HaleyThe best Bible translation for verse mapping depend on your study goals—some prioritize word-for-word accuracy, while others focus on readability and meaning.
When it comes to Bible translations, there are three translation categories:
- Word-for-word
- Thought-for-thought
- Paraphrase
I’ve found that my favorite way to verse map is to utilize all three translation types for the most robust verse mapping study.
Here’s a short dive into these three categories and how to choose the translations that work best for you when verse mapping.
1. Word-for-Word Translations
Word-for-word translations are best for deep study and help to preserve the original meaning. These closely follow the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts.
When it comes to verse mapping, your first step is to write out your verse from a word-to-word translation since verse mapping is about honoring the original context and meaning as much as possible.
Common word-for-word translations include:
✅ English Standard Version (ESV) – Highly accurate, balanced readability.
✅ New American Standard Bible (NASB) – One of the most literal translations.
✅ King James Version (KJV) – Classic, poetic, formal, useful for historical study.
✅ New King James Version (NKJV) – Preserves KJV beauty with modern language.
✅ Christian Standard Bible (CSB) – A balance of accuracy and readability.
🔹 Best for: Defining key words, studying original language meanings and precise verse breakdowns.
My personal favorite translation for reading, studying or verse mapping is ESV. When I verse map, ESV is the translation I use when writing my verse in the main square on this template (it’s free!).
2. Thought-for-Thought Translations
Thought-for-thought translations are best for readability and understanding. These prioritize clarity and modern language while staying true to Scripture.
Common thought-for-thought translations include:
✅ New International Version (NIV) – Popular, clear, widely used.
✅ New Living Translation (NLT) – Easy to read, great for life application.
✅ Good News Translation (GNT) – Simple wording, great for new believers.
🔹 Best for: Understanding concepts, paraphrasing in your own words and applying Scripture.
After I write my chosen verse in ESV, I’ll look up other translations for insight, including thought-for-though translations such as NLT. One of my study Bibles is NLT and I love reading through it for better understanding.
I love comparing keywords from translation to translation, which helps to deepen my comprehension of the verse.
My verse mapping template also has a place for paraphrasing. Sometimes, I want to skip over thinking how to paraphrase and move on to application, but it’s so important for me to slow down and think through rephrasing a verse. That’s where some of these extra translations come in handy.
3. Paraphrase Translations
Paraphrase translations are best for devotional insights and a fresh perspective. These focus on making Scripture engaging and easy to grasp.
Paraphrase translations take a word-for-word or thought-for-thought translation and retell the meaning in plain words. They can help provide clarity for strange or tough words within a verse that may no longer be used in present times.
Instead of reading the Bible only in a paraphrase translation, most scholars agree that these types of translations should be treated more like commentaries to supplement your Bible study from word-for-word or thought-for-thought translations.
Common paraphrase translations include:
✅ The Message (MSG) – Expressive and modern, great for inspiration.
✅ The Passion Translation (TPT) – Emotionally rich, helpful for reflection.
✅ The Living Bible (TLB) – Emotionally rich, helpful for reflection.
🔹 Best for: Getting a fresh perspective, seeing Scripture in a relatable way and treating as a commentary.
Outlier Translations
Since there are more than 900 translations of the Bible, there are some versions that don’t fit neatly into the categories of word-for-word, thought-for-thought or paraphrase.
One such translation is the Amplified Bible (AMP), which I’ve found to be a useful translation. The goal of the Amplified Bible is to take both the word meaning and context into account when translating the original text from one language to another. To achieve this, you’ll see a lot of parenthesis and brackets in the Amplified Bible. For some people, these are distracting and they’d rather use a study Bible with footnote, but others find it helpful for insights to be woven into the verse itself.
The Amplified Bible is a great study tool because it gives additional insight and context into a reading within the verse lines. In this way, it amplifies or emphasizes certain parts of a verse to highlight them. These amplifications may or may not have been the intention of the original translation–it’s hard to know.
When verse mapping, I’ve found the Amplified Bible useful when researching keywords, as it offers more insight and context, giving me a different perspective. Reading a verse in AMP stirs me to think more critically and practice discernment.
How to Use Translations for Verse Mapping
1️⃣ Start with a word-for-word translation (ESV, NASB, NKJV) for accuracy.
2️⃣ Compare with a thought-for-thought version (NIV, NLT) for clarity.
3️⃣ Read a paraphrase (MSG, TPT) for modern interpretation and fresh insight.
4️⃣ Use tools like Strong’s Concordance to check original Hebrew/Greek meanings.
Find out all the steps for verse mapping and print out a free verse mapping template:
What’s your favorite Bible translation for verse mapping?
