The ESV Bible is a new, essentially literal Bible translation that combines word-for-word precision and accuracy with literary excellence, beauty, and readability.

The English Standard Version (ESV) is a “word-for-word,” essentially literal translation because every word of the Bible is inspired by God.

Based on this principle, more than sixty of the world’s leading Bible scholars pored over every word and phrase to achieve the unique accuracy, excellence, and beauty of the ESV Bible.

The result is a new Bible translation (published in October 2001) that has a timeless quality and enduring relevance—a translation to trust for today and for generations to come.

With its distinctive combination of accuracy, excellence, and beauty, the ESV is ideally suited to become one Bible to meet our needs for all of life:

The ESV Bible is available in a wide range of editions and has been highly endorsed by Christian leaders.

Translation Philosophy

The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to be transparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original.

In contrast to the ESV, some Bible versions have followed a “thought-for-thought” rather than “word-for-word” translation philosophy, emphasizing “dynamic equivalence” rather than the “essentially literal” meaning of the original. A “thought-for-thought” translation is of necessity more inclined to reflect the interpretive opinions of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture.

Every translation is at many points a trade-off between literal precision and readability, between “formal equivalence” in expression and “functional equivalence” in communication, and the ESV is no exception. Within this framework we have sought to be “as literal as possible” while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence.

Therefore, to the extent that plain English permits and the meaning in each case allows, we have sought to use the same English word for important recurring words in the original; and, as far as grammar and syntax allow, we have rendered Old Testament passages cited in the New in ways that show their correspondence. Thus in each of these areas, as well as throughout the Bible as a whole, we have sought to capture the echoes and overtones of meaning that are so abundantly present in the original texts.

As an essentially literal translation, then, the ESV seeks to carry over every possible nuance of meaning in the original words of Scripture into our own language. As such, it is ideally suited for in-depth study of the Bible. Indeed, with its emphasis on literary excellence, the ESV is equally suited for public reading and preaching, for private reading and reflection, for both academic and devotional study, and for Scripture memorization.

From KJV to ESV: A Historical Legacy

“The true heirs of the King James translators are those who continue their task today, not those who declare it to have been definitively concluded in 1611.”
—Alister McGrath, In the Beginning

The Legacy of the King James Version

The King James Version (KJV) was the standard Bible used by the English-speaking world for almost four centuries. It was the one Bible that united the Church, strengthened believers, and brought untold millions of souls to Christ. Its literary beauty helped to shape the English language more than any other printed work before or since. Adults and children studied it and committed its verses to memory. It is still among the top-selling Bibles on current bestseller lists.

The translators of the KJV understood the value of the English translation work that had been done before their time, and they wisely referred to the earliest English Bible translations, dating back to William Tyndale’s 1526 New Testament, in addition to the manuscripts in their original languages.

With the greatest respect for the KJV and deep gratitude to its translators for their work, the English Standard Version Translation Team endeavored to carry on the KJV’s historic translation legacy in a way that is fresh and compelling for today and that will endure for generations to come.

The ESV and the KJV: A Comparison

The English language has changed over the centuries, and modern readers find the KJV’s archaic words and sentence structures difficult to understand. Throughout the course of the twentieth century, it became clear that Bible readers needed a translation they could easily understand, resulting in a proliferation of Bible translations.

Given the wide variety of translations today, the ESV occupies a unique place in the classic stream of essentially literal translation and careful attention to literary beauty. The result is a highly accurate translation that retains the literary impact of the KJV but that still speaks powerfully for today.

To get a sense of the beauty of the ESV’s language, compare the way the beloved 23rd Psalm is expressed in the ESV and the KJV.

Psalm 23 (KJV)	Psalm 23 (ESV)
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.	The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.	He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.	He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.	Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.	You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.	Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

A Standard Translation

There was a time when the entire English-speaking world used the King James Version. Every pastor preached from it, every layperson committed the same words to memory. And the impact on culture was enormous.

As the direct descendant of the historic King James Bible, the ESV retains the beauty and majesty of the original languages and the rich theological words of the Bible in English. It is highly readable in a clear, literary style that does not sacrifice depth of meaning for easy reading.

Given this legacy and commitment, the ESV is uniquely positioned to become a true standard, unifying the church and families under the Word of God—around one Bible for preaching and teaching, for family devotions and personal study, for memorizing and daily reading, for young and old.

The Historic Legacy of the ESV

The ESV stands in the classic mainstream of English Bible translations over the past half-millennium. The fountainhead of that stream was William Tyndale’s New Testament of 1526; marking its course were the King James Version of 1611 (KJV), the English Revised Version of 1885 (RV), the American Standard Version of 1901 (ASV), and the Revised Standard Version of 1952 and 1971 (RSV). In that stream, faithfulness to the text and vigorous pursuit of accuracy were combined with simplicity, beauty, and dignity of expression.

The words and phrases of the ESV grow out of the Tyndale-King James legacy, and most recently out of the RSV, with the 1971 RSV text providing the starting point for the ESV text. Archaic language was brought to current usage and significant corrections were made in the translation of key texts. But throughout, the translators’ goal was to retain the depth of meaning and enduring language that have made their indelible mark on the English-speaking world and have defined the life and doctrine of the church over the last four centuries.

Timeline

1456	Johannes Gutenberg produces the first printed Bible, which is in Latin.
1526	William Tyndale publishes the first complete edition of the English New Testament.
1530	Tyndale publishes the Pentateuch in English.
1535	Tyndale is arrested in Antwerp by papal authorities and imprisoned near Brussels.
1535	Tyndale’s associate, Miles Coverdale, finishes Tyndale’s work and publishes the first complete translation of the Bible and the Apocrypha in English.
1536	Tyndale is executed for his translation work.
1537-1568	Other English Bibles are published—including Matthew’s Bible (1537), the Great Bible (1539), and the Bishops’ Bible (1568)—all of which relied heavily on Tyndale (and the completed edition of Coverdale’s Bible).
1604	King James assembles ten of his senior bishops at the Hampton Court Conference, where the decision is made to publish a new English translation of the Bible.
1611	The King James Bible is published; the extensive influence of Tyndale’s work is evident in this new translation.
1881-1885	The King James Bible is revised and published as the Revised Version (RV) in England.
1901	The American Standard Version (ASV) is published in America. Except for a small number of changes, the ASV is essentially the same as the RV published in England about 20 years earlier.
1946-1952	Revised Standard Version is published.
1998	The Good News/Crossway Board of Directors votes unanimously at the Annual Meeting to authorize the translation work and publication of the ESV.
2001	The English Standard Version is published. It is the first Bible ever to be published simultaneously in print and electronic media.
2002	The Good News/Crossway Board of Directors forms a separate not-for-profit organization, The Standard Bible Society (SBS), with the sole purpose of disseminating the English Standard Version Bible worldwide.
2002	The ESV receives the ECPA Gold Medallion award for excellence in Christian publishing in the Bible category.
2002	HarperCollins UK publishes the ESV for distribution throughout England and Europe.
2003	The English Standard Version and the New Chinese Version are published side-by-side in a bilingual parallel Bible available from Worldwide Bible Society for distribution in China and throughout the world.
2004	A worldwide distribution agreement is signed on the 200th anniversary of the British and Foreign Bible Society for distribution of the ESV Bible through national Bible societies around the world.

ESV Copyright and Permissions Information

The ESV text may be quoted (in written, visual, or electronic form) up to and inclusive of one thousand (1,000) verses without express written permission of the publisher, providing that the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for 50 percent or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted.

The ESV text may be quoted for audio use (audio cassettes, CDs, audio television) up to two hundred fifty (250) verses without express written permission of the publisher providing that the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible nor do the verses quoted account for 50 percent or more of the total text of the work in which they are quoted.

Notice of copyright must appear as follows on the title page or copyright page of printed works quoting from the ESV, or in a corresponding location when the ESV is quoted in other media:

“Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version, copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

When more than one translation is quoted in printed works or other media, the foregoing notice of copyright should begin as follows:

“Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from . . . [etc.]”; or,
“Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from . . . [etc.].”

The “ESV” and “English Standard Version” are trademarks of Good News Publishers. Use of either trademark requires the permission of Good News Publishers.

When quotations from the ESV text are used in non-saleable media, such as church bulletins, orders of service, posters, transparencies, or similar media, a complete copyright notice is not required, but the initials (ESV) must appear at the end of the quotation.

Publication of any commentary or other Bible reference work produced for commercial sale that uses the English Standard Version must include written permission for use of the ESV text.

Permission requests that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to Good News Publishers, Attn: Bible Rights, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187, USA or permissions@gnpcb.org.

Permission requests for use within the UK and EU that exceed the above guidelines must be directed to HarperCollins Religious, 77-85 Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith, London W6 8JB, England.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) is adapted from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. All rights reserved.

Good News Publishers (including Crossway Bibles) is a not-for-profit organization that exists solely for the purpose of publishing the good news of the gospel and the truth of God’s Word, the Bible.

Introduction to the ESV Bible