What do all those mysterious acronyms mean after a Scripture reference? They can feel like a bowl of alphabet soup: NIV, KJV, NLT, ESV, CSB, MSG, and so on. They stand for names of different Bible translations, like New International Version, King James Version, or New Living Translation. But why do we need so many Bible translations and paraphrases? Let’s look into seven really good reasons.
7 Reasons We Have So Many Bible Translations
The Bible is God’s Word to us: It’s our unchanging source of truth and lasts forever. It’s life-giving and flawless.
“... the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 NKJV (New King James Version)
Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven [standing firm and unchangeable]. Psalm 119:89 AMP (Amplified Version)
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Matthew 24:35 RSV (Revised Standard Version)
So … why are there so many translations and versions of the Bible, then?
1. Because There Are So Many Languages
The Tower of Babel. That’s where the grand assortment of world languages got started. Not everyone speaks the same language, and certainly very few people these days speak the original biblical languages of ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. So we need the Bible translated from the original text into all the modern languages!
Did you know there are about 30 languages that have over 50 million native speakers each? But then there are so many more distinct people groups across the face of the earth—representing over 7,000 languages and dialects! Reading the Bible in one’s native language makes it so much easier to take in God’s Word in a life-changing way.
YouVersion, the maker of the Bible App and the Bible App for Kids, collaborates with organizations like illumiNations to translate the Bible into everyone’s native language. The Bible App already provides the Bible for free in over 2,000 languages, but there are so many more to go. Just for fun, here’s the same verse in a few different languages:
… I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. … Revelation 7:9 NLT (English: New Living Translation)
… vi una enorme multitud de todo pueblo y toda nación, tribu y lengua, que era tan numerosa que nadie podía contarla. Estaban de pie delante del trono y delante del Cordero. … Apocalipsis 7:9 NTV (Spanish: Nueva Traducción Viviente)
… je vis une foule immense de gens que personne ne pouvait compter. C'étaient des gens de toute nation, de toute tribu, de tout peuple et de toute langue. … Apocalypse 7:9 BFC (French: La Bible en français courant)
2. Because Language Evolves
Okay, let’s say we’re only talking about English Bible translations—the language we’re using for this article. Even English varies from place to place and from century to century. Words and phrases that meant something clear and obvious hundreds of years ago in London can now be difficult to understand or even mean something entirely different in modern-day Chicago.
The original New Testament was written in Koine Greek, the common language of the Eastern Mediterranean at the time. But as millennia passed, that Greek became “ancient.” Grammatical structures and vocabulary evolved into modern Greek.
Similarly, when the Bible was first translated into English, people used different pronouns, spelling, and turns of phrase than we use today. So new translations are helpful from time to time to remain solidly true to the original content of the Scriptures while keeping up with the evolution of modern language. Usage and context matter for understanding what the Bible is saying, being changed by it, and putting it into practice.
Compare these two translations, and see which one sounds like more something you might hear on the street today:
This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them. John 10:6 RV1885 (Revised Version 1885)
Jesus told the people this story. But they did not understand what he was talking about. John 10:6 CEV (Contemporary English Version)
3. Because Translation Can Be Challenging
Even if languages weren’t constantly evolving, the process of translation from one language to another is complex. There isn’t always a simple, one-to-one equivalence for every word. Different languages and cultures express things differently and use varying sentence structures and word groupings. There are often many choices of phrases that are valid. So multiple versions can help provide a more complete understanding of the original text. See if you gain something uniquely special from each of these versions:
Because they are united in love, I work so that they may be encouraged by all the riches that come from a complete understanding of Christ. He is the mystery of God. Colossians 2:2 GW (God’s Word Translation)
… that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ … Colossians 2:2 ESV (English Standard Version)
4. Because Readers Have Different Focuses at Different Times
Then there’s the consideration of why people are reading the Bible. It is for a morning devotional time to connect your heart with Jesus? Is the goal in-depth, word-for-word study of a passage to gain deeper insight and understanding? Are you following along with a message at church?
Are you brand-new to the Bible and taking it in for the first time, or have you read it cover to cover many times and could use a fresh perspective so you don’t gloss over anything? Different versions can be appropriate depending on your focus at the time.
For a devotional purpose, you might enjoy a paraphrase that speaks straight to your heart in a new way as you draw close to God:
“I’ll make a covenant with them that will last forever, a covenant to stick with them no matter what, and work for their good. I’ll fill their hearts with a deep respect for me so they’ll not even think of turning away from me.” Jeremiah 32:40 MSG (The Message)
For in-depth study, you might want a translation with a word-for-word approach:
I will make an everlasting covenant with them that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will put the fear of Me in their hearts, so that they will not turn away from Me. Jeremiah 32:40 NASB (New American Standard Bible)
Or a version with lots of helpful footnotes:
I will make a lasting covenant with them that I will never stop doing good to them. I will fill their hearts and minds with respect for me so that they will never again turn away from me. Jeremiah 32:40 NET (New English Translation)
In the NET Bible, there are four explanatory notes on this single verse alone! It provides some background about covenants and explains that “I will never stop doing good to them” can also mean “I will never stop being gracious to them.”
Does your church use a particular version that you like to follow along with as you listen to your pastor? You can find most versions right on your phone in the Bible App. For example, your pastor might read from the New International Version:
I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. Jeremiah 32:40 NIV (New International Version)
Or maybe the King James Version:
... I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me. Jeremiah 32:40 KJV (King James Version)
5. Because the Bible Is for People of All Ages and Reading Levels
For people already fluent in reading and writing a given language, any Bible translation could work well. But for children, newer readers, or people learning a new language, shorter sentences and simpler vocabulary make it much easier to understand what’s happening. Thankfully there are options like these:
Joshua read every word Moses had commanded. He read them to the whole community of Israel. That included the women and children. It also included the outsiders living among them. Joshua 8:35 NIRV (New International Reader’s Version)
All the Israelites were gathered together there. All the women and children and all the foreigners who lived with the Israelites were there. And Joshua read every command that Moses had given. Joshua 8:35 ERV (Easy-to-Read Version)
Whereas for more seasoned readers, longer sentences are just fine and might even flow better:
All the Israelites were gathered together—men, women, and children—along with the non-Israelites who lived among them. Joshua read every command that Moses had given. Joshua 8:35 NCV (New Century Version)
For those who are not able to read or just prefer to listen, there are over 2,000 audio versions in many languages. Plus, for kids, there’s the fun and interactive Bible App for Kids to get them started loving God’s Word from an early age.
There are over eight billion people on Earth today who all need to hear the good news about the love God lavishes on us and how He has called us to Himself for an eternal purpose.
6. Because We Want to Reach as Many as Possible With the Good News of Jesus
Maybe the very best reason that there are so many different Bible translations is that there are over eight billion people alive on planet Earth today who all need to hear the good news about who Jesus is and what He has done for us—the love God lavishes on us and how He has called us to Himself for an eternal purpose. And diverse people from different walks or seasons of life might be drawn to Him more readily by different styles of writing.
Whatever faithful translation helps someone genuinely hear the truth and grace of Jesus is the best one for them at the time—the version a person will actually read and pray through often. Maybe one of the translations listed above, or one of these:
For you are saved by grace through faith … we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Ephesians 2:8, 10 CSB
For by grace you have been saved through faith … we are his handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance, that we should live in them. Ephesians 2:8, 10 NABRE
7. To Make You Curious About God’s Word
Lastly, where did your question come from? What originally made you ask about all the Bible translations? Were you confused by the acronyms? Are you wondering how to start reading the Bible? Or do you have a favorite version already that you love and were just curious about the others? Maybe you’ll want to read through a different version each year to come! You know what they say about variety and the spice it brings to life.
Hopefully, whatever brought you to this page, you’ve found some helpful answers here. The Bible is well worth exploring, whether you stick to one translation or try out many. When you open your heart and mind to God and His Word, He will change your life in beautiful ways.
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 LSB (Legacy Standard Bible)
Every word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Proverbs 30:5 BSB (Berean Standard Bible)
If you’re not yet sure which Bible version would be just right for you to dive into at this time, we’ve got a handy guide to help you. Blessings on your time with God in His Word each day.