How To Choose The Best Bible For You

It’s no secret that the Bible is one of the most important books in history. It has been translated into many languages and made available to billions around the world. But how do you choose the best Bible for your needs? How do you decide on the best bible translation?

Whether you’re looking for translation notes or extensive commentary on Bible passages, this post will guide you in finding the Bible that best suits your needs!

WHY YOU NEED TO CHOOSE THE BEST BIBLE FOR YOU

The Bible is the most read, studied, and quoted book of history. However, that doesn’t mean any single version will work perfectly for every Christian. Having a Bible you understand and enjoy reading is vitally important for spiritual growth – allowing Jesus to live more fully in us every day! Just take Psalm 19:7-11. In these five verses, we see the character of God’s eternal Word on the left and the character it produces in us on the right.

The most important thing for you as the reader is to comprehend the text. After all, if we don’t understand the Bible, how can we live it?

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A BIBLE

When it comes to choosing the best bible for you, there are several things to consider.

• What denomination of Christianity (Catholic, Baptist, nondenominational, etc.)?
• What is the reading level of the person who will read it? (more on this below)
• Is there a budget?
• How big is the font size?
• Do you want something you can carry around with ease?
• Would you like to take notes in the margin?
• Are you looking for traditional (Genesis – Revelation) or chronological order (order in which it’s written)?
• Would you like cross-references? (Highly suggested for any in-depth bible study – be sure to check out this post on how to start studying the Bible with confidence for more information. This post on the SOAP bible study method or this post on How To Verse Map might also help)
• Are there helpful maps and diagrams about certain places or people mentioned in the bible?
• Considering a concordance for looking up words quickly and easily?
• Are you interested in study notes for deeper understanding?
• Do you prefer a devotional-style Bible?
• Would you like to study the original Hebrew and Greek keywords?
• Perhaps a parallel bible, which contains two or more translations for easy comparison?
• Do you want the most accurate translation (word for word) or easier to read (thought for thought)?

While this isn’t an exhaustive list, it should get you headed in the right direction. If you’re fortunate enough to have a Christian bookstore still nearby, you might spend some time reading this post, narrowing down your preferences, and then peruse available Bibles.

WHAT IS THE BEST BIBLE TO READ AND UNDERSTAND

Bible reading is an important part of the Christian life. However, the question often arises: What is the best bible to read and understand?

The answer to this question comes down to readability, remembering that understanding is key to life application. For this, let’s look at some of the most popular translations, average age level, and grade reading level. These are general levels.

Now, let’s take this a little further and determine whether they are formal (word-for-word) or dynamic (thought-for-thought).

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TRANSLATIONS OF THE BIBLE

There are two approaches to take into account when it comes to Bible translations: word-for-word and thought-for-thought.

1 | WORD-FOR-WORD TRANSLATION

The first approach – formal equivalent, literal translation, or word-for-word – is exactly what it sounds like. This Bible translation seeks to be as faithful to the original text in Greek and Hebrew word-for-word as possible, preserving original word order and grammar. To preserve the integrity of the original author’s intent, translators attempt to capture the exact wording by looking at all the individual words and putting them in their exact positions. Thus, when we read a word-for-word translation, we can be confident that it tells us what the original text said. Unfortunately, these translations can be more difficult to understand.

2 | THOUGHT-FOR-THOUGHT TRANSLATIONS

The second approach – functional equivalent, dynamic, or thought-for-thought – aims to recreate the original meaning of a sentence or phrase, attempting to put that thought in modern English. Rather than translating individual words, translators who take this approach give us a sense of what the author might have been trying to say without being tied down by exact word order. The advantage is that the meaning of these phrases are typically easier to understand. The drawback is that people often think differently about what individual words mean on their own, which can lead to multiple interpretations of the original text and a greater risk of misinterpretation.

WHAT IS A PARAPHRASE TRANSLATION

In addition to these two translation approaches, you will notice a paraphrase. The Message (MSG) is the most popular paraphrase. Technically, it is not an actual translation from the original languages but rather a restatement or an explanation from an existing English translation. Although you do not want to count on a paraphrase for serious study, they can be a helpful commentary of sorts. This is when a parallel bible, providing a side-by-side comparison of two or more translations, would come in handy.

COMPARING BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

In looking at the reading level and the translation continuum, you see the inverse relationship between word-for-word and ease of reading level. The closer you are to the original language, the harder it is to read and understand. To give you a greater understanding, let’s compare Colossians 3:12 in the most popular bible translations. I’ve italicized some major differences for you.

WHAT IS THE BEST TRANSLATION OF THE BIBLE

Personally, I love the flowing language of the NLT. However, my greatest desire is to stay as close as possible to the accuracy of the original transcripts and still be able to understand. After 20 years of reading, memorizing, and studying the NIV, I made the switch to ESV. While I thoroughly enjoy and suggest looking at multiple versions, I recommend sticking to one version as your primary. This makes memorizing Scripture (check out this post for the importance and tips for memorizing the bible), locating verses, and looking back at notes easier.

So, how do you choose the best bible translation? Hopefully, we’ve covered enough to give you a good start on deciding, but let’s cover a few of the best sellers on the market listed in ranking order.

1 | New International Version

The NIV Bible, published in 1978, is the #1 seller and one of the most widely accepted translations available. Stemming from a desire to make the KJV more understandable, this team of interpreters and scholars chose to start from scratch using the best available manuscripts. Having gone to great lengths to ensure accuracy, the NIV Bible is regarded with great respect.

Best NIV Bible

1. NIV Life Application Study Bible: I can’t say enough about the NIV Life Application Bible. From background stories, maps, and timelines to verse-by-verse commentary, this study bible has everything you need to learn, apply, and grow more like Jesus. This was my daily bible for more than 20 years. My only drawback is the lack of space for notes, but there are guided bible study journals for that reason.

2 | King James Version

KJV was one of the first English versions available on the market. While it has been around for a long time and is near the top of the all-time best-seller list, this translation isn’t as strong as some newer ones. While I love some poetic language, it’s tough to understand the “thee’s and thou’s,” and many of the words used in KJV now carry different meanings. For example, in Colossians 3:12 above, “bowels” was an archaic term meaning “feelings of petty or compassion.” Now, that word is clearly used as part of the intestine. Because of the obsolete words and archaic lingual differences, this version might not be best for a new believer or someone new to Bible study, especially considering the various other word-for-word options. But the beauty is, it’s completely up to you! KJV is still the #2 best-selling Bible.

Best KJV Bible

1. KJV Thompson Chain-Reference Bible: The beauty of this bible rests in the 8,000 chain topic reference system in which relevant scripture is linked together, providing a detailed view of that topic found in scripture. You can choose a topic of interest or look one up in the back (brief video details).

3 | New Living Translation

The goal of the NLT, a revision of The Living Bible, is to provide a translation that weaves together the contextual meaning of entire thoughts (as opposed to word-for-word) into everyday English so that readers can better grasp what the author originally intended to convey. The New Living Translation achieves this by weaving the underlying meaning in a text into a readable and understandable language without diminishing the beauty and power of the original text. As shown on the continuum, this leans more toward the paraphrase side.

Best NLT Bible

1. NLT Illustrated Study Bible: The Illustrated Study Bible is not only easier to read but also includes additional study aids like maps, timelines, and visual representations of ideas, as well as study notes and word studies. If you enjoy learning visually, this bible may be the one for you.

4 | English Standard Version

The English Standard Version of the Bible is founded on the conviction that God inspired every word of scripture and takes great care to translate each word as accurately, clearly, and readably as possible. The truth of God’s Word is translated word-for-word, expressing its depth of meaning. The ESV translation seeks to be clear and understandable for the English reader, keeping with the objective of moving the hearts and minds of people toward faith in Jesus Christ while retaining core doctrinal teachings of grace, justification, sanctification, and redemption.

Best ESV Bible

1. ESV Study Bible: The ESV Study Bible provides various study tools for people who want to read through Scripture effectively. It is an excellent resource for serious readers, students, and teachers alike. This comprehensive study bible includes thousands of study notes, educational articles, complete book intros, color diagrams, and illustrations, as well as 80,000 cross-references (a must for serious studies). In my daily study time, the ESV Study Bible is an invaluable tool.

5 | Christian Standard Bible

The goal of the Christian Standard Bible is to help readers cultivate a deeper, more meaningful relationship with God by translating the ancient texts in their clearest possible form. The CSB translation team sought to uncover the meaning of every last word—the original Hebrew and Greek texts—while also considering how those words would be understood by readers today. The CSB was developed with the philosophy of balancing quality and accuracy. It uses a word-for-word rendering when it is clear and understandable but a more dynamic translation for modern readers when necessary for better understanding. CSB has been endorsed by many faithful leaders like Alistair Begg, Tony Evans, and so many more.

Best CSB Bible

1. CSB Study Bible: While sticking to the faithfulness of God’s Word and the fullness of understanding, the CSB Study Bible has more than 15,000 study notes, cross-references, a plethora of timelines, photos, maps, and illustrations, as well as a good selection of word studies to dive deeper.

6 | New American Standard Version

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is a literal translation of the Bible, meaning that it translates words in Hebrew and Greek in the most precise sense, leaving nothing up to interpretation. This translation method stands in contrast to the thought-for-thought technique known as dynamic equivalence. The result was a word-for-word, accurate and readable translation. The only downfall (if there can be one in referring to God’s Word) is the reading level required to digest the nuggets of truth. However, a good study bible will likely clear up any lack of understanding.

Best NASB Bible

1. NASB Zondervan Study Bible: Today’s most literal English translation, the NASB Study Bible, is meticulously refined for optimal clarity. With a wide variety of resourceful and thoughtful features, this comprehensive study bible includes interpretation notes, study notes, 100,000 cross-references, maps, charts, articles, and so much more. This exhaustive study bible is a library at your fingertips.

Additional Great Bibles

1. NET Bible With Full Notes: This is a great bible with over 60,000 translation notes. While it’s straightforward to read, the translation notes explain why certain words were chosen, background information, and how they were biblically used.

2. ESV Journaling Bible, Interleaved: If you’re looking for a bible with plenty of room for journaling, prayers, or decorating, this is a great option. Each page of Scripture is paired with a completely blank page, giving you ample space making it the best bible for journaling.

3. ESV New Inductive Study Bible: This is a wonderful tool for anyone desiring to learn how to do inductive bible studies independently. With questions and study tips, you will learn how to interpret and apply the Bible to your life, making this is the best study bible with room for notes.

4. CSB (in)courage Devotional Bible: With hundreds of devotions, book introductions, reading plans, and journaling space, this bible is the best study bible for women desiring a devotional style.

5. CSB Apologetics Study Bible for Students: While this is also available in an adult version, this bible discusses many of the major attacks on Christianity, God as Creator, and tough questions of science that our younger generation is facing. Included are study notes from many leading apologists, “Twisted Scripture” for misunderstood verses, tactics against the major arguments, and so much more.

6. NKJV Abide Bible: One of a kind bible with prayer prompts, verses to meditate on, journal prompts, and more designed to draw you closer to the Author of life.

7. The Complete Evangelical Parallel: This is for you if you’re looking for a bible that includes multiple translations. The parallel bible includes KJV, NKJV, NIV & NLT, great for comparing verses to gain a deeper meaning and understanding.

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST BIBLE

Well, that’s completely up to you! So whichever translation or level is right for you, there’s no better time than now to start studying God’s word! It may be hard to decide on just one, but following these tips should help guide you towards finding the perfect match! When you’ve found the best Bible for your needs, you will find your faith and knowledge of God soar.

What are your favorite Bible translations? Anything you would suggest in looking for a bible? Let me know in the comments!