What is a good Bible Translation?

            People often ask what a good Bible translation is. This is an important question and should not be simply ignored or dismissed. While there exist many languages in the world (over six thousand), there are likewise many translations of the Bible in existence (about three thousand), with a major variety in English. Not all are good in the sense of being true to God’s revealed Word, and unfortunately, some are not even translations at all, but man-made falsifications. 

Also, it is important to understand that one of the challenges legitimate English translations have is that they have been developed over time as a result of different transmission processes. In that way, the Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) are the result of different processes, that are renditions of the originating languages, namely Hebrew, Greek and Aramaic. Adding to this complexity is the fact that the initial texts of the biblical writers are no longer available in their original form. However, what is helpful to consider is that the great majority of the Bible is textually secure (above 90 percent for the OT and above 99 percent for the NT). This is far beyond any other document or source from the ancient world, and is just one of many aspects that make the Bible unique, and have no impact whatsoever – on its message – namely the “Good News” (the Gospel of Christ).

The focus of this article is to consider Bible-based, Christ-centred English translations that are true to God’s Word and can be grouped into three broad categories – formally equivalent (“literal”), balanced or ‘optimal’ equivalent (“combined”) and dynamically equivalent (“functional”) translations. The purpose is to look at advantages and disadvantages of all three and provide a few suggestions on selecting a sound Bible translation.

Starting with the “literal” translations, which preserve form and structure of the original text, legitimate options include the King James Version (KJV), New King James Version (NKJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB), and the English Standard Version (ESV). The KJV is over 400 years old, and has been revised and updated over time. It is among the most accurate versions available to date, and its textual base remains unchanged. Among the advantages of the KJV are its word-by-word approach, its concise word choice, word order and grammar, its unique flow and poetic use of English. Challenges, not necessarily disadvantages, are its use of archaic English (requiring the use of a good dictionary), its uniform double-column layout and unfamiliar vocabulary.

Given this last point the KJV may not be the best option for a non-native English reader. However, this should not be a reason for at least giving it a try. The NKJV may be a better choice, since it uses more contemporary words, while still retaining the original meaning. The NASB is among the most literal modern translations available (updated in 1995 and 2020) and reads well, providing clarity and authority. A challenge here is the unnatural and at times awkward flow of the words, along with some outdated words one has to look up.

For those seeking an alternative to aforementioned versions, the ESV may be a good choice, since it is still close enough to the KJV. It is more literal, well-readable and can be helpful to memorize favourite Bible verses. A possible challenge is that it intentionally preserves ambiguity found in the original and that way invites any serious student to enjoy God’s Word, without being misled or exposed to unnecessary fallibility. 

Moving on to the so-called ‘balanced’ or ‘optimal equivalent’ versions, legitimate translations include the popular New International Version (NIV), Common English Bible (CEB) and the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB). At this time, the NIV (first appearing in 1978) is among the best-selling modern translations. However, popularity does not make something the best choice. There has been controversy over it, despite several revisions, still leaving room for improvement, due to emendations – that is, modifications of a translation without textual support. This is risky, since it can impact sound theological doctrine, in part as a result of a secular, man-made translation philosophy and theory-based text linguistic language model. As such, it is closer to a “functional” translation, while containing unnecessary rewording and interpretation. Nevertheless, it is still legitimate and has going for it good readability and a helpful concordance. 

For teaching, preaching and serious study the NIV is not the best option. Here, the CEB is a possible alternative – a completely new translation – shortening words by merging and using more ordinary or familiar phrases, staying close to the meaning of the text. Unfortunately, there are gender-neutral pronouns, which are unnecessary and remove the biblical text from what the original writers intended to convey. So lastly, in this category the HCSB strives for readability, keeps a traditional theological vocabulary along with footnotes to maintain clarity, making it an option, yet less accurate than the CEB. Overall, as seen here, this translation category reveals challenges and issues – both in its method and rendering – that a reader need not contend with.

Finally, considering the third category, namely the “functional” (dynamically equivalent) versions, the emphasis is on clarity (less on grammar and syntax) while being true to the meaning of the text. Here we are considering the Good News Bible (GNB), Contemporary English Version (CEV), New Century Version (NCV) and the New Living Translation (NLT), a legitimate paraphrase.

The GNB is an expansion of the Today’s English Version (TEV) going back to 1966 by the United Bible Societies (UBS). Advantages of this version are a simple transparent style helping people to understand the most difficult passages accomplished by simplifying words. A disadvantage are interpretational outworkings that challenge traditional renderings. The CEV, issued by the American Bible Society (1995), is simple to read, since it is designed for young readers and adults lacking English skills. In contrast to “literal” versions it is a thought-for-thought translation. While not without challenges, the biggest issue is that at times it interprets instead of translating. Nevertheless, due to its appeal to families, this version was improved and evolved into the NCV. Here we have on the upside – faithfulness to the original and clarity in vocabulary. It is a useful text for beginners, young adults and families, and as such different from most other versions.

The NLT (1996 and revised in 2004) is among the best paraphrase versions available, due to its clarity, accuracy and especially its readability. It also stands out, due to its high level of evangelical scholarship and is a top contender in the “functional” category. While it is easy to read, or be read out loud, it is at times less reliable, due to the uncertainty what a Greek or Hebrew word and phrase means in its original context. In essence, that is why paraphrased versions are not the same as translations. (For a helpful See for “literal” versus “functional” (readable) Bible versions, see Klein William W, Craig L Blomberg and Robert L Hubbard. 2017. Introduction to Biblical Interpretation, Third ed. Grand Rapids Michigan: Zondervan, p. 196).

So, what are we to make of all this? As seen, the different categories of Bible translations and paraphrases, pose their own unique challenges. The versions discussed here are legitimate, since they do not alter the core Bible-based, Christ-centred truth that is foundational for a serious reader. It should be mentioned that there are non-Christian versions in existence, which have been altered or recrafted by cults, or other heretical factions who deny Jesus Christ as God in the flesh. Some, even go so far as to present or discuss an aforementioned legitimate version, yet are deceptive in that they then “pull out” their own man-made ‘true’ version of their own. Such practices may not be immediately apparent, but must be avoided.

Back to the Good News! With all of the versions available, how can a person proceed here? It really depends on what the purpose is. Thus, if I am a newcomer to the Bible, why not compare several legitimate versions online (using a free tool such as Bible Hub) reading the same verse(s) in different versions, and even an entire chapter, e.g. John 3? To scan a large segment of Scripture, the HCSB or NIV may be best. To get started or read God’s Word together aloud, the NLT is good. For a close study of the Bible the KJV, NASB and ESV can help. At times, a combination of Bibles may be the best option to prayerfully engage or absorb Scripture and understand it better, e.g. NASB, ESV and NLT together. All this should be guided by its specific use. Lastly, for those who are looking for an alternative or companion text to the KJV, the New Cambridge Paragraph Bible (NCPB) issued in 2005 can help.

Always remember, the best Bible, is an open Bible!

Amen.

Where to go from here?

For further reading and study

Wegner, Paul D. The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development 

of the Bible. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1999.

Fee, Gordon D. and Mark L Strauss. How to Choose a Translation for All Its Worth: A 

Guide to Understanding and Using Bible Versions. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 

2007.

Norton, David. The King James Bible: A Short History from Tyndale to Today. 

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. 

Klein, William W. Craig L. Blomberg and Robert L Hubbard. Introduction to Biblical 

Interpretation. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017.

Boa, Kenneth. “Bible Companion Handbook.” Accessed March 7, 2023. 

https://bible.org/series/bible-companion-handbook

Other Bible translations:

Norton David. The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible with the Apocrypha: King James 

Version. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.

Van Dyke Translation Online (Arabic) 

https://www.arabicbible.com/for-christians/the-bible/149-van-dyke-translation-online.html

Lutherbibel 1984 (German)

https://www.die-bibel.de/bibeln/online-bibeln/lesen/LU84/GEN.1/1.-Mose-1

Neues Leben – Die Bibel (2020) (German)

https://www.bibleserver.com/NLB/1.Mose1

Amen.