In my humble opinion . . .

When I worked at a LifeWay store, I was able to see a more recent translation of the Biblical texts come onto the shelves--the ESV (English Standard Version). After doing some research on it and looking at the endorsements of some people whom I really respect, I began to like it. And then I bought one to have in my home and be able to look at more in-depth. I still really liked it. Up until this point, pretty much the only translation I used, particularly for study, was the NASB. After taking Hebrew and Greek class and seeing how literal the NASB is to these manuscripts, it was my favorite. However, I have given way to also now using the ESV as well. It is quite literal but reads much more smoothly than the NASB. And now they have developed an incredible study Bible. I have yet to read a review that was negative toward it. All very complementary!

I have been wanting this new ESV study Bible for a while (it is fairly new). I received one as a gift the other day at work. I mean, what a great tool to use when writing and studying for Bible study! I couldn't close my mouth I was so excited. Anyway, after only using it for a week, I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a great study Bible (and you also get access to the study features online). You can find more specific details here. So, there's my two cents.