As part of its annual review of user activity, YouVersion highlighted the most popular Bible verses in the 10 countries where it has been installed the most.
This year, the favorite verse of the United States and Brazil was bookmarked, shared, highlighted, and listened to so much that it beat out every other verse in the app’s history.
That verse was Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will” (NIV). American users preferred the New International Version, while Brazilians preferred the English Standard Version.
Other top verses were also favorites in more than one country (and proved popular last year as well) but varied in translation.
Mexico, the United Kingdom, and South Korea engaged the most with Isaiah 41:10: “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (NIV).
However, while the top verse was the same, each country’s users preferred different translations. Mexicans used the New American Standard Bible, Brits used the King James Version, and Koreans used the NIV.
Likewise, Nigeria, South Africa, and the Philippines all engaged the most with Jeremiah 29:11: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'” (NIV). But users in each country preferred a different translation. Nigerians used the New Living Translation (NLT), South Africans used the Good News Translation, and Filipinos used the NIV.
Conversely, users in Canada and China both preferred verses using the NLT translation. But Canadians engaged most with Ephesians 1:23: “And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.”
[Keep reading. . .]
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In