Why are There So Many Bible Translations, and Which One is Best? 

I’d like to clear this up once and for all. LARGE PRINT! It’s large print. It’s the best.

I read the King James and have since I was 6 years old, now 61. Always pray before reading your Bible and God will lead you.

I've heard some people say that if you didn't use a King James Bible then you were never truly saved. That's looney.

LOL! I'm right there with you nerding out with my ESV, NIV, KJV and NLT - I thought I was the only one 😊 I truly enjoy reading a verse in one and then going to the other translations and reading how it was translated in those Bibles. When I became a Christian, I received some nastiness from other Christians because I started with the NLT. God knew what he was doing.

As a bilingual Hispanic, your comments are very true, relatable, and helped me appreciate other English translations of the Bible.

The Message is not a translation, it is a one man paraphrase and , in my humble opinion, can be blasphemous at times.

Someone once said the best translation is the one that leads you to Christ and helps you grow in knowledge of Him. That has quieted my penchant to zero in on one that is the "best" or "only reliable".

I'm a missionary ministering in an African language. Only recently has there been a written version of the language. Language is dynamic. There are words that don't have equivalents. I am also ministering to Muslims. You can explain difficult/hot concepts if you avoid the trigger words.

I recently introduced my husband to the compare feature on YouVersion. He was delighted! Lost my phone for the duration of the lesson😂. But I always prefer my trusty paper version with a lovely purple faux-leather cover...ESV of course. I have a paper Bible in several different translations. I love comparing while I'm studying.

Having a Hebrew, Greek, and Chalti dictionary helps too. Strong's Exhaustive Concordance is wonderful!!! An example is the verse "In my Father's house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you". John 14:1-3. When we hear the word mansions, we/I think of a huge home with all these fancy fixtures and furnature that costs multi millions of dollars. The word mansions actually means dwelling places. Learning the original words opens a whole new world of understanding. Knowing the history and culture also helps a lot. Just a thought.

How can The Passion translation belong in my trash can? That would mean I would have to buy a copy just to throw it out.

I started reading the King James, 1611, when I was 10. Didn't have a lot of trouble, but then I knew how to use a dictionary

As a Messianic Jewish Rabbi who believes in Yeshua as my Savior I’m asked this question a lot. It’s not that the majority of English translations are wrong it’s that the English language is inadequate, for a good translation. Yes, study multiple translations with a interliteral, that I found to be the best

Good info. I was raised a Jehovah witness and your right. So many changes. So glad I found the real truth.

All I can say is "BEAUTIFUL!!!" I love your teaching. Bible translations is one of my strong points. I was here to throw water at everything you say but you won me over!!! I LOVE it. Thank you very much sister.

For just common people, I like the NLT or NIV. I always say that you would start a child with a Children's Bible, not NKJV. So for us common folk who speak plain English and don't have masters degrees in the Bible, we should start with a plain English translation like NLT and NIV. But that's just my opinion.

In one of Billy Graham’s presentations he mentioned that he was reading from KJV because it was one of the few gifted to him in large print. But he also thought it might shed some light on what these seminarian students on the translation they were using and following along. He always promoted bringing your own Bible and associated translation to everyone coming to hear him speak. I agree be ready to search the scriptures with multiple reputable versions. I personally use the NIV with support from an American Standard Version and then the King James to remember how I originally learned that particular scripture.

God said He would preserve His word not our language. The problem begins when someone uses their preferred word and not the word that accurately communicates the idea. The word ( word ) means idea . That is why we use words to communicate ideas. 1. When we accurately communicate the idea 2. The Holy Spirit helps us with wisdom and understanding , and that begins with the fear of The Lord

Melissa I am getting ready to watch this episode,but last night I watched the one with Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett AWESOME! I enjoy your channel and your humor. Thanks for blessing me with your knowledge.

Melissa, your Spanish example is also a great illustration of how literal-ness of wording doesn't necessarily give us literal-ness of meaning, or thought. We scientific/technical westerners (including us christians) have forgotten that breaking things into their constituent parts breaks things. All the king's horses...

One of the many Bible translations I have was done by a couple whom the Lord sent to the Eskimos to tell them about Jesus and salvation. After a time the Lord encouraged them to translate the Bible in their language which was much simpler than our English language. (I read it periodically.) They had to come up with words the Eskimos could understand about God. The Eskimos had no equivalent for the word glory for example. So in order to help them understand what was meant by that -- glory was written as -- His shinning greatness. That is just one of many examples.

I keep an ESV and NASB, Sometimes just the differences in the translations are a great lesson :)

From when I was 21 until my 40's I went through several different versions. KJV was my first, then New KJV, Amplified, Contemporary English Version, and then the New Living Translation (NLT). The NLT has been my favorite Bible for studying and general reading. It made everything so connected. I could easily see the Father's heart for humanity through that translation. It is written in modern day speaking english, but with all the poetical grace that KJV had, BUT much better at bringing clarity to what the Bible is saying.

Thank you for your comments about gleaning a deeper meaning by reading a passage in several different translations. I've found that to be SO true over the years -- I'll read a familiar passage in a different translation than what I'm used to, and suddenly something will jump out at me that I had never noticed before, sending me off on a deep dive into something I had never thought to look into. It's SO rewarding!

Loved it!! My first Bible was a KJV in Spanish and the only one i had to study from. Later on, my dad got the Bible translation from Hebrew and Greek into Spanish and taught me how to use it, that was such an eye opener in so many ways... As I got older, and learnt English i was gifted the NIV Bible and i noticed that some passages i understand better in my NIV Bible compared to my spanish KJV Bible and viceversa... it is so exciting!! Bottom line is that they don't contradict each other. When stumbling with something harder, i like to spend more time and see what other truth seekers find, whilst praying over it! Thank you ❤

I have KJV, CSB, NET, ESV, and (one) NIV; and an Interlinear. The big guns, however, are the NASB and NKJV; I spend most of my time with those. I do not use paraphrases. I teach Sunday school so I want to be as close to the original as possible. I can pull out the Interlinear or a Hebrew/Greek dictionary to get at the meaning of the original language, then teach the class. Your take on the various translation types is spot on, by the way. And the way you present your ideas is great as well. Keep the good work going!

LOL....I immediately thought "Lechito" while you were telling your story. And that's a cute name for a white kitten 😹

Thank you for this video. While a bit elementary, it clearly hit the high points of the differences in English translations. Especially helpful for those who have not explored this topic at any depth is the differences in languages and how that affects translations. A special thank you for including Wesley Huff's website. I was not aware of it.

Stumbled across your channel and am glad I did. Thank you. Melissa

Love your videos. Always informative.

I enjoy the ESV and the Amplified Bible. Thank you for this teaching. God bless you and your loved ones.

Love NASB, but my favorite is the TLV (Tree of Life Version). Translation by Messianic Jews…wow! The clarity and power of the Word is incredible ❤️

Appreciate you, Melissa! The original language is key to an accurate Bible translation. May the LORD bless you and keep you! Numbers 6:24-27

Hey Melissa, thank you for your insight. I've been pastoring for 44 years. The last 21 in Franklin, TN. Your love of Scripture makes me so happy!!!! God bless your ministry! Keep running toward the High Calling!!!

Thanks for a straightforward explanation and wisdom regarding translations! Translation matters. Like many commenters, I grew up on a certain translation (GNT, KJV) and eventually discovered others (NIV, NLT, AMP, ESV). My lovely husband watched many videos to finally decide on an NLT Filament app Bible for me. The app has an audiobook feature, essays, maps, as well as Bible Project vids, but I still read as well as listen, and even read out loud. I appreciate sites or apps like Bible Gateway where you can quickly compare translations. I also like it very much when pastors talk about passages and reveal the original words in Hebrew or Greek as their translation is ultra important. Agape, eros, philia, and storge all mean love, but different kinds of love. So many things to learn, glad to have resources for help. 🙏🏻

I always enjoy your content on any topic. Loving the background.

Thanks for this video i am an ex kjv only and i am now using the KJV,but NKJV,ESV,NASB,NIV and NLT.I am glad i am out of kjv onlyism.I enjoy watching all your videos.

I'd like to share a little parable that I think can be illustrative in this context. When one of my children was learning to ride a bike, we put training wheels on the bike to keep it from tipping over. Then we got the child on there and he merrily went chasing after his brothers. After a fairly short time, I noticed that he wasn't balancing at all- he was intentionally leaning to one side or the other so the training wheels were always in contact with the ground, meaning he wasn't learning to balance without them. Helping him be successful required taking the training wheels off, doing the hard work of helping him figure out what it feels like to be in balance, and then letting him fall (a number of times). I think this applies when choosing a Bible translation. If we choose an easy to read translation, we may build the muscles of regular scripture study and get familiarity with the content. But the goal shouldn't be to avoid more difficult translations because they are in another culture and language. The goal should be to get enough of a groundwork to understand as you become familiar with that culture and language. Learning not only the words of the Bible but also the culture of the ancient Jews has helped me consider my own practices and habits while seeing them with more human eyes- they lived in a world where freedom meant being willing to fight against powerful people that want your stuff or your women. So their rules and what they understood tended to be more harsh. There was possibility of both virtue and corruption in this- it means sometimes the punishment didn't fit the crime, but it also meant that family members didn't question whether or not they were loved- their safety was constantly given primary consideration.

I could go on endlessly about this. I am 77 and have been a Christian since I was 63. I am an active member in my church. I am also a small time creator on the Tube. I use the following in my studies: KJV, NKJV, CSB, NIV, The Emphasized Bible, and a Life Application Bible for Students from the 80's. For references I have the ten volume set of the Ante-Nicene Fathers, Henrietta Mears book "What the Bible is All About" and use the online Blue Letter Bible resource. I need a larger desk... Those who strive to influence others to read only one translation do such a disservice to other believers. People should consider this: in what we call Russia there are over 150 different cultural groups speaking dozens of distinct languages. What translation should they use? Spanish in one form or another is spoken in dozens of countries and they do not all speak Castillian! A person who lives in the Bronx may not be able to speak with someone in the back country of Louisiana. One translation only is vanity on display. I appreciate the loving, tongue in cheek, way you have addressed this. And didn't I see you with Mike Winger a time or two? I agree with your thesis and have subscribed.

Thank you for such wonderful videos with much needed information and truth. I started watching you when you and Doreen Virtue were making videos together before I finally left the New Age. I finally rededicated myself to Jesus in January 2019 after watching an amazing interview with an Ex-Newager that stabbed my soul with such truth of what I was doing and who I was really working with (Demons instead of Angels). Thank you for all your amazing videos over the years. Your quirky personality and always fighting for the truth of God makes such a wonderful blend of God-Soup. :) May God continue to bless you and your ministry! You have been a blessing to me! Thank you!

Fantastic video. Thanks for sharing.

Love this. Thanks for the breakdown. Your awesome.

One thing most people do not realize is their "King James Bible", is not actually the 1611 version of it to begin with. It is a more modern translation of it, even though it doesn't say that it is. I have the King James Bible, along with the Authorized King James Bible, and both of them are quite different from my original copy of the 1611 King James Bible, which is extremely difficult to read because the font that was used in 1611 is no longer used. When I have someone tell me that they only read from the King James Bible, I hand them my copy of the 1611 version and say, "ok, read to me from that one then" then smile when they struggle thorough it.

Perfect timing! I'm actually looking into different translations to compare and contrast so that I can glean the most from what the bible actually teaches, thanks again!

Funny. Before you said "Lechito," I thought "Lechito!"

I recommend the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB), an update to the NASB 1995.

Great video Melissa. Breaks things down for us to understand!

Yaaaas! Excited for this video.

“But, If the King James makes your brain cells fist fight” I felt this 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Probably the more important thing is to ask which Bibles to stay away from. The Message, and The Passion Translation come to mind. Any others?

Excellent video, as always!

My favorite translations are the NLT and the NET. I have others, including NKJV and NASB (Legacy edition), and two versions of the KJV (one of them is the LDS version from when I was Mormon). My preference is for semantic equivalence whereas others prefer formal equivalent translation (KJV, ESV, NASB).

When the NIV committee is consulting a Lesbian/Feminist for their "new and exciting" translation, you know it came from the pit of Hell.

I was raised KJV and always found it to possess a certain richness or eloquence of language that I didnt find in other versions , but has since come to realize having a ESV or other bible to compare with is much more rewarding.

I'm currently in the middle of reading a book by John Barton called, The Word: How we Translate the Bible and Why It Matters. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to take a deep dive into this topic. Thanks, Melissa.

When researching scripture to find context and relevancy to life today in an applicable manor I use the amplified version as a reference as it expounds on both the Greek and Hebrew words originally used. Thank you for this important information, Melissa. Perspective is everything.

While I can appreciate the richness of the KJV & have become familiar with many verses in that version throughout my life, we simply don't use 400+ yr old language such as that anymore. When I find my brain cells fighting (😉) after reading a verse, I haven't accomplished my goal of understanding God through His word, which is what I want. I'm the kind of person who needs layman's terms while as doctrinally pure as possible.

You said things were added to KJV. Could it be things are missing in other translations?

I love to "nerd out" with an interlinear Bible and various translations! 😄

That was very helpful...thank you!

NIV is New International Version not New Interlinear Version

Love the name Lechito!

Appreciate your approach to this. Thank you.

Melissa I thoroughly enjoyed this video. I have now actually watched it 3x!

The original King James Version is the one to use for the English translation. All other versions in English have had some verses either eliminated or condensed or changed. Pray to God for wisdom and understanding when reading His Holy Word and listen to the still small voice of the Holy Spirit. Study your Bible. Reading the Bible is like raking leaves, studying is like digging. It takes effort and like digging you get tired and sore but you find gems that raking won’t find. Too many lazy Christian’s want God to just hand stuff to them instead of spending quality time studying the Bible.

The church grew the fasted before there was a compiled New Testament. Most Gentiles were illiterate and had no access to the Old Testament. All that was required was preaching the Gospel, walking by the Spirit, and using a little common sense. That's all that's necessary today. However, having the complete bible is a benefit. But consider that before we had the printed bible, fewer people were taking it out of context.

Awesome teaching. God bless, much ❤️ South Africa 🙏🌍

I bought the Evidence Study Bible - NKJV, because as a former JW, I was terrified at the selections of bibles and wanting to get the real word so I simply went to Ray Comfort. I'm obviously not finished reading it but I am pleased you mentioned NKJV.

😂 KJV-Only people be like 😤😡🤯🌋

Glory to God Almighty ❤️So much happiness $47k weekly returns has been life changing. AWESOME GOD I now have a house and can now afford anything for my family even with my Retirement..

I love how the way you said lechito could also be le Cheeto. Thank you for going into the subject of translations. Lots of Christians or Christian curious people need to know more about this!

I used to read the NI V but now I read the NLT. I love it so easy to understand

The best English translation is the King James Bible. If you're an English-speaker, you should only use KJV. Also, we should not translate the Bible differently because of culture. God inspired it how HE wanted it, stop changing it from knocking on the door to calling from a gate.

KJV is the real one

Good job! I have taught classes on translations for decades. It's remarkable that we still have to do this. When I was about 10 or 11, Good News For Modern Man came out. I bought one right away. But I remember ABC News had a segment of their 6 o'clock evening news reviewing and criticizing it. 😏 Thanks so much.

We use the NKJV, ESV, CSB, NIV, NET, NLT, NASB, AMP and NCV for our verse mapping. We love to do a comparison and dive deep into specific keywords. We also love the Net Bible because we can go into the Greek and Hebrew. Logos has some pretty amazing search capabilities. I am using ESV for our inductive Bible study. - Rebecca

I study from the King James 1611 Authorized version .... 🙂 I would like to say if anyone is interested in understanding why we have so many different versions of The Bible... I would like to suggest search out The textus receptus majority texts verse The minority Alexandrian texts... Once you do then you should see why there are so many versions.... Note Remember just bc something claims to be thee oldest version doesn't make it thee most accurate translation, especially if it has been corrupted....

Great word Melissa. I read multiole as you suggest. NIV home.

I do the same. Sí, también vivo en una ciudad bilingüe. That said knowing enough Hebrew and Greek as well as the customs and culture of the different times covered by scripture helps. Even in North American English a word from Boston may not mean the same as it does in Texas (as God intended ja, ja, ja).

On point. Love your work and your channel. My friend who just came across your channel through this video says your background is so neat that it looks AI generated. I just felt like commenting with that, lol God bless 😊🙏

I have to say that it is a blessing to be bilingual and reading bibles in both languages because it really helps to get a better understanding of what’s being said in many passage. Then getting older and learning some key Greek and Hebrew words and phrases like “okay I wasn’t sure but I wasn’t wrong either” In hindsight what made the Bible harder to understand for me was not understanding how artificial the world I grew up in is. Even modern language is in many ways artificial.

Awesome thanks Melissa.

I totally agree! I too grew up where we were only allowed to use KING JAMES version. It did just that by setting me up for failure as far as not studying my word . Because , why would I want to read something that totally didn’t make sense to me as a young child and teen. Thankfully I had a solid enough relationship with Christ that kept me connected to Him. However, over the years my eyes have been opened to this very subject and I’m thankful we have an awesome Sunday school teacher who is also our best friend who has helped me understand this topic! I now own more than just the King James Version many of the versions you listed you use. My next goal is to purchase an interlinear Bible!

Fascinating topic, sub!

I tend to read NKJV most of the time, but I do like the ESV as well. I'll read The Message versions of some passages when I want a chuckle. Especially when reading its coverage of the gospels, I get Afterschool Special vibes and picture a lot of the settings as like some modern day suburban American locale. Jesus and the disciples look like bros from a hip non-denominational church, etc. I can't do it for too long because it kind of creeps me out after awhile. But it's humorous in very small, occasional doses.

The Light of Christ in Gods Children have the Spirit of God, so We See and Understand His Word. It’s a Gift of God

When I study, I have every version I own spread out all over the floor so I can compare the translations. However, I usually give the greatest weight to the Gesenius for the Hebrew and Thayer's for the Greek. Blue Letter Bible has those as options in the app and online.

Great treatment of this important question! I was glad to hear you speak of textual criticism around minute 12 and that brings to mind the corollary question. What is the provenance of the sources used in the various translations? So much great scholarship on this over the last century. Great female voices here in Elaine Pagels, Paula Fredriksen, F Stavrakopoulou. Glad to see your intelligent curiosity and would be interested in seeing your take on sources.

I like the kjv, the private school I attended in 6th-12th grades mandated it. Makes reading classic literature easier for me.

Amazing video!

There are translations by just one person that are not bad. Martin Luther translated at least the New Testament completely by himself. There is also an old famous translation German by a teacher called Hermann Menge. Exceptions prove the rule.

Cool video keep up the good work

God bless you Melissa,for your videos,that explain this. I have started to read Holy Bible its in large print and KJV. I read 10 pages or so a day, so in 200 days i will finish. 🙏

My main translations are the New King James, the English Standard Version, and a recent discovery -- the Berean Standard Bible. All have good audiobook versions, and as for the BSB, it's free and in the Public Domain. As an ESV and NKJV listener, I also enjoy the BSB. Good video!

Great video!

Interesting video...well presented

I, too, enjoy comparing versions of the Bible. My favorite comparison is between my my two favorite study Bibles, the Old Scofield KJV study Bible, and the Spurgeon CSB study Bible. Occasionally, I’ll throw the Ryrie NIV study Bible into the mix, just for grins. By doing this, my understanding has improved substantially over using just a single translation.

I recommend Dr. Neil R. Lightfoot's book "How We Got the Bible", now in its third edition and published by Baker. It tells how we can be sure the Biblical message has been accurately preserved through the centuries. This book wraps up with a short history of the English language Bible translations.

One answer to the question "What's the best translation of the Bible?" is "The one that you will read." (I've heard it attributed to Billy Graham, but I don't know if it actually originates from him).

The example starting just before 7min is really great. Reminds me of brilliant book "Peace Child" by Don Richardson where Judas was initially perceived as the hero rather than villan! Was also just a couple of weeks ago seeing Shane Willard on Acts 17:23 (altar to unknown god) and history near 600 years earlier. Also inspired me to get back to reading (with Willard's other reference to it) Don Richardson's other book "Eternity in their hearts".