What Bible translation is best?

The short answer would be, it depends on what you are trying to do. Are you wanting to read rapidly to get an overview of the Bible? Then a modern-speech translation would be a must. Are you wanting to make a careful study of a difficult passage? Then you should choose one of the more literal versions. Are you seeking to be inspired by the poetic beauty and refined literary style of Scripture? The King James Version would suit you best for that purpose.

Readers of Bible translations in English are blessed beyond reckoning with the mulititude of Bible translations available to us. Seasoned Bible students know the value of consulting several translations when studying a passage. Nevertheless, one of the main purposes of a Bible translation ought to be to help the reader shift the focus from the translation itself to the message—and an undistorted message at that—you need a translation that strikes a balance between accuracy and readability.

Another blessing of our times is that the wording of several of the most recent translations is converging: they are virtually identical in verse after verse! This is because they have general agreement on both the underlying Hebrew and Greek text to translate and on the translation principles they apply to that text. This is true with regard to the New International Version, the New Revised Standard Version, and the newly revised New American Standard Version. Check out the many Bible translations in DeeperStudy Bookstore.