New Revised Standard Version

Latest publication: 2006

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Sample Old Testament Verse (Isaiah 53:5)
But he was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the punishment that made us whole, and by his bruises we are healed.

Sample New Testament Verse (1 Timothy 2:3-4)
This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Study Bibles with the NRSV text

  • HarperCollins Study Bible
  • Ignatius Catholic Study Bible
  • New Interpreter’s Study Bible
  • New Oxford Annotated Bible
  • Study Bible: The New Student Bible
  • Wesley Study Bible

Devotional Bible Options

  • C.S. Lewis Bible
  • Catholic Prayer Bible
  • Catholic Women’s Devotional Bible
  • Classics Devotional Bible
  • Daily Bible: Read, Meditate, and Pray
  • Daily Walk Bible
  • Spiritual Formation Bible
  • Women’s Devotional Bible 2

Format Information
The publishers have provided chapter headings and sub-headings within the text of scripture. Footnotes are also provided to show readers how the original language has been understood and to indicate textual differences between various original manuscripts. Poetry is formatted as poetry and the text is in paragraph style.

Translation Information
The NRSV is largely a “word-for-word” translation. The “thought-by-thought” approach was used sparingly and then only to compensate for a deficiency in the English language. And the Revised Standard Version was consulted. The translation committee sought to eliminate masculine-oriented language without altering passages that reflect the historical situation of ancient patriarchal culture. Any concerns regarding accuracy were handled on a case-by-case basis. Only very occasionally has the pronoun “he” or “him” been retained in passages where the reference may have been to a woman as well as a man.

Description by the Publisher
The NRSV is an authorized revision of the Revised Standard Version published in 1952, which was a revision of the American Standard Version, published in 1901, which in turn embodied earlier revisions of the King James Version, published in 1611. It has a long heritage. It attempts to continue in the heritage of the KJV but to make changes as warranted for accuracy, clarity, sound and current English usage. The mandate for this translation can be summarized as “As literal as possible, as free as necessary.”