Modern English Bible translations
Modern English Bible translations consists of English Bible translations developed and published throughout the late modern period to the present.
A multitude of recent attempts have been made to translate the Bible into English. Most modern translations published since are based on recently published critical editions of the original Hebrew and Greek texts. These translations typically rely on the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia / Biblia Hebraica Quinta, counterparted by the Novum Testamentum Graece.
With regard to the use of Bible translations among biblical scholarship, the New Revised Standard Version is used broadly, but the English Standard Version is emerging as a primary text of choice among biblical scholars and theologians inclined toward theological conservatism.
Development of Modern English Bible versions
The Wessex Gospels were the first translation of the four Gospels in English without accompanying Latin text. The Authorized King James Version of 1611 was sporadically altered until 1769, but was not thoroughly updated until the creation of the Revised Version in 1885. However, it was not until the Revised Standard Version was published that a translation that rivaled the KJV in popularity was published. The RSV gained widespread adoption among the mainstream Protestant Churches in America and a Catholic Edition was released in 1966.In the late twentieth century, Bibles increasingly appeared that were much less literal in their approach to translation. In 1946, the New English Bible was initiated in the United Kingdom, intended to enable readers to better understand the King James Bible. In 1958, J. B. Phillips produced an edition of the New Testament letters in paraphrase, the Letters to Young Churches, so that members of his youth group could understand what the New Testament authors had written. In 1966, Good News for Modern Man, a non-literal translation of the New Testament, was released to wide acceptance. Others followed suit. The Living Bible, released in 1971, was published by its author Kenneth N. Taylor, based on the literal ASV of 1901. Taylor had begun because of the trouble his children had in understanding the literal text of the King James Bible. His work was at first intended for children, but was later positioned for marketing to high school and college students, as well as adults wishing to better understand the Bible. Like Phillips' version, the Living Bible was a dramatic departure from the King James Version.
Despite widespread criticism due to being a paraphrase rather than a translation, the popularity of The Living Bible created a demand for a new approach to translating the Bible into contemporary English called dynamic equivalence, which attempts to preserve the meaning of the original text in a readable way. Realizing the immense benefits of a Bible that was more easily accessible to the average reader, and responding to the criticisms of the Living Bible, the American Bible Society extended the Good News for Modern Man to the Good News Bible by adding the Old Testament, in this more readable style. This translation has gone on to become one of the best selling in history. In 1996, a new revision of Taylor's Living Bible was published. This New Living Translation is a full translation from the original languages rather than a paraphrase of the Bible.
Another project aimed to create something in between the very literal translation of the King James Bible and the more informal Good News Bible. The goal of this was to create a Bible that would be scholarly yet not overly formal. The result of this project was the New International Version. This version became highly popular in Evangelical Protestant circles.
The debate between the formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence translation styles has increased with the introduction of inclusive language versions. Various terms are employed to defend or attack this development, such as feminist, gender neutral, or gender accurate. New editions of some previous translations have been updated to take this change in language into account, including the New Jerusalem Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, the Revised English Bible, and Today's New International Version. Some translations have approached the issue more cautiously, such as the English Standard Version.
A further process that has assisted in greatly increasing the number of English Bible versions is the use of the Internet in producing virtual bibles, of which a growing number are beginning to appear in print – especially given the development of "print on demand".
Today, there is a range of translations ranging from the most literal, such as the Young's Literal Translation to paraphrases such as The Message and The Word on the Street.
20th and 21st century translations
King James Version and derivatives
The King James Version of 1611 still has an immense following, and as such there have been a number of different attempts to update or improve upon it. The #English [Revised Version and derivatives|English Revised Version and its derivatives] also stem from the King James Version.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| Webster | Webster's Revision of the King James Version | 1833 |
| 1920 | ||
| CKJV | Children's King James Version Jay P. Green | 1960 |
| KJ II | King James II Version of the Bible Jay P. Green | 1971 |
| KJ3/LITV | King James 3 Version of the Holy Bible | 1985 |
| KJV20 | King James Version—Twentieth Century Edition Jay P. Green | |
| NKJV | New King James Version | 1982 |
| KJ21 | 21st Century King James Version | 1994 |
| TMB | Third Millennium Bible | 1998 |
| MKJV | Modern King James Version by Jay P. Green | 1999 |
| KJV2000 | King James Version 2000 | 2000 |
| UKJV | Updated King James Version | 2000 |
| KJVER | King James Version Easy Reading | 2001 |
| HSE | Holy Scriptures in English | 2001 |
| CKJV | Comfort-able King James Version | 2003 |
| NCPB | New Cambridge Paragraph Bible | 2005 |
| AV7 | AV7 | 2006 |
| AVU | Authorized Version Update | 2006 |
| KJV-CE | King James Version—Corrected Edition | |
| DNKJB | Divine Name King James Bible | 2011 |
| MCT | Mickelson Clarified Translation, translated by Jonathan Mickelson | 2008, 2013, 2015, 2019 |
| MEV | Modern English Version | 2014 |
| King James Bible for Catholics | 2020 | |
| SKJV | Simplified King James Version | 2022 |
English Revised Version and derivatives
The English Revised Version was the first official attempt to update the King James Version of 1769. This was adapted in the United States as the American Standard Version. The translations and versions that stem from them are shown in date order:| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| RV/ERV | English Revised Version | 1885 |
| ASV | American Standard Version | 1901 |
| RSV | Revised Standard Version | 1952, 1971 |
| NASB | New American Standard Bible | 1971, 1995, 2020 |
| NRSV | New Revised Standard Version | 1989, 2021 |
| WEB | World English Bible | 2000, 2020 |
| ESV | English Standard Version | 2001, 2025 |
New International Version and derivatives
The popular New International Version has appeared in a number of editions.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| NIV | New International Version | 1978, 1984, 2011 |
| NIrV | New International Reader's Version | 1996, 1998, 2014 |
| NIVI | New International Version Inclusive Language Edition | 1996-2002 |
| TNIV | Today's New International Version | 2002-2011 |
Dynamic translations and paraphrases
A significant aspect in translations from the latter half of the 20th century was much greater use of the principles of dynamic equivalence.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| TLB | The Living Bible | 1971 |
| GNT/GNB/TEV | Good News Translation/Good News Bible/Today's English Version | 1976, 1992 |
| TCW | The Clear Word | 1994 |
| CEV | Contemporary English Version | 1995 |
| GW | God's Word | 1995 |
| NLT | New Living Translation | 1996, 2004, 2015 |
| MSG | The Message | 2002 |
| RNT | Restored New Testament | 2009 |
| INT | Interpreted New Testament | 2020 |
Internet-based translations
The New English Translation is a project to publish a translation of the Bible using the Internet. It is freely available and accompanied by extensive translator's notes. The Open English Bible aims to create the first modern public domain English translation of the Bible, using an open-source process for corrections and modernizing verses.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| NET | New English Translation | 2005 |
| OEB | Open English Bible | In progress. |
| LEB | Lexham English Bible | 2011 |
| WEB | World English Bible | 2020 |
| BSB | Berean Standard Bible | 2022 |
| MSB | Majority Standard Bible | 2022 |
| FBV | Free Bible Version | 2023 |
Messianic translations
Some Bible translations find popular use in, or were prepared especially for, the Messianic Judaism movement.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| AENT | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 | |
| TS | 1993, 1998, 2009 | |
| HRV | 2004 | |
| CJB | 1998, 2017 | |
| CNT | 1989 | |
| OJB | 2002 | |
| TLV | Tree of Life Bible | 2014 |
| MCT | MCT Brit Chadashah Interlinear, in English and Hebrew. | 2019 |
New English Bible and derivatives
The initiative to create the New English Bible began in 1946, in an attempt to make an entirely new translation of the Bible in contemporary English.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| NEB | New English Bible | 1970 |
| REB | Revised English Bible | 1989 |
Catholic translations
In addition to the above Catholic English Bibles, all of which have an imprimatur granted by a Catholic bishop, the authors of the Catholic Public Domain Version of 2009 and the 2013 translation from the Septuagint by Jesuit priest Nicholas King refer to them as Catholic Bibles. These versions have not been granted an imprimatur, but do include the Catholic biblical canon of 73 books.Sacred Name translations
These Sacred Name Bibles were all done with the specific aim of carrying into English the actual Name of God as they were in the originals. Most have been done by people from the Sacred Name Movement. They are distinguished by their policy of transliterating Hebrew-based forms for sacred names, such as "Yahweh", "YHWH", etc.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| SNB | Restoration of Original Sacred Name Bible | 1976 |
| HNB | Holy Name Bible | 1963 |
| SSBE | Sacred Scriptures Bethel Edition | 1981 |
| SN-KJ | Sacred Name King James Bible | 2005 |
| SSFOY | Sacred Scriptures, Family of Yah Edition | 2000 |
| TWOY | The Word of Yahweh | 2003 |
| TS | The Scriptures | 1993, 1998, 2009 |
| HRV | Hebraic-Roots Version | 2004 |
| TBE | Transparent English Bible | In progress |
| NOG | Names of God Bible | 2011, 2014 |
| MCT | Mickelson Clarified Translation | 2008, 2013, 2015, 2019 |
| LSV | Literal Standard Version | 2020 |
| HHBT | Hebrew Heritage Bible Translation | 2012 |
| Book of Yahweh |
Masoretic Text / Jewish translations
Jewish translations follow the Masoretic Text, and are usually published in bilingual editions with the Hebrew text facing the English translation. The translations often reflect traditional Jewish exegesis of the Bible. As translations of the Masoretic Text, Jewish translations contain neither the apocrypha nor the Christian New Testament.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| JPS | Jewish Publication Society of America Version | 1917 |
| Judaica Press | 1963 | |
| Koren Jerusalem Bible based on a translation by Harold Fisch | 1962 | |
| 1981 1996 | ||
| NJPS | New Jewish Publication Society of America Version | 1985 |
| Artscroll | Stone Edition | 1996 |
| The Holy Scriptures, Hebrew Publishing Company, revised by Alexander Harkavy | 1936,1951 | |
| MCT | Mickelson Clarified Interlinear of the Old Testament, in the Literary Reading Order; LivingSon Press | 2015, 2019 |
| TIB | The Israel Bible, Edited by Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Published by Israel 365 | 2018, 2021 |
Simplified English Bibles
There have been a number of attempts to produce a Bible that greatly simplifies the English.. These are translations that are not necessarily a very dynamic translation, but go beyond simply everyday English into a restricted vocabulary set, often aimed at non-native speakers of English.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| BBE | Bible in Basic English | 1949 |
| BWE | Bible in Worldwide English | 1969 |
| NLV | New Life Version | 1986 |
| SEB | Simple English Bible | 1980 |
| ERV | Easy-to-Read Version | 1989 |
| NCV | New Century Version | 1991 |
| NIrV | New International Reader's Version | 1998 |
| MSG | The Message | 2002 |
| EASY | EasyEnglish Bible | 2018 |
Translations exclusively published by the Latter Day Saints movement
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| JST | Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible | 1830 |
Adaptive retellings
Some versions have been labelled "adaptive retelling" as they take many liberties with the form of the text.| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| Black Bible Chronicles | 1993, 1994 | |
| CPG | Cotton Patch Gospel by Clarence Jordan | 1968–1973 |
| The Aussie Bible; also More Aussie Bible by Kel Richards | 2003 | |
| TPT | The Passion Translation | 2017 |
Partial translations
New Testament
| Abbreviation | Name | Date |
| Diaglott | Emphatic Diaglott by Benjamin Wilson | 1864 |
| Jefferson Bible, or The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth, by Thomas Jefferson | 1895 | |
| The Epistles of Paul in Modern English, by George Barker Stevens | 1898 | |
| The Twentieth Century New Testament | 1902 | |
| Weymouth New Testament | 1903 | |
| Centenary New Testament | 1924 | |
| The Four Gospels, by E. V. Rieu, Penguin | 1952 | |
| The Authentic New Testament, by Hugh J. Schonfield | 1955 | |
| Phi / PME | The New Testament in Modern English and Four Prophets | 1958 |
| The Simplified New Testament, by Olaf M. Norlie | 1961 | |
| WET | Wuest Expanded Translation | 1961 |
| The New Testament: a New Translation, by William Barclay | 1968 | |
| TransLine, by Michael Magill | 2002 | |
| The Four Gospels, by Norman Marrow, | 1977 | |
| The Original New Testament, by Hugh J. Schonfield, | 1985 | |
| int-E | The Kingdom Interlinear Translation of the Greek Scriptures by The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society | 1969,1985 |
| McCord's New Testament Translation of the Everlasting Gospel by Hugo McCord | 1988 | |
| A Fresh Parenthetical Version of the New Testament by B. E. Junkins | 2002 | |
| God's New Covenant: A New Testament Translation by Heinz Cassirer, | 1989 | |
| Gaus | The Unvarnished New Testament by Andy Gaus | 1991 |
| Christian Bible | The Christian Bible: Its New Contract Writings Portion | 1991 |
| The New Testament, by Richmond Lattimore, | 1996 | |
| TCE | The Common Edition New Testament | 1999 |
| COM | The Comprehensive New Testament | 2008 |
| ALT | Analytical-Literal Translation | 1999? |
| A New Accurate Translation of the Greek New Testament, by Julian G. Anderson | 1984 | |
| The Voice | 2008 | |
| MLV | Modern Literal Version | 2012 |
| JNT | Jewish New Testament by David H. Stern | 1989 |
| The Source New Testament With Extensive Notes on Greek Word Meaning, by Dr A. Nyland | 2004 | |
| The Last Days New Testament, Ray W. Johnson | 1999 | |
| NTE | The Kingdom New Testament: A Contemporary Translation, N T Wright | 2011 |
| The Wilton Translation of the New Testament, Clyde C. Wilton | 1999, 2010 | |
| The Original Aramaic Bible in Plain English with Psalms & Proverbs, David Bauscher | 2010 | |
| MEV | The New Testament, Modern Evangelical Version, by Robert Thomas Helm | 2013, 2016 |
| The New Testament: a Translation, by David Bentley Hart | 2017 | |
| The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints, by ISBN 10: 158958786 | 2018, 2022 | |
| The New Testament: A Lawyer's Translation, by Malcolm Bishop KC | 2024 |
Hebrew Bible
| Name | Date |
| The Wisdom Books in Modern Speech, John Edgar McFadyen | 1917 |
| Four Prophets, J.B. Phillips | 1963 |
| Job Speaks, David Rosenberg | 1977 |
| The Book of J, Harold Bloom and David Rosenberg | 1990 |
| A Poet's Bible, David Rosenberg | 1991 |
| The Book of Job, Stephen Mitchell | 1992 |
| The Five Books of Moses, Everett Fox | 1995 |
| The Lost Book of Paradise: Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, David Rosenberg | 1995 |
| Genesis, Stephen Mitchell | 1996 |
| The Book of David, David Rosenberg | 1998 |
| Give us a King!, Everett Fox | 1999 |
| The Dead Sea Scrolls Bible, Martin Abegg, Peter Flint, Eugene Ulrich | 1999 |
| The David Story, Robert Alter | 2000 |
| The Five Books of Moses, Robert Alter | 2004 |
| The Bible with Sources Revealed, Richard Elliott Friedman | 2005 |
| The Book of Psalms, Robert Alter | 2007 |
| The Wisdom Books, Robert Alter | 2010 |
| Ancient Israel, Robert Alter | 2013 |
| The Psalms Translated and Explained, Joseph Addison Alexander | 1850 |
| The Torah and Former Prophets, William Whitt | 2018-2024 |
Popularity of translations
| Rank | Name | Abbreviation | Published |
| 1 | New International Version | NIV | 1978 |
| 2 | King James Version | KJV | 1611 |
| 3 | English Standard Version | ESV | 2001 |
| 4 | New Living Translation | NLT | 1996 |
| 5 | Christian Standard Bible | CSB | 2017 |
| 6 | New King James Version | NKJV | 1982 |
| 7 | Reina-Valera | RVR | 1602 |
| 8 | New International Reader's Version | NIrV | 1996 |
| 9 | New American Standard Bible | NASB | 1971 |
| 10 | New Revised Standard Version | NRSV | 1989 |