Best English translation of Bible

But here's what to do for us, for whom English is not a native language, but translations are huge, what should we choose?

For beginners, it's better to choose a translation for plain English and certainly not the classic KJV, written in obsolete English.

Sales

So, in recent years, most are buying NIV, NLV, KJV and NKJV. All of them alternately occupy the first place in sales. So most people choose these translations.

Standard

In English, this standard is KJV. There are many people who believe that this is the only correct translation. But this is not and can not be. When translating, something is necessarily lost, such is the specificity of the language.

Popular Versions

NIV - emphasis is placed on a laconic modern language without distorting the word. That is an extremely difficult task. There is a translation of Living Bible, which is not a translation, but a paraphrase (we have a similar translation - New Testament "The Word of Life"). NIV is very popular in Youth with Mission.

NASB is popular with teachers. When the original of the Bible describes something not categorically, it is not clear (allows variants), NASB also does not give a clear translation, unlike KJV or NIV. That is, NASB more accurately transmits the Word.

NLV - the most popular among foreigners is its simple English. This is the most popular translation in plain English.

Amplified Bible is an extended translation of the Bible, also popular with many, because it does not just translate, but interpret the text. What is convenient, no need for dictionaries, additional literature.

The Message. I can not help but mention. This is not a direct translation, but a retelling in modern, beautiful literary English. If you want to take a fresh look at the Bible, it will be very interesting.

Rating

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King James Version (KJV)

This translation was made on the initiative of King James in 1611.
The King financed, and the quality of the translation was high.
The language itself is outdated, there is the New King James Version. Nevertheless, there are quite a few people who consider this translation to be the only acceptable and almost original.
There is a movement of King James Only movement - people who believe that only this is the right translation. He has the right to do so, if it did not reach the point of absurdity, when they translate KJV into other languages ​​and consider it more accurate than translation from the original.

New versions

• New King James Version (NKJV), 1982 - obsolete words and turns replaced by modern
• Restored Names King James Version (RNKJV), 1934 - in this version original names are restored: Yeshua, Yahweh ...
• 21st Century King James Version (KJ21), 1994 - minor update of the original version. Unlike NKJV, this version retained the old style, replacing only those obsolete words, the meaning of which is not understandable to the reader.
• American King James Version (AKJV), 1999 - unlike NKJV, the American version chose simpler words and turns instead of obsolete ones.
• Updated King James Version (UKJV), 2000 - the last translation based on the classical

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Amplified Bible (AMP)

Zondervan
www.zondervan.com

The name speaks for itself. Here the word can be translated not in one word, but in an interpretation that allows you to understand the meaning of the phrase deeper. Of course, it will be difficult to read such a book entirely. It is good for learning. It is popular with worshipers.

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New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Lockman Foundation
www.lockman.org

This version is preferred by teachers, because unlike others, when the original of the Bible in Hebrew and Greek does not have a clear meaning, this version also does not have a clear meaning, allowing the reader to make his own decision.

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The Living Bible (TLB)

Tyndale House Publishers
author: Kenneth N. Taylor
www.tyndale.com

All measures of weight and length are aligned, money is transferred to dollars. It moves away a bit from the original, because when translating, the whole preference was given to stylistics.

This translation has never become the main one, but almost every believing family in the US has this version of the Bible at home.

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Good News Bible (GNB)

American Bible Society
www.americanbible.org

Simple English, understandable for children and foreigners. If you want to learn English through the Bible, use this version.

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New International Version (NIV)

Biblica
www.biblica.com

Many young people prefer this version of the Bible, because it is written in a modern, understandable language and, unlike The Living Bible, more accurate.

Many Bible translations are made by one person or a small group. This translation was made by the Bible Publishing House, which promotes it. Serious work, serious attitude.

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New Life Version (NLV)

author: Gleason and Ledyard

The translation was born on missionary trips to the Canadian Arctic. The local population was poorly proficient in English and the usual translation was not good.
For translation, we used 850 the most commonly used English words, not counting names.

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New Century Version (NCV)

Thomas Nelson

A revised and updated Bible For kids (ICB - International Children's Bible).

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Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

World Bible Translation Center

The former name is the Bible for the Deaf (Russian Version for the Deaf).
WBTC actively makes Bible translations into many languages, including Russian in a simple spoken language.

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Contemporary English Version (CEV)

American Bible Society
author: Barclay M. Newman, ed.

Uncompromising simplicity. The text is easy to read by schoolchildren, readers of the second language and those who prefer a more modern form. Nevertheless, this is not a paraphrase, an accurate and faithful translation of the original manuscripts.

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God's Word Translation (GW)

God's Word to the Nations Society

Initially, the Bible was intended for the common people and was written simply. Subsequently, translators sacrificed simplicity for the sake of correctness and accuracy of translation. This translation is intended to correct this omission and is made as simple as possible, while still accurately conveying the content of the Bible.

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New International Reader's Version (NIrV)

Biblica

Probably you know the popular English translation of the NIV (New International Version), whose goal was to translate Scripture into modern language, to replace the archaic with freshness and ease of understanding. Nevertheless, the translation is made in high-literary English. The same version is made on the same principle, but in a simpler language.

If you like NIV, but it is too complicated for you, this translation will suit you.

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The Message (MSG)

2002

author: Eugene H. Peterson

Highly artistic translation of the Bible.
And here it was more important to convey the beauty and style than the accuracy of the word or even a parable that could be replaced by a familiar and more understandable American.

The Psalter and Proverbs are translated in verse.
A connoisseur of the language will be very interested in reading this version. Perfect English, unexpected turns. However, the correct translation. The essence of the Bible is not distorted.

Of course, such a translation can not be the main one.

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New Simplified Bible (NSB)

author: James Meidsen

A new translation of the Bible in plain English, it has several variations: classical, messianic, for Jehovah's Witnesses. We have only the classical one to the site. -

New Simplified Bible Jehovah Version

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EasyEnglish Bible (EE)

MissionAssist
www.easyenglish.info

This translation includes not a minimum number of words, more - 2800. However, limited. Such a translation is suitable for those to whom the simplest translations seem too simple, childish.

The wisdom of this translation: it is modern, not archaic, and has a comment in the same light English.

John 3:16-17 (or Genesis 1:1 for the OT)

AMP - Amplified Bible: For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] Jesus, God’s only Son, the One who is truly unique, the only one of His kind. only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him.

NASB - New American Standard Bible: For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

TLB - The Living Bible: For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.

GNB - Good News Bible: For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to be its judge, but to be its savior.

NIV - New International Version: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

NLV - New Life Version: For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son. Whoever puts his trust in God’s Son will not be lost but will have life that lasts forever.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to say it is guilty. He sent His Son so the world might be saved from the punishment of sin by Him.

NCV - New Century Version: God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.
17 God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.

ERV - Easy-to-Read Version: Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world. He did not send him to judge the world guilty, but to save the world through him.

CEV - Contemporary English Version: God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.
17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn its people. He sent him to save them!

GW - God's Word Translation: God loved the world this way: He gave his only Son so that everyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.
17 God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but to save the world.

NIrV - New International Reader's Version: God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son. Anyone who believes in him will not die but will have eternal life.
17 God did not send his Son into the world to judge the world. He sent his Son to save the world through him.

MSG - The Message: This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life.
17 God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.

NSB - New Simplified Bible: For God loved the world so much, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever has an active faith in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
17 God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world. Instead the world should be saved through him.

EE - EasyEnglish Bible: God loved the people in the world so much that he gave his one and only Son on their behalf. So, as a result, everyone who believes in the Son will not die. Instead, they will live always.’
17 God did not send his Son into the world because he wanted to punish people. No, God sent his Son to save the people in the world.

The most common translations of the Bible in English

1. King James Version
2. New International Version
3. New American Standard Bible
4. New King James Version
5. English Standard Version
6. New Living Translation
7. Holman Christian Standard Bible
8. New Revised Standard Version
9. New Century Version
10. New English Bible
11. American Standard Version
12. Good Safe Bible
13. Today’s English Version
14. Amplified Bible
15. Today’s New International Version
16. New English Translation
17. Revised Standard Version
18. Contemporary English Version
19. God’s Word Translation (GW)
20. Common English Bible
21. Recovery Version of the Bible
22. New International Reader’s Version
23. Easy-To-Read Version
24. Complete Jewish Bible
25. Bible in Basic English
26. 21st Century King James Version
27. Modern King James Version
28. Modern English Version
29. World English Bible
30. Revised English Bible (REB)
31. Jerusalem Bible
32. New American Bible
33. The Living Bible
34. The Message
35. Young's Literal Translation
36. The Bishops' Bible
37. Douay-Rheims Version
38. Tyndale Bible
39. Geneva Bible
40. The Voice

1. King James Version
2. New International Version
3. New Revised Standard Version
4. English Standard Version
5. New King James Version
6. Revised Standard Version
7. New American Standard Bible
8. New Living Translation
9. New American Bible