G.The King James Translation (1611). In January of 1604 King James I summoned a conference to consider complaints lodged by the Puritans against the high church of England. At this gathering Dr. John Reynolds of Oxford raised the possibility of a new translation. The King apparently welcomed this suggestion and was soon working out the necessary arrangements. The actual work was completed by 47 scholars (though 54 were originally appointed) at Oxford, Cambridge, and Westminster. The completed translation was published in 1611, and for the next 50 years or so it gained ground on the popular Geneva version. Eventually it became the Bible of the people, and for the next two centuries it maintained a supremacy so great that many regarded it as the final word in English translations.
H. The English Revised Version (1881). Eventually scholars recognized a need for a new translation which would update the language of the King James. Also, scholars now had a greater knowledge and understanding of ancient languages, and many Hebrew and Greek manuscripts had been discovered in the intervening years. Two committees of 27 members each (one committee for the Old Testament and one for the New testament) were formed, and work began. The New Testament committee met in sessions on 407 days over a period of eleven years and their completed work was published on May 17, 1881. The Old Testament group met on 792 days over a period of fifteen years. The entire Bible, known as the English Revised Version, was published on May 19, 1885. Its reception was unprecedented. Over 2,000,000 copies were sold in London alone.
I. The American Standard Version (1901). The American Standard Version (ASV)is in substance the English Revised Version with changes made to reflect American idioms, spellings, and word order. The American committee, which had worked with the English Revision committee, also re-paragraphed the text and added a new set of cross references. It is fair to say that this translation embodied the ripest biblical scholars of Great Britain and America at the time.
J. The Revised Standard Version (1946-1952). The New Testament of this translation was published in 1946 and the Old Testament in 1952. Originally the RSV started out as a revision of the ASV, but the International Council of Religious Education doing the work quickly decided to begin an entirely new translation. The RSV is among the first Bibles to be translated by a sizable group of scholars who believed the doctrine that God inspired the thoughts of the original writers but not their actual words (See I Cor. 2:13).
K. The New American Standard Version (1971). One of the most recent translations made by scholars who still believed in the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures. Considered by many to be among the most technically accuratere, readable translations.The Lockman Foundation which produced it sought to update, clarify, and revise the ASV. Instead of the paragraphs used in the ASV, the New American Standard Bible (NASB) prints each verse as a separate unit.