ChatGPT responses included the number of translations, when they were created, and which group preferred which ones.
There is no universally agreed-upon number of English Bible translations, but as of 2025, there are over 100 complete or partial English translations of the Bible.
The total depends on how one defines a “translation” versus an “edition” or “revision.” Here’s a breakdown:
Complete English Bible translations (OT + NT):
Around 50–60 major complete translations since the 14th century.
Example: Wycliffe Bible (1382), King James Version (1611), Revised Standard Version (1952), New International Version (1978), New Revised Standard Version (1989), English Standard Version (2001), etc.
Partial translations:
Dozens more exist as New Testament–only, Psalms-only, or paraphrases.
Example: The Message, J.B. Phillips NT, Cotton Patch Gospel, The Passion Translation (NT + Psalms + Proverbs), etc.
Modern or niche translations:
Include:
Jewish and Messianic Jewish versions (e.g., Complete Jewish Bible)
Academic or interlinear (e.g., Lexham English Bible)
Simplified or children’s versions
Digital or AI-aided translations (Recent):
Several new translations have been created for online platforms, apps, or AI voice assistants, with simplified language or dynamic rendering.
Summary by category:
Type
Approximate Number
Full English Bibles
50–60
NT-only or partial translations
40+
Paraphrases & adaptations
20+
Total translations (rough)
100–150+
Here is a timeline of major English Bible translations, focusing on complete or historically significant versions. This list includes full Bibles, major New Testaments, and influential revisions:
Pre-Reformation (before 1500)
c. 1382–1395 – Wycliffe Bible First complete English translation of the Bible (from the Latin Vulgate, not Hebrew or Greek). Hand-copied manuscripts.
Reformation & Early Modern Period (1500–1700)
1526 – William Tyndale’s New Testament First printed English NT from Greek. Basis for many later versions.
1535 – Coverdale Bible First complete printed English Bible; compiled from various sources.
1537 – Matthew Bible Combines Tyndale and Coverdale. Licensed by the Crown.
1539 – Great Bible Authorized for public reading in churches of England.
1560 – Geneva Bible First English Bible with verse numbers; popular among Puritans.
1568 – Bishops’ Bible Authorized by the Church of England, replaced Geneva in liturgy.
1611 – King James Version (KJV) Monumental Authorized Version; dominated English-speaking Christianity for 300+ years.
Enlightenment to 19th Century (1700–1900)
1769 – Blayney Revision of KJV Modernized spelling and grammar; the version widely known today.
1885 – Revised Version (RV) First major revision of the KJV using older Greek and Hebrew texts.
20th Century Explosion (1900–2000)
1901 – American Standard Version (ASV) Americanized version of the RV. Reverent and literal.
1946–52 – Revised Standard Version (RSV) Ecumenical, scholarly, and influential; updated ASV.
1966 – Jerusalem Bible Roman Catholic translation from French; literary style.
1971 – New American Standard Bible (NASB) Formal equivalent; revision of ASV, very literal.
1978 – New International Version (NIV) Evangelical, widely accessible; thought-for-thought approach.
1982 – New King James Version (NKJV) Updated KJV language with same underlying texts.
1989 – New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) Inclusive language; academic standard among many denominations.
1996 – Contemporary English Version (CEV) For public reading and children; clear and simple.
1996 – New Living Translation (NLT) Dynamic equivalent; readable, modern language.
1999 – English Standard Version (ESV) Conservative, literal; revision of RSV with Reformed leanings.
21st Century and Digital Age (2000–present)
2001 – The Message (MSG) Paraphrase in modern American idiom by Eugene Peterson.
2004 – Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB) Evangelical, balance of readability and accuracy.
2009 – Lexham English Bible (LEB) Designed for digital tools; literal and annotated.
2011 – Common English Bible (CEB) Ecumenical, readable, inclusive.
2011 – NIV Updated Edition Inclusive language update to the 1978/1984 NIV.
2017 – Christian Standard Bible (CSB) Update to HCSB; clearer and more literal.
2018 – Passion Translation (partial) Devotional rendering; not based directly on full original texts.
2021 – New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVue) Minor updates to NRSV for accuracy and inclusivity.
Here’s a guide to which religious groups—Protestant, Catholic, Jewish—primarily use each major English Bible translation, based on theological alignment, canonical content, and liturgical or educational use:
Pre-Reformation (before 1500)
Wycliffe Bible (1382–1395) – Proto-Protestant (used by Lollards, not sanctioned by the Church)
Reformation & Early Modern Period (1500–1700)
Translation
Primary Use
Tyndale NT (1526)
Protestant (Evangelical Reformers)
Coverdale Bible (1535)
Protestant (Church of England)
Matthew Bible (1537)
Protestant (English Reformation)
Great Bible (1539)
Protestant (Church of England)
Geneva Bible (1560)
Protestant (Puritans, Calvinists)
Bishops’ Bible (1568)
Protestant (Anglican liturgy)
King James Version (1611)
Protestant (especially Anglican, Evangelical, and some Pentecostal)
18th–19th Century
Translation
Primary Use
Blayney KJV (1769)
Protestant (dominant English Bible)
Revised Version (1885)
Protestant (mainline British churches)
20th Century
Translation
Primary Use
ASV (1901)
Protestant (especially American conservative)
RSV (1946–1952)
Protestant and Catholic (with slight adaptations); ecumenical
Jerusalem Bible (1966)
Catholic (based on French version; literary style)
NASB (1971, 1995, 2020)
Protestant (Evangelical, conservative Reformed)
NIV (1978, 1984, 2011)
Protestant (Evangelical, broadly used)
NKJV (1982)
Protestant (especially KJV-traditionalists)
NRSV (1989)
Protestant (mainline), Catholic, Orthodox editions available
Douay-Rheims, Jerusalem Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, NRSV-CE, NABRE
Jewish
JPS (1917, 1985), ArtScroll Tanakh, The Living Torah
Messianic Jewish
Complete Jewish Bible, Tree of Life Version
Ecumenical
NRSV, NRSVue, RSV, CEB
Here is the updated side-by-side comparison table of major English Bible translations, now including their initial release dates, along with religious use, translation style, and whether they include the Deuterocanonical books:
English Bible Translations – Comparison Table (with Dates)
Translation
Date
Group(s) Used By
Style
Deuterocanonicals?
Wycliffe Bible
1382–1395
Proto-Protestant
Formal (from Latin)
Yes
Tyndale NT
1526
Protestant (Reformers)
Formal
No
Coverdale Bible
1535
Protestant
Mixed formal/dynamic
Yes
Matthew Bible
1537
Protestant
Formal
Yes
Great Bible
1539
Protestant (Anglican)
Formal
Yes
Geneva Bible
1560
Protestant (Puritan)
Formal
Yes
Bishops’ Bible
1568
Protestant (Anglican)
Formal
Yes
King James Version (KJV)
1611
Protestant (broadly)
Formal
Yes (in 1611), often no today
Blayney KJV Revision
1769
Protestant
Formal
No
Douay-Rheims
1582–1609
Catholic (traditional)
Formal (from Latin)
Yes
Revised Version (RV)
1885
Protestant (British)
Formal
No
ASV
1901
Protestant
Very Formal
No
RSV
1952 (NT 1946)
Protestant/Catholic
Formal
Yes (in Catholic edition)
Jerusalem Bible (JB)
1966
Catholic
Literary Dynamic
Yes
NASB
1971
Protestant (Evangelical)
Very Formal
No
NIV
1978
Protestant (Evangelical)
Mediating
No
NKJV
1982
Protestant
Formal
No
New Jerusalem Bible
1985
Catholic
Dynamic
Yes
JPS Tanakh
1985
Jewish
Formal Literary
Not applicable
NRSV
1989
Protestant/Catholic/Orthodox
Formal
Yes
NLT
1996
Protestant
Dynamic
No
CEV
1996
Protestant
Dynamic
No
ArtScroll Tanakh
1996
Jewish (Orthodox)
Literal + Rabbinic
No
HCSB
2004
Protestant (Southern Baptist)
Mediating
No
The Message (MSG)
2002 (NT 1993)
Protestant (devotional)
Paraphrase
No
Lexham English Bible
2009
Protestant (academic)
Formal
No
CEB
2011
Protestant (ecumenical)
Mediating
Yes
NABRE
2011
Catholic (U.S.)
Formal-Dynamic
Yes
Passion Translation
2018 (NT+Psalms)
Charismatic/Controversial
Paraphrase-like
Partial NT only
CSB
2017
Protestant
Mediating
No
NRSVue
2021
Protestant/Catholic/Orthodox
Formal
Yes
Complete Jewish Bible
1998 (NT)
Messianic Jewish
Dynamic Hebrew style
No (Protestant canon)
Key Style Definitions Recap:
Formal equivalent: Close to original Hebrew/Greek grammar and syntax (e.g., NASB, ESV, KJV)
Dynamic equivalent: Prioritizes meaning in natural English (e.g., NIV, NLT, CEB)
Paraphrase: Reworded freely for readability or devotion (e.g., The Message, Passion)
Mediating: Balances between formal and dynamic (e.g., CSB, CEB)
