Every Bible translation must decide which Hebrew and Greek texts are the basis for translation. The translators of GOD'S WORD^® used Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia for the Old Testament and Novum Testamentum Graece (twenty-sixth edition) for the New Testament. In general, GOD'S WORD^® translates the texts of these publications.

In some cases the translation team believed that a better reading existed in manuscripts other than the ones on which those publications base their text. In those cases the team translated the text of some other manuscripts. Whenever GOD'S WORD^® does not follow the text of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia or Novum Testamentum Graece, it contains a footnote that points this out. In a few cases, the translation followed Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia or Novum Testamentum Graece but included a footnote, because the team felt that manuscript evidence for an alternate reading was strong enough to include a note for readers, even though it was not part of the translated text.

The textual footnotes in GOD'S WORD^® are short and simple. They do not contain abbreviations. Moreover, they do not distinguish between various ancient translations in the same language. For instance, Latin denotes any one of the several ancient Latin translations of the Bible. While scholars may find this frustrating at times, the footnotes were designed to convey information to the non-specialist in the least complicated and confusing way. The scholar who consults Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia or Novum Testamentum Graece will be able to figure out which manuscripts were followed.

In some cases in the Old Testament, the division of books into chapters and verses is different in the Hebrew text than in most English Bibles. Wherever this occurs, GOD'S WORD follows the standard English chapter and verse divisions but notes the differences in a footnote.

In a few cases slight differences in verse divisions exist between the Greek text of the New Testament and most English Bibles. Once again GOD'S WORD^® follows standard English verse divisions. However, since these differences are slight (often involving only a phrase or clause), they are not noted.