamic equivalents may alter some wording so it is easier to read and comprehend in English while still staying true to its meaning. That means, the translation team has to make some interpretation decisions in order to give us the best English equivalent of the original text.
The most well known dynamic equivalent is…
New International Version (NIV):
This is the most commonly used version of the Bible in America. That is one big reason why I use the NIV on my blog when I quote the Bible. I want as many of you as possible to be able to follow along in your own Bible. I also believe this is a great translation that captures the Bible’s every thought.
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
Growing in popularity is the Christian Standard Bible. The translation team aimed for “optimal equivalence”. They wanted to create a Bible that was as close to literal as possible while also being readable for today’s audience. They translated word-for-word when possible and though-for-thought when readability would be compromised.
Transliterations
Bible versions that are more loosely translated are called “transliterations”. They are essentially paraphrases. The emphasis for these versions is to be easier to read rather than being close to the original text.
The two most popular versions are…
New Living Translation (NLT):
The New Living Translation is actually really great for those of you who struggle to understand the English used in the previously mentioned versions. It's great for teenagers as well.
The NLT is as close to a “dynamic equivalent” translation as you will get while still reading a transliteration. It is in the middle between those two categories but officially is still a transliteration.
Consequently, this Bible is not your best choice when you want to study in depth and understand the original text as closely as possible. However, when you come across a passage you don’t understand even in the NIV, checking out the NLT would be a great next option.
If you are reading the Bible for encouragement or to grasp the overall message, especially as you get started reading your Bible, this is a great translation. It's still among my top recommendations.
The Message (MSG):
The Message is an extreme example of a transliteration. Instead of translating each verse, it translates passages using modern-day slang. Unfortunately, in my opinion, this makes this translation so loose that it almost reads like a commentary.
A lot of interpretive decisions have been made. That means instead of purely reading the Bible, you are basically reading what one person believes this passage says in "plain English". There may be occasions to use this version, but I don't recommend it. There are plenty other versions to choose from.
How can you access these translations?
Nowadays, you can find them for free on sites like biblegateway.com and biblestudytools.com. If you like reading on your phone, the YouVersion app has most of these translations.
If you prefer a book in your hands, look for these translations as well as Interlinear or Parallel Bibles on Amazon. Interlinear Bibles give you several Bible versions printed next to each other in one book. You may not find your favorite-three combo in one printed book, but it doesn't hurt to look.
The Best Versions for in-Depth Study
What’s the best Bible version for in-depth Bible study? That seems to be a good question to ask when you set out to study Scripture intentionally. Whenever we get started on a long-term goal, it seems we want to make sure we have the “right equipment” in hand. So what Bible version should you pick as you set out to study Scripture in depth?
In essence, literal translations are intentional about keeping the wording and sentence structure as close to the original as possible while still allowing the translation to make sense in English.
These translations can sometimes sound a little choppy - which might make them a little harder to understand - but they are closer to the original. Other translations are written a little “smoother” but still adhere closely to the original.
Skip Paraphrases for In-Depth Study
There may be a place for The Message, but in-depth Bible study isn’t it. When you come across a passage you completely do not understand or you’d like to hear worded colloquially, The Message can come in handy. It might even give you a memorable phrase that speaks to you in a specific way.
However, when your intention is to study Scripture in depth, you want to have a translation that sticks closer to the original wording and sentence structure.
When you’re going through Scripture Confident through the Bible, for example, you’ll soon be asked to look at certain conjunctions and flow of thought - and The Message may just not be using the same wording. It also doesn’t use numerical references for each verse but rather by passage. So if the study guide gives you a hint for one specific verse, it’ll be harder to find.
The ESV Hype
In the last decade or so, the ESV has become the preferred version for many Bible students and churches. Somehow, people decided that the NIV was not literal enough or suited for serious Bible study - and in some cases, worse comments have been made. The ESV came to the forefront.
I don’t tend to subscribe to this hype and don’t think I even own an ESV Bible. During my College years, I studied a NASB Bible and now usually NIV. I pull up an NIRV when studying with my kids because it’s much easier to understand while still staying close to the text.
That being said, the ESV version is great for in-depth Bible study. If that’s what you currently use, keep at it. It’s definitely a great translation but should not earn a “ESV or bust” following.
KJV Only?
There are still groups of people who believe strongly that we should only study the KJV Bible version. There are even some who consider it “inspired” because it was the first English translation.
Let me be clear: No translation is inspired. The original words of the Bible were inspired by God. We are translating from there.
You may have heard an argument about the KJV being translated from “the majority text” and therefore being better. Let me help you understand this…
We don’t have the original Bible. The letters are long gone… there is no backup disk that stores them. Instead, when one copy was starting to look torn up, scribes rewrote it. We have many, many fragments of old Bible texts - often it’s just a little piece here and there, sometimes more. There are some variations in the texts - so now what??
When scribes copied the Bible onto a new scroll or parchment, they surely would have been extremely careful, knowing they were copying the Word of God. However, human error is a reality. Sometimes, a scribe may also have expanded or made a small change to make something more clear - oh no! Surely, the next time this scroll was rewritten, the next scribe would have unknowingly continued this variation.
Now, if you found a number of pieces of a certain passage, which do you think is more reliable: the oldest version or the one with the most consistent copies?
Most scholars will say the earliest copies are most reliable. So while the phrase “majority text” sounds very convincing, we need to understand what that actually means… Having the most copies of a slightly altered text doesn’t make it closest to the original.
The Best Translation Is the One You Read
There is my little rundown on Bible translations and how to pick a great one for in-depth Bible study.
The most important factor is this: The best Bible translation is the one you read.
Sometimes, we can be so paralyzed by picking the “right equipment” that we never actually get started. So whichever Bible version you pick, make sure to start reading it consistently.
Pick a Bible translation that you understand well enough to keep going.
The truth is, we are all gifted in different ways. If you struggle with reading comprehension and know that an easier-to-understand version (even the NLT, for example) makes it 10x more likely you’ll understand what you’re reading and keep going, then that’s what you should pick. Don’t feel like you can’t get started because the NASB’s wording doesn’t make sense to you.
On the other hand, if you’re generally an avid reader or easily pick up new information, don’t hesitate to challenge yourself with one of the more literal translations. They really are excellent for in-depth Bible study.
Learn How to Study the Bible In-Depth
So, now you’ve settled on your Bible translation, but that’s only the first step. How do you really dig deep and get the most out of whatever version is now in front of you? How do you do more than read, shrug, and call it a day?
If in-depth Bible study still feels a little intimidating, let me help you get started slowly and study through Scripture with growing skill and independence. Each day, you’ll walk through God’s story of redemption, connect with the text in your mind and in your heart, and walk away with an application. Week by week, you’ll notice your comfort level rise until, finally, in-depth Bible study is just a natural habit.
Interested? Check out Scripture Confident through the Bible, your one-year plan for studying any passage passage of Scripture with joy, skill, and confidence.
SCRIPTURE CONFIDENT THROUGH THE BIBLE will teach you the Bible’s ONE STORYLINE on hand-picked passages, which you will STUDY WITH GROWING INDEPENDENCE.
It works like this: The daily study guide starts out with many guided questions, a quick summary, and an application suggestion. You are probably used to this format of studying the Bible.
Every week, you will learn a new Bible study method that builds on the previous one. I break down each step of the process and empower you to take it over. First, you’ll get a chance to ask some of the questions yourself, which will get you into the habit of making observations about what you’re reading.
Eventually, you will have a framework of questions you can take to every passage you study. You’ll know how to dig deep, draw conclusions, and figure out how each passage affects your life. But don’t worry: I always provide hints on the side to steer you in the right direction - that is, until you don’t even need those anymore either.
That’s how you’ll make your way through the Bible. You won’t read it cover to cover. Instead, I’ve picked out a number of key passages that help you see the Bible’s one story.
I’ll help you see the big picture. This is key. By the end of this study, you’ll understand any Bible passage in its context and know exactly how it fits into God’s story of redemption. Believe me, this makes a huge difference in how you interpret and apply many passages. You’ll avoid misunderstanding God or claiming promises not made for your situation. You definitely want this!!
Take a look at what other’s say about Scripture Confident through the Bible.
“I have learned so much about the Bible because of the way you have taught us how to study Scripture. I'm starting to automatically ask the questions and interpret the information so much better - especially with the use of outside resources. This study has definitely helped me to deepen my Bible study and time with God!” ~ Wendi
“This book changed how I will study the Bible forever. I wish I was given these tools earlier in my walk with Christ. It has taught me how to look deeply into the text using multiple resources that I had previously been intimated by.” ~Kim
If you are serious about wanting to studying the Bible in-depth but don’t know where to start, Scripture Confident through the Bible is the resource for you.
Scripture Confident through the Bible helps you slowly build a framework for studying Scripture independently AND reveals the Bible’s one storyline while you practice digging deep into Scripture every day.
Find out more here.
