Translation Guide
Use this guide to help you understand the basic differences between the most popular translations
God can help you when you open His Word, the Bible. In it God offers guidance, direction, correction, promises, and wisdom.
There is a supernatural power in exposure to Scripture, because it is God speaking truth to us. God is the author – the One who directed, guided and inspired its writings. But it’s actually not just one book – it’s a collection of books written over centuries to various cultures and situations, preserved and collected into one volume.
It cannot be cherry-picked and forced to fit preconceived expectations. Otherwise its passages can be misread as though God were a magic problem-solver whose main job is to make us happy today.
To the casual reader, it may be easy to take its words out of their proper context. It is all equally true, but not all equally applicable to your particular situation or question. That’s why it’s good to have a Bible in an easy to read translation with reliable study notes that offer background explanations and application.
Some English translations, or versions, are easier to read than others. If you’re new to the Bible, you may want to try the New Living Translation (NLT). Two of the most popular versions are the New International Version (NIV) and the English Standard Version (ESV).
Both of these sites offer reading plans that will help you read in a more organized way, instead of just starting at page 1, and reading through to the end.
Three of the most popular options are linked below, or you can research and find one on your own.
Bible Promises App
View Bible passages to help encourage you in all kinds of situations
Blue Letter Bible
Provides tools for in-depth study of God’s Word through a free online reference library
EveryStudent
Explore questions about life and God
GotQuestions?
Provides brief articles on biblical and spiritual questions
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