“The Lord is my shepherd.” What line would you say next in Psalm 23, verse 1: “I shall not want,” “I lack nothing,” or “I will not be in need”? What about John 3:16? Do you expect the verse to include “only begotten son,” “whosoever believeth,” and “everlasting life”? Or are you more familiar with “one and only son,” “whoever believes,” and “eternal life”?

English translations of the Bible vary, sometimes in small ways and sometimes substantially. If you’ve ever wondered about the differences between English Bible translations, this article will offer a brief guide to help you navigate popular versions of the Bible today and gain greater awareness of how translations shape people’s lives of faith.

What’s in a Translation?

Bible translations matter in more ways than we Christians tend to realize. The hardcover, leather-bound, or electronic books handed to us do not always reveal the scaffolding and processes that go into any translation of the Bible. In order to understand the differences between English translations, it’s important to be mindful of some key features at work in Bible translations.

Translations Are Interpretations

Any translation of the Bible is an interpretative take on the biblical text. The perspectives and judgments of the people doing the translating are present in the words, grammar, and formatting used.

Translations Are Socially and Culturally Located

Language and its meaning are socially and culturally embedded, and those who translate occupy social and cultural locations that shape their understanding of language and its meaning. Any translation, therefore, is a social and cultural engagement between the contexts of the biblical texts and the contexts of the language into which they are translated. Translations deal not merely with words, but with particular communities that carry particular histories in particular times and places; these play a role in the meaning that a translation can have or not have for different people in different contexts.

Translations Are Limited

No translation is perfect (if a single definition of a perfect translation could even be agreed upon). Every translation has its limitations for various reasons. Translators balance numerous factors and goals in their process. Differences in languages inevitably involve elements that cannot be expressed in the same way in another language. The meanings of some words in the ancient biblical texts are unknown to contemporary audiences. On top of these issues in translation, the texts from which people work to develop translations of the Bible are themselves the products of manuscript compilations, constructions, and debates that have evolved with scholarly findings and research.

Translations Are Formative

Translations of the Bible are designed to be used in Christian life, which means they have formative power in people’s lives. They shape people’s theological, social, cultural, and moral perspectives and values, and the impact of this formation can be fruitful or harmful. A particular translation can portray God in a particular way, for instance, that then forms how people relate to God.

Popular English Versions of the Bible

These features come into play in different English translations in diverse ways. The following snapshots of nine popular English versions of the Bible, arranged in chronological order, offer a glimpse into some of the dynamics and values at work in their translation processes. This list includes the King James Version, Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New International Version, New Revised Standard Version, New Living Translation, English Standard Version, The Message, and Common English Bible.

1. King James Version (KJV, KJB) – 1611

• Translators: 47 scholars from Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster, overseen by Archbishop Bancroft, authorized by King James I
• Translators’ church affiliation: Church of England
• Publisher: originally Robert Barker; Cambridge University Press (not affiliated with a specific denomination)
• First publication date: 1611 (updated 1629, 1638, 1762, 1769)
• Sources for translation: previous English translations, Masoretic text (Hebrew Bible in Hebrew and Aramaic), Septuagint (Hebrew Bible and Apocrypha in Greek), Textus Receptus (New Testament in Greek), and additional manuscripts (including in Latin)
• Approach & aims: To develop one English translation of the whole Bible that would improve upon previous versions and could be used in churches and homes in order to generate a more consistent, homogeneous theological understanding among members of the Church of England (see “Why the King James Bible Remains the Most Popular Translation in History” by Sarah Pruitt and “The King James Version Project“); as Pruitt also notes, a key aim of this translation was “solidifying [the king’s] power”; according to church historian Bill Gibson, two of the goals were “to limit the Puritan influence” that was present in a different English translation frequently used in homes and to “conform to the ecclesiology of the Church of England” (see “The King James Bible 1611 – History and Provenance“)

2. Revised Standard Version (RSV) – 1952

• Translators: 32 scholars
• Translators’ religious affiliation: ecumenical and interfaith, including one Jewish scholar (see “Revised Standard Version of the Bible Is Honored“)
• Publisher: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (multi-denominational with at least 32 denominations involved at the time)
• First publication date: 1952 (with Apocrypha 1957, second edition 1971, expanded edition 1977)
• Sources for translation: Masoretic text as well as Hebrew, Greek, Syrian, and Latin manuscripts
• Approach & aims: To revise the American Standard Version (which was based on King James Version) in a way that “embod[ied] the best results of modern scholarship as to the meaning of the Scriptures, and express[ed] this meaning in English diction which is designed for use in public and private worship, and preserve[d] those qualities which have given to the King James Version a supreme place in English literature” (from “Preface to the Revised Standard Version,” second edition)

3. New American Standard Bible (NASB, NASV) – 1971

• Translators: 42 people (names are listed in the above link)
• Translators’ church affiliation: evangelical
• Publisher: The Lockman Foundation (not affiliated with a specific denomination)
• First publication date: 1971 (updated 1995, 2020)
• Sources for translation: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek manuscripts
• Approach & aims: To provide a “literal,” “word-for-word” translation that is “accurate” and “readable”; publisher’s website indicates that the translators subscribe to the belief that “the original writing of the Bible is the inspired and inerrant Word of God”; as the website also notes, its most recent update includes changes in language to provide greater “gender accuracy” regarding “mixed-gender group[s]” as well as groups involving “men alone”

4. New International Version (NIV) – 1978

• Translators: Over 100 biblical scholars, led by the Committee on Bible Translation
• Translators’ church affiliation: evangelical (multiple denominations)
• Publisher: Biblica (not affiliated with a specific denomination)
• First publication date: 1978 (updated 1984, 2011)
• Sources for translation: Biblia Hebraica by Kittel (Hebrew Bible in Hebrew and Aramaic), Greek New Testament (United Bible Societies), Novum Testamentum Graece by Nestle (New Testament in Greek)
• Approach & aims: To produce an “accurate,” “clear,” “beautiful,” and “trustworthy” translation that “balance[s] transparency to the original with clarity of meaning” and uses “natural, everyday English,” according to the publisher’s website; the preface to this translation indicates that “the translators were united in their commitment to the authority and infallibility of the Bible as God’s Word in written form” (quoted in “The World’s Most Popular Bible: A History of the New International Version (NIV)” by Mark Strauss); for info about its 2011 updates, see “Updating the New International Version of the Bible: Notes from the Committee on Bible Translation“

5. New Revised Standard Version (NRSV, NRSVUE) – 1989

• Translators: 30 scholars, including men and women
• Translators’ religious affiliation: ecumenical, including Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox scholars, and interfaith, including one Jewish scholar
• Publisher: National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA (multi-denominational)
• First publication date: 1989 (updated 2021)
• Sources for translation: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Hebrew Bible in Hebrew and Aramaic, 1977), The Greek New Testament (third edition, United Bible Societies, 1983), as well as additional Hebrew, Greek, Syrian, and Latin manuscripts
• Approach & aims: To revise the Revised Standard Version by “continu[ing] in the tradition of the King James Bible, but to introduce such changes as are warranted on the basis of accuracy, clarity, euphony, and current English usage,” as Bruce M. Metzger says in the preface entitled “To the Reader”; based on the principle of being “as literal as possible, as free as necessary”; according to Metzger’s preface, one of its goals was to remove “masculine-oriented language [. . .] as far as this can be done without altering passages that reflect the historical situation of ancient patriarchal culture”; according to “New Revised Standard Version Bible updated with consideration for ‘modern sensibilities’” by Adelle M. Banks, the changes in the 2021 updated edition include the incorporation of more recent manuscript data as well as language changes like removing reductive identifications of people (for example, changing “slave” to “enslaved” and “demoniacs” to “people possessed by demons)

6. New Living Translation (NLT) – 1996

• Translators: over 90 scholars, led by the Bible Translation Committee
• Translators’ church affiliation: evangelical (multiple denominations)
• Publisher: Tyndale (not affiliated with a specific denomination)
• First publication date: 1996 (updated 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015)
• Sources for translation: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (1977), Septuagint, The Greek New Testament (fourth edition, United Bible Societies, 1993), Novum Testamentum Graece by Nestle and Aland (27th edition, 1993), as well as additional Hebrew, Greek, Syrian, and Latin manuscripts
• Approach & aims: “To create a text that would communicate as clearly and powerfully to today’s readers as the original texts did to readers and listeners in the ancient biblical world,” according to the publisher’s website; an approach of “meaning-based translation” into language that is “written to be spoken”; the publisher’s website indicates the translation maintains masculine language for God with the note that “the translators believe that essential traits of God’s revealed character can be conveyed only through the masculine language expressed in the original texts of Scripture”

7. English Standard Version (ESV) – 2001

• Translators: 60 scholars, led by a Translation Oversight Committee
• Translators’ church affiliation: evangelical (multiple denominations)
• Publisher: Crossway (not affiliated with a specific denomination)
• First publication date: 2001
• Sources for translation: the most recent edition used Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (fifth edition, 1997), Greek New Testament (fifth corrected edition, United Bible Societies, 2014), Novum Testamentum Graece by Nestle and Aland (28th edition, 2012), as well as additional Hebrew, Greek, Syrian, and Latin manuscripts
• Approach & aims: To produce “an ‘essentially literal’ translation” by using a “word-for-word correspondence” that “tak[es] full account of differences in grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages,” according to the “Preface“; the preface also indicates that the translation uses masculine language where such language is present in the original text in order to be “essentially literal”

8. The Message (MSG) – 2002

• Translator: Eugene Peterson, reviewed by 20 scholars
• Translator’s church affiliation: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
• Publisher: NavPress (not affiliated with a specific denomination, interdenominational)
• First publication date: 2002 (updated 2018)
• Sources for translation: Hebrew and Greek texts
• Approach & aims: To put the Bible into “conversational English,” using a “contemporary equivalence” approach that combines translation and paraphrase; according to the publisher’s website, it is useful as “a ‘second Bible’ for anyone wanting surprising clarity and insight into the heart of a particular passage”

9. Common English Bible (CEB) – 2011

• Translators: more than 120 scholars, including men and women in American, African, Asian, European, and Latino communities (names are listed on the version website linked above)
• Translators’ religious affiliations: ecumenical (24 church denominations)
• Publisher: Common English Bible Committee, which includes Abingdon (United Methodist Church), Chalice (Disciples of Christ), Church Publishing (The Episcopal Church), Pilgrim (United Church of Christ), and Westminster John Knox (Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.))
• First publication date: 2011
• Sources for translation: Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Biblia Hebraica Quinta (Hebrew Bible, 2004 – present, portions still forthcoming), Hebrew University Bible Project, Novum Testamentum Graece by Nestle and Aland (27th edition, 1993), Gottingen Septuagint (Apocrypha texts), Rahlfs’ Septuaginta (Apocrypha texts), and additional ancient manuscripts
• Approach & aims: “To make the Bible accessible to a broad range of people,” especially in terms of “readability,” as the version’s website says; according to the “Preface,” a key goal is “to balance rigorous accuracy in the rendition of ancient texts with an equally passionate commitment to clarity of expression in the target language”; the preface also indicates that it “use[s] gender-inclusive or neutral syntax for translating pronouns that refer to humans, unless context requires otherwise”

Different Versions in Action

Here are two examples of how different English versions of the Bible render the same verses. These show some of the distinctive characteristics and approaches of each translation as well as the variety of ways the same passage can be translated. If you want to do a deeper dive into comparing translations, a free digital resource that may be helpful is the Bible Hub website, where you can search for a specific verse and view numerous translations of it.

2 Corinthians 5:17

This verse is challenging to translate because the second clause has no clear subject or verb in the Greek text — just two words that are often translated as “new creation.” That also makes this an interesting verse to use for comparing translations.

KJV – “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

RSV (1971) – “Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come.”

NASB (2020) – “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

NIV (2011) – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

NRSVUE (2021) – “So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; look, new things have come into being!”

NLT (2015) – “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

ESV (2001, 2016) – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

MSG (2018) – “What we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life emerges! Look at it!”

CEB (2011) – “So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!”

Matthew 6:9 – 13

Matthew’s version of the Lord’s Prayer also offers illuminating comparisons between translations. Because it is familiar and particularly formative for many Christians, the differences in translation can have a noticeable effect when read, heard, spoken, or prayed.

KJV – “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.”

RSV (1971) – “Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. ¹⁰ Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread; ¹² And forgive us our debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors; ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil.”

NASB (2020) – “Our Father, who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.”

NIV (2011) – “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, ¹⁰ your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'”

NRSVUE (2021) – “Our Father in heaven, may your name be revered as holy. ¹⁰ May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today our daily bread. ¹² And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one.”

NLT (2015) – “Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. ¹⁰ May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us today the food we need, ¹² and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. ¹³ And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”

ESV (2001, 2016) – “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. ¹⁰ Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. ¹¹ Give us this day our daily bread, ¹² and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. ¹³ And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.'”

MSG (2018) – “Our Father in heaven, Reveal who you are. Set the world right; Do what’s best—as above, so below. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil. You’re in charge! You can do anything you want! You’re ablaze in beauty! Yes. Yes. Yes.”

CEB (2011) – “Our Father who is in heaven, uphold the holiness of your name. ¹⁰ Bring in your kingdom so that your will is done on earth as it’s done in heaven. ¹¹ Give us the bread we need for today. ¹² Forgive us for the ways we have wronged you, just as we also forgive those who have wronged us. ¹³ And don’t lead us into temptation, but rescue us from the evil one.”

Conclusion

Hopefully this brief investigation of English Bible translations has shed light on the differences you may find between translations and on some of the stakes involved, not only for translators, but also for communities that open these texts. Understanding more about the behind-the-scenes work of translation enables all of us to approach the scriptures with greater discernment, openness, and care. We can reflect more deeply on the words we encounter and gain more perspective to perceive their formative impact in our lives, in churches, and in communities throughout the world today.

Note: The versions for the scripture quotations of Psalm 23:1 and John 3:16 are as follows: “I shall not want” (Ps 23:1, KJV, RSV, ESV), “I lack nothing” (Ps 23:1, NIV, CEB), “I will not be in need” (Ps 23:1, NASB), “only begotten son . . . whosoever believeth . . . everlasting life” (Jn 3:16, KJV), and “one and only son . . . whoever believes . . . eternal life” (Jn 3:16, NIV, NLT).

Featured image is by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash