Guide
How Bible translations differ
Last reviewed
Two honest translations of the same verse can read quite differently. That is not evidence that one is wrong; it usually reflects a deliberate decision about what a translation is for.
Three broad approaches
Translators sit somewhere on a spectrum, and most describe openly where they have chosen to stand.
- Formal equivalence — Follows the structure of the original closely, word for word where possible. Preserves ambiguity and idiom, which is useful for study, but can read stiffly.
- Dynamic or functional equivalence — Aims to convey the meaning of a phrase in natural English, even if the sentence is restructured. Easier to read aloud; makes more interpretive decisions on the reader's behalf.
- Paraphrase — Restates the sense in contemporary language, often quite freely. Valuable for a fresh reading, less suitable for detailed study or for quotation.
What else varies
Beyond the approach, translations differ in the manuscripts they follow, in how they render the divine name, in how they handle gendered language, in reading level, and in whether they use British or American spelling.
The World English Bible, which this site uses, is a modern revision of the American Standard Version of 1901 and sits towards the formal end of the spectrum. It exists in both British and American editions, which differ in spelling and in how they render the divine name.
Choosing one
For study, a more formal translation is generally more useful, because it keeps ambiguity visible rather than resolving it for you. For reading aloud or reading at length, a more dynamic one is usually easier.
Many people use two. Comparing them is one of the quickest ways to notice where a passage is genuinely difficult, because that is where translations diverge most.
Why this site offers so few
Most modern translations are under copyright, and reproducing them in full — which is what a site like this requires — needs a written licence. Rather than reproduce text it has no recorded right to reproduce, this site offers only translations whose rights position has been read and recorded.
The translations page lists what is available, what has been considered and not enabled, and why.