Choosing a Bible translation can feel overwhelming! There are so many out there and each has a slightly different style. If you’re anything like me when I first looked into buying a Bible, you’re probably feeling a little lost. That’s exactly why I created this guide! You can use it to help find a translation that connects with your reading style, study goals, and personal journey with God.

God’s Word is unchanging, but how we read it can depend a lot on the translation we use. Some Bibles are written in simple, everyday language that’s easy to follow. Others stick closely to the original wording, which can be great for study but harder to read aloud. Some versions feel like a devotional; others are structured for deep Bible study.

The truth is: there isn’t a one-size-fits-all Bible. The “best” translation is the one you’ll actually open, read, and understand. In the next section, we’ll look at why translations differ. Then, you can take the Bible Translation Quiz to see which versions might fit you best.

Before diving into the various translations, it helps to know their history and origins. The Bible has been faithfully passed down through centuries of copying, translating, and preserving ancient texts. Different Christian traditions (Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant beng the “big three”) use slightly different source texts, which is why some Bibles include books that others don’t and certain translations include more verses than others.

My goal isn’t to persuade you toward one translation or another, or push one tradition over another, but to give you the background so you understand why Bibles differ. That said, this guide and the translation quiz are written from a Protestant perspective, with Scripture alone (Sola Scriptura) as the final authority for faith and life. Because of that, the translations I highlight and recommend are those most commonly trusted within Protestant Christianity. So here’s the big picture:

Hebrew Canon (Masoretic Text):
Most Protestant Old Testaments are based on the Hebrew Scriptures. These were written between roughly 1400–400 BC in Hebrew (with some Aramaic). Centuries later, Jewish scribes called the Masoretes (6th–10th century AD) carefully added vowel markings and notes to preserve meaning. This “Masoretic Text” is the foundation for many translations today.

Greek Canon (Septuagint / LXX):
Around 300–100 BC, Jewish scholars translated the Hebrew Scriptures into Greek. This translation, called the Septuagint (LXX), became widely used among Greek-speaking Jews. By the time of Jesus and the apostles, it was one of the most commonly read versions of the Scriptures, and many New Testament quotations reflect its wording.

Deuterocanonical / Apocrypha:
The Septuagint also contained additional books such as Tobit, Wisdom of Solomon, and 1–2 Maccabees. These writings were used by many early Christians and remain part of Catholic and Orthodox Bibles today. During the Reformation, Protestant traditions adopted an Old Testament canon more closely aligned with the Hebrew Scriptures. As a result, many Protestant Bibles placed these books in a separate Apocrypha section or omitted them entirely.

Why Bibles Differ Today:
In the early centuries of Christianity, Greek-speaking believers commonly used the Septuagint (LXX), a Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures that also circulated with additional writings now referred to as the Deuterocanon or Apocrypha. At the same time, Jewish communities preserved the Hebrew Scriptures separately, and not every early Christian community agreed entirely on which books carried the same level of authority.

Because of this, discussions surrounding the Old Testament canon developed gradually over centuries. Some church leaders and traditions treated the additional books as Scripture, while others viewed them as valuable historical or devotional writings without placing them on the same level as the Hebrew books.

During the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s, these differences became more pronounced. Reformers such as Martin Luther emphasized the Hebrew canon as the primary foundation for the Old Testament, particularly as debates over church authority and doctrine intensified. In response, the Council of Trent formally reaffirmed the Deuterocanonical books within the Catholic canon, while Orthodox traditions continued largely following the Septuagint tradition.

The Reformation itself was driven primarily by broader concerns surrounding church corruption, authority, doctrine, and the role of Scripture — not simply by disagreements over translation or canon. However, questions surrounding which books belonged in the Bible became an important part of those larger conversations. If you’d like to explore that history further, you can read my article: How The Reformation Shaped Different Christian Bibles.

Not sure which translation is right for you? You’re not alone! With so many different versions available (from word-for-word translations to easy-to-read paraphrases), it can feel overwhelming to know where to start.

I’ve created a quiz that is designed to help you discover which translation (or translations) might fit you best based on your reading style, stage in faith, and how you plan to use your Bible.

A few things to know before you begin:

This quiz is completely non-biased. I don’t promote one translation over another. Every version included here is a legitimate translation or paraphrase used by Christians around the world.

You won’t get just one “right” answer. Instead, your results will suggest the top three translations based on your answers, along with background information so you can understand the differences for yourself.

This is about fit, not correctness. Some translations are better for in-depth study, others for devotional reading, others for public reading or memorization. The best Bible for you is the one that helps you engage most with God’s Word right now.

You don’t have to pick just one Bible and stick with it forever. Many people use one translation for casual reading and another for deeper study. Some even compare verses across translations to gain a fuller understanding of God’s Word.

What matters most is that you’re spending time with Scripture, allowing God to speak through it!