Growing up has never been easy, but in a world where everything is moving faster and faster it has never been so difficult. Our teens carry the weight of the world on their shoulders and they are assaulted on all sides by uncertainty  and anxiety. The solid rock on which they can plant their feet is the Bible. God’s guidance and comfort will see them through the tribulations of teen years and lead them safely to Christian adulthood. ‘If I don’t read and my soul be lost ain’t nobody’s fault but mine’, runs the old song, but the Bible is not an easy book to read. The ideas it contains are complex and the language it uses is often challenging. The world of teens is dominated by social media which often serves to erode literacy skills, so it makes good sense to give teens a helping hand by providing them with a Bible that helps them access the word of God. Here are a range of teen Bibles. We hope you find what your teen needs.

1) NIV, Quest Study Bible for Teens by Zondervan

This compact study Bible, which uses the New International Version of the text, has been designed especially with teens in mind, focussing particularly on Biblical advice on friends, family and school.  Over 7,000 sidebar notes and articles, clarify challenging Bible passages and answer thousands of questions that teens may have about how the Bible relates to their lives. There is a focus on teens in the Bible and there are 360 articles which examine ‘20 Big Ideas for Teens’. Each book in the Bible has its own introduction, which looks at themes, characters, events and context and there are charts and full color maps to help understanding. View on Amazon

2) Teen Life Application Study Bible by Tyndale

This study Bible uses the New Living translation and has a focus on personal choices, real life issues and stories of teenage life.  Each book in the Bible has a helpful introduction and there are copious notes throughout the text as well as profiles of people in the Bible and maps designed to help understanding. There are even places within the text where the reader can jot down their notes and thoughts. Reviewers praise this study Bible for its ease of understanding. View on Amazon

3) KJV Teen Study Bible by Zondervan

The King James Bible is the translation of the Bible that many of us older ones will have grown up with. Historically it’s the most influential and widely read of all Bible translations and its beautiful, poetic language has given us innumerable phrases which are now part of everyday speech; however, the 400 year old language does present a real challenge to readers. This does not mean that teenagers should not be exposed to this traditional version of the Bible, for the poetry of this translation may well touch them more profoundly than a simplified text.  In addition to the complete Biblical text, this study Bible includes ‘We Believe’ sections, which discuss the Apostles' Creed and illuminate the Biblical basis of faith. Each book in the Bible is prefaced by a ‘panorama’ overview and there are topical indexes to help the reader with in depth Bible study. There are ‘Bible promises’ which highlight key verses to memorize, Q&As to reinforce knowledge of the scripture and eight pages of color maps to assist understanding. View on Amazon

4) NIV Value Thinline Bible by Zondervan

This complete text of the New International Version comes without any additional material. Its compact format, it’s printed in a double column and is less than an inch thick, makes it an ideal everyday Bible which can be easily carried. The typeface is easy to read and the leathersoft cover lays flat when open. If you are looking for an inexpensive lightweight edition of the Bible, look no further. View on Amazon

5) NIV Teen Study Bible by Zondervan

This popular study Bible for teens has sold over four million copies. It follows the same format as the Zondervan King James Teen Study Bible but uses the more accessible New International Version translation. View on Amazon

6) NKJV, Extreme Teen Study Bible by Thomas Nelson

This emphasis with this teen study Bible is ‘make your faith your own’. Each book in the Bible has an introduction which addresses the key questions: who, what, when, where, why. ‘World App’ and ‘Life App’ articles help the reader examine real world issues from a Biblical perspective and there are helpful explanations of words and phrases to help facilitate understanding. ‘God’s promises’ are a sequence of articles which articulate why we can always rely on God and the 250 ‘Make it Real’ articles help teenagers apply what they are reading to their personal lives.The text offers three different reading plans to encourage critical thinking and a quick reference finder enables teenagers to access answers to their own specific questions. Full color maps provide a visual aid to understanding. View on Amazon

7) Think Biblically -Teen Bible Study Book: Addressing Cultural Issues with Clarity and Boldness by Sean McDowell

First published in December 2022, this study Bible tackles topical subjects such as race relations, climate change and sexuality, head on.  The six study sessions are intended to help students to think Biblically, to ‘address these and other cultural issues with clarity and boldness’. Students learn how Jesus would respond to the challenges we face as well as learning about ‘what Biblical justice means and how to understand it and care about poverty and racism in a way that helps people’. Interactive teaching videos, featuring author Sean McDowell, can be purchased as an additional resource and there are personal study segments to be completed between the group sessions.

‘Dr  Sean McDowell is an Associate Professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University’. Author, co-author or editor of over 20 books, he is a widely traveled speaker and co-host of the ‘Think Biblically’ podcast. His YouTube channel is one of the top apologetics channels in the country. View on Amazon