# Monthly Bible Sales by Translation



## refbaptdude (Oct 20, 2006)

*Monthly Bible Sales by Translation*

http://www.cbaonline.org/TrackingLists/trx.jsp?w=t


The ESV fell out of the top ten list over the summer.


FYI,
Refbaptdude


----------



## Devin (Oct 20, 2006)

I'm kind of surprised that the ESV is getting beat by some of the translations on that list. In my own experience, it's very hard to find a NASB, yet there's many ESVs of different shapes and sizes abounding everywhere.


----------



## Des (Oct 21, 2006)

*Give Thomas Nelson the Boot!*

The ESV is easily my favorite translation of the Bible. It's poetic beauty is unmatched by any of today's translations. I fail to understand why it isn't selling as well as it should.

For those of you who don't know Thomas Nelson the publisher of the NKJV also publishes Benny Hinn's blasphemous "Good Morning, Holy Spirit." For that transgression alone Thomas Nelson should be shunned by Christians. They also publish those ridiculous BibleZines, Catholic Bibles, several books by TBN favorite John Hagee, Yoga for Christians, and a book by Donald Trump.

I try to tell the brethren they need to stop supporting Thomas Nelson. Even after I tell them about the books that Thomas Nelson publishes the response I get is, "This NKJV is the Bible I have memorized and I don't want to switch." I then tell them that Crossway Bibles, the publisher of the English Standard Version is owned and operated by Christians who desire to glorify God. They give me a guilty look but fail to make the switch. 

There is an ESV Bible Outreach Edition that can be ordered from Borders for $1.99 a copy. It is listed for $5.99 and I have one copy already. I have five more coming and I plan on giving them away to people who currently use the NKJV. I encourage you do the same.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Des


----------



## Blueridge Believer (Oct 21, 2006)

It could have to do with the text. I, personally stay with the KJV because I believe it comes from the better text. The NKJV uses the same text as well. I agree though about Thomas Nelson. Brother Farstad and Co. could have chosen a better publisher.


----------



## refbaptdude (Oct 21, 2006)

With the John MacArthur Study Bible in NKJV and NASB, the NASB will probably stay in the top ten list. 

I like the ESV, but I hope it does not go the way of the RSV or NRSV and just not have popular support.  


It looks like the NASB, NIV and the NKJV are here to stay


----------



## tmckinney (Oct 21, 2006)

Just purchsed an ESV and am enjoying it very much. The AV is my favorite translation and will probably continue to memorize from it even though my wife kids me sometimes about the old language. The ESV (just from reading it) seems to be more literal which I prefer (not thought-for-thought like the NIV). In any event, I am glad I purchased it last week and am looking forward to comparing it with my AV, NASB, NKJV.


----------



## SRoper (Oct 21, 2006)

"I like the ESV, but I hope it does not go the way of the RSV or NRSV and just not have popular support."

I thought the RSV had a ton of popular support.


----------



## ADKing (Oct 21, 2006)

I was very surprised to see the Holman Christian Standard Bible at #5. From what I understand, it came out around the same time as the ESV but I heard lots of publicity for the ESV and almost none for the HCSB (that is an awkward acronymn, no?). Have any of you seen/used it? What is its general bent?


----------



## Jerusalem Blade (Oct 26, 2006)

Adam,

I am looking over the link to the WPCUS (I didn't know what it stood for) on your post, and the journal, _The Westminster Guardian_. It grieves me to see the beloved PCA and OPC in such straits.

Steve


----------



## bookslover (Nov 9, 2006)

Devin said:


> I'm kind of surprised that the ESV is getting beat by some of the translations on that list. In my own experience, it's very hard to find a NASB, yet there's many ESVs of different shapes and sizes abounding everywhere.



Clicking on the link in the first post shows that now, in early November, the ESV is back up to #5 on the top ten. Every month will be different, I suppose.

It'll be interesting to track sales through the rest of the year to see how the various translations sell through the Christmas season.


----------



## larryjf (Nov 10, 2006)

I thought that sales would decline until Jan. as folks would be waiting to get the ESV 2007 revision, but i guess not.


----------



## ADKing (Nov 10, 2006)

Jerusalem Blade said:


> Adam,
> 
> I am looking over the link to the WPCUS (I didn't know what it stood for) on your post, and the journal, _The Westminster Guardian_. It grieves me to see the beloved PCA and OPC in such straits.
> 
> Steve



It grieves me too. May the Lord send reformation once again and a return to the historic uniformity of doctrine, worship, government and discipline handed down to us from the Reformation and Westminster Assembly!


----------



## CDM (Nov 10, 2006)

Des said:


> The ESV is easily my favorite translation of the Bible. It's poetic beauty is unmatched by any of today's translations. I fail to understand why it isn't selling as well as it should.
> 
> For those of you who don't know Thomas Nelson the publisher of the NKJV also publishes Benny Hinn's blasphemous "Good Morning, Holy Spirit." For that transgression alone Thomas Nelson should be shunned by Christians. They also publish those ridiculous BibleZines, Catholic Bibles, several books by TBN favorite John Hagee, Yoga for Christians, and a book by Donald Trump.
> 
> ...



Is Thomas Nelson the only publisher of the NKJV? I thought Crossway only sold the ESV?


----------



## Jerusalem Blade (Nov 11, 2006)

Hi Chris, good to see you around again!

I like the "signature" on your post:

“The most tremendous judgment of God in this world is the hardening of the hearts of men” -John Owen​
That is a fearsome and true saying.

Steve


----------



## Pilgrim (Nov 11, 2006)

mangum said:


> Is Thomas Nelson the only publisher of the NKJV? I thought Crossway only sold the ESV?



With the rarest of exceptions, Thomas Nelson is the publisher for the NKJV, Zondervan has the NIV, Crossway with the ESV, etc. The NASB is published by (Lockman) Foundation press, but also by Zondervan and has been published by others in the past, including Nelson. These arrangements are very lucrative for the publisher, and I remember reading at the height of the "Stealth NIV" controversy that sales of the NIV represented about 25% of revenue for Zondervan. Since the KJV is public domain in the USA, basically every Bible publisher prints it. 

Nelson has certainly published some quesionable materials, but if you dig deep enough you will find questionable materials published by all of them, including Crossway, which no doubt is one of the best evangelical publishers today. One main difference is that Crossway hasnt sold out to some corporate conglomerate the way Zondervan and possibly Nelson have. 

If someone has already bought a Bible and not planning to buy another one any time soon, how is continuing to use the Bible or book purchased in the past continuing to help the publisher? 

Crossway or Good News Publishers paid the National Council of Churches what was no doubt a hefty sum for the rights to the RSV, of which the ESV is a light revision. So if you are going to "separate" from any publisher that has done anything questionable, you had best be consistent with it.


----------



## bookslover (Nov 11, 2006)

larryjf said:


> I thought that sales would decline until Jan. as folks would be waiting to get the ESV 2007 revision, but i guess not.



I'm currently reading Michael Wil****s's two-volume "The Message of the Psalms" (in the Bible Speaks Today series). In his preface, he states, just in passing, that the best English translation, for study purposes, is still the RV of 1885 (though he may mean "1881'?).

Update: Notice the asterisks above. Whatever the software is that does this is being a LITTLE TOO DILIGENT! It's the man's NAME, for crying out loud!


----------



## Robert Truelove (Nov 15, 2006)

I am glad to see the ESV in the number 5 slot as of this post.

I am not overly concerned about the fact that the ESV is not staying on the top ten list. I think the translation has tremendous staying power. Besides its being a great translation, Crossway has demonstrated a tremendous ethic and philosophy in regards to how they have handled the copyright.

The ESV will become ubiquitous in electronic format within the next five years. Crossway has given free rights to several free Bible study software programs and even gave permission for the free distribution of the ESV for the open source Sword Project initiative. They have handled their copyright in a manner that is revolutionary when compared to other Bible publishers (I think without exception).

Other modern translations will come and go. I think the ESV will be around for a very long time.


----------



## Pilgrim (Nov 15, 2006)

prespastor said:


> I am glad to see the ESV in the number 5 slot as of this post.
> 
> I am not overly concerned about the fact that the ESV is not staying on the top ten list. I think the translation has tremendous staying power. Besides its being a great translation, Crossway has demonstrated a tremendous ethic and philosophy in regards to how they have handled the copyright.
> 
> ...



Crossway has certainly been innovative in making the ESV available in electronic format free of charge as well as with their website which is second to none. I bought my hardcover Classic Reference Bible in 2002 and it began falling apart soon thereafter, and without heavy use. Hopefully the quality has improved. They also appear to be quite sensitive to popular demand with the number of new editions they keep putting out. If I warm up more to this version in the future, I will likely wait until the revision comes out to purchase any more ESV's.


----------



## Pilgrim (Nov 15, 2006)

Blueridge reformer said:


> It could have to do with the text. I, personally stay with the KJV because I believe it comes from the better text. The NKJV uses the same text as well. I agree though about Thomas Nelson. Brother Farstad and Co. could have chosen a better publisher.



Actually the impetus for the NKJV came from the publisher, and not Farstad and co. The story goes that the son of the Nelson CEO told him in 1975 that he made a lot of nice bibles, but why didn't he make one he could read? My guess is that Farstad and co. were brought in after it was decided to base the NT on the TR. Interestingly, I understand Farstad was working on a project called Logos 21 in the 1990's that was to be based on the Majority Text. Before his death, the rights were sold to Holman who then switched to the CT, with the HCSB being the eventual result.


----------



## Robert Truelove (Nov 17, 2006)

An interesting side note regarding Arthur Farstad...He was originally in charge of what became the "Holman Christian Standard Bible". The HCSB was going to be based upon the Textus Receptus but after Farstads death, the editorial team changed the underlying text to the Critical Text.

Imagine...if this translation had been done from the TR as originally planned, it would have certainly stirred things up a bit. 



Pilgrim said:


> Actually the impetus for the NKJV came from the publisher, and not Farstad and co. The story goes that the son of the Nelson CEO told him in 1975 that he made a lot of nice bibles, but why didn't he make one he could read? My guess is that Farstad and co. were brought in after it was decided to base the NT on the TR. Interestingly, I understand Farstad was working on a project called Logos 21 in the 1990's that was to be based on the Majority Text. Before his death, the rights were sold to Holman who then switched to the CT, with the HCSB being the eventual result.


----------



## JM (Nov 24, 2006)

Wasn't Farstad an Open Brethren?

The RSV is still big with Roman Catholics.

The AV is my choice and I'm suprise how many different editions my local Bible book store is now stocking. Last year they had only a shelf, not they have 3.5.

It's nice to have a selection of AV's.

jm


----------



## Pilgrim (Nov 25, 2006)

SRoper said:


> "I like the ESV, but I hope it does not go the way of the RSV or NRSV and just not have popular support."
> 
> I thought the RSV had a ton of popular support.



Never among evangelicals, although it did have some. (Some of those involved in the production of the ESV admitted to having been "closet" RSV fans.) Many of course remained beholden to the KJV, but even many of those who had welcomed the ASV rejected the RSV for a number of reasons, mainly due to an antisupernatural bias that is evident in the translation of some passages esp. in the OT as well as employing a less literal approach. Had the RSV received wider acceptance among "conservatives" there would never have been a NASB or NIV as well as probably several other versions.


----------



## Pilgrim (Nov 25, 2006)

ADKing said:


> I was very surprised to see the Holman Christian Standard Bible at #5. From what I understand, it came out around the same time as the ESV but I heard lots of publicity for the ESV and almost none for the HCSB (that is an awkward acronymn, no?). Have any of you seen/used it? What is its general bent?



As you might guess from the Holman name, it was basically produced for the Southern Baptist Convention, in part in response to the gender-neutral NIV controversy (as with the ESV), although the commitee had members from other evangelical denominations. The SBC had a licensing agreement to use the NIV in their Sunday School material and were concerned it might become unusable. I don't have a HCSB but I understand that it is slightly more literal than the NIV but less literal than the NASB or ESV. See here for more information.


----------



## Pilgrim (Feb 17, 2007)

ESV is #4 in the latest CBA tracking list, behind the NIV, NKJV and KJV. 

http://www.cbaonline.org/TrackingLists/trx.jsp?w=t


----------



## Ivan (Feb 17, 2007)

Pilgrim said:


> ESV is #4 in the latest CBA tracking list, behind the NIV, NKJV and KJV.
> 
> http://www.cbaonline.org/TrackingLists/trx.jsp?w=t




I love the fact that the KJV is still holding on at number three.


----------

