A Guide to Popular

Bible Translations
Translation Reading Manuscripts
(Abbreviation) Date Level Translation Method Translators and/or Texts Used
Verbal equivalence;
Amplified Bible 1965; updated Frances Siewert and Lockman Greek text of Westcott and Hort;
NA amplification of word
1987 Foundation Editorial Board various translations
meanings

Common English Bible Committee, Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (4th

Hybrid: Verbal an alliance of five denominational edition), Biblia Hebraica Quinta (5th
Common English equivalence with publishers (117 translators from
2010, 2011 7 edition); Nestle Aland 27th Edition
Bible (CEB) dynamic balance and 22 faith traditions and 5 countries; (1993), Gottingen Septuagint (in
common language 77 field testing groups with 400 progress), Ralf's Septuagint (2005)
participants in 13 denominations)

The Contemporary Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (4th

1995 5 Dynamic equivalence American Bible Society; over edition), UBS Greek NT (3rd edition,
English Version (CEV)
100 translators and reviewers corrected)

English Standard Conservative revision of 30-35

Version (ESV) 1951, 2002 Verbal equivalence Crossway
11 passages in the RSV

Good News Bible; American Bible Society; Robert

Dynamic equivalence Biblia Hebraica (3rd edition), UBS
The Bible in Today's 1976 6 Bratcher, NT Bratcher and
English Version (TEV) 6 others, OT Greek NT (3rd edition)

Hybrid: Verbal
Holman Christian 90 scholars, primarily Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (4th
2003 8 equivalence with
Standard Bible (HCSB) Southern Baptist edition), Nestle Aland 27th Edition (1993)
dynamic balance

King James Version (KJV) 1611 12 Verbal equivalence 54 English scholars Masoretic (OT), Textus Receptus (NT);
The Bishop's Bible, 1568

The Living Bible (LB) 1971 8 Paraphrase Kenneth Taylor Paraphrase of American Standard
Version (1901)
The Message Eugene Peterson
The Message 6 Paraphrase Paraphrase from original languages
1993; 2001
The New American 1970 NT Dynamic equivalence, 1970; 55 scholars, including some
Bible (NAB) revised, 1986 7 Masoretic (OT), Nestle-Aland
verbal equivalence, 1986 Protestants
Greek NT

New American 61 evangelical scholars (original Biblia Hebraica, Nestle's Greek Text,
1971; update 23rd edition (1971); Biblia Hebraica
Standard Bible 11 Verbal equivalence and update), sponsored by
1995 Stuttgartensia, Nestle-Aland/UBS,
(NASB) Lockman Foundation
26th edition (1995)
New Century Version A team composed of the World
1991 6 Dynamic equivalence Bible Translation Center and Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia; UBS
(NCV)
50 scholars and translators Greek NT
Hybrid: Verbal Biblica: 2011 update by 10 person
New International
1978, 2011 8 equivalence with committee ( 2%4% change from 1978 Biblia Hebraica; eclectic mix
Version (NIV) edition) based on some TNIV changes
dynamic balance of original texts for NT

New International Verbal equivalence, with

1996 3 dynamic balance and 40, including stylists
Reader's Version (NIrV) Simplification of NIV
some simplification

New Jerusalem Bible
New King James Version
1982 (NKJV)
New Living Translation
1996; 2007
(NLT)
Verbal equivalence, with Approximately 30 Original Languages; La Bible
1985 8 dynamic tendencies de Jrusalem (French)
Approximately 60 scholars
1982 11 Verbal equivalence Revision of KJV Biblia Hebraica
and church leaders
Textus Receptus (NT)
90 scholars, primarily from Trinity Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia;
6 Evangelical Divinity School
Dynamic equivalence UBS Greek NT (1993), Nestle-Aland
and Asbury Seminary Novum Testamentum Graece (1993)

New Revised Standard National Council of Churches; Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (3rd
1990 11 Verbal equivalence
Version (NRSV) 30 scholars edition); UBS Greek NT (3rd edition,
corrected) revision of RSV (1952)

The Voice 2011 Paraphrase 27 scholars and 52 retellers;

8 not disclosed
from the emergent movement
*Definitions provided on second page
Definitions

Dynamic equivalence: Emphasis on reproducing the functional meaning of the ancient words with freedom
to rearrange the order of the words (syntax) in the target language.

Masoretic: The most widely used Hebrew text of the Old Testament.

Paraphrase: Emphasis is on expressing the meaning in contemporary language, with numerous

additional words.

Textus Receptus: "Received Text"; 1550 edition of the Greek NT used by most translators before 1900.

Verbal equivalence: Emphasis is on reproducing the modern English equivalent of the ancient words,
with tendency to use same word order as the ancient language.