Bible Chart with Grade Levels Preface: I have been meaning to do a chart like this for some time; the problem being is, I don’t really know how to judge reading levels. However, I have thought about subdividing the translations for the exegetical study of each chapter of the Bible and adding in another category of easy-to-read translations. In order to do that, I needed to know which translations were easy-to-read. This resulted in the following chart, culled mostly from elsewhere, with the credit given at the bottom of the chart. Reading Level by Description/ Bible/ Published/ Grade/ Target Translation Commentary Distinctives Examples Abbreviation translators Audience Philosophy This translation is really a Dynamic 11th Grade mini-commentary which A popular translation used features a system of to understand the New Testament Amplified Bible Word-for-word Those looking for verse-end alternate hidden meaning of Greek 1958; Old plus additional more detailed translations and comments and Hebrew words. Break Testament 1964; AMP amplification of shades of meaning on different shades of through the language Revised 1987 word meanings in in Scripture meaning in the original barrier. brackets languages. Common English Bible 7th grade CBS, BY CEB This version seeks to be readable, yet faithful to the meaning of the original texts. Nouns describing God's actions (righteousness, Written at an 4th Grade Contemporary Paraphrase salvation, etc.) are rendered elementary-school 5.4 grade level New Testament English Version in varying ways. This version reading level, the CEV is 5th BY 1991; Old Thought-for- avoids complicated readable and Testament 1995 CEV thought language, obscure understandable for the Unchurched vocabulary and difficult modern reader. sentence structure to produce a translation understandable to a wide variety of modern readers. Reading Level by Description/ Bible/ Published/ Grade/ Target Translation Commentary Distinctives Examples Abbreviation translators Audience Philosophy Joseph R. Rotherham's translation features special New Testament markings, indentations, and Emphasized Bible 12th Grade Formal Equivalent 1878, 1897; Old footnotes designed to convey Testament 1902 the sense of Hebrew and Greek to the modern reader. The ESV uses the classic principles of word-for-word 8th Grade translation and literary 7.4 grade level A literal update of the English Standard excellence as exemplified by 10th grade CBS Formal Equivalent Revised Standard Version the KJV and most recently 10th BY Version, seeks to produce Fall 2001 the RSV. Highly accurate, the Word-for-word word-for-word ESV ESV closely reflects the Bible readers of correspondence. original meaning of the text in all ages clear, readable, enduring English. This revision utilizes the translation process employed by global mission 4th – 5th Grade organizations for translating 4.3 grade level Dynamic A meaning-based, God's Word the Bible into new foreign 5th grade CBS contemporary translation New Testament God’s Word™ languages. The goal is to Balance between utilizing the 1988; Old express the meaning of what Christians and word-for-word and thought-for-thought Testament 1995 GW appears in the forms of the non-Christians; thought-for-thought translation philosophy original biblical languages adults and children into those expressing essentially the same meaning in modern English. A thought-for-thought translation theory called Good News dynamic equivalence was 7th Grade Paraphrase; New Testament Version (Today’s used for this version. It uses 6th grade (LfJ) Emphasis on 1966; Old English Version) common English throughout, 7th BY Functional Testament 1974, and modern idioms are 6.0 (Zond.) Equivalent Revised 1993 GNV, GNT, TEV sometimes substituted for ancient ones in the interest of clarity. Reading Level by Description/ Bible/ Published/ Grade/ Target Translation Commentary Distinctives Examples Abbreviation translators Audience Philosophy Functional NT 7th – 8th grade equivalence; The HCSB is a combination Holman Christian 7.5 grade level Optimal of word-for-word and A translation that attempts Standard Bible 7th – 8th grade CBS Equivalence dynamic renderings that is to combine NT 2001 both faithful to the words God both formal and dynamic HCSB Bible readers of Balance between inspired and user friendly to equivalence all ages word-for-word and modern readers. thought-for-thought International Standard Version 8th – 9th ISV This paraphrase of the American Standard Version was an attempt by Kenneth Living Bible L. Taylor to put the Bible in New Testament 8th Grade Paraphrase language his children could 1962; Old LT understand. It is useful for Testament 1971 introducing the Bible to people who are unfamiliar with it. Paraphrase 7th Grade Thought-for- 5.5–10 depending thought. Converts Pastor and biblical scholar on the passage the original Eugene H. Peterson's aim in This paraphrase was 4th – 5th CBS languages into the developing this contemporary translated using the New Testament 4.8 (Zond.) tone and rhythms language version is to rhythms and tone of 1993; Psalms The Message of modern-day transfer the informal and contemporary English to 1994; Complete Christians who American speech earthy flavor of the Greek communicate to the Bible, July 2002 want a fresh while retaining the into the rhythms and idiom of modern reader Bible-reading idioms and everyday English. experience and meaning of the seekers original languages Reading Level by Description/ Bible/ Published/ Grade/ Target Translation Commentary Distinctives Examples Abbreviation translators Audience Philosophy Published under the direction of Pope Pius XII, this Catholic version of 11th Grade This is the first complete the Bible represents more New American 6.6 grade level Formal equivalent, American Catholic Bible than 25 years of effort by 1970; NT Bible 7th BY Dynamic translated from the original the Catholic revised 1986; 6.6 (Zond.) languages. Its style is more Biblical Association of Psalms revised NAB Word-for-word direct than that of the America. All editions 1992 Catholic Jerusalem Bible. include the Deuterocanonical/ Apocryphal books Especially popular among A highly respected, formal 11th Grade Evangelicals and others who translation of the Bible. 10th BY (for New American want a word-for-word Purpose of the work was New Testament updated version) Formal Equivalent Standard translation of the original to update the American 1963; Whole manuscripts, this translation Standard Version into Bible 1971, Conservative, Word-for-word NASB was prepared as an update more current English. The Revised 1995 evangelical of the 1901 American most literal is now more Protestant Standard Version (ASV). readable 3rd Grade 5.6 grade level 3rd grade CBS From the translators of the Based on the ICB Formal Equivalent New Century 4th BY International Children's (International Children's New Testament Version Version, this conservative Bible), it's a readable and Balance between 1978; Old Those who want a evangelical translation is in simple translation using word-for-word and Testament 1986 NCV highly readable simple English, designed to the thought-for-thought thought-for-thought translation of the be easy to read. translation methodology. Bible in today's language Reading Level by Description/ Bible/ Published/ Grade/ Target Translation Commentary Distinctives Examples Abbreviation translators Audience Philosophy The first British Bible to be translated from the original languages since the King New English Bible James Version, this is a New Testament 8th Grade Dynamic thought-by-thought 1961; Old NEB translation in modern British Testament 1970 English. It has been replaced, for the most part, by the Revised English Bible. New English Translation 7th BY NET Simple Functional A thorough, scholarly Equivalent The NIrV is a simplified simplification of the NIV, 3rd Grade version of the NIV, developed the NIrV was specifically Balance between 2.9 grade level by the same translation team designed to help young New International word-for-word 3rd grade CBS that prepared the NIV. Very children and new readers 1996 Published Readers' Version translation and 3.5 grade (LfJ) easy reading, designed for understand the Bible for in 1994. Updated thought-for children as a stepping stone themselves and create an in 1998. NIrV thought, with an Children ages 10 to the NIV, as well as those easy stepping-stone emphasis on and under for whom English is a second from a children's Bible to meaning when language. an adult Bible. The NIV necessary for for kids simplification The bestselling translation, widely 7th Grade Primarily functional Called "international" accepted by evangelical 7.8 grade level equivalent with because it is Christians. Purpose in 7th – 8th grade CBS some attention to transdenominational and New International translation was to 7.8 grade (LfJ) formal contains the work of many New Testament Version "produce an accurate 8th BY considerations scholars from many 1973; Old translation, suitable for English-speaking nations, the Testament 1978 NIV public and private Evangelical Balance between NIV is a straightforward reading, teaching, Christians of all word-for-word and translation in contemporary preaching, memorizing, ages thought-for-thought English. and liturgical use." Most read. Most trusted Reading Level by Description/ Bible/ Published/ Grade/ Target Translation Commentary Distinctives Examples Abbreviation translators Audience Philosophy New Jerusalem 9th Grade An update of the Jerusalem Bible functional