Reading The Bible in a Fast-Food World

Descriptions of Bible Versions 

• Contemporary English Version (CEV)

  The CEV is a meaning-based (or functional equivalent) translation done in a contemporary style using common language. It was designed to be understood when read and heard out loud, not just when it is read silently. It is one of the best Bibles for children and youth, as well as for new Bible readers who are not familiar with traditional Bible and church words.

• Good News Translation (GNT)

  The GNT (also known as Today's English Version or Good News Bible) was one of the first meaning-based (or functional equivalent) translations of the Bible into English. It was originally published in 1976, then it was revised in 1992. The GNT presents the message of the Bible in a level of English that is common to most of the English-speaking world. The GNT is still used widely in youth Bible study groups and in less formal worship services.

• King James Version (KJV)

  The KJV (also known as the Authorized Version) is a word-for-word translation (or formal equivalent) originally published in 1611 at the request of King James I of England. It was frequently reprinted and its spelling updated, and most copies today are slightly adapted from a 1769 edition. The translators mostly aimed at making a clear and accurate translation from the original languages. So many people have used the KJV over the centuries that it has become the single most important book in shaping the modern English language. Many of the best and most ancient Hebrew and Greek manuscripts of Bible books have been discovered since 1850, and so the KJV could not make use of them. The KJV is still the most widely owned and used English translation in the USA.

• New American Bible (NAB)

  The NAB was originally published in 1970 as a meaning-based translation intended primarily for Roman Catholic readers. The New Testament was revised in 1986, shifting more toward a word-for-word or formal translation. The NAB is useful for individual study and public worship, especially among American Catholics.

• New American Standard Bible (NASB)

  The NASB, first published in the 1960's, is an excellent example of a formal translation of the Bible in English. It is probably the most "word-for-word" type translation available today. Because of this, the NASB is a good version to use in Bible study where one is concerned with the form of the original Hebrew and Greek. The most recent edition of the NASB was published in 1995.

• New International Version (NIV)

  The NIV was a completely new translation, but it was strongly influenced by the King James tradition. The full Bible was published in 1978 and revised in 1984. A blend of form-based and meaning-based translation types, the NIV is one of the most popular English Bibles in use today. It is equally useful for individual study and public worship, especially among more traditional and conservative denominations.

• New Jerusalem Bible (NJB)

  The NJB is a 1985 revision of the older Jerusalem Bible (JB). The JB was translated from the original languages, but it developed out of a popular French translation done in Jerusalem, which is why it was called the Jerusalem Bible. The NJB, like the JB before it, is known for its literary qualities. While the JB tended to more meaning-based (or functional equivalent), the NJB has moved toward more of a word-based (or formal equivalent) translation.

• New Living Translation (NLT)

  The NLT is a meaning-based revision of the Living Bible (LB) that tries to keep its sound and feel. The Living Bible was a popular 1971 paraphrase of the 1901 American Standard Version. (A paraphrase is different from a translation. For a paraphrase, authors take an English text and put it into their own words, that is, the way they would say it themselves. A paraphrase does not begin with the Hebrew and Greek texts as a translation does.) The NLT revision involved comparing the LB to the original-language texts, and then making changes so that the NLT is now a true translation. The NLT is a good translation to use with youth and adults who have difficulty with the traditional language of a formal equivalent translation.

• New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

  The NRSV is a 1989 revision of the Revised Standard Version (1952). The NRSV is now the latest authorized translation in the King James tradition. It aims at being readable, but it also tries to keep the words and phrases from the KJV that are familiar. It is a blend of meaning-based and form-based translation types. The NRSV has become a standard translation for serious Bible study, especially in seminaries and colleges.

• Revised English Bible (REB)

  The REB is a revision of the earlier New English Bible (NEB), which had a considerable British flavor. The REB removed much of this distinctiveness and aimed to be more familiar to an American audience. The REB is a meaning-based translation (or functional equivalent) but has retained much of the traditional language and style. This makes it a popular English translation for public reading of Scripture.

• Version Reina-Velera (VRV)

  This widely used revision of the Bible, prepared by a group of Latin-American Scholars, is a revision of the sixteen-century translation made by Casiodoro de Reina and revised by Cipriano de Valera in 1602. There have been many other revisions to the VRV including the one of 1862, 1909, and most recently, the 1995 revision. Originally translated from the Hebrew texts and the Greek manuscripts of both the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament, it maintains fidelity to these texts and to the elevated linguistic and literacy style of its original translation while evolving with the changes in Spanish language. This has made this revision a classic and most acclaimed Bible among millions of people in Spanish speaking countries around the world.

• Version Popular (VP)

  Originally published in its entirety in 1979 by the United Bible Society, the Version Popular is an interconfessional effort to communicate the word of God at a literary level understood by the Spanish speaking population at large. Its main translating principle for achieving a faithful sense of the Hebrew and Greek texts is to render the Hebrew and Greek texts in commonly used expressions and literacy forms. This methodology is known in translation science as functional equivalence. This version has been widely accepted by Christian communities and is officially recommended by the Latin-American Episcopal Council (CELAM).