NIV
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
13 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
Read this verse in 6 Bible translations — from word-for-word to thought-for-thought.
New International Version · 1978 (rev. 2011)
The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
13 words · Balance of accuracy and readability
King James Version · 1611
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
14 words · Formal / word-for-word
English Standard Version · 2001 (rev. 2016)
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
13 words · Essentially literal
New Living Translation · 1996 (rev. 2015)
Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
14 words · Thought-for-thought clarity
The Message · 2002
The two of them, the Man and his Wife, were naked, but they felt no shame.
16 words · Contemporary paraphrase
New American Standard Bible · 1971 (rev. 2020)
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
13 words · Most literal English translation
Bible Verse Randomizer offers Genesis 2:25 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).
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.
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.