5 Easiest Bible Versions to Read and Understand for Beginners

Published on January 13, 2017 at 12:34 am by Jay Martin in Lists

Which are the easiest Bible versions to read and understand for beginners?

Are you feeling spiritual in the New Year? Have you decided to dive into reading the Bible for the first time or the first time in a while? Great, then we have a perfect list for you.

If you are religious or interested in exploring different religions then reading the Bible is a great place to start. However, reading the Bible is also great for those who are absolute atheists, agnostics, or who practice other organized religions. It is an interesting book that can give you insight into world history. If nothing else, the Bible is an excellent historical source document wherein you can understand a great deal about

With estimated total sales of over 5 billion copies, the Bible is often referred to as the most read book in the world. The full Bible has been translated into 636 different languages with thousands more languages having partial translations. There are at least 108 different versions of the Bible. Versions differing from translations in that a translation is in a different language than the original while a version is an interpretation. Different Bible versions have different contexts, different interpretations, leave out or add books or verses–which ultimately can make it a more or less accurate book.

5 Easiest Bible Versions to Read and Understand for Beginners

Why do we have so many variations and translations? The answer is twofold: for some editors and compilers they want to create the Bible that best suits their beliefs or agenda. The other much less cynical answer is that different people have different reading levels, and therefore need different versions. There are versions fit for more scholarly or more advanced readers – most versions of this kind have deeper words and archaic language.

As time goes by, people change, and have new generations needing a simpler, more direct translation of the Scripture. According to Biblica, the readers of the Bible belong to different reading levels, ranging from third-grade to twelfth-grade reading levels. There are different Bible translations for every group of Bible readers. If you are among the younger population reading this article, still looking for a college to roll in, we have another perfect list for you – 7 Easiest CSU’s to Get Into.

Now, the list that we have here talks about the 5 easiest Bible versions to read and understand for beginners. In order to get the results, we used these points of criteria: simple sentence structure and readability.

Bible Study Tools is a website with information on how the most popular and best-selling Bible versions are written. Most of the points used in determining the easiest Bible versions were sourced from the said site.

5. New Living Translation

This Bible version focuses on conveying the clearest messages from the Scriptures using standard English, which makes it sounds very modern. Unlike the older translations which have flowery words and a lot of figurative language, the NLT version is said to be very readable and is now widely accepted. They use contemporary terms, which is also why it is one of the most-read Bible versions of today. Since its translators made a conscious effort to reach the younger generation, the words they use are clear, direct, and still true to the text.

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4. Good News Translation

A popular Bible version for children and those who are still trying to learn the English language, the Good News Translation has easy to read and understand texts. Its translators wanted to use what they called a “common language”, and indeed they did when they first published this version in 1976. Because this was intended for children, the sentence structure is simple, readable, and very understandable and that’s why we put it on the list of easiest Bible versions to read and understand for beginners.

3. Common English Bible

Now we come to the halfway mark of 5 easiest Bible versions to read and understand for beginners. From the name itself, anyone can tell that this Bible version is a good choice for beginners. The verses and Scriptures are translated into simpler sentences, and can be understood without much effort at all. There is no need to decipher, or to read between the lines to understand what the verse is trying to imply. Common English Bible tries to use natural wording as an alternative to the usual deep words used in the older Bible versions.

2. New American Standard Bible

Poised as the most literal and most readable Bible version, New American Standard Bible has gained such a loyal following through the years. The reason why it is more popular than the other easy to read ones is that it combines the literary beauty of the King James Version Bible, and the simplicity of how verses should be shared in this modern world. Using standard language and simple sentence structure, beginners will have a great start in Bible reading with this version.

1. New International Version

Arguably the most popular Bible version today, the New International Version is a clear winner in the easiest Bible versions for beginners. It provides the much needed balance of word and thought in the Scriptures. The words used in the translation are simple, but also lingers in the mind and manages to touch the heart of whoever is reading it. Word for word and thought for thought perfection, and you’ve got yourself a great Bible version–beginner or expert.

Reading the Bible should not feel like a chore, which is why it is crucial to find the one version that is perfect for you–your reading level and understanding level. These 5 easiest bible versions to read and understand for beginners are all translated simply, and can be understood easily.