Bibles

Bibles

English Standard Version (ESV)
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
New American Standard Version (NASB)
New International Version (NIV)
New King James Version (NKJV)

Each of these translations will serve you well. Some versions, like the ESV, NASB, and NKJV, are more literal (word-for-word) translations. The NIV is more of a thought-for-thought translation. While it tries to remain faithful to the original languages, it seeks to relay the idea behind a passage without necessarily being tied to a word-for-word process. The HCSB attempts to bridge the gap between word-for-word and thought-for-thought versions. Wherever possible, its translations are word-for-word. But when the word-for-word translation would make no sense in English, they revert to relaying the thought behind the passage.

Choose your Bible carefully and prayerfully and then commit to reading it. It will serve you well.