A Quick Note on Different Bible Versions

You might occasionally notice a series of letters after a reference to Scripture, such as John 7:37-38 NLT or Matthew 4:4 NIV. The letters “NLT” and “NIV” here indicate the version of the Bible—in this case, New Living Translation or New International Version. 

Throughout history, different scholars have translated the original biblical texts in slightly different ways. Some translations aim for a more literal rendering of the original text (such as the English Standard Version, ESV), while others aim for more modern phrasing (such as the New Living Translation, NLT). All versions fall somewhere on this spectrum of word-for-word versus thought-for-thought translation. The New International Version (NIV) falls right about in the middle, so it’s a great version to read from if you’re just getting started.