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Best Versions of the Bible in English (for study, and in my opinion)
BESTS 
Tags: Bible, Christianity, Bible Study, Academia
I like to study the Bible in my own time, and the Bible has several hundred translations in the English Language. These are the ones I like to use the most, in no particular order. Note: I consider all versions to be equally the Word of God, but I use these in my personal study and when teaching (I teach 8th-12th graders on a regular basis
| | NASB or NASV (New American Standard Bible): A more modern translation than the KJV, but doesn't have so many thee's and thou's. More understandable, but written at about a 10th grade reading level. |
| | NIV (New International Version): Many Churches use this in sermons/messages nowadays. A good version to use as a springboard to delve into other Scriptures. Written at an 8th grade reading level. |
| | NKJV (New King James Version): Think King James Version minus thee's and thou's, but sometimes wordier than necessary. I use this only in comparisons. Written at about a 12th grade reading level. |
| | The Message: I do not like to use this version in serious study, but I do use this in teaching or writing sometimes. I like the simple language, and how it brings the point across in how we use the English language today. I believe this is at a 4th grade reading level. |
| | NLT: My personal favorite to use in teaching. It is simpler than NIV, but not as simple as The Message. It doesn't lose the essence of the Scripture that the Message sometimes does. (9th grade reading level) |
| | KJV: I only use this in comparison, because of its difficulty in reading. (12th grade reading level). |
| | Amplified: I use this if I can't figure out what a Scripture is saying. It contains synonyms for words that one may not understand. |
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