Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Quick summary of biblical translation types
- Links to Bibles in this Article
- Very Brief History of the Western Latin Bible
- The “Tell It Like It Is” Club
- The “Let’s Get REALLY Literal” Contingent
- The “We’ll Be Clear But Dignified” Middle Ground
- The “We’re Gonna Use Old Words and Hope You Don’t Ask” Club
- The “We Have a Unique Audience” Specialists
Introduction
There are hundred if not thousands of versions of the Christian Bible available. This article looks at how different bible’s treat the translation of one verse to help you choose which version is the most useful for your purposes.
We all have our own famous verses, sections, chapters and books in the Bible. When it comes to sheer quantity of information and overall illustrative relevance I believe one of the most useful and instructive sections for us to look at and analyze is the book of Ezekiel Chapter 23 and if I have to narrow it down to one verse it would be Ezekiel 23:20.
Ezekiel 23 is ancient political propaganda, that is presented in a raucous, humourous, satirical manner using graphic sexual metaphors. It shows us the bible is a collection of history and political commentary on past events from authors who had different goals, intentions and beliefs. And by seeing how different bible’s translate it we are able to get an idea of the priorities of those various bibles.
Quick summary of biblical translation types
Historical translations (Wycliffe, Geneva, Douay-Rheims) show how English and theology have evolved
Literal translations (KJV, YLT, LSV, NASB family) stick close to Hebrew words, even when awkward or archaic
Dynamic equivalence (FBV, NLT-style) prioritizes clear meaning over word-for-word accuracy
Mediating translations (BSB, MSB, NET, ESV-style) try to balance both approaches
Specialist translations (OJB, T4T, Septuagint) serve specific audiences or purposes
Links to Bibles in this Article
Free Bible Version (FBV) | NET Bible | Young’s Literal Translation (YLT) | Literal Standard Version (LSV) | World English Bible (WEB) | Bible in Basic English (BBE) | King James Version (KJV) | Douay-Rheims (DRA) | Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) | Translation for Translators (T4T) | Wycliffe’s Bible
Very Brief History of the Western Latin Bible
The Christian Bible used by Western churches today is a collection of texts whose contents have been gradually standardized over time. By the end of the fourth century AD, church councils such as Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) had largely settled the question as to which writings would be treated as authoritative in the Latin-speaking West. These selections reflected theological judgments about which texts best represented what church leaders believed, or wanted their followers to believe, were authentic apostolic teaching.
The books themselves were originally written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, and they reached the medieval Western world through long chains of hand-copied manuscripts and translations, most prominently the Latin Vulgate produced by Jerome around AD 400. The earliest complete surviving manuscripts of the Christian Bible in a form recognizably close to the modern Western canon are the great fourth-century Greek codices, especially Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, both dating to around AD 325–360.
All these texts were copied by hand for more than a thousand years, and scribes (sometimes accidentally, sometimes deliberately) introduced spelling differences, omissions, clarifications, harmonizations, and even new stories and theological adjustments as manuscripts were reproduced. Modern English Bibles do not descend from one pristine original but from thousands of Greek and Hebrew manuscript that often disagree in small ways. What English translations have in common is that they are all attempts to reconstruct the earliest attainable form of these ancient texts by comparing those manuscripts using the methods of textual criticism. Whether it is the King James Version, the NIV, the ESV, or the NRSV, each is a translation of reconstructed Hebrew and Greek source texts, not of one another.
The “Tell It Like It Is” Club
Free Bible Version (FBV) – The Gold Medal for Clarity
“She wanted to have sex with her lovers who had genitals like donkeys and who ejaculated like stallions.”
Translation Philosophy: Dynamic equivalence on steroids. The FBV is committed to making the Bible understandable in contemporary English, even when—especially when—it’s uncomfortable. They’re not here to make friends; they’re here to make sure you understand exactly what Ezekiel said.
What This Tells Us: The FBV translators looked at archaic euphemisms like “issue” and “flesh” and said, “Nope. Not on our watch.” This is a translation for people who want to know what the text actually says, Victorian sensibilities be darned. Their stated goal is “clear, natural, easy to read English.”
Read: Free Bible Version
NET Bible – The Footnote King
“She lusted after their genitals – as large as those of donkeys, and their seminal emission was as strong as that of stallions.”
Translation Philosophy: Essentially literal with extensive translator notes. The NET Bible is famous for having more footnotes than a doctoral dissertation. It’s the Bible translation equivalent of a director’s commentary track.
What This Tells Us: The NET translators added clarifying details (“as large,” “as strong”) that aren’t explicitly in the Hebrew but are implied. This shows their commitment to helping readers understand not just what was said but what was meant. They’re essentially saying, “Yes, we know this is shocking. Here’s why it’s shocking.” Check out their extensive preface for their translation philosophy.
Read: NET Bible
The “Let’s Get REALLY Literal” Contingent
Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)
“And she doteth on their paramours, Whose flesh [is] the flesh of asses, And the issue of horses — their issue.”
Translation Philosophy: Hyper-literal word-for-word translation. Robert Young’s YLT (1862/1898) tries to preserve Hebrew word order, verb tenses, and structure as much as English allows.
What This Tells Us: YLT reads like a linguistics professor’s literal gloss. The awkward repetition (“their issue”) mimics Hebrew emphasis. This isn’t meant to be smooth—it’s meant to show you the bones of the original language. Use it for study, not devotional reading.
Read: Young’s Literal Translation
Literal Standard Version (LSV)
“And she lusts on their lovers, || Whose flesh [is] the flesh of donkeys, || And the emission of horses—their emission.”
Translation Philosophy: Updated hyper-literal translation. The LSV is a modern revision of YLT, keeping the literal approach but updating archaic terms.
What This Tells Us: They kept YLT’s structure but swapped “asses” for “donkeys” and clarified “emission.” Those parallel bars (||) show Hebrew poetic structure. It’s like seeing the Hebrew outline in English clothing.
Read: Literal Standard Version
The “We’ll Be Clear But Dignified” Middle Ground
World English Bible Family (WEB, WEBC, WEBPB, etc.)
“She lusted after their lovers, whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.”
Translation Philosophy: Formal equivalence in modern English. The World English Bible is a public domain update of the ASV, trying to balance literal accuracy with readability.
What This Tells Us: “Flesh” and “issue” are the translator’s diplomatic best friends. They’re not lying to you, but they’re not making it easy either. You need to know what “issue” means in King James English (hint: it’s not about magazine subscriptions). This is a “if you know, you know” translation approach.
Read: World English Bible
Bible in Basic English (BBE)
“And she was full of desire for her lovers, whose flesh is like the flesh of asses and whose seed is like the seed of horses.”
Translation Philosophy: Simple vocabulary, clear meaning. The BBE was created using only 850 basic English words (plus biblical terms). It’s designed for English learners and children.
What This Tells Us: Even when limited to simple words, they kept it real. “Seed” is more delicate than “emission” but still gets the point across. The BBE proves you don’t need fancy vocabulary to translate controversial passages—you just need honesty.
Read: Bible in Basic English
The “We’re Gonna Use Old Words and Hope You Don’t Ask” Club
King James Version (KJV) – The Granddaddy
“For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.”
Translation Philosophy: Formal equivalence with 17th-century English dignity. The KJV (1611) aimed for literal accuracy while maintaining majestic, reverent language suitable for public worship.
What This Tells Us: The KJV translators were brilliant scholars who chose words that sounded dignified in church but meant exactly what Ezekiel said. “Paramour” (illicit lover), “flesh” (genitals), and “issue” (seminal emission) are all technically accurate—they just sound like Jane Austen instead of a medical textbook. This is translation as diplomatic art form.
Fun Fact: The KJV and its close relatives (ASV, Darby, Webster’s, RV, Cambridge Paragraph Bible) all stick to this formula. It’s the “if it ain’t baroque, don’t fix it” approach. Compare them all on our search page!
Read: King James Version
Douay-Rheims (DRA) – The Dramatic Catholic
“And she was mad with lust after lying with them whose flesh is as the flesh of asses: and whose issue as the issue of horses.”
Translation Philosophy: Formal equivalence from the Latin Vulgate. The Douay-Rheims (1899) is translated from Jerome’s Latin, not the Hebrew, giving it a unique flavor.
What This Tells Us: “Mad with lust” is pure drama. The DRA adds interpretive intensity that shows how translation from a translation can amplify certain aspects. Jerome wasn’t afraid to call it like he saw it, and the Douay-Rheims translators honored that spirit.
Read: Douay-Rheims Bible
The “We Have a Unique Audience” Specialists
Orthodox Jewish Bible (OJB) – Hebrew Terms Preserved
“For she lusted upon their pilagshim (illicit lovers), whose basar is as the basar of chamorim, and whose issue is like the issue of susim.”
Translation Philosophy: English translation that preserves Hebrew and Yiddish terms to maintain Jewish context. The OJB is designed for Jews and Messianic Jews who want the familiar Hebrew vocabulary.
What This Tells Us: By keeping “pilagshim” (concubines), “basar” (flesh), “chamorim” (donkeys), and “susim” (horses), the OJB keeps readers connected to the Hebrew text’s sound and feel. It’s like reading with a built-in concordance.
Read: Orthodox Jewish Bible
Translation for Translators (T4T)
“There she wanted to have sex with those who loved her, whose genitals were very long, like [SIM] those of donkeys, and whose sexual emissions were huge, like those of horses.”
Translation Philosophy: Hyper-expanded meaning-based translation for Bible translators. The T4T spells out EVERYTHING, including implied information and figures of speech (note the [SIM] marker for simile).
What This Tells Us: This is like SparkNotes meets Bible translation. T4T adds clarifying adjectives (“very long,” “huge”) and marks literary devices. It’s not meant for reading—it’s meant for understanding so you can translate into another language accurately.
Read: Translation for Translators
Wycliffe’s Bible (2017/2018 Modern Spelling)
“And she was wild in lechery on the lying-by of them, whose fleshes be as the fleshes of asses, and as the members of horses be the members of them.”
Translation Philosophy: Middle English (1380s) updated to modern spelling. Wycliffe’s Bible was the first complete English Bible, translated from the Latin Vulgate.
What This Tells Us: “Wild in lechery” sounds like a rejected metal band name. This shows how English has changed—”lechery” and “lying-by” were plain speech in the 1300s. The 2018 version even adds helpful parentheticals for the especially archaic terms.
Read: Wycliffe’s Bible