The abundance of translations is a sign of the Bible's reach, not its instability.
Why we need translations at all
The Bible was originally written in three ancient languages: Hebrew (most of the Old Testament), Aramaic (small portions of Daniel and Ezra), and Greek (the entire New Testament). Translation is necessary the moment someone outside those languages wants to read God's word — which is most of human history.
Two basic philosophies of translation
- Formal equivalence (word-for-word): ESV, NASB, NKJV, RSV, NRSV. Closer to the original syntax. Sometimes more stilted in English.
- Dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought): NIV, NLT, CSB. Smoother English. Some interpretive choices unavoidably baked in.
- Paraphrases: The Message, The Living Bible. Useful for fresh reading; not appropriate for serious study or doctrinal reference.
Neither philosophy is "more accurate" overall — they answer different questions. Reading two or three in parallel often catches what one misses.
What about the original manuscripts?
We do not possess the original autograph of any biblical book. What we have is an enormous library of ancient manuscripts:
- Old Testament: the Masoretic Text (medieval Hebrew), the Septuagint (Greek translation from c. 200 B.C. — what the apostles quoted), the Dead Sea Scrolls (2nd c. B.C. – 1st c. A.D., confirming the Masoretic with remarkable accuracy).
- New Testament: 5,800+ Greek manuscripts, 10,000+ Latin, plus other ancient versions. The earliest fragment (P52, John 18) is dated c. 125 A.D. — within a generation of the original.
Scholars estimate we know 99%+ of the original New Testament wording with certainty. The remaining 1% involves minor spelling variants and word order — none of it affects any doctrine. Compare to Caesar's Gallic Wars: ~10 manuscripts, earliest from 900 years after composition. Nobody doubts Caesar.
The King James question
The King James Bible (1611) is a literary masterpiece and historically pivotal. It was translated from the manuscripts available at the time (Erasmus's Textus Receptus, compiled in 1516 from a small number of late Greek manuscripts).
Since 1611, we have discovered older and better manuscripts (Codex Sinaiticus and Vaticanus in the 19th c.; the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947) that allow modern translations to get closer to the originals than the KJV translators could. "KJV-only" positions are not held by any serious textual scholar — but the KJV remains a beautiful and substantially trustworthy translation.
The Orthodox use
For the Old Testament, the Orthodox Church uses the Septuagint — the Greek translation of the Hebrew, made by Jewish scholars in Alexandria around 200 B.C. This is what Jesus and the apostles quoted in the New Testament (most NT OT citations match the Septuagint, not the later Masoretic Hebrew). The Orthodox Study Bible provides an English translation of the Septuagint.
For the New Testament, Orthodox readers commonly use the NKJV (which underlies the OSB) or the RSV/ESV. The Greek text used is largely the same as in Protestant Bibles.
The Orthodox canon also includes the deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, 1–3 Maccabees, additions to Daniel and Esther). These were in the Septuagint and were used by the early Church. Protestants set them aside in the 16th century; Catholics retained most of them.
The Catholic use
The RSV-Catholic Edition, NABRE, and Douay-Rheims are standards. Catholic Bibles include the deuterocanonical books.
Which is "right"?
For most readers:
- For study: ESV, NASB, NRSV, or NKJV.
- For devotional reading: NIV or NLT.
- For Orthodox: Orthodox Study Bible, or NKJV.
- For Catholic: RSV-Catholic Edition, or NABRE.
Read two or three side by side. Use a study Bible with good notes. Bring questions to a priest, pastor, or trusted teacher.
The Orthodox lens
Scripture is the Church's book. We did not invent the Bible; we recognized it. It was read aloud in liturgy long before there was a printed copy. The Bible comes alive when it is read inside the Body of Christ — alongside the Fathers, the prayers, the saints, and the Liturgy — not as an isolated puzzle to crack alone.
A pastoral word
Don't let translation debates keep you from reading. The differences are real but minor. The God who breathed Scripture is bigger than any single English version, and he is patient with our halting attempts to receive him. Pick a good modern translation. Read it daily. Pray it. Ask questions. The Word is alive, and he is reading you while you read him.