The Right Translation
Updated: Aug 15, 2023
Is There a Right Option?
To conclude our biblical series this month, I mentioned in my last post how we would be addressing some less hot topic issues and some more mainstream questions about the bible overall. As a former youth pastor in particular, there is one common question I got from a lot of parents, and that question would be, ‘What bible translation should I get for my kid?’. And while this question was common amongst all parents, I believe this is a question that many people have for themselves today as well. Which translation should I read? Is there even a right answer to this question? What’s the difference between all of these translations? Before we dive in, I want to make two things clear; 1) I will not be addressing every single translation available, and 2) My preference isn’t perfect. As we will see through the breakdown of my personal top 3 translations, they have preferences and opinions from my own thoughts and ideals. The best bible translation for you personally may not even be on my list, but at the end of the day, what matters is that you find one that is actually a real translation from the original text and that you find one that is readable for you. Before we even break down my top 3, feel free to click here to see a list of most translations and the definition of each and how they differ from one another.
The NASB
To start, let’s break down my favorite translation, NASB. The NASB (New American Standard Bible) is personally my favorite translation because of one main reason, it is the most accurate word-for-word translation from the original manuscripts. I know this translation doesn’t personally express sentences and sayings in a more modern-day aspect that would make it easier for me to understand in this era, but I love knowing that what I’m reading is as close to what the actual author put on paper. As a pastor, this has to be my go-to translation as well. Every time I preached, this is the bible translation that I would use because in my head, I would rather read a confusing passage in NASB and break it down in a more practical sense, rather than have a different version say something more appealing, but have the chance of missing out on what the author actually meant to say. Dr. Steve Lawson mentions in an interview with Three Sixteen Publishing that, “The New American Standard is so honest because when it supplies words that are not in the original text, they put it in italics and that really helps you go from one language to another language.” Now I want to note here, that this became my favorite translation after I graduate high school and became a youth pastor, this was not always my bible of choice. As a matter of fact, for younger or newer believers who haven’t read through the Bible before, I would recommend something that may be easier to understand at first glance, and that leads me to my second translation.
The ESV
The next version of the Bible that I often recommend to others would be the ESV (English Standard Version). I know in comparison to the chart that I listed above that this is just one mark over from NASB, but that’s honestly why I love this translation as well. ESV does a great job at taking the original text and making more of its sentences and saying mainstream, while at the same time, not changing a vast majority of the text. This would be a translation that really helps out the beginner understand a lot of what may seem confusing in the NASB. Desiring God has an article on this version of the Bible and they note, “There are two main translations today which John Piper and DG would recommend: the NASB and the ESV. Both of these translations seek to capture as fully as possible the precise wording of the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts.” As mentioned earlier, I know that when we go from NASB to ESV that there are very few differences, but that’s what I love about these translations, you don’t lose the main points and teachings while the texts are translated from one language to another. In both of these versions, you get an accurate translation with one being advanced and the other being more readable for the beginner. It’s really hard to go wrong with either of these two options. Now some of you may be thinking (especially parents), ‘What about my kid that isn’t even in high school yet? I know they can’t read as well as adults but I still want to train my child in making a habit out of reading God’s Word!’ Sadly, this is a conversation I haven’t had with too many parents, but if you do have a child in middle school or younger and you are trying to instill in them a habit of God’s Word, may God bless you for doing so.
The NIV
For these instances, however, I would recommend the final translation in my top 3 recommendations, The NIV (New International Version). This translation as we look at our chart from above is one that moves from the word-for-word section to the thought-for-thought section. This version takes thoughts or groups of sentences from the original text and makes them more applicable and readable for people in this day and age. While this version doesn’t interpret every single word from the original manuscripts, it is still a translation from the original text, and the points and teachings of each sentence are still made clear. Bible Study Tools even mentions about the NIV, “The NIV offers a balance between a word-for-word and thought-for-thought translation and is considered by many as a highly accurate and smooth-reading version of the Bible in modern English.” This is definitely a translation that is an easier read and one that I would recommend for young believers. And while I believe any translation can be read by anyone of any age, I do find it best that as we grow in our faith and readability, we grow closer to the original text and not farther.
God’s Word is Perfect
Despite whatever translation may be your favorite or whatever version you are reading right now, I hope as you read the Bible, it is with the intent to grow closer to God and have a deeper understanding of His word. As you look for your next translation, I hope that these outlines have helped you sort through some of the confusion and that you feel more confident about which one you want to pick up next and start reading. Regardless of where you are in your faith journey, I hope and pray that every time you pick up God’s word, it is not done in a manner to try and change what God has said, but it is done to let what God said change you. For God is perfect and His word is flawless, or as David said in Psalm 18:30, “30 As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the Lord is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.”
Sources
[1] “Access Your Bible from Anywhere.” BibleGateway.Com: A Searchable Online Bible in over 150 Versions and 50 Languages., www.biblegateway.com/. Accessed 2023.
[2] 2023 Holy Bible Translation Comparison Chart | GOD’S WORD Bible. (n.d.). God’s Word Mission Society. https://godsword.org/pages/bible-translation-guide
[3] Three Sixteen Publishing. (2018, April 13). Steve Lawson on the NASB – Part 3 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQ2hUS3xgZ8
[4] Perman, M. (2023, July 21). What Bible translation does John Piper recommend? Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-bible-translation-does-john-piper-recommend
[5] The new International Version (NIV) Bible – Search and read online. (n.d.). biblestudytools.com. https://www.biblestudytools.com/niv/
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