Legacy Standard Bible Translation

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MRBHFJ

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Jul 18, 2026
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I recently heard about the LSB translation on a YouTube short. I had never heard of it before. The short said it’s one of the most accurate word for word translations. My first read of the Bible thru that I understood well was the nkjv (although I think that had more to do with God opening my eyes and mind, because I was now Saved). So I’ve read the Bible thru in nkjv, esv (probably not favorite so far), and am currently reading thru in kjv. I like to pick a new translation each year. Was thinking about new living translation next, but I heard about this legacy standard. Anyone out there read it? Thoughts?
 
I recently heard about the LSB translation on a YouTube short. I had never heard of it before. The short said it’s one of the most accurate word for word translations. My first read of the Bible thru that I understood well was the nkjv (although I think that had more to do with God opening my eyes and mind, because I was now Saved). So I’ve read the Bible thru in nkjv, esv (probably not favorite so far), and am currently reading thru in kjv. I like to pick a new translation each year. Was thinking about new living translation next, but I heard about this legacy standard. Anyone out there read it? Thoughts?
I haven't read much of the Legacy Standard Bible, but what I have read seems very good. I suggest it would be a far better choice than the New Living Bible, because (as I understand it) the New Living Bible is based on the Living Bible, which was not a translation, but a paraphrase, by Kenneth Taylor, first published in 1971.

Here is a passage from the LSB, followed by the same passage from the NKJV for comparison:

(Eph 1:1) Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:
(Eph 1:2) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Eph 1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
(Eph 1:4) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love,
(Eph 1:5) by predestining us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
(Eph 1:6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He graciously bestowed on us in the Beloved.
(Eph 1:7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our transgressions, according to the riches of His grace
(Eph 1:8) which He caused to abound to us in all wisdom and insight,
(Eph 1:9) making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Him
(Eph 1:10) for an administration of the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth in Him.

(Eph 1:1) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ Jesus:
(Eph 1:2) Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Eph 1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
(Eph 1:4) just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,
(Eph 1:5) having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
(Eph 1:6) to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
(Eph 1:7) In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace
(Eph 1:8) which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence,
(Eph 1:9) having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,
(Eph 1:10) that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.
 
I recently heard about the LSB translation on a YouTube short. I had never heard of it before. The short said it’s one of the most accurate word for word translations. My first read of the Bible thru that I understood well was the nkjv (although I think that had more to do with God opening my eyes and mind, because I was now Saved). So I’ve read the Bible thru in nkjv, esv (probably not favorite so far), and am currently reading thru in kjv. I like to pick a new translation each year. Was thinking about new living translation next, but I heard about this legacy standard. Anyone out there read it? Thoughts?
I have a digital copy of the LSB but I don't refer to it that much; it's supposed to be an update of the NASB.

Honestly though, Bible publishers have become wolves who put out a constant stream of new gimmicky Bibles that are supposed to "help" people. Actually it's a big money-making racket designed to get people to buy Bibles they don't need.

For everyday reading I have a NKJV, ESV and NLT. If there's something in one of those I can't understand there's always the internet. I do like the NLT for the Old Testament though; it really makes it easy to understand.
 
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I have a digital copy of the LSB but I don't refer to it that much; it's supposed to be an update of the NASB.

Honestly though, Bible publishers have become wolves who put out a constant stream of new gimmicky Bibles that are supposed to "help" people. Actually it's a big money-making racket designed to get people to buy Bibles they don't need.

For everyday reading I have a NKJV, ESV and NLT. If there's something in one of those I can't understand there's always the internet. I do like the NLT for the Old Testament though; it really makes it easy to understand.
I use the NKJV for my daily readings. I also have the KJV, and the ESV in printed form, plus LSB, MKJV, NET, WEB, YLT, ASV, BBE, CEV and ISV on my e-Sword Bible Software.
 
I use the NKJV for my daily readings. I also have the KJV, and the ESV in printed form, plus LSB, MKJV, NET, WEB, YLT, ASV, BBE, CEV and ISV on my e-Sword Bible Software.
Good ol' e-Sword. I used it for a long time, then switched to theWord.
 
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Yes — the Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) is widely considered highly accurate, especially if your priority is formal equivalence (word‑for‑word translation) and consistency with the original Hebrew and Greek. It is not perfect (no translation is), but its accuracy is strong and intentionally conservative.
 
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I paid to get the Wuest on esword as a reference because i find that he includes some verb tense information in his translation that is often left out of most other translations. His is a little more awkward in English, but it can help to identify if something is done once or repeatedly.