Why does the Christian Standard Bible aim for optimal equivalence? Optimal Equivalence is a translation philosophy that pursues both linguistic precision to the original languages and readability in contemporary English. In the many places throughout Scripture where a word-for-word rendering is clearly understandable, a literal translation is used. When a word-for-word rendering might obscure the meaning for a modern audience, a more dynamic translation is used. This process assures that both th

The Christian Standard Bible was translated with a philosophy of optimal equivalence—an optimal blend of accuracy to the earliest available manuscripts and readability in contemporary English. Learn more about the CSB at csbible.com | Christian Standard Bible