How does your Bible compare to the original Greek? Our 300+ point test objectively ranks each Bible translation in five areas to see which is the best Bible version. See scores below.
A Bible version is a translation of the original words that God spoke/inspired in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. A good translation meets the following five qualifications.
Literalness - The New Testament is a translation from Greek. Its English words should translate what is in the original Greek text. This section checks to see if each of the grammatical elements in the Greek text of randomly selected verses are expressed in English. It also checks places where some Bible versions fail to translate what is in the Greek text.
Uniform Translation - Each Greek word should be translated consistently in English. A Greek word should not be translated one way in one passage and a different way in another passage. This section checks to see how consistent a version is in translating a Greek word the same way every time.
Greek Detail - Some detail in the Greek text is not translated in some English versions. This section checks to see how well an English version translates details in the Greek text.
Updates Outdated Words - Bible versions should use words that are commonly used in everyday life. When the first English Bibles were written, the translators used the everyday words of that time. Even though some words have long since died and readers no longer know what they used to mean, some Bible versions still keep them on their pages. Words that are no longer used outside of the church are outdated.
Corrects Misleading Words - Some English words in the Bible are not outdated but they have changed in meaning since the first English Bibles were written. The versions that keep these words actually say something different than what the Greek says and what the words originally meant. This section checks for the existence of misleading words.
A (97/100) - Literalness
A (76/76) - Uniform Translation
A (71/75) - Greek Detail
A (50/50) - Updates Outdated Words
A (20/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
You see, this is how God loved the world in such a way that He gave His only biological Son so that everyone trusting in Him would not be ruined, but may have life that spans all time. (John 3:16 BV)
B (70/100) - Literalness
C (41/76) - Uniform Translation
C (45/75) - Greek Detail
B (34/50) - Updates Outdated Words
F (4/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 HCSB)
B (74/100) - Literalness
C (41/76) - Uniform Translation
C (39/75) - Greek Detail
C (31/50) - Updates Outdated Words
D (6/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)
B (70/100) - Literalness
D (40/76) - Uniform Translation
C (41/75) - Greek Detail
B (34/50) - Updates Outdated Words
D (6/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (John 3:16 NRSV)
B (73/100) - Literalness
C (41/76) - Uniform Translation
C (42/75) - Greek Detail
C (26/50) - Updates Outdated Words
F (4/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NASB)
B (62/100) - Literalness
D (37/76) - Uniform Translation
C (37/75) - Greek Detail
B (35/50) - Updates Outdated Words
D (6/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NIV)
C (55/100) - Literalness
D (36/76) - Uniform Translation
C (41/75) - Greek Detail
B (40/50) - Updates Outdated Words
F (4/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 NLT)
C (53/100) - Literalness
D (31/76) - Uniform Translation
C (42/75) - Greek Detail
B (39/50) - Updates Outdated Words
F (4/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that anyone who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 TLB)
D (40/100) - Literalness
D (34/76) - Uniform Translation
C (38/75) - Greek Detail
A (46/50) - Updates Outdated Words
F (4/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. (John 3:16 MSG)
B (75/100) - Literalness
D (34/76) - Uniform Translation
F (23/75) - Greek Detail
C (25/50) - Updates Outdated Words
F (3/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 NKJV)
B (71/100) - Literalness
F (26/76) - Uniform Translation
F (14/75) - Greek Detail
F (0/50) - Updates Outdated Words
F (0/20) - Corrects Misleading Words
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 KJV)