Bible Versions Explained: KJV, ESV, NIV and More Compared

Bible versions differ in two ways: how closely they follow the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek wording, and which ancient manuscripts they translate from. Word-for-word versions like the NASB, ESV and KJV keep close to the original sentence; thought-for-thought versions like the NIV and NLT put the meaning into natural modern English. None of them is a different Bible. They are different ways of bringing the same text into English.

If you've ever sat in church reading along while the pastor's words didn't quite match the page in front of you, this is why. This guide explains where the differences come from, puts the same verses side by side so you can see them, and helps you choose a translation you'll actually read.

Why there are so many Bible versions

The Bible wasn't written in English. The Old Testament is mostly Hebrew, with some Aramaic, and the New Testament is Greek. Every English Bible is a translation, and translators have to make three kinds of decisions.

• How literal to be. Hebrew and Greek don't build sentences the way English does. A translator can keep the original structure and ask the reader to work a little, or rebuild the sentence so it reads naturally.
• Which manuscripts to follow. We don't have the original documents, but thousands of handwritten copies. Many of the oldest were found after the King James Version was made, and where the copies differ, translations sometimes choose differently.
• What English sounds like today. Language keeps moving. Words that were clear in 1611 can mean something else now, so every generation revises or starts fresh.

Put those together and you get dozens of faithful translations that still sound different from each other.

Word-for-word, thought-for-thought, paraphrase

The most useful way to understand the versions is as a spectrum.

• Word-for-word (formal equivalence): follows the original words and word order as closely as English allows. NASB, ESV, KJV and NKJV sit here. They are good for close study, and a little harder to read.
• Thought-for-thought (dynamic equivalence): translates the meaning of each phrase into natural English. The NIV sits close to the middle; the NLT goes further toward everyday language. They are easier to read in long stretches.
• Paraphrase: one writer retells the text in contemporary speech. The Message by Eugene Peterson is the best known. It can make a familiar passage feel new, but it is best read alongside a translation rather than instead of one.

The CSB describes its own approach as "optimal equivalence," which places it between the ESV and the NIV.

The same verses, side by side

Differences are easier to see than to describe. Here are the same verses in six English translations, exactly as they appear in each.

John 3:16

Version	John 3:16
KJV	For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
NKJV	For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
NASB 1995	For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
ESV	For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
NIV 1984	For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
WEB	For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

The meaning is the same in every row. What changes is one Greek word, monogenēs. Older translations render it "only begotten"; many modern ones read it as "only" or "one and only," meaning unique. You can also see the NKJV and NASB capitalising "He" and "Him" when they refer to God, a choice the ESV and NIV don't make.

1 Corinthians 13:4

Version	1 Corinthians 13:4
KJV	Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
NKJV	Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;
NASB 1995	Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
ESV	Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant
NIV 1984	Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

In 1611, "charity" meant self-giving love, from the Latin caritas. Today it mostly means donating to a cause, so every modern translation says "love." This is the clearest example of why the NKJV exists: same text, updated English.

Philippians 4:6

Version	Philippians 4:6
KJV	Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
NKJV	Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
NIV 1984	Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

"Be careful for nothing" sounds like advice to be reckless. In the KJV's English, "careful" meant "full of care," which is to say worried. The modern versions all say "anxious."

Psalm 23:1

Version	Psalm 23:1
KJV	The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
ESV	The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
NIV 1984	The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
WEB	The LORD is my shepherd; I shall lack nothing.

"I shall not want" doesn't mean "I won't wish for things." It means "I won't lack anything," which the WEB spells out. And notice LORD in small capitals in most modern Bibles: it marks the place where the Hebrew has God's personal name, YHWH.

Bible translation comparison chart

Here are the versions you're most likely to meet in church, from most literal to most free.

Version	Published	Approach	Reads like	Good for
NASB (New American Standard)	1971; updated 1995 and 2020	Word-for-word	Precise, sometimes stiff	Close study, word studies
KJV (King James Version)	1611	Word-for-word	Majestic, 17th-century English	Tradition, memorizing, reading aloud
NKJV (New King James)	1982	Word-for-word	KJV rhythm in modern English	KJV readers who want clearer language
ESV (English Standard Version)	2001	Word-for-word	Formal but readable	Study and everyday reading
WEB (World English Bible)	Around 2000, public domain	Word-for-word	Plain modern English	Free use and sharing
CSB (Christian Standard Bible)	2017	Between the two	Clear and natural	Reading and study
NIV (New International Version)	1978; revised 1984 and 2011	Thought-for-thought, near the middle	Smooth modern English	Beginners, daily reading
NLT (New Living Translation)	1996	Thought-for-thought	Conversational	New readers, long reading sessions
The Message	2002	Paraphrase	Everyday speech	A fresh angle on familiar passages

One detail worth knowing: "NIV" today usually means the 2011 revision, while many older Bibles and apps carry the 1984 text, and the two differ in places. The NASB has the same split between 1995 and 2020. When you quote a verse, it helps to say which edition.

Why some verses are missing

Turn to Acts 8:37 in an ESV or an NIV and you'll find the number skipped, with a footnote. The King James prints the verse; the NASB 1995 keeps it in square brackets. The same happens with a handful of others, such as Matthew 17:21.

The reason is manuscripts. The KJV's New Testament, and the NKJV's, follow the Greek text printed in the 1500s, known as the Textus Receptus. Most modern translations follow older copies found since, and those copies don't include these verses. Translators didn't cut anything; they moved the words to a footnote so you can see what the later copies added. Our guide on how to read Bible references covers the other reason numbers can shift between Bibles.

Which Bible translation should you read?

The honest answer is the one you'll read. Beyond that, match the translation to how you'll use it.

• You're new to the Bible: start with the NLT or the NIV. They read like modern English, so you can follow a whole chapter without stopping.
• You want to study closely: the ESV or the NASB keeps the original sentence structure, which helps when a sermon or commentary leans on a single word.
• You grew up with the King James: the NKJV keeps the familiar phrasing and rhythm without the "thee" and "thou."
• You memorize Scripture: choose one translation and stay with it. Switching versions is the fastest way to muddle a verse you almost know. Our guide on how to memorize Scripture has nine methods that work.
• You want to follow the sermon: read what your church reads. It makes it far easier to keep your place while the pastor is speaking.
• You read in Spanish: the Reina-Valera family is the traditional Protestant choice; the 1960 revision is the most widely used today, and the older 1909 edition is in the public domain.

Many people end up with two: an easy-reading translation for daily reading and a more literal one for study. That's a good arrangement. Reading a difficult verse in two translations often clears it up faster than a commentary would.

A note on Catholic and Orthodox Bibles

Protestant Bibles have 66 books. Catholic Bibles have 73, adding books such as Tobit, Judith and 1 and 2 Maccabees, and Orthodox Bibles include a few more. Catholic readers in the United States will usually meet the New American Bible, the translation the readings at Mass are based on; its current edition is the NABRE. The translations in the chart above are Protestant editions.

Which translation is your pastor using?

Most churches tell you somewhere: the pew Bible, the corner of the screen where the verse is projected, the bulletin or the church website. If not, listen for clues.

• "Thee," "thou" and "-eth" endings mean the KJV.
• "Only begotten Son" in John 3:16 points to the KJV, the NKJV or the NASB; "one and only Son" to the NIV.
• "Charity" in 1 Corinthians 13 is the KJV; "love" is everything since.

Sermon Keeper can do the comparing for you. It records the sermon, transcribes it and lists every verse the pastor mentioned. You choose your own translation from the seven built into the app (KJV, NASB 1995, ESV, NKJV, NIV 1984, WEB and Reina-Valera 1909, all offline), and that stays the default. For English sermons, the app also compares the transcript with how each of its Bibles words those verses. When the preacher clearly read a verse from another of them, it shows that verse in the translation you actually heard. When the evidence isn't clear, it keeps yours.

Putting it together

Every major translation is a serious attempt to bring the same Scripture into English. The differences come down to how literally each one translates, which manuscripts it follows, and how old its English is. Pick one that suits how you read, keep a second one nearby for hard passages, and read what your church reads on Sunday.

Once you have your Bible, try the SOAP Bible study method for ten minutes with one verse, or read our guide on how to take notes in church so the verses from Sunday stay with you through the week.

Frequently asked questions