Originally Posted by jambo

I had been using the NASB until it started to fall apart. At that time the ESV arrived on the scene and I received a sample of Marks gospel in the ESV. I liked the sample and bought the ESV to replace the NASB. By and large I think it is a good translation but there are one or two instances of obscure English words which appear in the translation which I find a bit off putting. Who today would use "necromancers" (as in 1 Sam 28.3) surely 'mediums and spiritist' (NASB) or 'familiar spirits and wizards' (AV) is on more familiar territory.

That apart I like it. There are key test verses Virgin or young girl? (Is 7.14/Mt 1.23), Propitiation, expiation or atonement? (Ro 3.25; Heb 2.17; 1 Jn 2.2) and the way it translates the likes of Ro 9.5 etc and it passes the tests of its Christology and accuracy.