Before I became a writer, I didn’t value the importance of looking into various Bible translations and choosing one based on a few vital factors. Now, it’s easy to see why we should all be asking ourselves, Can I trust the translation of God’s Word that I’m opening each day? Thankfully, there are many trustworthy Bible translations available to us today.
However, with so many options comes a harder decision! It can be overwhelming to try to figure out which Bible translation is right for you and your context. Here are three things to keep top of mind as you look for a Bible translation:
Faithfulness to the Original Text
The Bible was not originally written in English, but in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. That’s why every Bible today is translated from these original languages. But as we all know, things can easily get lost in translation.
Some translations stick more closely to the original text than others. The Christian Standard Bible® (CSB) is a Bible translation that was created using optimal equivalence, a translation philosophy that balances contemporary English readability with linguistic precision of the original languages. In the many places throughout Scripture where a word-for-word rendering is clearly understandable, a literal translation is used. When a word-for-word rendering of the original biblical text might obscure the meaning for a modern audience, a more dynamic translation is used.
This process assures that both the words and thoughts contained in the original text are conveyed as accurately as possible for today’s readers. The CSB is impeccably faithful and true to the original text!
Readability
As much as you want a translation to be true to the original text, you also want it to be readable for the language you speak and the context you’re in. That’s why the CSB does not compromise readability and clarity for those who may be less familiar with the traditional—and sometimes difficult—vocabulary retained in some translations of the Bible.
The CSB has been proven to achieve accuracy to the original languages of the Bible without giving up clarity. Seeking to provide Chinese-speaking people across the world with an accurate and understandable Bible in contemporary Chinese, Global Bible Initiative (formerly Asia Bible Society) researched all of the current Bible translations in English to find a suitable English translation as a starting point for their own translation work. Their in-depth research shows the CSB is both highly literal to the original languages and highly readable, achieving an optimal balance of the two.
To get a better picture of how several different translations fall into this, here’s a chart we created on how to find an optimal blend of both accuracy and readability based on what you’re looking for in a Bible translation.
The CSB’s commitment to both accuracy and readability also applies to different age ranges and those new to the Bible. From the youngest readers to the newest believers to the ones who have been studying the Bible for fifty years, there’s an accurate and readable CSB for everyone.
Trustworthiness
Last, but definitely not least: the CSB is a Bible translation that can be trusted. There are many trustworthy Bible translations available, but that one we can speak to the most is the CSB. Developed by 100+ scholars from seventeen denominations, the CSB faithfully and accurately captures the Bible’s original meaning without compromising readability, making it an ideal inter-denominational translation for the global Christian community. The CSB is a trustworthy text for both sermon preparation and serious study, translated straight from the biblical languages by scholars who love God’s Word.
For a Bible translation to be trustworthy in modern English, it must faithfully communicate the authority and urgency understood by its original audience. Because the CSB is an original translation—not constrained by complex language structures or source text limitations of an earlier English Bible version—it expresses the meaning and beauty of the ancient texts with emotive power. Pastors and laypeople can feel confident sharing God’s Word, knowing its truth will be communicated with clarity.
Availability of Resources
Something else I personally recommend looking for in a Bible translation is the availability of resources you need to study and respond to God’s Word. Specifically for women like us, the CSB offers the award-winning She Reads Truth Bible (my personal favorite), CSB Study Bible for Women, Lifeway Women’s Bible, and so many more. Outside of women’s Bibles, you can find CSB Bibles for new readers, for kids, for students, and specifically for men. Additionally, we offer more resources, like commentaries and devotional Bibles, to help you go deeper into the life-changing truth of God’s Word. There’s a reason this is the fastest-growing English Bible translation, and I can’t wait to see how more believers utilize this translation to encounter God and His Word!
Hopefully these tips give you some guidance as you look for a Bible translation that is faithful, readable, and trustworthy. No matter what translation you end up choosing, may we all find the Bible translation and the Bibles that help us turn to God’s Word again and again.
Hebrews 4:12 (CSB) says, “For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Many of us, myself included, find ourselves saying that we want to be in Scripture more frequently. My prayer is that whichever translation we choose helps us to open our Bibles more and more this year and experience the life-changing truth that really is “living and effective.”
About Olivia Thames
Olivia Thames is a writer based in Nashville, Tennessee. She loves using words and humor to connect everyday experiences to the hope we have in Jesus. When she doesn’t have a pen in her hand, you can find her laughing with friends and loved ones, eating Mexican food with her husband, attempting to garden, and affirming her pit bull terrier chihuahua, King Curtis. Follow along at @oliviawithapen and oliviathames.com.
