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ESV, NIV, or NASB and then there's the ICB, ESV or NIrV...which should we read?

I am so thankful for my friend's question about the ESV vs. NASB and NIV. I couldn't remember the difference so I went to look it up. I knew that John Piper and Tim Keller, both pastors and authors that I deeply respect have switched over to the ESV. All of the churches that we have attended over the past few years PCA or Reformed Baptist have also switched to the ESV.

I did find a blog that explained the differences and that helped me (http://thefoolishgalatian.wordpress.com/2007/10/22/niv-vs-esv-and-why-piper-switched/ )
I knew why I didn't like the KJV--it was written in the days when writers were paid by a patron and that often slanted the translation. The NKJV, from what I understand, is a revision of the KJV that uses more modern language.

Most churches I have attended used the NIV until the ESV came out. The blog I found explained that the ESV is a more literal translation---like the NASB. The NASB is a very literal translation. The ESV has come to be considered as literal a translation, but more readable than the NASB. My husband likes the ESV and the little Bible in my purse is an ESV, but I haven't switched over in my main reading Bible yet. Maybe that's something I should ask for for Christmas =) from my husband. But, I found another blog discussion about translation vs. paraphrase that talks specifically about the question of translation vs. paraphrase:
http://confessionsofanunchurchedbeliever.blogspot.com/2007/08/translation-vs-paraphrase.html
I think my understanding is that the ESV is a word for word translation and the NIV is a thought for thought translation.
Here's one last website that lists all of the translations/paraphrases and identifies each one =)
http://www.esv.org/about/other.translations

The ICB, ESV, and NIrV is a different challenge of choices. A bookstore owner explained it to me a few months ago and I'm very thankful that he did. We just bought Autumn the NIrV Discoverer's Bible for Early Readers. It is a large print edition. Basically, the NIrV is the NIV with simpler sentence structure (more periods and such). The ICB, on the other hand, is a paraphrase--a rewording of the original text. The ESV children's Bible is no different in text from the adult version of the ESV. I think what I plan to do is to read the NIrV with Autumn until she is ready for an adult Bible, 4th or 5th grade? and then transition to the ESV.

I hope that is helpful information. =)
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