NIV
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
God made two great lights—the greater light to govern the day and the lesser light to govern the night. He also made the stars.
24 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
Genesis 1:16 — Compare Translations
Read this verse in 6 Bible translations — from word-for-word to thought-for-thought.
Dynamic equivalence
KJV
King James Version · 1611
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. <sup>to rule the day: Heb. for the rule of the day, etc.</sup>
38 words · Formal / word-for-word
ESV
English Standard Version · 2001 (rev. 2016)
And God made the two great lights — the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night — and the stars.
27 words · Essentially literal
NLT
New Living Translation · 1996 (rev. 2015)
God made two great lights — the larger one to govern the day, and the smaller one to govern the night. He also made the stars.
26 words · Thought-for-thought clarity
MSG
The Message · 2002
God made two big lights, the larger to take charge of Day, The smaller to be in charge of Night; and he made the stars.
25 words · Contemporary paraphrase
NASB
New American Standard Bible · 1971 (rev. 2020)
God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; [He made] the stars also.
26 words · Most literal English translation
Translation Length Comparison
NIV
24 words
KJV
38 words
ESV
27 words
NLT
26 words
MSG
25 words
NASB
26 words
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Bible translations are there for Genesis 1:16?
Bible Verse Randomizer offers Genesis 1:16 in 6 translations: New International Version, King James Version, English Standard Version, New Living Translation, The Message, New American Standard Bible. Each uses a different translation philosophy — from word-for-word (KJV, ESV, NASB) to thought-for-thought (NIV, NLT) to paraphrase (MSG).
Which translation of Genesis 1:16 is best?
No single translation is "best" — it depends on your purpose. For deep study, use the ESV or NASB (word-for-word). For devotional reading, the NIV balances accuracy and readability. The NLT and MSG are excellent for understanding the general meaning in modern English. Comparing multiple translations helps grasp the full richness of the text.
What is the difference between literal and dynamic Bible translations?
Literal (formal equivalence) translations like KJV, ESV, and NASB translate word-for-word from the original Hebrew/Greek. Dynamic equivalence translations like NIV and NLT translate thought-for-thought for clarity. The MSG is a paraphrase that captures the spirit in contemporary language. Each approach has strengths — that's why comparing translations is valuable.