English Standard Version (ESV)

The English Standard Version™ is founded on the conviction that the words of the Bible are the very words of God. And because the words themselves—not just the thoughts or ideas—are inspired by God, each word must be translated with the greatest precision and accuracy. As Jesus Himself stressed, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

This is the underlying philosophy that drove the development of the ESV™ translation. One of the most popular versions of the Bible today, the ESV is widely used because of its balance of accuracy and readability.

What is the ESV Bible?

This passion for God’s Word is the driving force behind the translation of the ESV Bible. The English Standard Version™ does not try to “improve” on the original in light of today’s culture or language. Instead, the utmost care has been taken to express God’s Word in English that most closely captures the meaning of the original, with understandability, beauty, and impact.

The ESV is considered "a careful revision of the Revised Standard Version (RSV), which itself was a respected translation" (wisdomonline.org). One distinction from several other translations common today is that the ESV does not tend to paraphrase but rather focus on literalness. In contrast to the NIV, for example, the ESV maintains the form of the original language. This ultimately creates a version that encourages deeper study into the original language of Scripture.