Bible Translations

People often wonder which Bible translation is the best one to use. There are about nine hundred English translations of the Bible, or portions of it, from 1526 up to today!

How then must I choose which Bible to use? No single English translation will ever represent all the meanings or nuances of the original biblical languages perfectly. This is because those languages are so dissimilar to English – the sentences are constructed differently, and there may not be an exact English word to match the original language word. That one word may also have many different meanings attached to it.

Use the translation that best suits your personality, as your primary go-to Bible. For people with a teacher redemptive gifting, this may be the Amplified Bible, and you will also find at least 6-10 other translations and concordances on their desks. If you have a mercy redemptive gifting, there may only be one worn-out Bible next to your bed, which you probably received when you were 8 years old! You may not be someone who appreciates a translation that keeps to the original text so strongly that it renders a very stilted or unnatural way of reading, and you therefore may enjoy an interpretive Bible more. It remains good advice, however, to have at least one other translation to use for comparison, or even to use an app like Bible Hub for example, where various translations are given parallel to each other – this will help you pick up what the true intent of the original text is.

I would caution against using any translation that was prepared by one person acting alone as your primary source – there must be accountability among many advisors so that the whole translation does not become slanted into representing one person’s view of what the text is saying. Use such a translation as an additional reading only, and enjoy doing so!

Let us look at one verse to see how different translators worded it:  Ps 90:12 Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. This is from the NIV. In the New Living Translation, it reads Teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. The King James Bible says So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. The Brenton Septuagint Translation has and who knows how to number his days because of the fear of thy wrath? So manifest thy right hand, and those that are instructed in wisdom in the heart.

The translation for this verse that touched my heart this morning, was from the Contemporary English Version: Teach us to use wisely all the time we have.

Points to ponder:

The Bible shows us God’s character – His holy, unchanging, faithful, gracious, and loving character. In it we learn how to avoid error; how to help others; all about Jesus and His sacrifice for us on the cross; to name but a few. It records history; it reveals science secrets. It contains many prophecies of what is yet to happen in the future. It has innumerable treasures just waiting to be discovered with Holy Spirit’s help. Stop fretting about which translation is better or worse, and just start reading your Bible – you will be richly rewarded!