History

• The NASB was first published in 1971, as an update of the ASV (American Standard Version). It was created specifically for English speakers from America, using grammar and terminology that would be easier to understand than old English. It also aimed to be a more direct representation of the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts of the scriptures.
  
  

Identification

• One will find words like "thee" and "thou" replaced with "you" in the NASB. The sentence structures in general are easier to read, with smoother conjunctions. For physical identification, a Bible's version should be displayed on the spine of the book. It may either read "NASB" or "New American Standard." It should also be displayed within the first few pages of the Bible at the title page.
  
  

Differences

• Other than having generally easy readability, the NASB is not that much different than other versions of the Bible such as NIV (New International Version), NKJV (New King James Version) and the ESV (English Standard Version). All of the same passages are there in the NASB. The main differences come in small details, such as using the word "but" or "then" in a verse that formerly read "and."
  
  

Benefits

• Many Bible scholars claim that the NASB is the most accurate English version of the Bible, according to Bible Gateway. This is because of how easy it is to understand, coupled with the uncompromising translations it takes directly from Greek and Hebrew. Not only can children easily read this version, but seminary students, theologians and pastors often make the NASB their translation of choice.
  
  

Types

• As with most other versions, there are multiple types of NASB Bibles. Some simply have the basic text, without any additional commentary. But many are known as study Bibles, because an editor may include supplemental reading amidst the text. These study Bibles may appeal to various people, because there are teen study Bibles, study Bibles for men, study Bibles for women and large print versions. There are also pocket-sized (compact) NASB Bibles, and audio versions on CD or MP3.