The Devout Library
English Bible translations
The history behind the major English Bibles — where each one came from, what sets it apart, and who reads it today.
1611
King James Version
The Authorised Version of 1611 — the most widely read and most influential English Bible ever made.
Read →1901
American Standard Version
A careful, highly literal American revision of 1901, long valued for close study.
Read →1997
World English Bible
A modern, freely available update of the American Standard Version in clear contemporary English.
Read →1582–1610
Douay-Rheims
The historic English Bible of the Catholic Church, translated from the Latin Vulgate.
Read →1560
Geneva Bible (1599)
The Bible of the Reformation and the Puritans — the first English Bible with numbered verses and study notes.
Read →1978
New International Version
The most widely read modern English Bible — readable contemporary prose with careful scholarship behind it.
Read →2001
English Standard Version
A modern essentially literal translation in the Tyndale–King James stream, widely used in evangelical and Reformed churches.
Read →1989
New Revised Standard Version
The standard ecumenical and academic Bible in English — careful, formal, and broadly accepted across traditions.
Read →1971
New American Standard Bible
One of the most literal modern English translations — prized for study, teaching, and word-level precision.
Read →1982
New King James Version
A modern update of the King James Bible, keeping its dignity while replacing the archaic English.
Read →1996
New Living Translation
A clear, thought-for-thought translation designed to be readily understood when read aloud or studied alone.
Read →2011
New American Bible Revised Edition
The standard Catholic Bible in the United States — the translation used in the lectionary and approved for liturgical use.
Read →