How to Choose Your Bible Translation
What are the differences between Bible translations? And which Bible translation is the best? If youโve asked one of these questions before, youโre in the right place. The truth is, thereโs no single Bible translation thatโs universally better than the rest. Each has strengths which serve different purposes as you study Godโs Word. Instead, the better question to ask is: โwhich Bible translation is best for me?โ Letโs dive in.
Before we can answer that question, we need to understand a little bit more about how the Bible is translated. The original text of the Bible was written in ancient Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaicโlanguages many of us cannot understand apart from years of study. So Bible translations make Godโs Word available to us in our primary language.ย
There are two main translation philosophies when it comes to translating the Bible:

Word-for-Word Translation
โessentially literalโ or โformal equivalenceโย
Goal: To retain as much of the original sentence structure and idioms as possibleย
Pros: Highly accurate to the original text, great for deep studyย
Cons: More formal, sometimes a little harder to understand

Thought-for-Thought Translation
โfunctional equivalence,โ โdynamic equivalence,โ or โmeaning-basedโ
Goal: To render the original meaning of the text in clear, modern Englishย
Pros: Easy to understand, great for reading out loud
Cons: Sometimes a little less accurate for deep study
The key to choosing your Bible translation is deciding where on the spectrum you want your text to fall. Take a look at the chart above and click the button below to read our in-depth article to dive into the details. We hope youโre beginning to get a sense of where you want to land with your chosen translation.
Hosanna Revival bibles by Translation
a mini guide
ESV: The English Standard Version
For the one who: Is looking for an accurate translation that is perfect for deep study
Romans 8:6 in ESV: โFor to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.โย
Find it here: The ESV Study Bible, Large Print, and Journaling Bibles
KJV: The King James Version
For the one who: Grew up reading this version and is looking for a beautiful cover to pair with the beautiful words within
Romans 8:6 in KJV: โFor to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.โย
Find it here: Large Print
CSB: The Christian Standard Bible
For the one who: Canโt quite choose and wants something in between word for word and thought for thoughtย
Romans 8:6 in CSB: โNow the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.โ
Find it here: Notetaking Bibles
NLT: The New Living Translation
For the one who: Is new to the Bible or is looking for an easy-to-understand translation
Romans 8:6 in NLT: โSo letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.โ
Find it here: Notetaking Bibles
Beautiful Bibles
View allAbout Bible Translations
Would you love to learn more about Bible translations? Begin with this article on our WHEN blog: When You're Choosing Your Bible Translation.