Bible Versions
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The*Empress
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I thought all Bibles are the same. What is the difference?
Oceanbreeze
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New American Standard.
It's easy to understand.
It's easy to understand.
Oceanbreeze
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Miss*Pinocchio said:
I'm not versed enough to answer this adequately, but I know one difference between Kings James Version and other versions, is KJV is written in the King's English. New American Standard Bible is a bit different, because, it's written in standard English.
If I've not explained this adequately, someone can come behind me explain further if this wish.
Hope this helps.
The*Empress
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Amplified Bibles
Readability - Expanded and "amplified" by means of a system of brackets and parentheses, which sometimes make for abrupt reading
Grade Level - n/a
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation, plus additional amplification of word meaning - Verse for verse
Translators - Frances E. Siewert, plus 12 others
Notes - A popular translation used to understand the hidden meaning of Greek and Hebrew words. Published 1964 (updated 1987).
Theological Affiliation - Conservative and mainline
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 He thunderings speak (awesomely) concerning Him; the cattle are told of His coming storm.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bibles
Readability - Clear, simple English that a child can understand, but with a mature style that adults can appreciate
Grade Level 5.4
Translation Philosophy - Meaning all-important, Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - Over 100 (including reviewers)
Notes - Written at an elementary-school reading level, the CEV is readable and understandable for the modern reader. Published 1995.
Theological Affiliation - Conservative and mainline
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 And the thunder tells of His anger against sin.
God's Word Bibles
Readability - A readable translation; employs natural English expressions to convey the meaning of the original languages
Grade Level 5.8
Translation Philosophy - Priority to meaning rather than word translation,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 75
Notes - Using a linguistically based translation method, the work on God's Word was done by a denominationally diverse, 75-member team of translators, linguists, English experts, and independent biblical-language scholars. Published 1995.
Theological Affiliation
Lutheran
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 The thunder announces His coming. The storm announces His angry wrath.
King James Version (KJV) Bibles
Readability - Poetic literary style using Elizabethan English. Most universally accepted translation for centuries.
Grade Level 12
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation rather than meaning,
Verse for verse
Translators - 54
Notes - Traditionally loved and accepted by all Christians. Purpose in translation was "to deliver God's book unto God's people in a tongue which they can understand." Published 1611.
Theological Affiliation
Church of England, conservative
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it; the cattle also concerning the vapour.
New American (NAB) Bibles
Readability - A clear and straightforward translation that reads smoothly. Written in basic American English. - Grade Level 6.6
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation rather than meaning,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 55
Notes - Published under the direction of Pope Pious XII, this Catholic version of the Bible represents more than 25 years of effort by the Catholic Biblical Association of America. All editions include deuterocanonical books. Published in 1970.
Theological Affiliation
Conservative
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder speaks for Him and incites the fury of the storm.
New American Standard (NASB) Bibles
Readability - Highly formal, rather choppy reading
Grade Level 11.32
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation rather than meaning,
Verse for verse with poetry
Translators - 54
Notes - A highly respected formal translation of the Bible. The purpose of the work was to update the American Standard Version into more current English. Published in 1971 (updated 1995).
Theological Affiliation
Conservative
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 Its noise declares His presence; the cattle also, concerning what is coming up.
New Century Version/International Children's (NCV/ICB) Bibles
Readability - Simple and easy to understand - Grade Level 3.9
Translation Philosophy - Priority to meaning rather than word translation
Format, Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - n/a
Notes - The NCV and ICB are both designed for ease of reading and understanding. Some paraphrasing is used to avoid words that are not commonly used today. While the NCV and ICB are very similar, the ICB is a bit more simplistic stylistically. Published in 1987.
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder announces that a storm is coming. Even the cattle show that a storm is coming (ICB).
New International Version (NIV) Bibles
Readability - A smooth-reading version in modern English - Grade Level 7.8
Translation Philosophy - Balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought, Format, Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 115
Notes - The bestselling translation, widely accepted by evangelical Christians. The purpose in translation was to "produce an accurate translation, suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use." Published in 1978.
Theological Affiliation
Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder announced the coming storm, even the cattle make known its approach.
New International Reader's Version (NIrV) Bibles
Readability - Very easy to read and understand; uses simple, short words and sentences - Grade Level 2.9
Translation Philosophy - Balance between word translation and meaning, with an emphasis on meaning where necessary for simplification,
Format, Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 40 (includes stylists and simplifiers)
Notes - A thorough, scholarly simplification of the NIV, the NIrV was specifically designed to help young children and new readers understand the Bible for themselves and create an easy stepping stone from a children's Bible to an adult Bible.
Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder announces that a storm is coming. Even the cattle let us know it's approaching.
New Jerusalem Bibles
Readability - Easy-to-read British English, graceful literary style in both prose and poetry sections - Grade Level 9
Translation Philosophy - Combination of word-for-word translation and sense communication where necessary for modern rendering. Format,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - n/a
Notes - The first truly modern translation of the complete canon of the Bible (including deuterocanonical books), based on original sources. Published in 1966 (updated in 1986).
Catholic
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His crashing gives warning of its coming, anger flashes out against iniquity.
New King James Version (NKJV) Bibles
Readability - Easier word usage than the original, but stays true to 17th-century sentence structure - Grade Level 9
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation rather than meaning,
Verse for verse
Translators - 119
Notes - A modern language update of the original KJV. Its purpose was to update and modernize the original KJV but preserve the KJV as much as possible. Published in 1982.
Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 - His thunder declares it, the cattle also, concerning the rising storm.
New Living Translation (NLT) Bibles
Readability - A readable translation with commonly used vocabulary and language structures - Grade Level 6.3
Translation Philosophy - Priority to meaning rather than word translation,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 90
Notes - A dynamic equivalent translation with roots in The Living Bible. The purpose of this translation "was to enhance the power and clarity of The Living Bible" and create a "translation as good for study as it is for devotional reading." Published in 1996.
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder announces His presence; the storm announces His indignant anger.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bibles
Readability - Contemporary, dignified with generic language in reference to humans - Grade Level 10.4
Translation Philosophy - Balance between word translation and meaning,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 30
Notes - A widely accepted translation in the tradition of the King James Version. Its purpose was to "make a good one better." Published in 1990.
Mainline and interconfessional
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 Its crashing tells about Him; he is jealous with anger against iniquity.
The Message Bibles
Readability - An easy-to-read, modern-language paraphrase -
Grade Level 4.8
Translation Philosophy - Conversion of the original languages into the tone and rhythm of modern-day American speech while retaining the idioms and meaning of the original languages, Format, Paragraphs with poetry
Translator - Eugene H. Peterson
Notes - This paraphrase was translated using the rhythms and tone of contemporary English to communicate to the modern reader.
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 The High God roars in the thunder, angry against evil.
Today's English Version (TEV) Bibles
Readability - Very simple, readable version. Uses a limited vocabulary.
Grade Level 7.29
Translation Philosophy - Meaning all-important, Paragraphing with poetry and other special indentations
Translators - R. Bratcher (New Testament) /R. Bratcher, plus six others (Old Testament)
Notes - "A translation intended for people everywhere for whom English is either their mother tongue or an acquired language." Published in 1976.
Theological Affiliation
interconfessional
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 Thunder announces the approaching storm, and the cattle know it's coming.
Readability - Expanded and "amplified" by means of a system of brackets and parentheses, which sometimes make for abrupt reading
Grade Level - n/a
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation, plus additional amplification of word meaning - Verse for verse
Translators - Frances E. Siewert, plus 12 others
Notes - A popular translation used to understand the hidden meaning of Greek and Hebrew words. Published 1964 (updated 1987).
Theological Affiliation - Conservative and mainline
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 He thunderings speak (awesomely) concerning Him; the cattle are told of His coming storm.
Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bibles
Readability - Clear, simple English that a child can understand, but with a mature style that adults can appreciate
Grade Level 5.4
Translation Philosophy - Meaning all-important, Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - Over 100 (including reviewers)
Notes - Written at an elementary-school reading level, the CEV is readable and understandable for the modern reader. Published 1995.
Theological Affiliation - Conservative and mainline
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 And the thunder tells of His anger against sin.
God's Word Bibles
Readability - A readable translation; employs natural English expressions to convey the meaning of the original languages
Grade Level 5.8
Translation Philosophy - Priority to meaning rather than word translation,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 75
Notes - Using a linguistically based translation method, the work on God's Word was done by a denominationally diverse, 75-member team of translators, linguists, English experts, and independent biblical-language scholars. Published 1995.
Theological Affiliation
Lutheran
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 The thunder announces His coming. The storm announces His angry wrath.
King James Version (KJV) Bibles
Readability - Poetic literary style using Elizabethan English. Most universally accepted translation for centuries.
Grade Level 12
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation rather than meaning,
Verse for verse
Translators - 54
Notes - Traditionally loved and accepted by all Christians. Purpose in translation was "to deliver God's book unto God's people in a tongue which they can understand." Published 1611.
Theological Affiliation
Church of England, conservative
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it; the cattle also concerning the vapour.
New American (NAB) Bibles
Readability - A clear and straightforward translation that reads smoothly. Written in basic American English. - Grade Level 6.6
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation rather than meaning,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 55
Notes - Published under the direction of Pope Pious XII, this Catholic version of the Bible represents more than 25 years of effort by the Catholic Biblical Association of America. All editions include deuterocanonical books. Published in 1970.
Theological Affiliation
Conservative
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder speaks for Him and incites the fury of the storm.
New American Standard (NASB) Bibles
Readability - Highly formal, rather choppy reading
Grade Level 11.32
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation rather than meaning,
Verse for verse with poetry
Translators - 54
Notes - A highly respected formal translation of the Bible. The purpose of the work was to update the American Standard Version into more current English. Published in 1971 (updated 1995).
Theological Affiliation
Conservative
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 Its noise declares His presence; the cattle also, concerning what is coming up.
New Century Version/International Children's (NCV/ICB) Bibles
Readability - Simple and easy to understand - Grade Level 3.9
Translation Philosophy - Priority to meaning rather than word translation
Format, Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - n/a
Notes - The NCV and ICB are both designed for ease of reading and understanding. Some paraphrasing is used to avoid words that are not commonly used today. While the NCV and ICB are very similar, the ICB is a bit more simplistic stylistically. Published in 1987.
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder announces that a storm is coming. Even the cattle show that a storm is coming (ICB).
New International Version (NIV) Bibles
Readability - A smooth-reading version in modern English - Grade Level 7.8
Translation Philosophy - Balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought, Format, Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 115
Notes - The bestselling translation, widely accepted by evangelical Christians. The purpose in translation was to "produce an accurate translation, suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use." Published in 1978.
Theological Affiliation
Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder announced the coming storm, even the cattle make known its approach.
New International Reader's Version (NIrV) Bibles
Readability - Very easy to read and understand; uses simple, short words and sentences - Grade Level 2.9
Translation Philosophy - Balance between word translation and meaning, with an emphasis on meaning where necessary for simplification,
Format, Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 40 (includes stylists and simplifiers)
Notes - A thorough, scholarly simplification of the NIV, the NIrV was specifically designed to help young children and new readers understand the Bible for themselves and create an easy stepping stone from a children's Bible to an adult Bible.
Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder announces that a storm is coming. Even the cattle let us know it's approaching.
New Jerusalem Bibles
Readability - Easy-to-read British English, graceful literary style in both prose and poetry sections - Grade Level 9
Translation Philosophy - Combination of word-for-word translation and sense communication where necessary for modern rendering. Format,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - n/a
Notes - The first truly modern translation of the complete canon of the Bible (including deuterocanonical books), based on original sources. Published in 1966 (updated in 1986).
Catholic
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His crashing gives warning of its coming, anger flashes out against iniquity.
New King James Version (NKJV) Bibles
Readability - Easier word usage than the original, but stays true to 17th-century sentence structure - Grade Level 9
Translation Philosophy - Priority to word translation rather than meaning,
Verse for verse
Translators - 119
Notes - A modern language update of the original KJV. Its purpose was to update and modernize the original KJV but preserve the KJV as much as possible. Published in 1982.
Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 - His thunder declares it, the cattle also, concerning the rising storm.
New Living Translation (NLT) Bibles
Readability - A readable translation with commonly used vocabulary and language structures - Grade Level 6.3
Translation Philosophy - Priority to meaning rather than word translation,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 90
Notes - A dynamic equivalent translation with roots in The Living Bible. The purpose of this translation "was to enhance the power and clarity of The Living Bible" and create a "translation as good for study as it is for devotional reading." Published in 1996.
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 His thunder announces His presence; the storm announces His indignant anger.
New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bibles
Readability - Contemporary, dignified with generic language in reference to humans - Grade Level 10.4
Translation Philosophy - Balance between word translation and meaning,
Paragraphs with poetry
Translators - 30
Notes - A widely accepted translation in the tradition of the King James Version. Its purpose was to "make a good one better." Published in 1990.
Mainline and interconfessional
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 Its crashing tells about Him; he is jealous with anger against iniquity.
The Message Bibles
Readability - An easy-to-read, modern-language paraphrase -
Grade Level 4.8
Translation Philosophy - Conversion of the original languages into the tone and rhythm of modern-day American speech while retaining the idioms and meaning of the original languages, Format, Paragraphs with poetry
Translator - Eugene H. Peterson
Notes - This paraphrase was translated using the rhythms and tone of contemporary English to communicate to the modern reader.
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 The High God roars in the thunder, angry against evil.
Today's English Version (TEV) Bibles
Readability - Very simple, readable version. Uses a limited vocabulary.
Grade Level 7.29
Translation Philosophy - Meaning all-important, Paragraphing with poetry and other special indentations
Translators - R. Bratcher (New Testament) /R. Bratcher, plus six others (Old Testament)
Notes - "A translation intended for people everywhere for whom English is either their mother tongue or an acquired language." Published in 1976.
Theological Affiliation
interconfessional
Sample Passage
Job 36:33 Thunder announces the approaching storm, and the cattle know it's coming.
Crazymanw00t
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Well, all the translation Bibles are different.
Before I give out the examples. I uses NASB for study and reading. I use NLT for explaining and understand the basic points from the bible. NLT isn't great to use but it is good to read it. NASB is translated with word by the words from the Greek language. NLT is translated by the sentence from the verse in the Greek language. It is huge different with translate the word or the sentence from the Greek language to English.
Mark 7:23
ESV -Good Translator-
23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
KJV -Good Translator-
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
NKJV -Good Translator-
23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
ASB -Good Translator-
23 all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.
NASB -Good Translator- -Almost perfect translated from Greek to English-
23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."
NIV
23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ ”
NLT
23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."
WCF (Wycliffe New Testament)
23 All these evils come forth from within, and defoul a man,
You can see the big difference with how they order the words.
Before I give out the examples. I uses NASB for study and reading. I use NLT for explaining and understand the basic points from the bible. NLT isn't great to use but it is good to read it. NASB is translated with word by the words from the Greek language. NLT is translated by the sentence from the verse in the Greek language. It is huge different with translate the word or the sentence from the Greek language to English.
Mark 7:23
ESV -Good Translator-
23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
KJV -Good Translator-
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
NKJV -Good Translator-
23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
ASB -Good Translator-
23 all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.
NASB -Good Translator- -Almost perfect translated from Greek to English-
23 "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."
NIV
23 All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ ”
NLT
23 All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you and make you unacceptable to God."
WCF (Wycliffe New Testament)
23 All these evils come forth from within, and defoul a man,
You can see the big difference with how they order the words.
The*Empress
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wow, I think I like NIV better... cause I didn't understand the word Defile.
The*Empress
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I got James version and NIV
James version: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God movied upon the face of the waters.
NIV version: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface
of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
In the deaf version: God made the sky and earth. At first, 2 the earth was completely empty; nothing was on the earth. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit moved over the water.
James version: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God movied upon the face of the waters.
NIV version: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface
of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
In the deaf version: God made the sky and earth. At first, 2 the earth was completely empty; nothing was on the earth. Darkness covered the ocean, and God's Spirit moved over the water.
Crazymanw00t
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jazzy said:
What kind Bible version is that?
Is the KJV grade level 12? No, That is false. I went 2 different stores and saw 2 different charts. On one store it said, Grade 12. On another store it said, grade 10. Which one is right? I found a famous research company from Ohio. This research company said the KJV is readable and understandable as modern versions.Miss*Pinocchio said:
Genesis
KJV - 5.10
NIV - 5.76
NASB - 5.93
Ruth
KJV - 5.08
NIV -5.53
NASB - 5.78
John
KJV - 4.79
NIV - 4.92
NASB - 5.57
The lowest level is best.
Crazymanw00t
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Askjo said:
Not always because of $. It has few factors with different translation bible.
1) To meet the reader standard in English- for example 2nd grade level through 12 grade level
2) Different view on the words from the Greek- for example baptizo (immerse) or dipping, sprinkling, or pour.
3) Different kind of translation- for example they translated with word by the word from Greek or verse by verse from the Greek language.
4) Era with English style- for example old English and the new English
5) Business $$$$- for example the bible in 1500s I forgot name of translator the bible. It was 1st edition bible and it has the word with baptizo defined as sprinkling in the bible. After second edition the sprinkling was replaced with immerse because they were losing $ because the people do not like sprinkling with meaning of the baptize word. So the publisher replaced the sprinkling to the immerse word. They started to earn more $ because people like immerse word instead of sprinkling. That is sad and it destroys the absolute truth from the bible.
6) And how they translate the concept of the bible’s meanings
Crazymanw00t
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Askjo said:
That is your opinion. We want to find the best translation bible with best word by word translated from the Greek bible. We don’t want to read the easiest to read bible with lousy translated sentence from Greek to English with many words that are omitted.
There is two important factors with reading the bible.
First is to study the Bible.
Second is to read the bible.
If you want to study the Bible then you will want the best translation Bible. I can recommend the NASB to those serious studying people. I could recommend any bible translation to those people who want to read the bible. I want to make sure the reader is comfortable with reading the bible.