Study Guide
Verse comparison quick guide
Use this checklist to compare translations, notice key differences, and capture the main idea in your own words.
Prefer a clean print view? Open the print-friendly page.
Quick steps
- Pick one passage (3 to 5 verses is enough).
- Choose two translations to compare (ASV and KJV).
- Read the passage once in each translation.
- Highlight repeated words, key verbs, and contrasts.
- Summarize the main idea in your own words.
Comparison checklist
- What words are repeated across translations?
- Where do translations differ on key verbs?
- Are there added clarifying words or phrases?
- What does each version emphasize?
- What question should you study next?
Translation and edition cheat sheet
| Style | Examples | Best for | Watch for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formal and essentially literal | ASV, KJV, NKJV, NASB, RSV | Close reading, word studies, comparing cadence | Older phrasing can feel less conversational |
| Mediating (optimal equivalence) | NIV, CSB, NET | General reading, teaching, memorising | Balances both aims, so it satisfies neither extreme fully |
| Functional (thought for thought) | NLT, GNT, CEV | A first readable pass through an unfamiliar passage | Rephrases enough that word-level comparison is less useful |
| Paraphrase | The Message, Living Bible | Devotional reading and fresh phrasing | Not a rendering of the wording; avoid it for word studies |
| Interlinear and original-language study | Interlinear Hebrew and Greek editions, Strong's-tagged texts | Seeing what stands behind the English word | Assumes some grammar; the English line is deliberately wooden |
| Catholic and Orthodox editions | NABRE, Douay-Rheims, RSV-CE, Orthodox Study Bible | Reading the deuterocanonical books and tradition-specific notes | Book counts and ordering differ from Protestant editions |
| Ethiopian Orthodox canon | Ethiopian Bible editions in English | Reading the widest commonly recognised canon | English editions differ over which books they include |
| Jewish translations | JPS Tanakh | Reading the Hebrew Bible in Jewish order and translation | Book order and some verse numbering differ from Christian editions |
What to capture
After comparing translations, write a one-sentence summary and one question for further study. This keeps you from collecting observations without a next step.
Start a study journal with AIUse the comparison tool
ScriptureSide lets you compare multiple translations side by side. Paste a verse, pick the versions, and save what stands out.
Open verse comparisonEmbed this guide
Share this comparison guide in a newsletter, blog, or church site. The embed links back to ScriptureSide for the full checklist.
<a href="https://www.scriptureside.app/resources/verse-comparison-guide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> <img src="https://www.scriptureside.app/api/og?title=Verse%20Comparison%20Guide&subtitle=Quick%20steps%20and%20checklist&type=guide" alt="Verse Comparison Quick Guide | ScriptureSide" width="1200" height="630" /> </a>
Copy and paste anywhere HTML is allowed.
Prefer a plain text link? Copy this instead — a short description usually reads better inside a sentence than a full-width image.
<a href="https://www.scriptureside.app/resources/verse-comparison-guide" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Verse Comparison Quick Guide | ScriptureSide</a>
Text link — works in newsletters, forums and comment boxes too.