| Translation (Abbreviation) |
Date |
Reading Level |
Translation Method |
Translators |
Manuscripts and/or Texts Used |
| Amplified Bible |
1965; rev. 1987 |
NA |
Verbal equivalence; amplification of word meanings |
Frances Siewert and Lockman Foundation Editorial Board |
Greek text of Westcott and Hort; various translations |
| Common English Bible (CEB) |
2010 (NT), 2011 (OT) |
7 |
Hybrid: Verbal equivalence with dynamic balance and common language |
Common English Bible Committee, an alliance of five denominational publishers (120 translators from 24 faith traditions and 5 countries; 77 field testing groups with 500 participants in 13 denominations) |
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (4th edition), Biblia Hebraica Quinta (5th edition); Nestle Aland 27th Edition (1993), Gottingen Septuagint (in progress), Ralf's Septuagint (2005) |
| Contemporary English Version (CEV) |
1995 |
5 |
Dynamic equivalence |
American Bible Society. More than 100 translators and reviewers |
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (4th edition), UBS Greek NT (3rd edition, corrected) |
| English Standard Version (ESV) |
2001; rev. 2007 |
11 |
Verbal equivalence |
Crossway. Translation Oversight Committee and Translation Review Scholars (evangelical scholars, primarily from the Reformed tradition) |
Minor revision of Revised Standard Version (1971) |
| Good News Bible; The Bible in Today's English Version (TEV) |
1976 |
6 |
Dynamic equivalence |
American Bible Society. Robert Bratcher, NT; Bratcher and 6 others, OT |
Biblia Hebraica (3rd edition), UBS Greek NT (3rd edition) |
| Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) |
2003 |
8 |
Hybrid: Verbal equivalence with dynamic balance |
Holman Bible Publishers. 90 scholars, primarily Southern Baptist |
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (4th edition), Nestle Aland 27th Edition (1993) |
| King James Version (KJV) |
1611, 1769 |
12 |
Verbal equivalence |
54 English scholars |
Masoretic (OT), Textus Receptus (NT); The Bishop's Bible (1568) |
| The Living Bible (LB) |
1971 |
8 |
Paraphrase |
Kenneth Taylor |
Paraphrase of American Standard Version (1901) |
| The Message |
1993 (NT), 2001 (OT) |
6 |
Paraphrase |
Eugene Peterson |
Paraphrase from original languages |
| New American Bible (NAB) |
1970; NT rev. 1986 |
7 |
Dynamic equivalence, 1970; verbal equivalence, 1986 |
Confraternity of Christian Doctrine. 55 scholars, most of whom were Catholics |
Masoretic (OT), Nestle-Aland Greek NT |
| New American Standard Bible (NASB) |
1971; rev. 1995 |
11 |
Verbal equivalence |
Lockman Foundation. 61 evangelical scholars (original and update) |
Biblia Hebraica, Nestle's Greek Text, 23rd edition (1971); Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, Nestle-Aland/UBS, 26th edition (1995) |
| New Century Version (NCV) |
1991 |
6 |
Dynamic equivalence |
A team composed of the World Bible Translation Center and 50 scholars and translators |
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, UBS Greek NT |
| New International Version (NIV) |
1978; rev. 2010 |
8 |
Hybrid: Verbal equivalence with dynamic balance |
Biblica. 2010 update by 10 person Committee on Bible Translation. |
Biblia Hebraica, eclectic mix of original texts for NT |
| New International Reader's Version (NIrV) |
1996 |
3 |
Verbal equivalence, with dynamic balance and some simplification |
40, including stylists |
Simplification of NIV |
| New Jerusalem Bible |
1985 |
8 |
Verbal equivalence, with dynamic tendencies |
Approximately 30 |
Original Languages; La Bible de Jérusalem (French) |
| New King James Version (NKJV) |
1982 |
11 |
Verbal equivalence |
Thomas Nelson Publishers. Approximately 60 scholars and church leaders |
Rev. of KJV; Biblia Hebraica (OT), Textus Receptus (NT) |
| New Living Translation (NLT) |
1996; rev. 2007 |
6 |
Dynamic equivalence |
Tyndale House Foundation. 90 scholars, primarily from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and Asbury Seminary |
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, UBS Greek NT, Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece |
| New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) |
1990 |
11 |
Verbal equivalence |
National Council of Churches. 30 scholars |
Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (3rd edition), UBS Greek NT (3rd edition, corrected); rev. of RSV (1971) |
| The Voice |
2008 NT |
8 |
Paraphrase |
Thomas Nelson Publishers and Ecclesia Bible Society. 27 scholars and 52 retellers from the emergent movement |
not disclosed |
| |
| |
| Definitions |
| Dynamic equivalence: |
Emphasis on reproducing the functional meaning of the ancient words with freedom to rearrange the order of the words (syntax) in the target language. |
| Masoretic: |
The most widely used Hebrew text of the Old Testament. |
| Paraphrase: |
Emphasis is on expressing the meaning in contemporary language, with numerous additional words. |
| Textus Receptus: |
"Received Text"; 1550 edition of the Greek NT used by most translators before 1900. |
| Verbal equivalence: |
Emphasis is on reproducing the modern English equivalent of the ancient words, with tendency to use same word order as the ancient language. |