The Bible version most often cited for moving Selah out of the main text is the NIV 2011 , which places it in the footnotes in Psalms instead of printing it inline in many places. Other major modern translations typically still include Selah in the text, so the NIV 2011 is the clearest example people point to.

What’s going on

Selah is widely understood as an uncertain Hebrew term, often treated as a musical or liturgical marker rather than a word that should be read aloud as part of the verse. That is why some translators choose to footnote it or format it differently.

Versions people discuss

  • NIV 2011 : commonly described as the version that “removed” Selah from the biblical text by moving it to footnotes.
  • Earlier NIV editions : discussed in the same debate, but the 2011 edition is the one most often singled out.
  • Most other modern versions : generally keep Selah in the Psalms rather than omitting it entirely.

Important nuance

“Removed” is a bit misleading, because the word is usually not deleted from the translation tradition; it is often relocated to notes or treated as a structural marker. So the issue is more about presentation and translation philosophy than about erasing the term from all Bible versions.

If you want, I can also make a quick table showing which common English Bible translations keep Selah in the text versus footnotes.