Translations · 1971
NASB — New American Standard Bible
The most literal mainstream English translation — sometimes wooden, always transparent to the Greek and Hebrew.
Updated 18 May 2026 · By the Bibles.co.uk editorial team
The short answer
- Philosophy
- Formal
- Reading level
- Grade 11
- First published
- 1971
- Publisher
- Lockman Foundation
Where it sits on the spectrum
Below, every major English translation plotted against NASB (highlighted in burgundy). Translation philosophy runs left-to-right; reading level top-to-bottom.
How it reads
Reading level is one of the cleanest indicators of how easy a translation is to follow cold. The NASB sits at grade 11.
Strengths
- Closest mainstream English Bible to the original word order
- Excellent for cross-referencing with Greek/Hebrew
- 2020 update modernises pronouns and gendered language
Watch-outs
- Stilted prose in places — not ideal for cover-to-cover reading
- Less common in pew use than NIV or ESV
See it in action
Three well-known verses in the NASB. Compare against another translation using the tool below.
NASB New American Standard Bible | For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. |
NASB New American Standard Bible | The Lord is my shepherd, I will not be in need. |
NASB New American Standard Bible | And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. |
Who uses the {t.abbr}
Seminary students, expository preachers and serious lay students who want maximum transparency to the original text.
Translation Comparator
Same verse, two translations
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life."
- Style
- Formal
- Level
- Grade 11
- Year
- 1971
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
- Style
- Formal
- Level
- Grade 12
- Year
- 1611
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Start the Bible FinderFrequently asked
- Is the NASB a good Bible translation?
- The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is a strict formal-equivalence translation favoured for in-depth Bible study because it preserves the underlying grammar of the original languages, sometimes at the cost of fluency. Strengths include: Closest mainstream English Bible to the original word order; Excellent for cross-referencing with Greek/Hebrew; 2020 update modernises pronouns and gendered language.
- What reading level is the NASB?
- The NASB reads at roughly US grade 11, using a formal translation philosophy.
- Who uses the NASB?
- Seminary students, expository preachers and serious lay students who want maximum transparency to the original text.
Keep reading
KJV — King James Version
The 1611 translation that shaped English literature and church liturgy for four centuries.
ESV — English Standard Version
A modern revision in the Tyndale–King James stream — literal but readable, the default of Reformed evangelical churches.
All translations
Compare every major English Bible side by side.