What are a few Bible translations I should use?

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What are a few Bible translations I should use? I am using ESV; someone had suggested I use more than one translation to better understand certain messages.
 
ESV is good, just beware it lacks the deuterocanonicals. The RSV-CE is a solid alternative.
 
The ESV is a pretty good version that I think has a good balance between formal equivalence and functional equivalence, leaning closer to the formal equivalence side of the translation spectrum. If you want a version that is further along the formal equivalence side, the NASV is a solid choice. If you want something of a more functional equivalent the NIV is serviceable translation (although it sometimes has some odd rules).
 
Apparently in India they have an ESV Catholic Edition. If that could come to the US that would be an ideal Bible.
 
If you read the NAB, just skip over the footnotes or get a copy that doesn’t have them.
 
Each translation misses the mark by just a bit. If you consult with several versions, you see that mark bracketed and may then be able to discern the center point, or meaning and intent. That, and a Bible Commentary such as the Rev. George Leo Haydock Commentary - a standard reference work.

The Revised Standard Version - Catholic Edition or Second Catholic Edition (RSV-CE, RSV-2CE) are good, but their rendering leaves me flat. They are a vastly updated and Catholicized King James Version, with all of the Catholic books. The Knox is beautifully translated, using British English. The Douay-Rheims is the perennial favorite. Read them side-by-side here.

A sleeper is the Oxford-Cambridge Revised English Bible w/“Apocrypha.” It is a modern British translation which sought to remove the denominational bias seen in so many 20th century bibles. It was developed with the (name removed by moderator)ut of the Catholic Church in the UK. Really good as a daily reader, and decent copies can be bought for $4-$10 on Amazon, eBay or ThriftBooks.
 
In addition to what others have said, I’ll just add what renowned Anglican theologian NT Wright has said. “If you use only the NIV you can never fully understand the Book of Romans, because the translator’s Calvinism shines through so clearly.” I would say a variety of sources is good.
 
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This topic always demonstrates why Verbum is such a good resource: It comes with a handful of different translations, and others can be added for about $10 each. The different versions can be brought up and read side-by-side.
 
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