Bible Version Guide
Over the many years, The Bible has evolved and grown with its diverse language, varying from more direct translations and doctrine to translations that can be more easily understood by a broader audience.
With the wide range of Bible translations available, we have tried to provide different variations, to cover all of our customer’s needs and wants. Below we have also explained a little bit about the different translations we offer, and what they are best used for.
Word-for-Word Translations (Formal Equivalence)
Word-for-word Bibles are some of the first Bible translations that were created, with the main focus being to provide accurate and exact doctrine. For people who want to dive deep into their theology, word for word Bibles are good places to find the most direct translations of the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. They are brilliant tools to develop sound doctrine, but can be more difficult to understand for some. These Bible versions may not be the best choice for youth, new believers, or people interested in exploring the Bible as a whole for the first time.
1. King James Version (KJV) or Authorised Version (AV)
Originally produced in 1611 at the request of King James (from where the Bible gets its name) this version has long been considered to be one of, if not the most accurate Bibles available today. Some people feel that language such as 'Thee' and 'Thou' is very archaic, however, this language served an important purpose, especially as this Bible was written in the common language of the people, before much of the modern deterioration of English.
Some of our most popular King James Version Bibles are:
2. The New King James Version (NKJV)
The New King James Version sort to update some of the language of the KJV which rendered some parts of the text differently to its predecessor (such as replacing 'Thee', 'Thou', 'Yea' and 'Your' with 'You') Translators of the NKJV sort to stick close to the word-for-word original meanings of the Hebrew and Greek while making a more understandable english verion of the Bible for the reader.
Just a few of the New King James Version Bibles we stock:
3. English Standard Version (ESV)
The ESV is a closely literal translation that focuses on capturing the exact wording of the original text, while also including the personal style of each Bible writer. It aims to be transparent to the original text, by directly showing the reader the structure and meaning of the original language while presenting relatively modern text.
Our growing range of ESV Bibles include:
Thought-for-Thought Translations (Dyanamic Equivalence or Functional Equivalence)
If you are looking for a Bible that is well balanced in portraying more of a story, but also provides accurate theology, Bibles that focus on meaning-to-meaning translation could be a good fit.
4. New International Version (NIV)
This translation was aimed to help modern Bible readers a glimpse into the original text by providing the best possible mix of clarity to the original documents and meaning. It is thought that no other translation has gone through as tedious of a process to deliver both accuracy and understanding.
Popular NIV Bibles include:
5. Contemporary English Version (CEV)
This version of the Bible is great if you want to dive deeper into the stories and learn theology with a bit more context and understanding. The text is easily read by grade schoolers, second language readers, and those who prefer the more contemporised form. The CEV is not a paraphrase. It is an accurate and faithful translation of the original manuscripts.
6. Easy-To-Read (ERV)
These Bibles can be a really good option if you are searching for a translation that is easily readable and has a consistent and poetic flow. Though paraphrased Bibles are not advised for accurate doctrine, they are frequently paired with meaning-to-meaning Bibles, to get the balance between text that is literal and text that is easy to understand.
Other thought for thought Bibles we stock include:
A Balanced Mixture of Both Translation Types (Optimal Equivalence)
7. New Living Translation (NLT)
This translation was created directly from the most recent scholarship in the theory of translation. The main goal for the translators was to create a text that would make a big impact on modern readers, the way it impacted the original readers. In this translation, the text consists of entire thoughts being translated into natural everyday English. This process results in providing a translation that is easy to read and understand, whilst also accurately communicating the original meaning of the text.
Some of the NLTs we currently stock are:
8. Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
This Bible is a brilliant example of combining accuracy, whilst also helping the reader understand the culture, situation and context. As these texts can be difficult to translate in a way that makes sense in other languages, meaning-to-meaning Bibles help convey the point of ancient figures of speech, or idioms.
Some of the range of HCSB we currenty carry:
Paraphrases and Others
Paraphrased Bibles are great if you want a more story-based text. There are many different versions, and we even offer Bibles for specific age groups, Bible studies and personal devotions.
9. The Message (MSG)
The Message Bible is really a very dyamically translated paraphrase, disliked by many due to the informality of language and inaccuarcy. Due to the inaccuracies of paraphrases, The Message is considered by many in more fundamental circles of Christianity to be the equivalent of 'a fairy tale for adults'
10. Amplified Bible (AMP)
The goal of the AMP is not strictly to be a translation but rather to refresh the English text and refine the amplifiy the meaning of the text for the reader, creating a more relevant and applicable text. This Bible is easy to read and is recommened to accompy any Bible to aid the reader in understanding the text more fully.
A few Amplified and Message Bibles:
Other Bibles that we offer include:
What we offer
Wherever you are with your faith, we aim to provide you with the best materials for you to grow in your knowledge of the Bible. Whether you are new to Christianity or want a deeper theological understanding of the Bible, we can offer many different versions for you to dive into.
Browse our website using the menu above to find all of our Bibles, Christian Books, Chidrens Resources and other amazing Gift Products that we offer.