In this article I want to enumerate significant translation differences between the different English versions. Usually these will differ depending upon the denominational affiliation of the translators.

Genesis 1:2

Every translation including LXX, DR, RSV uses “Spirit of God” except NRSV which has “a wind from God”, with “or while the spirit of God or while a mighty wind” and lesser-known CEB uses “God’s wind”.

Mark 1:41

Moved with compassion in NRSV, NKJV. However NIV uses “became indignant (NRSV footnotes “other authorities use “became angry”)” from a single manuscript in an unreliable manuscript codex basa, the only manuscript which uses it and is based on the Old Latin version https://www.thetextofthegospels.com/search?q=mark+1%3A41

1 Cor.6:9

for example 2 Cor 1:9 NRSV “updated edition” (I don’t have this) waters down the homosexual part. My NRSV edition uses “sodomites”, which is at least accurate. Arsenokoitai is arsenos= males, koitai is sex, same word from which we get coitus, so its for male male sex, a word Paul uses only once. ESC-CE is pretty clear and uses “males who practise homosexuality”.

So you have Pornoi (fornication, any non-marital/illicit sex), eidolatrai- eidolos+ latria= idol worshippers, moichoi-adulterers, similar meaning to pornoi imo, probably prim. word for paramour, 3occ. (Heb.13:4; Luk.18:11); malakoi- “softies/effeminate”, referring to the practice of using boy prostitutes by Romans were using for their pedophilia, 3occ. (Mt.11:8, Lk.7:25, ) and the softness referring to the passivity, arsenikoitai, kleptai (like kleptomaniac), pleonektai (coveters, 5occ.), methysoi (drunkards), Lordoroi (verbal abusers), harpages (swindlers) will no inherit the Kingdom of God

Luke 1:28

RSV, NRSV, ESV have “favoured”, ESV-CE, KJV, NKJV has “highly favoured”, “blessed are you among women” is usually in the footnote, eg. ESV, NRSV.

John 17:19

This verse has two instances of the verb hagiasmo which is “to make holy/sanctify”. I think because it seems odd for sanctification to be used with respect to Jesus, some translations use “consecrate” with reference to him, or to both us and him. I don’t see using sanctify both times as a problem, because it is Jesus sanctifying himself, rather than being sanctified by an external force. Therefore this purely refers to the action, in the manner that he also underwent Purification ritual in the Temple. Certainly using “consecrate” in both instances as in RSV or even in one as in ESV makes the translation increasingly wooden, because “consecrate” does not have a meaning that is visceral and immediately obvious to the reader. He needs to go away and research it. NRSV and KJV/NKJV use “sanctify in both instances”.

“For their sakes I sanctify myself so that they may be sanctified in the truth”

Isaiah 7:14

All except the RSV/NRSV and CEB (GNB too) use “virgin”. The former use “young woman”.

Daniel 7:14

All translations use “one like a son of man” and “Ancient of Days”, except the NRSV which goes for “one like a human being” and “the ancient one”. I’ve a long discussion on this in my The Messianic Prophecy of the Bible article. NRSV even acknolwedges that the original Aramaic of Daniel reads “son of man” and “Ancient of days”.

Romans 1:6 etc

Paul has this wonderful theme of “belonging” to Christ which we can summarise here. Romans 1:6 above states “…yourselves who are called to belong to him/called o him “hemeis kletoi Iesou Christou”. It is correct to specify “belong to Christ”, because the Gr. “called of Christ”, it implies “called as belonging to Christ”, or “called Christ’s” (it’s possessive), while in Eng., “the called of Christ”, sounds like those whom Christ has called, like “the blessed of my Father”, and this is only remedied in the English with additional quotes “called ‘of Christ’”, which gives the correct meaning. Among translations, Holman’s goes with “Christ’s by calling”, ESV/NIV/NLV/NRSV/GN/ RSV all use “belong to”, while KJV/NASB/NKJV/Lexham/D-R/Young’s all use “called of Jesus Christ”.

None of this is unusual, in the Greek, “belonging” is always denoted simply by employing the genitive (equivalent of using an apostrophe in English). These are the other places Paul uses this theme: “you now, belong to Christ (hymeis de Christou), and Christ belongs to God (Christos de Theou)” (1Cor.3:23 “de” is “now”, not “of”). “…you belong to Christ…(hymeis Christou)” (Gal.3:29). “and those who belong to Christ (hoi de tou Christou Iesou) have been crucified in the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal.5:24).

1 Timothy 3:1,2& 12

Here the “gender neutral” translations use “married only once” rather than “the husband of only one wife”, which allows for women in ministry. However in the bargain this usage might shut the door on remarriage even in the case of the death of the spouse, which would be absurd and an unintended consequence.

In this passage “episcopos” can either be translated as “overseer” which is what it literally means (epi+scopos), or “bishop” which is the transliteration adopted in English usage (episcop>>’piscop>>biscop>>bishop). “Deacon” seems out of place when there is a separate word for that “diakonos”.

The NKJV, RSV have bishop, NIV has “overseer”, ESV has “overseer” with “or bishop” in footnote.

NRSV has “married only once” with “husband of one wife” footnote, ESV has “husband of one wife” with the “Gf. man of one woman” footnote.

In verse 12 exactly the same thing happens across translations in relation to the “married” clause, but all use “deacon” for “diakonoi”.

Romans 5:2

In vv.2-5 we see the result of this peace (eirene) we have in being justified (dikaiothentes) is that we hope (elpidi) in the glory of God (kauchometha ep elpidi tes doxes theou, most translations, except ESV/RSV/NRSV/GN- “sharing in the glory”)

Romans 9:5

Literally all the versions include DR, NASB,KJV, NETBible state “and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.” Only the RSV breaks the sentence and gives “of their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ. God who is over all be blessed for ever. Amen.” It’s a bizzarre translation because the last clause lacks a verb or a participle, and yet the RSV (and GNT) translators have seen fit to translate it as an independent sentence. Further St. Paul is bringing out the contrast in the sentence between God according to the flesh and God as God. This is the implication of the construction “Christ is God over all, yet according to the flesh he came from Israel”.

Isaiah 9:6

Here the KJV and NKJV for “yulad lanu, nittan lanu (pual and nifal)”, preserve the magnificent “unto us”, while the RSV and NRSV go for the somewhat drier “to us”. KJV/NKJV/ESV/RSV for (wayikra shemow) preserve “his name shall be called” while only the NRSV “and he is named”. For “misrah”, only 2 occ., and both in Isaiah 9, LEB, CJB use “dominion”, NRSV, CEB use “authority”, while literally all the rest including DR/LEB/NASB used “government”.