Bible Translations

How to Choose Your Bible Translation

What are the differences between Bible translations? And which Bible translation is the best? If you’ve asked one of these questions before, you’re in the right place. The truth is, there’s no single Bible translation that’s universally better than the rest. Each has strengths which serve different purposes as you study God’s Word. Instead, the better question to ask is: “which Bible translation is best for me?” Let’s 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 Aramaic—languages many of us cannot understand apart from years of study. So Bible translations make God’s Word available to us in our primary language.

There are two main translation philosophies when it comes to translating the Bible:

Word-for-Word Translation

“essentially literal” or “formal equivalence”

Goal: To retain as much of the original sentence structure and idioms as possible

Pros: Highly accurate to the original text, great for deep study

Cons: More formal, sometimes a little harder to understand

Thought-for-Thought Translation

“functional equivalence,” “dynamic equivalence,” or “meaning-based”

Goal: To render the original meaning of the text in clear, modern English

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 you’re beginning to get a sense of where you want to land with your chosen translation.

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Hosanna Revival bibles by Translation

a mini guide

Word for Word

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: “For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

Find it here: The ESV Study Bible, Large Print, and Journaling Bibles

Select My ESV

Word for Word

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: “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

Find it here: Large Print

Select My KJV

In the middle

CSB: The Christian Standard Bible

For the one who: Can’t quite choose and wants something in between word for word and thought for thought

Romans 8:6 in CSB: “Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace.”

Find it here: Notetaking Bibles

Select my CSB

Thought for Thought

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: “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.”

Find it here: Notetaking Bibles

Select My NLT