The ESV uses more gender-inclusive language than the 1984 NIV, but avoids the inaccuracies of the 2011 NIV. The HSCB does so too, but not every time.
Notes on why the Greek 'antropos', which used to be translated as generic 'man' in the 1984 NIV and is now translated as the more obviously gender neutral 'person' are at the bottom of this page.
1984 NIV, 1 Corinthians 2:14-15
The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:
2011 NIV, 1 Corinthians 2:15
The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,
ESV, 1 Corinthians 2:15
The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.
HSCB, 1 Corinthians 2:15
But the unbeliever does not welcome what comes from God’s Spirit, because it is foolishness to him; he is not able to understand it since it is evaluated spiritually. The spiritual person, however, can evaluate everything, yet he himself cannot be evaluated by anyone.
1984 NIV, 2 Pet. 2:19
They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.
2011 NIV, 2 Pet. 2:19
They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity – for ‘people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.’
ESV, 2 Pet. 2:19
They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.
HSCB, 2 Pet. 2:19
They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption, since people are enslaved to whatever defeats them.
1984 NIV, James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
2011 NIV, James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
ESV, James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.
HSCB, James 5:16
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The urgent request of a righteous person is very powerful in its effect.
1984 NIV, James 2:20
You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
2011 NIV, James 2:20
You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
ESV, James 2:20
Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless?
HSCB, James 2:20
Foolish man! Are you willing to learn that faith without works is useless?
1984 NIV, 2 Th. 3:14
If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.
2011 NIV, 2 Th. 3:14
Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed.
ESV, 2 Th. 3:14
If anyone does not obey what we say in this letter, take note of that person, and have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.
HSCB, 2 Th. 3:14
And if anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take note of that person; don’t associate with him, so that he may be ashamed.
1984 NIV, Gal. 2:16
know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified.
2011 NIV, Gal. 2:16
know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified.
ESV, Gal. 2:16
yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
HSCB, Gal. 2:16
know that no one is justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ. And we have believed in Christ Jesus so that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no human being will be justified.
1984 NIV, 1Cor. 11:28
A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
2011 NIV, 1Cor. 11:28
Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup.
ESV, 1Cor. 11:28
Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
HSCB, 1Cor. 11:28
So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat the bread and drink from the cup.
1984 NIV, 1Cor. 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.
2011 NIV, 1Cor. 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.
ESV, 1Cor. 6:18
Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.
HSCB, 1Cor. 6:18
Run from sexual immorality! “Every sin a person can commit is outside the body.” On the contrary, the person who is sexually immoral sins against his own body.
1984 NIV, Rom. 14:5
One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
2011 NIV, Rom. 14:5
One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.
ESV, Rom. 14:5
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
HSCB, Rom. 14:5
One person considers one day to be above another day. Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.
1984 NIV, Rom. 13:1
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities,
2011 NIV, Rom. 13:1
Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,
ESV, Rom. 13:1
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.
HSCB, Rom. 13:1
Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.
1984 NIV, Rom. 10:5
Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them.”
2011 NIV, Rom. 10:5
Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: ‘The person who does these things will live by them.’
ESV, Rom. 10:5
For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them.
HSCB, Rom 10:5
For Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them.
1984 NIV, Rom. 5:7
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.
2011 NIV, Rom 5:7
Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.
ESV, Rom. 5:7
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
HSCB, Rom. 5:7
For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die.
1984 NIV, John 3:27
To this John replied, “A man can receive only what is given him from heaven.
2011 NIV,
To this John replied, ‘A person can receive only what is given them from heaven.
ESV, John 3:27
John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.
HSCB, John 3:27
John responded, “No one can receive a single thing unless it’s given to him from heaven.
1984 NIV, Luke 18:25
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.
2011 NIV, Luke 18:25
Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.
ESV, Luke 18:25
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
HSCB, Luke 18:25
For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.
1984 NIV, Luke 6:45
The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
2011 NIV, Luke 6:45
A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
ESV, Luke 6:45
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
HSCB, Luke 6:45
A good man produces good out of the good storeroom of his heart. An evil man produces evil out of the evil storeroom, for his mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart.
Conclusion
This last quote from Luke 6:45 is actually more gender-inclusive than the 2011 NIV, but in every case quoted above the ESV uses gender-inclusive language where the 1984 NIV does not, and the HSCB normally does. Clearly, both the ESV and the HSCB are trying to be sensitive to this issue where ever the Greek text will allow it to be, but unlike the 2011 NIV, it does not impose gender-inclusive language onto the text where the Greek does not allow it.We are left with several questions that still need answering, such as: Is God sexist? Were the apostles sexist? Why didn't they use more gender-inclusive language? Why are men at the centre of the Bible's stories and why are women marginalised? However, all of these are theological questions which I hope to answer later. For now, I want to remain focused on the issue of which Bible translation we should choose as a pew Bible for the church.
The fact is that about half of the 1984 NIV pew Bibles in church are looking brown and a bit worn. They may last another couple of years, but sooner or later they will need replaced and replacing them with other 1984 NIVs is no longer an option. I hope I’ve made a reasonable case for why I’ve recommended to the elders that we replace the pew Bibles with the either the ESV or the HSCB rather than the 2011 NIV.
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