Short answer: Nobody can give you one tidy number, because it depends on what you count. English alone has dozens of full Bible translations in current use, plus many revisions and study editions of each, and the Bible as a whole has been translated into a very large number of languages. For a reader choosing one, only a handful matter: the KJV, NASB, ESV, NIV and NLT cover most of the ground.
In This Article
Walk into a Christian bookstore and the wall of Bibles can feel like a cereal aisle. NIV, ESV, NLT, KJV, NASB, CSB, and then editions of each with different notes and covers. It is fair to ask whether they are all the same Bible and why we need so many.
The short version is that they are the same Scripture, translated with different goals. This article explains the main English versions, how the translators worked, why Catholic and Protestant Bibles differ, and how to pick one without losing sleep over it.
What Are The Main English Bible Versions?
First, a distinction. People use "translation" and "version" as if they were the same word. Strictly, a translation is a rendering of the Bible into a language, and a version is a particular edition of it. English alone has several translations and, for some of them, more than one revised version over the years. The NIV, for example, has been revised more than once since it first appeared.
All of them go back to the original languages: Hebrew and a little Aramaic for the Old Testament, and Greek for the New. Those ancient texts are translated by teams of scholars, not by one person at a desk, and the best modern translations are checked many times over.
If you ask which are the top five, most pastors would name the following, and I would agree with the list.
- King James Version (KJV): first published in 1611, still loved for its rhythm, and the Bible of many older sermons and hymns.
- New American Standard Bible (NASB): very close to the wording of the original languages, and a favorite for careful study.
- New International Version (NIV): a balanced translation that reads smoothly and is widely used in churches.
- English Standard Version (ESV): a modern word-for-word translation that stands in the line of the older English Bibles.
- New Living Translation (NLT): easy to read aloud, and a good choice for a first Bible.
The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) belongs near this list too. I have a separate piece on it: Christian Standard Bible Review.
Word For Word Vs Thought For Thought
Every translator has to decide how much to stay with the original wording and how much to restate the meaning in natural English. Bibles fall along a line, and it helps to think of three rough positions.
Word For Word (Formal Equivalence)
These translations hold as closely as possible to the words and sentence patterns of the original. They are the best for detailed study, though a phrase can read stiffly. Examples include The Holy Bible in Modern English, the New American Standard Bible (NASB) and the King James Version (KJV). The ESV sits here too.
Thought For Thought (Dynamic Equivalence)
Here the aim is to carry the meaning across, even if the sentence structure changes. The result is smoother and easier to understand, at the cost of a little precision in places. Well-known examples are the Revised English Bible (REB) and the New International Version (NIV). The NIV is in fact a middle path, a bit closer to the word-for-word side than a strict thought-for-thought Bible.
Free Translation And Paraphrase
At the far end, the goal is to express the ideas in fresh, everyday language without being tied to the original wording. These are pleasant to read and often eye-opening as a second Bible, but a paraphrase is the commentary of one person or small team, and it should not be your only Bible. Examples are The Message Bible, The Amplified Bible, the Contemporary English Version, the Phillips Bible and The Living Bible (TLB). The Amplified Bible works a little differently from the rest: it adds alternate meanings in brackets, so it reads as a study aid more than a flowing text.
| Approach | Strength | Weakness | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Word for word | Close to the original wording, good for study | Can read stiffly | KJV, NASB, ESV |
| Thought for thought | Smooth and clear | More interpretation by the translators | NIV, NLT, REB |
| Paraphrase | Fresh and readable | Least tied to the original text | The Message, TLB, Phillips |
Why Catholic And Protestant Bibles Differ
The difference is not a matter of translation but of which books are included. Roman Catholic Bibles contain seven additional books in the Old Testament that Protestants do not accept as Scripture: Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees, along with some additions to Esther and Daniel. Catholics call these the deuterocanonical books. Protestants generally call them the Apocrypha, and honor them as useful reading without treating them as Scripture.
That is the answer behind the question I often see: "Why were fourteen books removed from the Bible?" The number you hear comes from the Apocrypha section printed in the original 1611 King James Bible. Nothing was removed from the Bible by a plot. Protestant churches at the time of the Reformation followed the shorter Old Testament that the Jewish community had received, and Catholic and Orthodox churches kept the longer collection. For a clear picture of the Catholic side, read What Bible Do Catholics Use?
What About Verses That Seem To Be Missing?
You may notice that Matthew 17:21 is absent in the main text of many modern Bibles, with a footnote in its place. Other verses, such as Acts 8:37, behave the same way. This is not censorship. Translators work from thousands of ancient manuscripts, and where the oldest and most reliable copies lack a verse that appears only in later copies, modern Bibles note that. In Matthew 17:21, the wording is very close to Mark 9:29, and the likely explanation is that a copyist added it from there. No teaching of the faith depends on any of these verses, and the same truths are found elsewhere in Scripture.
This is also a reason new translations keep appearing. Our knowledge of the manuscripts has grown a great deal since 1611. When the King James translators did their work, only a small number of Greek manuscripts were available to them. Since then, many ancient copies on papyrus have turned up, and every translation finished before 1947 was made without the Dead Sea Scrolls, which date from long before the oldest Hebrew manuscripts available to earlier translators. English itself also keeps changing, and a reader today can stumble over words in the King James Version that were plain in 1611.
They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.
Nehemiah 8:8 (NIV)
That verse is the reason I do not worry about new translations. God's people have always needed Scripture made clear in the language they speak.
Which Bible Version Is Most Accurate?
There is no honest one-word answer. Accuracy has two sides: how closely a translation follows the original wording, and how clearly it conveys the meaning. The most literal translations win on the first, and the more readable ones on the second.
For close study, the NASB and ESV lead on wording. The NIV and NLT are carefully done and convey the sense well for ordinary reading. Every one of them rests on the same body of manuscripts and gives you the same gospel. I would be wary of anyone who claims a single translation is the only trustworthy one. In particular, the idea that only the King James Version is the true Bible is not something the Bible itself teaches, and godly Christians have read other translations for generations.
Some translations are not worth trusting as your main Bible. Those produced to defend one group's teaching, such as the New World Translation of the Jehovah's Witnesses, change key texts about Jesus, and I would steer away from them. A paraphrase is fine as a second read, as noted above.
Which Version Should You Read?
Pick a faithful translation you will actually read, and stay with it long enough to get familiar. If you are starting out, the NIV or NLT is a gentle place to begin, and the ESV or NASB suits readers who want closer wording. If you grew up with the KJV and love it, there is no reason to leave it.
Then, if you want to go deeper, read a passage in two translations side by side, one word-for-word and one thought-for-thought. Where they differ, you will often learn something. For more help deciding, see Which Bible Should You Read? Choosing The Right Bible, and if you want notes alongside the text, What Is A Study Bible? If you are brand new to Scripture, Where To Start Reading The Bible is a good companion.
Whatever you choose, the message does not change. Versions may come and go, but the word they carry stays the same, and there is no need for believers to be anxious about a new one appearing.
Key Bible Verses About God's Word
- Nehemiah 8:8: Scripture was read clearly and explained so the people could understand it.
- Isaiah 40:8: the word of God stands forever, whatever else fades.
- 2 Timothy 3:16: all Scripture is God-breathed and useful.
- Proverbs 30:5: every word of God is flawless.
- Psalm 119:105: God's word lights the path.
- Revelation 22:18-19: a warning against adding to or taking away from the words of the book.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the top 5 versions of the Bible?
The five most widely used English Bibles are the King James Version, the New American Standard Bible, the English Standard Version, the New International Version and the New Living Translation. Each uses a slightly different balance between exact wording and readability.
Why are the 14 books removed from the Bible?
They were not removed. Those books are the Apocrypha, which the original 1611 King James Bible printed in a separate section. Catholic and Orthodox Bibles treat several of them as Scripture, while Protestants read them as helpful but not inspired.
Which Bible should I read, KJV or NIV?
Either is a faithful translation. The KJV has a majestic style but older English, while the NIV is clearer for most modern readers. Choose the one you will read daily, and compare the other when a passage is unclear.
Why is Matthew 17:21 removed from Bibles?
Translators leave it out of the main text because the oldest and most reliable manuscripts do not contain it. It likely entered later copies from Mark 9:29. Most modern Bibles place it in a footnote, and no doctrine depends on it.
Which Bible translations should you stay away from?
Avoid translations made to support one group's doctrine, such as the New World Translation, and avoid using a loose paraphrase as your only Bible. Mainstream translations by broad teams of scholars are reliable.
