When choosing a Bible for a child, a person first needs to decide which
translation to buy - a NASB, KJV, NRSV, NKJV, NAB, NIV, CEV, GNT, NLT, NIrV, or a
NCV. This page includes a brief discussion of the differences between
translations, things to consider when choosing a Bible for a
child, a Summary
of Bible Translations and Suggestions, and a comparison of the wording of
the various Bible translations for 2 Corinthians 1:12, 2
Corinthians 5:16, and Matthew 18:24.
About Bible Translations - Every English version of the Bible has been
translated from the Hebrew Old Testament and the Greek New Testament. Some
translations, such as the NASB, are a literal word-for-word translation and
retain as much of the original grammar and sentence structure as possible.
The reader can then decide what the biblical writers meant. However, due
to the differences in language and the passage of a couple of thousand years, a
literal word-for-word translation can be difficult to read and understand,
especially for children.
Other translations, such as the NIV or the CEV, are a mixture of literal
word-for-word translations and thought-for-thought translations. In other
words, the translations are word-for-word into today's English if the final
product can be easily read. If the final word-for-word translation is
difficult to read, the translators may use a thought-for-thought
translation. The translators will identify the message of the original
text and reproduce that same message in the English language. Thus, the
translators of a thought-for-thought version are interpreting the original text
and must take special care to properly interpret the original text and choose
wording that properly conveys the original message and only the original message
of the text. As a result, it is best to choose a version that places a
priority on a literal word-for-word translation and resorts to
thought-for-thought translation only when necessary. In other words, if
there are two Bibles that are appropriate for the reading level of the child,
pick the Bible that is the most literal translation.
Considerations.
 | Pick a Bible that the child will enjoy looking through and reading.
This eliminates the NASB, KJV, NRSV, and NKJV from consideration due to the
difficult reading level of these translations. |
| Pick the most literal translation available for the child's reading
level. For older children, the NIV is the most literal
non-denominational translation available. Younger children can read
the NIrV or the NCV. |
| When reading the Bible together as a family, it may be helpful for all
family members to read from the same translation. The NIV is a
suitable study Bible for children as well as adults. |
The following table summarizes information and our comments and suggestions
about the different Bible translations available. We recommend that
children begin reading the NIV translation as soon as they can enjoyably read
the NIV translation. Click here for
specific Bible recommendations.
|
Summary of Bible
Translations and Suggestions |
| Category |
Bible Translation |
Reading Level* |
Comments and Suggestions |
|
|
NASB - New American Standard Bible |
11.0 |
The difficult reading level of these
Bible translations prevents us from recommending these translations for
children. While some may consider the NKJV to be written at a
Medium Reading Level, we think it is too difficult for children to
read. In addition, the KJV and the NKJV are based on the Hebrew
and Greek manuscripts that were available in 1611. Since that time, manuscripts have been discovered
that allow scholars to reconstruct a Hebrew and Greek text that better
represents the original text. Thus, the KJV and NKJV are not based
on what scholars today believe is the best representation of the
original Hebrew and Greek texts. While the differences in text
have no effect from a doctrinal viewpoint, they may affect the meaning
of specific texts. See "How
to Read the Bible for all its Worth" by Fee and Stuart for
further information. |
| KJV - King James Version |
12.0 |
| NRSV - New Revised Standard Version |
10.4 |
| NKJV - New King James Version |
9.0 |
|
|
NAB - New American Bible |
6.6 |
We recommend this category for 3rd
graders and above. The Bibles in this category are listed in order
of the literalness of the translation, with the NAB being the most
literal, the NIV being the next most literal, and so on, with the NLT
being the least literal translation (based on information published by
ZondervanBibles.com). The NAB is the Catholic version of the
Bible. The NIV is our recommendation from this category.
The readibility of the NIV is as good as the other translations in this
category . The NIV is also the most literal non-denominational
translation in this category. Gordon Fee and Douglas Stuart
recommend the NIV for use as an adult study Bible ("How
to Read the Bible for all its Worth"). Thus the NIV can
be used from childhood to adulthood, making it a good choice for family
Bible studies. |
| NIV - New International Version |
7.8 |
| CEV - Contemporary English Version |
5.4 |
| GNT - Good News Translation (Today's
English Version) |
7.29 |
| NLT - New Living Translation |
6.3 |
|
|
NIrV
- New International Readers Version |
2.9 |
This category is good for the youngest
readers. We have no experience with either of these
translations. The NIrV is based on the NIV. While these
translations are good for beginning readers, both of the translations in
this category are less literal than the NIV. Therefore, we
suggest that children begin reading the NIV as soon as they can
enjoyably read the NIV. |
| NCV - New Century Version |
3.9 |
* The "Reading Level" is based on information from Berean.com
(a Christian Bookstore) and ZondervanBibles.com (a publisher of Bibles).
|
Comparison
of Bible Translations for 2 Corinthians 1:12 |
|
|
NASB |
For our proud confidence is
this: the testimony of our conscience, that in holiness and
godly sincerity, not in fleshly wisdom but in the grace of God,
we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially toward
you. |
|
KJV |
For our rejoicing is this,
the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly
sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we
have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to
you-ward. |
|
NRSV |
Indeed, this is our boast,
the testimony of our conscience: we have behaved in the world
with frankness and godly sincerity, not by earthly wisdom but by
the grace of God-- and all the more toward you. |
|
NKJV |
For our boasting is this: the testimony of our
conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in
simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by
the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you. |
|
|
NAB |
For our boast is this, the
testimony of our conscience that we have conducted ourselves in
the world, and especially toward you, with the simplicity and
sincerity of God, (and) not by human wisdom but by the grace of
God. |
|
NIV |
Now this is our boast: Our
conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the
world, and especially in our relations with you, in the holiness
and sincerity that are from God. We have done so not according
to worldly wisdom but according to God's grace. |
|
CEV |
We can be proud of our clear conscience. We have
always lived honestly and sincerely, especially when we were
with you. And we were guided by God's wonderful kindness instead
of by the wisdom of this world. |
|
GNT |
We are proud that our conscience assures us that our
lives in this world, and especially our relations with you, have
been ruled by God-given frankness and sincerity, by the power of
God's grace and not by human wisdom. |
|
NLT |
We can say with confidence
and a clear conscience that we have been honest and sincere in
all our dealings. We have depended on God's grace, not on our
own earthly wisdom. That is how we have acted toward everyone,
and especially toward you. |
|
|
NIrV |
Here is what we take pride in. Our sense of what is
right and wrong gives witness that we have acted in God's holy
and honest ways. That is how we live in the world.
We live that way most of all when we are dealing with you.
Our way of living is not wise in the eyes of the world.
But it is in keeping with God's grace. |
|
NCV |
This is what we are proud of, and I can say it with
a clear conscience: In
everything we have done in the world, and especially with you,
we have had an honest and sincere heart from God.
We did this by God's grace, and not by the kind of wisdom
the world has. |
| Comparison
of Bible Translations for 2 Corinthians 5:16 |
|
|
NASB |
Therefore from now on we
recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known
Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him
in this way no longer. |
|
KJV |
Wherefore henceforth know we
no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the
flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. |
|
NRSV |
From now on, therefore, we
regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew
Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that
way. |
|
NKJV |
Therefore, from now on, we regard no one
according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ
according to the flesh, yet now we know Him
thus no longer. |
|
|
NAB |
Consequently, from now on we
regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ
according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. |
|
NIV |
So from now on we regard no
one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ
in this way, we do so no longer. |
|
CEV |
We are careful not to judge people by what they seem
to be, though we once judged Christ in that way. |
|
GNT |
No longer, then, do we judge anyone by human
standards. Even if
at one time we judged Christ according to human standards, we no
longer do so. |
|
NLT |
So we have stopped evaluating
others by what the world thinks about them. Once I mistakenly
thought of Christ that way, as though he were merely a human
being. How differently I think about him now! |
|
|
NIrV |
So from now on we don't look at anyone the way the world
does. At one time we looked at Christ in that way.
But we don't anymore. |
|
NCV |
From this time on we do not think of anyone as the
world does. In the
past we thought of Christ as the world thinks, but we no longer
think of him in that way. |
|
Comparison
of Bible Translations for Matthew 18:24 |
|
|
NASB |
When he had begun to settle them,
one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. |
|
KJV |
And when he had begun to
reckon, one was brought unto him, which owed him ten thousand
talents. |
|
NRSV |
When he began the reckoning,
one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him; |
|
NKJV |
And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was
brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. |
|
|
NAB |
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount. |
|
NIV |
As he began the settlement, a
man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. |
|
CEV |
As he was doing this, one official was brought in
who owed him fifty million silver coins. |
|
GNT |
He had just begun to do so when one of them was
brought in who owed him millions of dollars. |
|
NLT |
In the process, one of his
debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. |
|
|
NIrV |
As the king began to do it, a man who owed him millions of
dollars was brought to him. |
|
NCV |
When the king began to collect his money, a servant
who owed him several million dollars was brought to him. |
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This
information is presented to help teachers serving in a Christian Preschool
Ministry or a Children's Ministry or a Sunday School class teach children what
the Bible says about God and the way He wants us to live.
|
