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You are Here: BibleSanity.org >> Bible Versions >> Comparisons, Information, and Reviews

Comparisons, Information, and Reviews

Modern English Versions of the Bible

Here I review several modern versions of the English Bible. The Bible versions which I recommend use Literal Translation style, use Original Gender or are Gender-Accurate, Include TR passages which are supported by the Majority Text, which are free from Religious Bias, and are of Excellent Quality. - more

For KJV & family Information and Reviews Go Here

Recommended:

1. The New American Standard Bible (NASB) - Information and Review
   (Review includes 1995 and 2020 editions and the LSB version, a direct update of NASB 1995)
2. The English Standard Version (ESV) - Information and Review

Conditionally Recommended:

1. The American Standard Version (ASV 1901) - Primarily for Old Testament, highly Literal
2. The New English Translation (NET) - Only recommended as a translation note reference

Not Recommended:

• New International Version (NIV) - Dynamic Equivalent, 7th Grade Reading Level, Gender Neutral (degree varies by edition). Published in 1978, 1984, my original review was "...Not as reliable of a work as it should be...too many individual verses with "spot" problems...has too many passages with irregular translations or unqualiftied deviations..."
  In 2011 the NIV went to a fully gender-inclusive format and both the 2011 NIV and the derived TNIV version were both formally rejected by the Southern Baptist Convention and pulled from Lifeway stores. Over 450,000,000 NIV Bibles have been sold.
• Christian Standard Bible (CSB) - Dynamic Equivalent, 7th Grade Reading Level, At least partially Gender Neutral. Originally published in 1999, 2010 as the Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB), revised in 2017 as the CSB.Over 20,000,000 CSB Bibles have been sold.
• New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Integrated Catholic or Orthodox Apocrypha editions, Gender Inclusive, Formal equivalence, High School reading level.
• New Living Translation (NLT) - Dynamic Equivalent, "Middle-School" Reading Level, At least partially Gender Neutral. Started as a project to revise The Living Bible, but instead became of fresh translation using the critical texts. Published in 1996, 2004, 2007, 2015.
• The Message Extremely loose Paraphrase using inappropriate uses of "hell" such as "hell-raisers" (Judges 19, 20, Proverbs 1), "hellhound" (2 Samuel 16), and "hell breaks loose" (Psalm 31,32), as well as using very bad paraphrases like Psalm 27:1, "Light, space, zest-that's GOD!..." (vs "Jehovah is my light and my salvation..." - ASV). - See table for more examples.

Denominational Bias:

• Douay-Rheims Bible (DRB, D-R, or DRV) - Catholic
• Confraternity Bible (CB) - Catholic
• Jerusalem Bible (JB or TJB) - Catholic
• New American Bible (NAB) - Catholic
  
  
• Orthodox Study Bible (Based on LXX & NKJV) - Orthodox
• New English Translation of the Septuagint (NETS) - Orthodox
  
  
• New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) - Jehovah's Witness
  
  
• Joseph Smith Translation (JST) - Modified KJV, published 1867 - Latter-day Saints (Mormon)
  
  
• Clear Word Bible (CWB) - Seventh-day Adventist
  
  

(C) Copyright 2025 Daniel Stanfield, this document may be distributed freely, but may not be sold or modified.