God Squad

What is your favorite Bible translation?

The National Association of Evangelicals and CBA recently shared the results of that very question.  Both organizations surveyed their members and found similar responses.

The New International Version of the Bible is the most widely read version in the United States, receiving 39 percent in the poll.  A distant second is the New American Standard Bible with 20 percent.  It was followed by the English Standard Version with 13 percent.

The NIV has maintained popularity and influence since it was published in 1978.  The NIV was designed so that modern day readers could understand the biblical text in the same way that the very first readers understood the text.  Thirty years after its first publication, there are more than 400 million NIV Bibles in print.

The NASB has also been around since the 1970s.  Its strength is translating the biblical text literally word-for-word and has been widely embraced as “the most literally accurate English translation.”  People who are not fluent in the biblical languages, but who like to do word studies, find the NASB’s word-for-word style easy to follow.  In 1995, the NASB was updated to increase clarity and readability.

Though a relatively recent translation, the English Standard Version, has gained wide popularity since it was published in 2001. The ESV is set in the classic stream of literal translation, while paying close attention to literary beauty. The ESV Bible was the first to be published simultaneously in print and digital formats.

Feel free to share what translation you use and why.