ISV Standard Version Bible description

The International Standard Version (ISV) is the first modern Bible translation in any language to provide an exclusive textual apparatus comparing the text of the famed Dead Sea Scrolls with the traditional Masoretic text of the Hebrew Tanakh (i.e., the “Old Testament”).

The ISV is intended for liturgical and pulpit uses as well as for devotional reading, Bible study, and reading in the home. It is intended to be a moderately literal translation and seeks to avoid the paraphrasing tendencies of some modern versions. It's goal is to be a compromise between formal equivalence and functional equivalence by attempting to stay as close to the source text as possible without losing communication. The target reading level in English is 7th-8th grade.