When it comes to Biblical translations, there are so many out there that it is going to become hard to pick the one that is best for you. If you are wondering how these translations are unique, the simple answer is it all depends on which version of the Bible has been translated. To understand the different translations, you will need to compare texts from different translations and you will also need to learn about their origins.
New International Version
When comparing famous Biblical quotations that have been translated, care should be taken to distinguish between the books in standard Protestant canons with those from the Catholic canon. For example, when comparing the translation of the New International Version or NIV, these translations began way back in 1965 with the aim of creating an accurate and clear as well as dignified translation that would work well in all circumstances.
King James Version
There is also the King James Version or the KJV. It was King James the First of England who began the translation of famous Biblical quotations for Protestants in the country who spoke only English. This happened in 1604 and involved fifty of the best scholars of the Bible as well as best linguists of the day who spent 7 years to compete the translation.
New King James Version
The New King James Version or NKJV is a more modern translation of famous Biblical quotations and was done at the behest of Thomas Nelson Publishers in 1975. It took eight years (approximately) for this translation to be completed and involved over one hundred Biblical scholars and leaders of churches as well as ordinary Christians.
New American Standard Bible
Another translation was done in which famous Biblical quotations were translated word for word and this translation is supposed to be true to the original Bible. It is also correct in a grammatical sense and at the same time it is also very easy to comprehend. This translation makes use of idioms wherever they were required to make the meaning clear and easy to understand. This translation is called the New American Standard Bible or NASB.
New Living Translation
Then there is the New Living Translation or NLT which was launched by Tyndale House Publishers and is a revised version of the Living Bible. Like other translations, this one too was completed after seven years of effort. Its aim is to make clear the meaning of the ancient texts in an accurate and easy to understand manner.
English Standard Version
The English Standard Version or ESV is yet another example of the work done by translator agencies in translating famous Biblical quotations. This is basically a literal translation of the Bible and was completed after one hundred scholars translated the Bible while keeping the translations true to the historical orthodox text. These scholars put in a lot of effort in translating the Bible and made use of every aspect of the Bible including the Masoretic text.
They also went through the Dead Sea Scrolls and used a number of sources to produce this fantastic translation. At the bottom of the text, much use of footnotes has been made to explain why certain text choices were made. Every five years, this group of scholars meets to make changes to make the translations even better than before.
