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
I began using the NASB in seminary and for my initial ministry. I have been “testing out” both the ESV and HCSB for the last 2 years. For me at least there is not enough difference between the NASB and ESV for me to move from the NASB. I am really enjoying the HCSB and have been teaching with it for several months. They are all 3 fine trnslations and I greatly wish the HCSB were more widely known. I am hopefully this will happen with its use in The Gospel Project as I would love to see more people use it either as their primary Bible or just add to their reference collection.
in my church we always used NIV 1984. we don’t mind if we have the update 2011NIV my pastor it’s okay with it some of our new members use the 2011NIV but . We like the NIV 2011 .but we love More the NIV84 th en the 2011 . I am so thankful and surprise NIV still the best selling Bible
I attend a Presbyterian church which uses the NIV. I teach 2 times a week at the church and use the HCSB primarily. The ESV is over-hyped in my opinion. I like the HCSB not only because it is easy to read, but from my studies, is probably the most accurate translation. Now if we can get the HCSB to release an interlinear, I’d be in Heaven!!!
Thanks Ted!
Within the first five years of my walk (2003-2008), I read and studied exclusively out of the NIV ’84 although I was raised on the KJV. For reasons unknown, I began to slowly transition into using the NKJV and for the next 3 years(2009-2011) the NKJV became my translation of choice. However in the fall of 2011 as I transferred to a Bible college, I came in contact with various people using a variety of translations. This peaked my interest of learning about the different translations of the Bible so throughout that entire semester I spent comparing and contrasting not only the translations themselves but furthermore the Greek Manuscripts that they were basing them on as well. I first stumbled upon the HCSB during this time and it struck me as a readable yet suitable translation for serious study. Since that time the HCSB, NASB. NKJV, and ESV have all become my top recommended translations…..recently I began reading the Lexham English Bible (LEB) which is in my observation a highly literal translation with excellent scholarship. The only thing I would recommend for the HCSB is a better edition of the HCSB Study Bible….possibly have multiple options to choose from as far as style of text, and pages. To me the current edition is a little kiddie in appearance in spots. What I really love about the HCSB study bibles is the bountiful cross-references that are available, to me the HCSB excels highly in this area. Thank you for all you do for the Kingdom!
Thanks, Dr. Rainer, for posting the list! The pastor of our church uses the NASB for his sermons and, on occasion, will augment his sermons using the Philips New Testament. When the HCSB came out, I started using it in my Discipleship Training class lessons. The pastor stopped by my class one night and told us that if he were starting his preaching ministry today, the HCSB would be the translation he would select. An interesting note is that our Associate Pastor to Students uses the ESV when he reads the Scripture passage from the pulpit each Sunday morning.
I’m surprised ESV is still at number 5! I started using it when NIV11 came out. At first I didn’t like ESV but after reading Kevin DeYoung’s short eBook on the ESV about a year ago, I was convinced it was time to make the switch. Right now, I’m replacing my memory verses with ESV.
My second go to version is a tie between NIV84 and HCSB, followed by NLT and NKJV. I still use NIV because almost all the Bible phrases I memorized are from NIV and I use HCSB because of its simply clarity.
Do online purchases (amazon, especially) get reported to that list? If not, could that skew our understanding of actual trends?
Please note that the list is derived from the Christian Booksellers Association. That organization includes Christian booksellers, both online and brick and mortar stores. It would not include secular sellers such as Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Amazon provides rankings, but they do not divulge individual book or Bible sales.
Thanks very much for the clarification! I’m having some leaders in our church spend a few months reading through HCSB. Then they’ll offer feedback and we’ll make a decision on switching to it for Sunday mornings. Thus far I’ve found it exactly as advertised and very readable.
I’m a Greek & NT professor. Periodically, I get frustrated with the NIV & its lack of specificity, & go to the RSV / NRSV / ESV / NET for my text classes. But I somehow always end up going back to the NIV. It’s more readable, less tendentious than the ESV, and it doesn’t have the “hey look at us we’re scholarly & edgy” quality that I get from the NRSV.
I’ve decided that it’s better to use the NIV for preaching & teaching and warn my students / listeners when I think it isn’t specific enough.
Thanks Perry!
Disappointed to see the “NIV” continuing to hold its market share, given that the “NIV” of 2012 and following is a totally different translation than the NIV 84 that I and others have known, loved, used and recommended. Zondervan’s “bait and switch” in foisting a new, more PC version on the public while still calling it the NIV has evidently succeeded. For shame.
When He saved me over 12 years ago (I’m 36), the first Bible I purchased was the NLT, at the suggestion of my wife, who grew up with the KJV. I now use the NLT as my standard give-away Bible, always on hand for those being presented the Gospel. It is not intimidating by any means. Personally, I now use the NKJV because that’s the version John MacArthur has his study Bible formatted. But now I’m highly interested in the HCSB and will make that purchase in the very near future as well as utilize it on my various Bible applications and Kindle. Thanks, Thom.
Thanks Bill!
It continues to amaze me how people continue to bad mouth the NIV11. I use it daily and it is my preferred translation. It is a little different than the NIV84. As far as its accuracy? I actually think there are a great many passages that have improved in its accuracy. In fact, many of those passages that are different in the 2011 are now much more similar to the ESV. It seems to me that it is vogue to criticize the NIV11. People read someone’s pet peeve list of passages they don’t like from the 2011, and then they jump on the negative bandwagon. In reality, similar lists could be made of every translation. Each translation has its strengths and weaknesses. It’s interesting that those who criticize the NIV11 are virtually silent about the NLT which is very similar, only the NIV11 is a bit more literal. Go figure. Remember, the Greek text is the standard for being literal, not an English translation. So unless you’re fluent in Greek, I’d be careful in criticizing any English translation for its supposed accuracy. Perhaps we should elevate understandability and application a little more than we do when it comes to translations. What does literal matter if someone can’t understand it. We can only apply the scriptures when we understand them.
Not too long ago I was in a LifeWay store (a little plug for you Thom!) and a lady came in looking for a Bible. A conversation began and she said that she had just started going to church (less than 3 times) for the first time in her life. Her friend encouraged her to get a Bible and suggested to her the NKJV because of its accuracy. I gently suggested to her a different translation which I assured her was accurate and reliable: the NLT. As someone who had no history with the Bible, she would have been lost in the NKJV. If the Living Bible were published as a Life Application Bible, I would have suggested that to her.
I really don’t care what translation a person uses as long as the can understand what they’re reading and *applying* what they read. Reading and studying without application is a waste of time (James 1:22-25), and you’re not going to apply what you don’t understand.
Let’s value understanding and application more than someone’s opinion on what they believe is an accurate translation (especially when they aren’t fluent in Greek).
I celebrate any version of the Scriptures that people will faithfully read, understand and apply.
Which Bible Translation really comes down to a matter of convenience. There is nothing worse for me than listening to a preacher read from one when I’m trying to follow in another. While I prefer to have a paper bible in my hand for personal study and reading, I carry a Kindle with multiple Bible translations just in case (It has KJV, ESV, NIV84, HCSB, and NASB). As for me, I preach and teach exclusively from the HCSB (The Hard Core Southern Baptist Bible) because my seminary professors from Capital Bible Seminary helped translate it. In many of my Greek and Hebrew translation classes, we would discuss why certain verses were translated a certain way (e.g. John 3:16). They kinda sold me on it’s reliability. And from a personal perspective, I really like the way it reads. I will say that if I am teaching in John 3, I get a little uncomfortable with the translation and usually spend some time defending the accuracy of that translation. I really hope that it eventually catches on because it is such an awesome translation!
Thanks for compiling the list. Very insightful!
I have read parts of each version except the Spanish one. Prior to being introduced to HCSB the NIV was my translation of choice. I now prefer HCSB, and recently got the Appologetics Study bible which uses HCSB… everything to formatting to style to language I prefer over other versions. I also have seen HCSB use a more literal form of words they translate and for me the more realistic it is the more it means. Please don’t use flowerly language , just get to the point. I feel like HCSB does so without croupting scripture.
For speaking uses and the rare occasion I bring my tablet to church rather than my bible I use ESV, personally I use HCSB and when quoting I like to compare translation to see which one drives the point clearest.