BibleFinder
With over a dozen translations, the bestselling book of all time can also be the most difficult to buy. Amazon.com helps you choose with BibleFinder, a handy comparison chart detailing the distinctive features of each particular version.

Amplified Contemporary English God's Word King James New American New American Standard New Century/ International Children's Bible New International Reader's New International Version New Jerusalem New King James New Living Translation New Revised Standard The Message Today's English
Browse Amplified Bibles
Readability Expanded and "amplified" by means of a system of brackets and parentheses, which sometimes make for abrupt reading Grade Level n/a	Translation Philosophy Priority to word translation, plus additional amplification of word meaning Format Verse for verse Translators Frances E. Siewert, plus 12 others	Notes A popular translation used to understand the hidden meaning of Greek and Hebrew words. Published 1964 (updated 1987). Theological Affiliation Conservative, evangelical, and mainline	Sample Passage Job 36:33 He thunderings speak (awesomely) concerning Him; the cattle are told of His coming storm.
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Browse Contemporary English Version (CEV) Bibles
Readability Clear, simple English that a child can understand, but with a mature style that adults can appreciate Grade Level 5.4	Translation Philosophy Meaning all-important Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators Over 100 (including reviewers)	Notes Written at an elementary-school reading level, the CEV is readable and understandable for the modern reader. Published 1995. Theological Affiliation Conservative, evangelical, and mainline	Sample Passage Job 36:33 And the thunder tells of His anger against sin.
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Browse God's Word Bibles
Readability A readable translation; employs natural English expressions to convey the meaning of the original languages Grade Level 5.8	Translation Philosophy Priority to meaning rather than word translation Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators 75	Notes Using a linguistically based translation method, the work on God's Word was done by a denominationally diverse, 75-member team of translators, linguists, English experts, and independent biblical-language scholars. Published 1995. Theological Affiliation Lutheran/evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 The thunder announces His coming. The storm announces His angry wrath.
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Browse King James Version (KJV) Bibles
Readability Poetic literary style using Elizabethan English. Most universally accepted translation for centuries. Grade Level 12	Translation Philosophy Priority to word translation rather than meaning Format Verse for verse Translators 54	Notes Traditionally loved and accepted by all Christians. Purpose in translation was "to deliver God's book unto God's people in a tongue which they can understand." Published 1611. Theological Affiliation Church of England, conservative, and evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 The noise thereof sheweth concerning it; the cattle also concerning the vapour.
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Browse New American (NAB) Bibles
Readability A clear and straightforward translation that reads smoothly. Written in basic American English. Grade Level 6.6	Translation Philosophy Priority to word translation rather than meaning Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators 55	Notes Published under the direction of Pope Pious XII, this Catholic version of the Bible represents more than 25 years of effort by the Catholic Biblical Association of America. All editions include deuterocanonical books. Published in 1970. Theological Affiliation Conservative and evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 His thunder speaks for Him and incites the fury of the storm.
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Browse New American Standard (NASB) Bibles
Readability Highly formal, rather choppy reading Grade Level 11.32	Translation Philosophy Priority to word translation rather than meaning Format Verse for verse with poetry Translators 54	Notes A highly respected formal translation of the Bible. The purpose of the work was to update the American Standard Version into more current English. Published in 1971 (updated 1995). Theological Affiliation Conservative and evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 Its noise declares His presence; the cattle also, concerning what is coming up.
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Browse New Century Version/International Children's (NCV/ICB) Bibles
Readability Simple and easy to understand Grade Level 3.9	Translation Philosophy Priority to meaning rather than word translation Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators n/a	Notes The NCV and ICB are both designed for ease of reading and understanding. Some paraphrasing is used to avoid words that are not commonly used today. While the NCV and ICB are very similar, the ICB is a bit more simplistic stylistically. Published in 1987. Theological Affiliation Conservative and evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 His thunder announces that a storm is coming. Even the cattle show that a storm is coming (ICB).
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Browse New International Version (NIV) Bibles
Readability A smooth-reading version in modern English Grade Level 7.8	Translation Philosophy Balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators 115	Notes The bestselling translation, widely accepted by evangelical Christians. The purpose in translation was to "produce an accurate translation, suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use." Published in 1978. Theological Affiliation Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars, conservative, evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 His thunder announced the coming storm, even the cattle make known its approach.
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Browse New International Reader's Version (NIrV) Bibles
Readability Very easy to read and understand; uses simple, short words and sentences Grade Level 2.9	Translation Philosophy Balance between word translation and meaning, with an emphasis on meaning where necessary for simplification Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators 40 (includes stylists and simplifiers)	Notes A thorough, scholarly simplification of the NIV, the NIrV was specifically designed to help young children and new readers understand the Bible for themselves and create an easy stepping stone from a children's Bible to an adult Bible. Theological Affiliation Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars, conservative, evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 His thunder announces that a storm is coming. Even the cattle let us know it's approaching.
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Browse New Jerusalem Bibles
Readability Easy-to-read British English, graceful literary style in both prose and poetry sections Grade Level 9	Translation Philosophy Combination of word-for-word translation and sense communication where necessary for modern rendering. Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators n/a	Notes The first truly modern translation of the complete canon of the Bible (including deuterocanonical books), based on original sources. Published in 1966 (updated in 1986). Theological Affiliation Catholic	Sample Passage Job 36:33 His crashing gives warning of its coming, anger flashes out against iniquity.
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Browse New King James Version (NKJV) Bibles
Readability Easier word usage than the original, but stays true to 17th-century sentence structure Grade Level 9	Translation Philosophy Priority to word translation rather than meaning Format Verse for verse Translators 119	Notes A modern language update of the original KJV. Its purpose was to update and modernize the original KJV but preserve the KJV as much as possible. Published in 1982. Theological Affiliation Transnational, transdenominational team of scholars, conservative, evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 His thunder declares it, the cattle also, concerning the rising storm.
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Browse New Living Translation (NLT) Bibles
Readability A readable translation with commonly used vocabulary and language structures Grade Level 6.3	Translation Philosophy Priority to meaning rather than word translation Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators 90	Notes A dynamic equivalent translation with roots in The Living Bible. The purpose of this translation "was to enhance the power and clarity of The Living Bible" and create a "translation as good for study as it is for devotional reading." Published in 1996. Theological Affiliation Evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 His thunder announces His presence; the storm announces His indignant anger.
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Browse New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Bibles
Readability Contemporary, dignified with generic language in reference to humans Grade Level 10.4	Translation Philosophy Balance between word translation and meaning Format Paragraphs with poetry Translators 30	Notes A widely accepted translation in the tradition of the King James Version. Its purpose was to "make a good one better." Published in 1990. Theological Affiliation Mainline and interconfessional	Sample Passage Job 36:33 Its crashing tells about Him; he is jealous with anger against iniquity.
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Browse The Message Bibles
Readability An easy-to-read, modern-language paraphrase Grade Level 4.8	Translation Philosophy Conversion of the original languages into the tone and rhythm of modern-day American speech while retaining the idioms and meaning of the original languages Format Paragraphs with poetry Translator Eugene H. Peterson	Notes This paraphrase was translated using the rhythms and tone of contemporary English to communicate to the modern reader. Theological Affiliation Evangelical	Sample Passage Job 36:33 The High God roars in the thunder, angry against evil.
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Browse Today's English Version (TEV) Bibles
Readability Very simple, readable version. Uses a limited vocabulary. Grade Level 7.29	Translation Philosophy Meaning all-important Format Paragraphing with poetry and other special indentations Translators R. Bratcher (New Testament) /R. Bratcher, plus six others (Old Testament)	Notes "A translation intended for people everywhere for whom English is either their mother tongue or an acquired language." Published in 1976. Theological Affiliation Evangelical and interconfessional	Sample Passage Job 36:33 Thunder announces the approaching storm, and the cattle know it's coming.