If you have ever opened a Bible app or walked into the Bible section of a bookstore, you have probably had the same thought:

Why are there so many versions of the Bible?

KJV. NKJV. NASB. ESV. NIV. NLT.

And somehow they can all say something a little differently while still calling themselves the Bible.

For someone who is new to Christianity, or even someone who has been following Christ for years, it can get confusing fast.

So, let’s break it down.

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First, Why Are There Different Bible Translations?

The Bible was not originally written in English.

The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew, with portions in Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.

That means every English Bible you read is a translation.

Languages do not always match perfectly word for word. A sentence that sounds completely natural in Greek or Hebrew might sound strange if every word is dropped directly into English in the exact same order.

Because of that, Bible translations generally fall somewhere along a spectrum.

Word-for-Word Translations

You will sometimes hear these called literal translations or, more technically, formal equivalence translations.

The goal is not to mechanically replace one Hebrew or Greek word with one English word. That would be impossible in many places because languages work differently.

Instead, formal equivalence tries to preserve the wording, grammar, and structure of the original text as closely as reasonably possible while still producing understandable English.

Examples include:

That distinction matters because word-for-word does not automatically mean difficult to read.

Thought-for-Thought Translations

Other translations place more emphasis on communicating the meaning of a sentence naturally in modern English.

This is often called functional equivalence, dynamic equivalence, or simply thought-for-thought translation.

The NIV is a good example.

In other words, rather than always trying to preserve the form of the original sentence, a thought-for-thought translation may restructure it to communicate what the translators believe that sentence means.

That can make the Bible easier to read.

But it also means that, in some places, more interpretation is happening during the translation process itself.

That distinction matters to me.

Then There Are Paraphrases

A paraphrase goes even farther toward communicating an idea in everyday language.

Instead of closely reproducing the wording and structure of the original languages, a paraphrase may restate or expand the passage so that its meaning feels immediately understandable to a modern reader.

Paraphrases can absolutely be useful.

They can help you see a familiar passage from another perspective or understand a difficult section.

“But I Need Something Easy to Read.”

This is probably the biggest reason people are encouraged toward meaning-based translations.

And I understand it.

The Bible should be read.

If someone hands you a translation that feels so difficult that you never open it, that does not accomplish much.

But there is something I really want people to know:

There are word-for-word translations written in perfectly understandable modern English.

The ESV is one example.

The NASB is another.

And that is one of the biggest reasons I personally settled on the NASB 1995.

Why I Chose the NASB 1995

My personal Bible recommendation is the New American Standard Bible, 1995 edition, commonly written as NASB 1995.

The NASB uses a formal-equivalence translation philosophy. Its goal is to remain as close as reasonably possible to the wording and structure of the original Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek while still communicating clearly in English.

That matters to me because when I am reading Scripture, especially when I am studying a passage closely, I want as little unnecessary interpretation inserted between the original text and me as possible.

That does not mean translators disappear from the process. Every translation requires judgment.

There is no English Bible that completely eliminates translation decisions.

But I prefer a philosophy that says:

Stay close to the original wording whenever English reasonably allows it.

That is exactly what formal equivalence is designed to do.

Why Specifically the 1995 NASB?

The NASB has existed in multiple editions.

The original New American Standard Bible was completed in 1971 and later updated, including major revisions in 1995 and 2020.

The 1995 update improved readability, vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure while retaining the NASB’s commitment to formal equivalence.

It also removed older English forms such as “thee” and “thou,” which helped make the translation easier for modern readers without abandoning its literal approach.

The NASB 1995 gives me that balance.

The translation was built around close attention to the original-language text and available Hebrew and Greek manuscript evidence.

So when I say I chose the NASB 1995 because of accuracy, I do not simply mean that I like the way it sounds.

I mean its entire translation philosophy was built around staying closely connected to the original-language text.

Does That Mean the NIV Is a “Bad Bible”?

No.

And I think this is where conversations about Bible translations can get unnecessarily hostile.

Someone reading the NIV is still reading a genuine translation of Scripture produced by a committee of biblical scholars working from the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts.

I am not interested in telling people that God cannot speak to them through another reputable translation.

My point is different.

If you are studying a verse closely, building doctrine, teaching someone else, or asking, “What exactly does this passage say?”, I personally think there is tremendous value in having a more formally equivalent translation in front of you.

And because translations like the NASB and ESV remain readable in modern English, I do not believe most English-speaking readers have to abandon a word-for-word approach simply because they are afraid it will be too difficult.

My Recommendation

If you are choosing your first Bible, or if you are ready to purchase a Bible specifically for deeper study, my first recommendation is:

If you try it and simply do not enjoy the style, I would still encourage you to explore another reputable word-for-word or essentially literal translation, such as the ESV, rather than assuming you automatically need a much more meaning-based Bible.

Most importantly, though:

Read it.

A perfectly researched Bible translation sitting unopened on a shelf will not transform your understanding of Scripture.

Open it.

Ask questions.

Compare passages.

Study context.

Pray before you read.

And allow Scripture to correct you instead of only searching Scripture for things that confirm what you already believe.

The purpose of choosing a good translation is not so that we can win arguments about Bible versions.

It is so that we can better understand the Word of God.

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