Many people are led astray with the idea that there are "so many translations" that "no one knows which is right." Nothing could be farther from the truth. First, it may seem overwhelming to a new Bible purchaser that there seem to be hundreds of Bibles to choose from at the local bookstore. There is a reason for this, there are hundreds of different people! Most of these "versions" are not versions at all, but simply Bibles that contain notes and articles geared toward a specific group (i.e. "Students Bible" or "New Believer Bible" or "Children's Bible", "Couple's Bible", "Family Bible" etc.). A closer look will reveal the fact that there are really only a few different translations on the shelf, but each with a different focus in its notes. Beyond this, there are many different styles (just like regular books!). Some have leather covers, some are hardbacks, some use very large writing, some have big margins, some even fit in your pocket!

Finally, we encounter the different versions. These are not different Bibles, they are generally the same texts translated in different ways to appeal to different kinds of readers. They all teach the same thing, they just use different words. If you have ever taken a foreign language class, you probably caught on very early that sometimes the "right" translation is difficult to discern. Do you use the exact words in their exact order and their exact tense? Do you re-translate for idiomatic sayings?  It may seem at first that to translate one sentence into another language, all you should have to do is figure out what each word means in the receptor language, and plug it in. For instance:

So you see, because English uses only one word for many very different kinds of love, the only word-for-word translation we could make out of any of these Greek terms is "love". In America we say, "I love my dog," and "I love my Mom," and "I love my wife," all using the same word. Context alone tells us which kind of love it is. Now the question: Is it better to "literally" translate phileo, agape, and eros as "love" using the word-for-word theory, or should we instead insert a word that is not in the original to explain what is meant by the author? You must decide for yourself which translation is best for your purpose. Most contain some overlap in style anyway (i.e. the NIV renders "sevens" in Daniel 9:25-27 in a more literal fashion than does the NAS or the KJV). I recommend at least one or two side by side for study. You can even get Bibles that contain several translations side by side within one book.

• Formal Equivalence:  (or Literal, Word-for-Word) the translator attempts to render the exact words of the original language into the receptor language.
  • ~ New American Standard Bible  ~  The King James Version ~ New King James Version  ~  Revised Standard Version  ~  New American Bible ~ NET Bible
• Dynamic Equivalence: (or thought-for-thought) tries to match the closest natural equivalent of the source language  in terms of meaning, and in terms of style.
  • ~  New International Version ~ New Jerusalem Bible ~ Today’s English Version  ~  New Century Version
• Paraphrase: This not really a translation per se, rather, it is the "re-telling" of the particular passage according to how the author understands the text.
  • ~The Living Bible ~ Phillips