Copyright © 2011 Grace Family Church of Rhode Island

To the right we have provided a simple diagram that organizes the most common or popular translations of today from the most literal on the left to those that are paraphrased to the right. Click on the abbreviation of the various translations in the diagram to read more about them.

The various books of the Holy Bible were written long ago in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. Since then, the Bible has been translated in most of the languages of the world, and it is the most read book ever. Over the course of the ages languages constantly change, so different versions and translations are often developed to meet different needs. It has been estimated that in English alone there have been more than 500 translations of the Bible. Choosing a good translation to use for personal reading and study can be quite a challenge, and very confusing. So, we decided to describe below some of the most popular versions available today. We hope this will help you find out which one best fits your needs.

Essentially, all the various translations of the Bible can be grouped according to their style of translation.

Literal versions: Some versions attempt to be literal renditions of the original text, staying as close as possible to the original. These versions are good for doctrinal study, as they are the closest to the inspired message in its original form. They help by bringing us as close as possible to that original form, so that the inspired message may remain as much as possible unaltered in the translation.

Paraphrases:  Other versions, instead, tend to translate the original in more of a paraphrased, modern language, focusing more on readability and flow than on accuracy. These versions may be good for lighter reading, or for those who have difficulty understanding the language of the more literal ones. These versions have the advantage of communicating the message with clarity of language, making the reading more pleasurable. However, they are often subject to the interpretation of the translators, who convey the overall meaning as they understand it. For this reason, they are generally not used nor recommended for doctrinal or more serious study.

The “Middle-of-the-Road" Versions: Other versions that tend to adopt what is generally called the dynamic equivalence method of translation (subject of much debate among scholars), attempt to convey the original text in a thought-by-thought, rather than word-by-word style. Some of them seek to maintain accuracy while offering readability and a linguistic style that is relevant to the average modern reader. These may be good for devotional reading and perhaps for personal study, especially if compared to more literal versions. On-going debate and sometimes controversy among scholars, however, tends to caution us against the use of some of these versions for doctrinal or more serious study.