The ESV has become my personal favorite. However, I can certainly see why some may find it "clunky." I'll readily admit it often is.
Nevertheless, I guess I'm one of those people who likes my Bible to sound "majestic," and "Bible-ish."
Here is an example of the ESV translating the same Greek word meaning (selfish ambitions) as "selfish ambitions" four times, but then as rivalries, hostility, and self seeking.
Lets look at
Philippians 1:17, where the ESV now says selfish ambition. An earlier version (my hard copyright 2006, has rivalry. So they changed rivalry to selfish ambition. However, at
Galatians 5:20 we still find "rivalries" rather than selfish ambitions.
Next, let us look at
2 Corinthians 12:20, where the ESV renders the same word "hostility"rather than "selfish ambitions."
And to complete the list of flawed translations , we return to
Romans 2:8, where. self seeking is used rather than selfish ambition.
So in these three cases, their translation lacks correspondence and transparency.
Now if we compare to the LEB, we find selfish ambition all seven times, so there does not appear to be any valid reason for the lack of transparency. Yes, even the formal equivalence versions fail this test too with inconsistent translation following the herd rather than following the meaning.
For a different sort of flaw, lets look at
Genesis 3:16:
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, (ESV)
your desire will be for your husband, (NASB)
Your desire
shall be for your husband (NKJV)
your husband shall be your desire. (LEB)
Here is yet another verse:
Ephesians 1:5:
he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the
purpose of his will, (ESV)
He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
kind intention of His will, (NASB)
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the
good pleasure of His will, (NKJV)
having predestined us to adoption through Jesus Christ to himself according to the
good pleasure of his will, (LEB)
The ESV deleted "kind or good" part of the meaning of the word, but kind purpose or good purpose would have accurately conveyed the meaning of the word. Compare with the ESV version of
Philippians 1:15.
ITL also cited Revelation 13:8 where "apo" which means "out of" or from or since, is translated as "before" for doctrinal reasons. It mistranslates 2 Thessalonians 2:13, changing the noun "salvation" into the verb "saved" to alter the message of conditional election.
Clunky has been used to describe some or many ESV verses, here is an example where many would need to reread the verse:
Eze 3:18 (ESV)
If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.
Eze 3:18 (NIV)
When I say to a wicked person, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn them or speak out to dissuade them from their evil ways in order to save their life, that wicked person will die for their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.
