Readability: Difficult to read due to 17th-century English vocabulary and word order.

Reference Support Material: High

Translation Philosophy & Format: Priority to word translation rather than meaning; verse for verse.

Grade Reading Level: 12

Passage Comparison-Zephaniah 3:17: The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

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 in 1611.

(1611) The most popular translation ever produced, this Bible was done during the reign and at the urging of King James the First of England. 47 scholars, divided into 6 groups, worked on this translation. Based largely on the Bishop's Bible, many Hebrew and Greek texts were also studied as well as all other available English translations, to insure the best results. By choosing men of many different theological and educational backgrounds, it was hoped individual prejudices of the translators could be minimized. Printed in a handy size and in clear type, the KJV was supposed to please clergy and congregation alike. Despite initial resistance, the KJV became and still is the largest selling translation of the Bible.

Readability: Easier word usage, but somewhat choppy because it maintains 17th century sentence structure.

Reference Support Material: Low, but some KJV materials can be used.

Translation Philosophy & Format: Priority to word translation rather than meaning; verse for verse.

Grade Reading Level: 9.0

Passage Comparison - Zephaniah 3:17:  The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save;  He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

A modern language update of the original KJV.  Purpose was to update and modernize the original KJV but preserve the KJV as much as possible.  Published in 1982.

The beauty and accuracy of the KJV, in a contemporary, readable language. When a customer considers the important factors in choosing a Bible translation (accuracy, beauty, and ease of understanding) the choice is clear. Only the New King James Version offers precision and clarity without sacrificing readability. Commissioned in 1975 by Thomas Nelson Publishers, 130 respected Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians worked for seven years to create a completely new, modern translation of Scripture, yet one that would retain the purity and stylistic beauty of the original King James. With unyielding faithfulness to the original Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic texts, the translators applied the most recent research in archaeology, linguistics, and textual studies. The result is a Bible that is both beautifully worded and trustworthy. Ideal for study, teaching, personal reading, and congregational use. No wonder the NKJV over the last several years has consistently been the fastest-growing translation of the complete Bible, selected by more than 25 million customers since its release! The New King James Version is also the preferred translation of thousands of today's most prominent Christian leaders.

Readability: Formal style, but more readable than the King James Version.

Reference Support Material: Medium

Translation Philosophy & Format: Priority to word translation rather than meaning; verse for verse with poetry.

Grade Reading Level: 11.00

Passage Comparison - Zephaniah 3:17: The LORD your God is in your midst, a victorious warrior.  He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

A highly respected formal translation of the Bible.  Purpose of the work was to update the American Standard Version more into more current English.  Published in 1971.  Updated in 1995.

(1971) The Lockman Foundation of La Habra, California set out to produce the "Most technically accurate translation of the Bible possible." Partially because of their dissatisfaction with the RSV's version of the 1901 American Standard Version, the Lockman Foundation chose to use the best Greek and Hebrew texts available to revise the ASV. Though many conservative scholars consider this to be the most accurate translation available, because of the NAS's desire for technical accuracy it is not the most readable of the modern translations.

Readability: A highly accurate and smooth-reading version in modern English.

Reference Support Material: High

Translation Philosophy & Format: Balance between word-for-word and thought-for-thought; paragraphs with poetry.

Grade Reading Level: 7.8

Passage Comparison - Zephaniah 3:17: The LORD, your God is with you, he is mighty to save. he will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

The best selling translation, widely accepted by evangelical Cristians. Purpose in translation was to "produce an accurate translatin, suitable for public and private reading, teaching, preaching, memorizing, and liturgical use". Published in 1978.

(1978) The New York Bible Society sponsored this translation of the Bible. A committee was formed to search world-wide for Bible scholars from colleges, universities, and seminaries that would represent varied backgrounds and denominations. Each book of the Bible was assigned to a different team of scholars, who then used the best available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to do the actual translation. Additional committees checked and re-checked the translations for accuracy as well as understandability. This combination of accuracy and readability has propelled the NIV to the number 2 spot in Bible sales behind the KJV. Zondervan Publishing of Grand Rapids, Michigan, owns the rights to the NIV Bible.