NIV
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so.
23 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
Genesis 1:9 — 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 said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.
25 words · Formal / word-for-word
ESV
English Standard Version · 2001 (rev. 2016)
And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so.
25 words · Essentially literal
NLT
New Living Translation · 1996 (rev. 2015)
Then God said, “Let the waters beneath the sky flow together into one place, so dry ground may appear.” And that is what happened.
24 words · Thought-for-thought clarity
MSG
The Message · 2002
God spoke: "Separate! Water-beneath-Heaven, gather into one place; Land, appear!" And there it was.
14 words · Contemporary paraphrase
NASB
New American Standard Bible · 1971 (rev. 2020)
Then God said, 'Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so.
24 words · Most literal English translation
Translation Length Comparison
NIV
23 words
KJV
25 words
ESV
25 words
NLT
24 words
MSG
14 words
NASB
24 words
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Bible translations are there for Genesis 1:9?
Bible Verse Randomizer offers Genesis 1:9 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 1:9 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.