Why I Like the ESV
This is going to be a long story, so sit back and get comfortable! 
When I mentioned my new Bible in Coming Next Week, Kaylene asked if I would explain why the English Standard is my favorite version. What a great question. I mention the ESV fairly often at Hope Road and use it for references, so I’m happy to take the opportunity to explain my oh-so-exciting history with Bible translations, and how I ended up liking this one the best.
When I was five and officially knew how to read, I was allowed to pick out my first copy of the Bible. I chose a big pink NIV, with my name embossed on the cover. That Bible was my only one all throughout elementary school.
In middle school, I got a dark green thinline NIV. Around the same time, I was becoming much more spiritually aware, and I wore that Bible out with all of my underlining and rereading. I still have it, and looking through it brings back so many memories. I particularly loved the Psalms at that time. My next Bible was also an NIV.
During high school, I worked part-time at a Christian bookstore. Every Christmas, Zondervan offered $300 worth of free merchandise to employees who went through their excellent Bible training program. Through that, I learned the basics about different types of translation methods. I’m sure some of you know far more than I do, but I’ll share a couple of the fundamentals I learned.
Thought-for-thought translations seek to express the “dynamic equivalence” of the original languages, and are the least literal. The New Living Translation is one example.
Word-for-word translations seek to translate as literally as possible from the original languages. The New American Standard Bible is one of the most literal translations in the English language.
The New International Version falls somewhere in between those two extremes, and is a fairly good translation for the most part. I loved it because I was so familiar with it, and I never really thought of switching.
I think the first time I encountered the ESV was the summer before my senior year, when my family and I visited my aunt and uncle. They were using that version and really liked it. They tried to convince us to use it too. I was reluctant because I was so familiar with the NIV, but eventually I came around and bought one from the bookstore I was working at. It soon became my favorite translation.
What I like about the ESV is that it combines word-for-word accuracy with literary beauty. Sometimes very literal translations use slightly awkward syntax to stay as true to the original text as possible, but there are times when you can rearrange things to make them more readable and yet still stay very close to the original wording. I find the ESV as accessible as the NIV, but with more of the literalness of the NASB and the beauty of the King James. ESV’s website provides a whole list of comparisons.
I think there’s value in choosing one main (hopefully literal) version of the Bible for the majority of your reading and study, simply because the words become well-known with time if they’re read in the same version over and over. I think there’s also value in reading other versions. I began to enjoy that in the last few years too. I have a copy of the NIV still, as well as the New Living, and it’s very interesting to read a passage in several different translations and capture different nuances of thought and expression. Sometimes, too, it’s good to read in a different translation just to wake your mind and get a fresh perspective.
Here is a little more about the ESV. The website explains the translation philosophy: “The ESV is an ‘essentially literal’ translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on ‘word-for-word’ correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original… we have sought to be ‘as literal as possible’ while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence.”
The ESV has an impressive list of endorsements by some well-known names, including R.C. Sproul, Joni Eareckson Tada, John Piper, Carolyn Mahaney, Max Lucado, Nancy Leigh DeMoss, Ravi Zacharias, Jerry Bridges, Al Mohler, Susan Hunt, Joseph Stowell, Steve Green, Mark Driscoll, and Grant Osborne. I would like to see it become a standard translation in churches, and it is becoming more and more popular, which I love – because who doesn’t want their favorite translation to be the most popular?
So that’s my story. What do you think of the ESV? What translation do you use, and why do you like it? Do tell.
I grew up with the KJV so if I quote/memorize passages from the Bible, O/NKJV is it for me If I think one translation (NLT, Amp, The Message) emphasizes a little better, then I will quote from O/NKJV then emphasize with another translation.
I always go back to ONKJV because I like the sources used for translation: Septuagint and Textus Receptus. I am obviously not a LXX and TR snob since I have read the NIV and currently reading the NLT.
I use NLT (at the moment) to do my night time reading. If a verse pops at me, I quickly grab my NKJV Study Bible to memorize it. If I need literal translations, I pull up MacSword and reference Strong’s Hebrew or Strong’s Greek.
But because of Anna, I will read the ESV after I am done with the NLT.
I love the ESV as well, Anna. In fact, my church has recently started using it as the official translation for preaches. I especially like to use the ESV for my Bible study, which is the book of Proverbs at the moment, as the word-for-word translation is a lot better for studying. I do also like my pink NIV Bible, particularly for reading large passages at a time, to get a general sense of the text. Good post!
For reading-only, I love “The Message” because it is so different from my study Bible (NASB). I love reading familiar passages in a whole new way. I find it is also fantastic for reading outloud to my husband who is a very young believer. I’ve had the same study Bible (NASB) since 1989, and I love the highlights and the notes I’ve written in the margins…its a Bible I have made my own.
I’m just now leaving a denomination that switched its alliegance from the NIV to yet another thought-for-thought-ish Bible. I’m jaded enough to think it was partly a marketing ploy.
I bought the more ecumenical NRSV Spiritual Formation Study Bible, but it’s too large for me to haul around and it supports the base of my reading lamp quite nicely.
Now I look everything up on Bible Gateway – it’s a lot easier on my arthritis and its fun to pick and choose for clarity.
I would like to mention NIrV which is great for kids, developmentally disabled adults and it seems to go along with the Spanish NIV better than the harder to read NIV.
I am a huge fan of the ESV! I was an NIV girl growing up as well. A few years ago I switched to NASB because of the more literal translation. Two years ago I started reading the ESV and I absolutely love it!
This was a great post, Anna! I enjoyed reading more about the ESV because I had actually been wondering about it. I currently read an New American Standard (which I love), but I will have to look into getting a ESV just to try out.
Thanks for the insights!
Yea!!! This was so interesting–thanks for expounding Anna!
I’ve grown up with mostly the NKJV but have used the NASB over the past couple years and really like it. I also use an OKJV with hebrew/greek references as a study help. I’m currently sort of wandering in my daily study between these three versions. Now I’m interested to check out the ESV too! Eventually I’d like to settle with one as a favorite as I agree that its nice to be able to become familiar with one.
I’ve noticed some respected people who use the ESV, but didn’t know much about it before. (does Elisabeth Elliot too? Seems like I remember that) Anyways, THANKS for the info!
NIV for me. My church uses it. And since they gave me such a nice leather bound student Bible when I was confirmed, I like to use it.
Do you ever become confused because the words are different or when memorizing? There are so many verses I know by heart without having memorized and I’m not sure how much I would like a different version.
I will have to consider ESV.
Kaylene, I actually don’t think Elisabeth Elliot has used the ESV, at least publicly. Most of her writing and teaching was done before it was published. I think she likes the Phillips translation; I believe a relative of hers did the translation work. I could be wrong on that.
Maria Pauline, yes! I did and still sometimes do get confused because of knowing them by heart, particularly in the Psalms. That is the downside to switching translations. 
But rest assured, it gets better quickly – I am learning things by heart in the ESV now. And you know, in the end it’s just great that you know it by heart.
I’m totally sold on the ESV, based on what I’ve read as far as translation philosophy and endorsements…but I haven’t made the switch yet. My first Bible after being saved was NIV and I wore it out, but had it re-bound because I couldn’t stand to break in a new one. It’s the one I’m still using and could use another re-binding…I hate to part with it because it’s so familiar. I know where the passages are on a page, the margins are filled with notes, underlining everywhere, etc.
I keep meaning to get an ESV, but haven’t gotten up the motivation yet. I’m not looking forward to the switch in terms of 1) passages being harder to find in a new Bible and 2) the slightly different wording throwing me off in well-known/memorized passages. That, and I can’t decide if I want the journaling one or a study Bible
Thanks for this post, Anna. I’ve been wanting to get a new Bible for my personal reading & study, and the ESV was one I was looking at. I’m still using the thick NIV Kid’s Adventure Bible my parents gave me over 11 years ago, and like others have said, I love how familiar it is, but at the same time I feel like I’ve outgrown it a bit and I’m ready to start fresh. We use NASB as a family, but I’m not especially fond of that version either – sounds like ESV might be exactly what I’m looking for!
Hey there Anna! Good post…
Personally, I use the NASB because I worked at the same place and I liked the fact that it was literal word-for-word. I like the NIV when I don’t understand a passage completely and want it translated more into everyday English…I like the KJV because it is sooo beautiful and it reminds me of Shakespeare, and I liked the Amplified because of all the different options it gives, and I used an NIrV when I was younger, and I loved it. I remember reading my Bible for long periods of time as a young child simply because the wording was easy for me to follow, and it was interesting to me. Someday I would love to learn Greek and Hebrew so I can read the Bible in its original language!
Overall, I liked a comment which I heard my World civ professor say…
It doesn’t matter what translation you use…what matters is if you are getting anything out of it…I feel like people do tend to get caught up in the translation argument which makes them lose sight of the ultimate goal
Sorry Anna but unless you use the KJV you’re going to hell 
I started out with New Century Version encapsulated in a Youth Bible. They had some life stories to try and make the Bible relevant but also had some dodgy theology within those stories. I graduated to the Message in a way during my teenage years. I still like the Message but its shortcomings are the reason I don’t turn to it as much now. I have a small NKJV which is my primary doodle Bible and am now looking for a real good study Bible. Not sure whether to go with the Amplified or ESV. Hmmm…
Hi Anna,
I have to say I use the ESV and NIV equally. Our church uses the NIV, so that’s one reason I stick with it. I think the ESV is better for memorization, especially the New Testament. I also think some of the Old Testament stories flow a little easier in the NIV, but it’s close.
My first real Bible though was in the Good News Translation, given to me by a reverend right before my wedding last year. I don’t read it as much now, but I guess I’ll always have a soft spot for it, since reading that translation made the Bible clear to me for the first time. Being raised Catholic, we unfortunately never read the Bible all that much.
Great post ! It’s great to hear from so many others on what translations they are reading.
The KJV has to be my favorite translation for it’s literary beauty, but I’ve been carrying around the NA27/RSV Greek-English NT for the last few months. I quite like the ESV though. I use it very often when quoting Scripture on my blog and it’s also the standard Bible used in my mother’s church.
Like you, my first bible was an NIV Adventure Bible that my parents gave me when I learned to read. I used that up until high school, when I decided I wanted a more “grown up” Bible, and got an NASB like my parents. I had used a KJV for some Bible drilling, but never really liked it. In high school, I learned a little bit about different translation philosophies and knew that my NASB was a word-for-word translation, which I preferred. In college, I was introduced to the ESV by my Freshman Great Books professor. At first, I confused it with the TNIV and panicked. Fortunately, that was straightened out and I came to trust it more and more as I discovered how similar the wording was to my NASB. I don’t remember when exactly, but sometime either sophomore or junior year, I started carrying the ESV (just a pew edition) and using it regularly. I also read up more on it and admired the balance between literal wording and poetic flow that the translators strove for. Last summer, I was given an ESV Journaling Bible, which has been my primary Bible since.
A friend of mine noted that the literal, yet formal tone of the ESV makes it suitable for use in a liturgical service (he is LCMS) as well as personal use, and I am inclined to agree. It is an excellent translation that I’d love to see more people give a try.