Which Bible translation is right for you?

Reading God’s word is life-changing.  It is God’s word and God’s heart to us, so we definitely want to read it, know it, and understand it.  There are a lot of different translations of the Bible, so how do we know which one is right for us?

First of all, there is no right or wrong answer theologically to which translation is best.  The Bible contains Greek, Hebrew, and some Aramaic.  These original languages have been translated into English.  So if we’re not reading the original language, then how do we decide which is best?

I’ve taken a look at some of the more popular translations.  They are not all listed here (not even close!), but it’s worth investigating some of these popular ones for the sake of variety:

King James

It definitely sounds like old English for a reason – it was completed in 1611!  Some people like the language. It feels formal and some believe more honoring, but again, it is not in the original languages of the Bible, and it is not how we speak today (well, not most of us).  If you like it and you understand it, however, then go for it.

New Living Translation

Spoiler alert – this is the translation I prefer because in my opinion, it is the closest to how we actually speak today.  If I am going to read something and have it flow and be easy to understand, then what’s better than reading something that makes it seem like I am having a conversation with somebody?  That’s why I like it.

The Message

This is a groundbreaking book and it is great to have and to read.  One difference, however, is that The Message is really a paraphrase and not really a word for word translation.  It gives a good big picture idea of what is going on.  When you read multiple chapters or a whole book at a time, it gives a richness to your study.  To me, it is a great tool when studying the Bible to give further depth and it can be used well alongside whatever translation you read.

NIV

This translation is what I have seen the most of in the past 30 years.  It is reliable and a good translation to read.  The reason I list it here is because the NIV has a version that I think we all should read.  It is the NIV Bible in chronological order, and it is a great way to read the Bible – especially the Gospels.  This is an impacting way to read about the life of Jesus, His words, and His interactions with others as a narrative instead of splitting it up into 4 different but similar accounts.  It’s good to read the Gospels as separate books like they were written, but reading the teachings of Jesus and events in the order they occurred gives a unique perspective that is very rewarding to read.

There are many others as well.  My wife likes the Amplified Bible which expands on key words and phrases right in the text.  It gives great explanation to the words in scripture.

The Passion Translation is a popular one now, and it gives some good, vivid descriptions and word pictures that add to the understanding of what God is saying to us.

There are too many translations to describe in one post, but hopefully some of these descriptions narrow down your choice a bit based on your preferences.

The bottom line is: find a translation you like, and dive right in  It is God’s love letter to you, so you will be blessed for sure!