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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/27642
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

It really doesn't matter.

That is why you're getting some fairly different answers. Some churches will favor one version. Other churches will favor another version. Unless you have a target audience more specific than "familiar believers", you're not going to have a single version that absolutely trumps all others in popularity.

For a while I felt like NIV was fairly popular. I've heard an NIV translator (on a radio show) describe it as a "living document". I've seen less emphasis on NIV in more recent times, perhaps because the NIV has released a new version so the latest release has been a bit less familiar to people who started becoming familiar with the 1985 version years ago.

The biggest drawback I know of with the NIV is that it is legally encumbered with restrictions quoting it. If that doesn't matter, you could use that. If such restrictions are undesirable, you could check out WEB.

But once you select a version, strongly consider not sticking to just it. Run a bible verse through Google, and quickly see some of the translations using BibleHub. Sometimes one translation will be more clearly written for a specific verse. Or, maybe the word choice just fits your purpose better (even if your purpose is nothing more specific than "sounding elegant and beautiful).

Some readers are likely to benefit from citations that mention what version is quoted.

So, to summarize my recommendation (of which translation to use) in ten words or less: Don't limit yourself to using just one.

Original score: 4