Accuracy
As an essentially literal translation, the ESV embraces the ideal of word-for-word exactness while at the same time taking into account the differences between modern English and the original languages. The result is a Bible translation that reflects the original texts as closely as modern English will allow.
Readability
The original translators of the King James Version understood this well and wrote, "God's Sacred Word ... inestimable treasure which excelleth all the riches of the earth." These convictions call for nothing less than literary excellence, beauty, and readability in the translation of God's Word, and are at the heart of the ESV.
Depth
Everyone who longs to know the truth of God's Word expressed in all its depth of meaning will welcome the ESV Bible for its commitment to classic literary principles. Instead of following today's trends in Bible translation, the ESV honors the legacy of literal English translations and seeks to carry forward that legacy to succeeding generations.
Legacy
The English Standard Version stands in the classic stream of essentially literal Bible translations that began nearly five hundred years ago. With this classic translation legacy as the starting place, every word and phrase has been compared and weighed against the original languages for accuracy, precision, and literary excellence.
One Bible, for Life
The perfect English translation to read and treasure, to study and memorize, for worship and preaching, for personal reading and family devotions, as a lifelong gift to our children — for all who love God's Word.
