Fifty years ago, choosing which translation to read wasn’t an issue, or even a thing. There were three translations, and the one you used was determined by the brand of Christianity you practiced.

Non-mainline Protestants (Southern Baptists, Assemblies of God, Evangelicals, Fundamentalists, etc.) read the King James Version. Mainline Protestants (Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Episcopalians, and so on) had shifted from the King James to the Revised Standard Version. Catholics were using the Douay–Rheims Bible.

In the 70s and 80s, things started to change as newer translations came on the scene. That trend has only increased. Today there are dozens of translations, many of them excellent. So, how do you choose between all the options?

Among the most popular English translations, it’s primarily a matter of preference between two styles. Some translators prefer a more literal translation, striving to get as close as possible to a word-for-word rendering.[1] Other translators are more interested in getting the thoughts right than individual words.[2] But because of the way language and the process of translation work, neither one can be universally applied. Almost every popular translation lies somewhere on the spectrum between the two extremes.

For instance, the English Standard Version translators worked hard to be literal, while the New Living Translation scholars were more interested in getting the thoughts across than matching up English words with Hebrew and Greek originals. Both are excellent translations, but comparing the two will quickly show you how their differing priorities impact the final product.

Because choosing a translation depends a lot on personal taste, instead of telling you which translation you should use, I’m going to give you a list of ten of the best, ranked not by my preferences but by where they lie on the spectrum between literal and dynamic.

New American Standard Bible. The most literal popular translation. One of the oldest of the newer translations. Maybe a little dated, but if you’re wanting to do word studies this may be the best translation to use. Much of its market share has been taken by the English Standard Version.

New King James Version. If you grew up with the King James and still miss the cadences (and even some of the more archaic word forms), this could be the one for you.

English Standard Version. The current king of the more-literal translations. Also the go-to translation for Calvinists, though I’m not sure why. One of the four translations that I regularly cite in sermons.

Christian Standard Bible. This is an update on the Holman Christian Standard Bible, a translation done by Southern Baptists, though they are hoping to reach a wider audience. Also one of my four go-to translations.

New International Version. The most popular modern translation, it works hard to balance the two models. This one is my personal favorite, though I regularly check almost every translation on this list.

God’s Word. A very solid translation that somehow has never achieved the popularity of others. Worth checking out.

New Living Translation. Probably the easiest to read, prepared by an amazing team of scholars. If you’re new to the Bible, this is an excellent choice. One of my go-to four and the translation we give out to guests at our church.

New Century Version. Like God’s Word, a solid translation that has never gotten the love the most popular translations get. If you’re going to have a “taste testing” to choose your version, this one is worth putting in the mix.

Contemporary English Version. In the same category as God’s Word and the NCV. Solid. Worth a look.

The Message. This is a paraphrase. I think it overuses clichés, but if you’re wanting to read large sections and follow the story easily, or if you are wrestling with the meaning of a passage, this is worth considering.

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[1] Translation geeks call this method Formal Equivalence.

[2] This is called Dynamic Equivalence or, in its ultimate form, Paraphrase.