God does not want anything added or removed from His Word. Yet translators have to occasionally deal with there being words in some languages without an equivalent word in the language they are translating into. So we verify by comparing the translations to what the original scriptures say. Since God is perfect so are the scriptures as God gave (God breathed) to men of God. Then, usually bright people translated the scriptures into different translations. Translations vary widely from quite literal word for word to thought for thought to paraphrase.
We recommend using the most literal version you are comfortable with, as God's word is precise. Translations using someone's religious ideas is not in our opinion wise. If you do use one of the fuzzier translations, understand that there are better translations out there.
There have been more than 60 versions of the Bible translated into English. They can be divided into three categories:
Word-for-word
Meaning-to-meaning (also called thought-to-thought)
Paraphrased. (the translator expressing the meaning or intent according to their own personal religious ideas or doctrine using their own words.)
Because the scriptures come come a different mindset, a different world view, than our natural man, we believe it wise to use the most literal version that we would actually use. It does no good to have a concise literal version if you are not comfortable using it as your personal Bible. If you choose a less literal Bible version understand there are details that you may miss or possibly missintrepret.
We are not King James Version (KJV) only. Although we do like it. Personally we like Biblehub.com, a free online Bible resource where you can compare different versions and also use their online interlinear where you can compare with the original Greek or Hebrew. Comparing the original Greek and Hebrew scriptures is wonderful! Remember if you use the Interlinear for the Hebrew, Hebrew is read right to left not left to right like the English and the Greek. The interlinear also has Hebrew and Greek dictionaries.
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (1st Tim 3:16)
"For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book." (Rev 22:18-19)
Clicking on the scripture links below at the left side of the chart will open a new window where you can compare many translations side by side and access an interlinear so you can see what the original scriptures say. For interlinear access see link circled in red, in pic above right. Clicking on the image will open a new window with a higher resolution pic.
| King James (KJV) | New International (NIV) | New American Standard (NAS) |
New World Translation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt 9:13 | for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. | For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. | For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners. | For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners. |
| Mt 18:11 | For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost. | OMITTED | footnote casts doubt | OMITTED |
| Mt 19:17 | Why callest thou me good? | "Why do you ask me about what is good?" | "Why are you asking me about what is good?" | "Wny do you ask me about what is good?" |
| Mt 25:13 | Ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. | You do not know the day or the hour. | You do not know the day nor the hour. | You know neither the day nor the hour, |
| Mk 10:24 | .how hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! | .how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! | .how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! | .how difficult a thing it is to enter into the kingdom of God! |
| Lk 2:33 | And Joseph and his mother,,, | The child's father and mother. | His father and mother. | its father and mother. |
| Lk 4:4 | Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. | Man does not live on bread alone. | Man shall not live on bread alone. | Man must not live by bread alone. |
| Lk 4:8 | Get thee behind me, Satan. | OMITTED | OMITTED | OMITTED |
| Jn 6:47 | He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. | He who believes has everlasting life. | He who believes has eternal life. | He that believes has everlasting life. |
| Jn 8:9 | And when they heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out. | .those who heard began to go away. | .when they heard it, they began to go out one by one. | OMITTED |
| Jn 9:4 | I must work the works of him that sent me. | We must do the work of him who sent me. | We must work the works of Him who sent Me. | We must work the works of him that sent me. |
| Jn 10:30 | I and my Father are one | I and the Father are one. | I and the Father are one. | I and the Father are one. |
| Ac 2:30 | that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; | .he would place one of his descendants on his throne. | .to seat one of his descendants upon his throne. | .he would seat one from the fruitage of his loins upon his throne. |
| Ac 8:37 | If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. | OMITTED | footnote casts doubt (some editions just omit it) | OMITTED |
| Ac 23:9 | Let us not fight against God. | OMITTED | OMITTED | OMITTED |
| Rom 13:9 | Thou shalt not bear false witness. | OMITTED | OMITTED | OMITTED |
| Co 1:14 | In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. | In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. | In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. | By means of whom we have our release by ransom, the forgiveness of our sins. |
| 1Ti 3:16 | God was manifest in the flesh. | He appeared in a body. | He who was revealed in the flesh. | He was made manifest in the flesh. |
| 1Ti 6:5 | Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. | "from such withdraw thyself" is omitted | "from such withdraw thyself" is omitted | "from such withdraw thyself" is omitted |
| 1Pe 1:22 | Ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. | you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth. | Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls. | Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth. |
| 1Jo 4:3 | And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God. | But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. | And every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. | But every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate with God. |
| Re 5:14 | Four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever. | .the elders fell down and worshipped. | .the elders fell down and worshipped. | .the elders fell down and worshipped. |
| Re 20:9 | Fire came down from God out of heaven. | Fire came down from heaven. | Fire came down from heaven. | Fire came down out of heaven. |
| Re 21:24 | And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. | The nations will walk by its light. | And the nations shall walk by its light. |
And the nations will walk by means of its light. |
Chart used with permission of Chapter 3 Ministries.
Sixteen NT Verses Omitted from Modern Bibles
Matthew 17:21: "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."
Matthew 18:11: "For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost."
Matthew 23:14: "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."
Mark 7:16: "If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."
Mark 9:44: "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Mark 9:46: "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
Mark 11:26: "But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Mark 15:28: "And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered with the transgressors."
Luke 17:36: "Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left."
John 5:4: "For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had."
Acts 8:37: "And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Acts 15:34: "Notwithstanding it pleased Silas to abide there still."
Acts 24:7: "But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,"
Acts 28:29: "And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves."
Romans 16:24: "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."
I John 5:7: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."
Table of Changes
Bear in mind that not all differences are bad. Each one has to be checked out separately. Many changes omit or weaken the diety of Christ, the power of Christ, etc.
| Differs from the King James Bible in the New Testament | |||||||
| o = Omitts | a = Adds | ||||||
| NKJV | NIV | NASV | NRSV | RSV | NCV | LIV | |
| WORDS | o 2289 | o 5219 | a 3561 | o 3890 | o 6985 | a 11114 | a 17003 |
| VERSES | 0 | o 16 | o 17 | o 18 | o 25 | o 16 | o 7 |
| The number of times 15 Major words differ from the King James Bible | |||||||
| o = Omits | a = Adds | * = Word is Completely Removed | |||||
| WORD | NIV | NASV | NKJV | RSV | NRSV | NCV | LIV |
| Christ | o 25 | o 34 | o 1 | o 32 | o 87 | a 121 | a 44 |
| Lord | o 352 | o 438 | o 66 | o 36 | o 91 | o 299 | o 2368 |
| Jesus | a 292 | o 64 | o 2 | o 53 | a 16 | a 1098 | a 293 |
| God | o 468 | o 87 | o 51 | o 111 | o 138 | a 803 | a 452 |
| Godhead | o 3 * | o 3 * | o 1 | o 3 * | o 3 * | o 3 * | o 3 * |
| Lucifer | o 1 * | o 1 * | o 1 * | o 1 * | o 1 * | ||
| devil(s) | o 80 | o 82 | o 81 | o 82 | o 80 | o 74 | o 87 |
| hell | o 40 | o 41 | o 22 | o 41 | o 41 | o 39 | a 13 |
| heaven | o 160 | o 127 | o 50 | o 83 | o 88 | o 186 | o 26 |
| damned (able, ation) | o 15 * | o 15 * | o 15 * | o 15 * | o 15 * | o 15 * | o 7 |
| blood | o 41 | o 39 | o 23 | o 26 | o 46 | o 157 | o 174 |
| salvation | o 42 | o 4 | o 2 | o 33 | o 37 | o 94 | o 25 |
| Word of God | o 8 | o 2 | o 1 | o 3 | o 8 | o 31 | o 27 |
| Word of the Lord | o 25 | o 2 | a 4 | o 2 | o 3 | o 217 | o 236 |
| Lord Jesus Christ | o 24 | o 21 | o 21 | o 22 | o 20 | o 15 | |
(Some comtent used herein with permission from thestandard.org.uk)
