Difference between revisions of "Is the King James Bible Harder to Understand"
| Line 361: | Line 361: | ||
(It refers to the two witnesses, so graves plural are needed.) | (It refers to the two witnesses, so graves plural are needed.) | ||
{| border="1" | {| border="1" | ||
| − | Rev. 11:11 | + | |Rev. 11:11 |
| − | who were beholding them | + | |who were beholding them |
| − | saw | + | |saw |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 12:3 | + | |Rev. 12:3 |
| − | diadems | + | |diadems |
| − | crowns | + | |crowns |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 13: | + | |Rev. 13: |
| − | diadems | + | |diadems |
| − | crowns | + | |crowns |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 13:5 | + | |Rev. 13:5 |
| − | arrogant words | + | |arrogant words |
| − | great things | + | |great things |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 13:10 | + | |Rev. 13:10 |
| − | perseverance | + | |perseverance |
| − | patience | + | |patience |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 16:9 | + | |Rev. 16:9 |
| − | fierce | + | |fierce |
| − | great | + | |great |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 16:21 | + | |Rev. 16:21 |
| − | severe | + | |severe |
| − | great | + | |great |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 17:1 | + | |Rev. 17:1 |
| − | harlot | + | |harlot |
| − | whore | + | |whore |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 17:8 | + | |Rev. 17:8 |
| − | abyss | + | |abyss |
| − | bottomless pit | + | |bottomless pit |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 17:16 | + | |Rev. 17:16 |
| − | harlot | + | |harlot |
| − | whore | + | |whore |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev.18:1 | + | |Rev.18:1 |
| − | illumined | + | |illumined |
| − | lightened | + | |lightened |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 18:2 | + | |Rev. 18:2 |
| − | prison of every. . .bird | + | |prison of every. . .bird |
| − | cage | + | |cage |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 18:7 | + | |Rev. 18:7 |
| − | mourning | + | |mourning |
| − | sorrow | + | |sorrow |
|- | |- | ||
| − | Rev. 18:8 | + | |Rev. 18:8 |
| − | pestilence | + | |pestilence |
| − | death | + | |death |
|- | |- | ||
|Rev. 18:11, 18:12 | |Rev. 18:11, 18:12 | ||
Revision as of 20:05, 9 February 2011
"In the last days. . .men shall be HEADY, HIGHMINDED" II Timothy 3:4 At the intersection of Bible Boulevard, Madison Avenue and Wall street, there are many crooked turns of the truth. Advertising campaigns create a cloud of confusion, calling the KJV "obscure, confusing and sometimes incomprehensible." While they crown the NIV's "clarity and ease of reading" and the NASB's "contemporary English." Christians are coerced by full colour ads written to colour the plain facts by advertising, not English majors. The Flesch-Kincaid research company's Grade Level Indicator betrays the strictly black and white nature of the issue showing the new version's true colours. The KJV ranks easier in 23 out of 26 comparisons. (Their formula is: (.39 x average number of words per sentence) + (11.8 x average number of syllables per word) - (15.59) = grade level. The first chapter of the first and last books of both the Old and New Testaments were compared. (All complete sentences, whether terminating in a period, colon, or semi-colon, and all incomplete phrases ending in a period, were calculated as 'sentences'.)
| KJB Grade Level | NIV Grade Level | NASV Grade Level | TEV Grade Level | NKJV Grade Level | |
| Gen. 1 | 4.4 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 5.1 | 5.2 |
| Mal. 1 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 5.1 | 5.4 | 4.6 |
| Matt. 1 | 6.7 | 16.4 | 6.8 | 11.8 | 10.3 |
| Rev. 1 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 6.4 | 7.7 |
| Grade Level Average | 5.8 | 8.4 | 6.1 | 7.2 | 6.9 |
To extend the inquiry, one each of the three book-types (Gospel, Pauline epistle, General epistle) were surveyed. The resulting data confirms the readability of the KJV.
KJB | NIV | NASB | Good News (TEV) | NKJV | |
John 1:1-21 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 5.9 | 3.9 |
Gal.1:1-21 | 8.6 | 9.8 | 10.4 | 6.7 | 8.9 |
James 1:1-21 | 5.7 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.0 | 6.4 |
Why is the KJV easier to read?
The KJV uses one or two syllable words while new versions substitute complex multi-syllable words and phrases. Their "heady, high-minded" vocabulary hides the hope of salvation from simple saints and sinners. Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech. (KJB) II Cor. 3:12 The NASB substitutes "lividness of speech" here and carries this confusing and condescending vocabulary from cover to cover. Children and church members need to change to the KJV for "clarity." An extensive list is given because Christians have been so extensively brainwashed to 'believe a lie'.
NASV vs. KJB
HARD WORD (NASB) EASY WORD (KJB
Matt.1:11, 1:1 deportation carried away Matt.1:2 considered thought Matt.2:1, 2:7 magi wise men Mark. 2:21 unshrunk new Matt. 2:16 environs coasts Luke 3:17, Matt.3:12 winnowing fork fan Luke 11:33, Matt. 5:15, Mark 4:2 peck- measure bushel Matt. 5:1 annuls break Matt. 5:21 murder kill Luke 5:29, Matt. 8:1 recline at the table sat Matt. 8:32 begone go Matt. 9:13, 12:7 compassion mercy Matt. 9:17 wineskins bottles Matt. 9:18 synagogue official certain ruler Mark 5:25, Matt. 9:2 hemorrhage issue of blood Matt.9:20, 14:36 fringe hem Matt. 9:38 beseech pray Matt. 10:1 summoned called Matt. 10:10 tunics coats Matt. 10:16 shrewd wise Matt. 11:26 well pleasing good Mark 14:3 vial box Mark 14:3, 14:18 reclining sat Luke 1:22 mute speechless Mark 15:18 acclaim salute Luke 3:5 ravine valley Luke 6:1 descended came down Luke 5:5 bidding word Luke 6:22 ostracize separate you from their company Luke 6:48 torrent burst stream beat Luke 6:49 collapsed fell Luke 7:2 highly regarded dear Luke 7:32 sang a dirge have mourned Luke 8:15 perseverance patience Luke 8:3 the abyss the deep Luke 8:33 rushed ran Luke 9:39 seizes taketh Luke 9:42 dashed him to the ground threw him Luke 9:45 concealed hid Luke 10:2 plentiful great Luke 10:2 beseech pray Luke 10:20 recorded written Luke 10:21 well-pleasing good Luke 11:21 undisturbed in peace Luke 11:28 observe it keep it Luke 23:45 being obscured darkened
(This has other implications. It states that the sun was darkened by being obscured, implying the natural phenomenon of an eclipse rather than a supernatural move of God.
Luke 18:40 questioned asked John 6:60 difficult hard John 7:6 opportune ready John 10:23 portico porch John 10:24 suspense doubt John 11:17 tomb grave John 11:57 seize take John 11:39 stench stinketh John 12:45 beholds seeth John 12:40 perceive understand John 13:12 reclined set down John 13:23 reclining leaning John 14:27 fearful afraid John 16:8 concerning of I Thess. 2:17 having been bereft of you being taken from you I Thess. 2:18 thwarted hindered I Thess. 5:1 epochs seasons I Thess. 5:14 admonish warn 2 Thess.2:3 apostasy falling away 2 Thess. 2:3 lawlessness sin 2 Thess. 3:2 perverse unreasonable 2 Thess. 3:6 aloof withdraw I Tim.1:15 foremost of all chief I Tim. 2:8 dissensions doubting I Tim.2:9
discreetly sobriety I Tim. 3:2 prudent sober I Tim.3:2 respectable of good behavior I Tim. 3:3 pugnacious striker I Tim. 3:3 uncontentious not a brawler I Tim.3:8 sordid filthy I Tim. 5:12 previous pledge first faith I Tim. 6:3 advocates teach I Tim.6:4 conceited proud I Tim. 6:10 a pang sorrows 2 Tim. 3:2 arrogant proud Titus 1:6 dissipation riot Titus 1:7 sordid filthy Titus 3:2 to malign no one to speak evil of no man Titus 3:2 uncontentious to be no brawlers Titus 3:10 factious heretics Phil. 2:1
consolation comfort Phil. 2:30 deficient lack Heb. 2:17 propitiation reconciliation Heb. 5:10 designated called Heb. 7:2 apportioned gave Heb. 12:1 encumbrance weight James 1:2 encounter fall into James 1:11 in the midst in his ways James 5:11 blessed happy I Pet.4:4 dissipation riot I John 5:10 borne gave Rev.1:3 heed keep Rev. 1:9 perseverance patience Rev. 2:2 perseverance patience Rev. 2:3 perseverance patience Rev. 3:10 perseverance patience Rev. 2:23 pestilence death Rev. 4:1 standing was Rev. 5:11 myriads of myriads ten thousand times ten thousand Rev. 6:8 ashen pale Rev. 6:8 famine hunger Rev. 6:8 pestilence death Rev. 7:15 spread His tabernacle over dwell among Rev. 9:11 abyss pit Rev. 11:7 abyss pit Rev. 11:9 laid in a tomb put in graves
(It refers to the two witnesses, so graves plural are needed.)
| Rev. 11:11 | who were beholding them | saw |
| Rev. 12:3 | diadems | crowns |
| Rev. 13: | diadems | crowns |
| Rev. 13:5 | arrogant words | great things |
| Rev. 13:10 | perseverance | patience |
| Rev. 16:9 | fierce | great |
| Rev. 16:21 | severe | great |
| Rev. 17:1 | harlot | whore |
| Rev. 17:8 | abyss | bottomless pit |
| Rev. 17:16 | harlot | whore |
| Rev.18:1 | illumined | lightened |
| Rev. 18:2 | prison of every. . .bird | cage |
| Rev. 18:7 | mourning | sorrow |
| Rev. 18:8 | pestilence | death |
| Rev. 18:11, 18:12 | cargoes | merchandise |
| Rev. 19:12 | diadem | crown |
| Rev. 19:20
seized |
taken | |
| Rev. 20:1, 20:3 | abyss bottomless | pit |
| Rev. 21:8 | cowardly | fearful |
| Rev. 22:7 | heeds | keepeth |
(source: New Age Bible Versions, G.A.Riplinger, 1993 (690 pgs), Dr. Waite continues: "Some people say they like a particular version because they say it's more readable. Now, readability is one thing, but does the readability conform to what's in the original Greek and Hebrew language? You can have a lot of readability, but if it doesn't match up with what God has said, it's of no profit. In the King James Bible, the words match what God has said. You may say it's difficult to read, but study it out. It's hard in the Hebrew and Greek and, perhaps, even in the English in the King James Bible. But to change it around just to make it simple, or interpreting it, instead of translating it, is wrong."
Version Words Vocab Verses
KJB 790685 12784 31102
NIV 726109 14500 31085
NKJV 770930 13309 31102
RSV 760151 14110 31083