The Christian Booksellers Association has published its list of bestselling Bible translations in 2012 for the United States.
2012 – Based on Dollar Sales
- New International Version
- King James Version
- New Living Translation
- New King James Version
- English Standard Version
- Holman Christian Standard Bible
- New American Standard Bible
- Common English Bible
- Reina Valera 1960
- The Message
2012 – Based on Unit Sales
- New Living Translation
- New International Version
- King James Version
- New King James Version
- English Standard Version
- Common English Bible
- Holman Christian Standard Bible
- New American Standard Bible
- Reina Valera 1960
- New International Readers Version
Are there any surprises to you? How many of these translations have you read?
Posted on March 19, 2013
With nearly 40 years of ministry experience, Thom Rainer has spent a lifetime committed to the growth and health of local churches across North America.
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188 Comments
Out of the ten, I have read eight. My favorite is the NLT.
I can certainly see why the New Living Translation has risen to the top of the lists. I read through it some time back and was so impressed with how smoothly it flows that I use it as my primary Bible now. However, I have not found a more helpful study Bible than the ESV Study Bible.
I know that we have data available for total money spent and total units sold, but I would be interested to see a breakdown of what people are reading based on age. Being a younger minister (under 30) I see that most of my contemporaries are using the ESV, while some use the NASB, HCSB, or others. I do not really know anyone in my age who uses the NIV anymore, largely due to the existence of more faithful translations and the aforementioned “edits” in the 2011 version.
I would think that if there was a way to follow what translations the younger ministers are using that it would help in projecting what translations are going to be sold in the next 10-12 years as older pastors retire and younger ones assume the pulpit. What translation are these younger ministers going to use when preaching to their churches, and will the people in the congregation start reading these translations in order to better follow the pastor? I know that this data is much more difficult to scientifically quantify, but it would be interesting nonetheless, as well as quite useful.
Good idea Jason.
Get ready for some rapid fire random thoughts here, (and probably TMI!): Now that the dude has Logos on our home computer, I have access to almost all of them — but have never heard of Reina Valera. My only surprise is that the NCV (New Century Version) isn’t on there. I’ve always heard it was accurate yet at an easier reading level. The NCV was probably the first Bible I bought for myself because I tended to notice more details about the passages when the language was simplified. I remember memorizing some Psalms for elementary Sunday school classes from my parents’ King James, and it’s still hard to read those passages in another version b/c they just don’t sound right!. When I was in high school, a public school teacher gave me the NIV for my birthday b/c she found out I didn’t have a personal Bible. I’m a bit attached to it b/c I read it during the time I first noticed God’s Spirit at work in my life. I excitedly highlighted every passage in the New Testament that talked about grace and faith as I first began to comprehend it for myself. It is a trip down memory lane every time I open it. The dude preaches out of the NASB, and I have experimented with the HCSB in a small mentoring group I lead. (I remember being surprised that the HCSB translated Noah as planting the *first* vineyard while none of the others that I know of make that distinction.) Also, I do like flipping over to see how The Message will translate something, because it often will give a new food for thought. However, I don’t use it for study because I’ve noticed that it leaves out important things — such as the wording that indicates certain passages are Messianic prophecies. I did recently buy my preteen a study Bible that uses the New Living Translation. It was a reactionary moment b/c one Sunday the women in our mentoring class were all out of town and I sat in on an adult SS class where too many were sitting around being right about their understanding of scripture and applying it to such surprisingly shallow things. So, I thought maybe my son might need some balance in our church in hearing the heart of God from a thought for thought translation rather than satisfaction in being right all the time. Again, probably TMI, but there it all is!
I guess I was surprised that the New Revised Standard Version is not even in the top ten. Of course, I knew it wouldn’t be high on that list but many of the “mainline” churches use it as their pew bible and I know several ministers who preach from it. In addition it has the “sanction” of many denominations, and has been published in specifically Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox editions. There is also at least one “scholarly” edition, meant for academic study. What does the NRSV’s lack of popularity indicate? Is it a lack of interest in the Bible among that translation’s constituent groups?; Is it that those groups are more effected by evangelicalism than they are really even aware of?; Is it something else entirely?
My congregation uses the NRSV for lectionary readings, but has NIV pew Bibles (I’d prefer several other translations to it, but particularly the NRSV or ESV, which we have a number of in our library). Our preferences would be a bit limited, because I would prefer a pew Bible with the Apocrypha because of our tradition. I dislike the NIV primarily because I prefer translations with at least an echo of the KJV. I often feel like the NIV translators intentionally tried to break out of the KJV mold, and in some cases the translation paid a price for it. I think it remains so popular primarily because of social inertia. Whenever my congregants go to buy a bible, it is usually the translation recommended to them “because it’s the one everyone reads” if they don’t use the KJV.
I think the NRSV suffers primarily because of three things. I’m over simplifying a bit, but not by very much, I think:
1) The NRSV is seen as Liberal
2) The NRSV is seen as too academic (this overlaps with #1 when it comes to people with problems with historical-critical study)
3) The NRSV has suffered from horrible marketing. The success of the CEB in comparison shows that this may actually be the biggest strike against it.
I have several versions that I look to and read, depending on what I am studying.
My main bible that I have had since spiritual birth is the NIV study bible. I love the KJV also and memorized many scriptures from it, as a new believer. It was the version my kids used in school for memorization.
However, I am using more and more the NKJV, NASB, and Amplified: I really like the fact that all the pronouns for God are capitalized, unlike the NIV, ESV, NLT and others.
Does bother anyone else when you see pronouns for God in small caps?
Julia –
The HCSB is one translation that capitalizes pronouns for any person of the Trinity.
I was always taught to capitalize God’s name, and even the pronouns, too! I’m surprised when other Bibles don’t.
It would be interesting to see which translations are being “used” the most. What I mean by that is, which translations are being purchased or read by people who read their bible once a week? twice a week? three times a week? and so forth. Also which translations are being quoted by popular books? I realize that’s a lot of research but i think it says a lot about a translation if serious bible readers are reading one particular translation, or if popular authors chose to quote one particular translation. For the record i love the HCSB and i recommend it often.
I’ve read through all but The Message and CEB. I prefer the ESV over the others although I could live with any of them (except The Message).
I’m surprised the KJV continues to sell so strongly.
I find the ESV landing in the middle of the pack as a bit of a surprise and would have expected it to be higher up in the list. It will be interesting if this will remain true in the coming year. While the NIV has had a dominant hold in mainstream evangelicalism for such a long time, I wonder if some of reason it remained at the top was because of the NIV-2011 being released? It could account for sales in people either wanting another 1984 copy before production completely ceased, or people investigating the 2011 version. While not “heretical”, the NIV-2011 has some controversy surrounding it’s translation of certain passages, similar to the TNIV several years ago. As churches are forced to make a choice regarding pulpit versions as the 1984 is no longer available, I’m curious- how many are selecting the NIV-2011 rather than switching to another version? As a church, we were faced with this decision recently and have decided to switch to the ESV. Finally, since Crossway makes the ESV so widely available for free online and in apps, is that affecting it’s position in the middle of the pack as people use the free versions on their electronic devices rather than purchasing physical copies?
Jeff –
I don’t think so. Almost all the translations offer free e-versions.
Dr. Rainer-
That was my thought too. I really didn’t anticipate a shift either, with the wide availability of e-versions, but just thought I’d throw the question out there. Thank you.
While i have read and used most of these translations to varying degrees in both personal and ministry situations, most of my scripture memory has historically been from the NIV84. I was an NIV guy forever until they changed it. I will not buy the new NIV and have all but converted to the ESV, which I really really love. I still use the NIV84 on occasion. Of course as a good Southern Baptist I do like and have some affection for the HCSV but it is not my primary goto version.
I’ve studied for years and years. Started with the NKJV from the time I was little. Switched over to the NASB in college. Then to the ESV right after it came out. All have their pros and cons.
Typically, when I want to just read the Scriptures, I lean towards the HCSB which I dscovered last year. It’s got a great flow. It has the same problems the ESV, NASB and NKJV versions do; mistranslations, but you can’t help but let a little bias in, it’s human. All translations seem to suffer in some areas regarding mistranslations.
If I’m studying in depth (not just reading), I tend to have 3 versions open, the NASB, the Complete Jewish Bible and the Young’s Literal. I’m finding there’s value in all translations. None are perfect. However, the troubling thing to me is the NIV. It’s a really, really bad translation. Google search it, people. It can straight up change the meaning of passages easily.
I am not surprised at all by the NIV remaining the top selling Bible translation. What surprised me is the NLT being the top translation for unit sales. I thought the ESV (my preferred translation) would do much better as well as the HCSB. I think a lot of Christians do not have a clue about the updated NIV because they have not been informed of the changes. My only guess with the NLT is some churches have used that as their many translation.