Which Bible Translation Is Right for You?
Walk into Koorong and you'll see a whole shelf of Bibles, all with different names on the spine: NIV, ESV, NLT, NKJV, and more. If you've ever stood there wondering which one is "the right one," you're not alone. The good news is there's no wrong answer.
We asked Sam, a translation consultant with the Bible Society of Australia, to explain how translations actually work. "There's loads and loads of good English translations of the Bible," he says. It comes down to two things.
Every translation has a reader in mind
Every translation team is writing for a specific reader: their age, their education, their reading level, their background. "Translations are for people," Sam says: a particular group of people, at that. That's why some translations read simply and plainly, while others use richer, more formal language. Neither is "better." They're just written for different readers. That's exactly why it's worth trying a few and noticing which one you actually want to keep reading.
Often Christians will have one main translation they use so they can remember verses from the Bible. It is difficult to memorise a verse if the translation changes every day!
But many Christians will also have other translations in their library which they refer to from time to time – either to observe differences when digging further into a part of the Bible, or to give a fresh look at the Bible. A different translation can help us to pay attention to what the Bible is saying rather than having our brain switch off because the words are familiar.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd
Translations are translations
None of these Bibles are the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek; they're all faithful attempts to bring that text into English. As Sam puts it, "translations are translations, not the original languages." Some lean toward showing you the shape and structure of the original language as closely as possible. Others lean toward communicating the meaning in contemporary language. Neither is necessarily better. They're just different.
So where does that leave you? Right where Sam suggests: "go and try out a bunch and see if that translation is for you." Read a familiar passage, like Psalm 23 or the Lord's Prayer, in two or three different translations and see which one helps Scripture come alive for you.
There's no shame in changing translations as your season of life changes, or having different translations for different purposes. A study Bible in a more literal translation might serve you well for in-depth reading, while a clearer, more conversational translation might be exactly what helps a new believer, or a tired parent, open the Word each day.
The goal isn't the "most correct" translation. It's finding the Bible you will read, and letting God's Word do its work in you.
Reading in community
The best place to learn about the Bible is in a church community. If you are shopping for a Bible, it is worth finding out which translation your church uses so that you can follow along more easily in your own Bible as the pastor preaches and teaches.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best Bible translation?
Which translation is right for you comes down to preference, not a ranking. As we've said above, translations are made for different readers and different purposes, and every mainstream, evangelical translation is a serious, careful piece of scholarship. If you already have a Bible you read regularly, that's usually reason enough to keep using it.
What's the difference between a word-for-word and a thought-for-thought translation?
It's the spectrum Sam describes. The ESV leans toward showing you the shape and structure of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek. The NLT leans toward how naturally that meaning lands in English today. The NIV seeks to sit in the middle. All three start from the same original texts; the difference is where they draw the line between word-for-word accuracy and thought-for-thought readability.
What makes one Bible translation easier to read than another?
It mostly comes down to sentence length and vocabulary, not just where a translation sits on the word-for-word to thought-for-thought spectrum. Thought-for-thought translations, like the NLT, tend to use shorter sentences and more everyday phrasing, which is why they're often the first suggestion for kids or new readers. But "easier" is personal. Some people find a familiar, traditional cadence easier to follow than a modern one, simply because it's what they grew up hearing. The only real way to know which is easier for you is the same advice as above: read the same passage in two or three translations and notice which one you don't have to re-read.
What's the difference between the NIV, ESV, NLT, and NKJV?
These are the four translations we stock most, and each sits in a different spot on the spectrum described above. The ESV leans word-for-word, close to the structure of the original text. The NLT leans thought-for-thought, prioritising easy, contemporary reading. The NIV sits in the middle, balancing accuracy with readability. The NKJV keeps the traditional cadence of the King James Version but replaces its archaic vocabulary with modern English.
Why does the King James Version have verses other translations don't include?
A lot of readers worry that verses have been cut to change doctrine. That's not what's happening. The KJV was translated from the manuscripts available in 1611, and many older manuscripts have been discovered since then that most scholars now work from. The differences you notice between a KJV and a modern translation come down to which manuscripts the translators had in front of them. For more on how this works, GotQuestions has a helpful explainer.
Should I own more than one Bible translation?
Many serious Bible readers do. As mentioned above, people sometimes keep one main translation for everyday reading and memorising verses, then keep others in their library to refer to when they're digging deeper into a passage, or just want a fresh look at a familiar verse. Keep your main Bible for the reading you do every day. Reach for a second translation when a verse feels so familiar that your mind zones out, or when you want to check how another translation handles a tricky passage.
Popular choices
We find that the New International Version (NIV), the New Living Translation (NLT), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New King James Version (NKJV) are the most popular Bible translations. You may wish to start with one of these if you aren't sure which translation is for you.
