Difference between revisions of "Is the King James Bible Harder to Understand"

Revision as of 20:23, 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 behaviour
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

@@ Line 15: / Line 15: @@
 The NASB substitutes &quot;lividness of speech&quot; here and carries this confusing and condescending vocabulary from cover to cover. Children and church members need to change to the KJV for &quot;clarity.&quot; An extensive list is given because Christians have been so extensively brainwashed to 'believe a lie'.
-NASV vs. KJB
+{| border="1"
- 	HARD WORD (NASB)	EASY WORD (KJB
+|NASV vs. KJB
-Matt.1:11, 1:1
+|HARD WORD (NASB)
-deportation
+|EASY WORD (KJB
-carried away
+|-
-Matt.1:2
+|Matt.1:11, 1:1
-considered
+|deportation
-thought
+|carried away
-Matt.2:1, 2:7
+|-
-magi
+|Matt.1:2
-wise men
+|considered
-Mark. 2:21
+|thought
-unshrunk
+|-
-new
+|Matt.2:1, 2:7
-Matt. 2:16
+|magi
-environs
+|wise men
-coasts
+|-
-Luke 3:17, Matt.3:12
+|Mark. 2:21
-winnowing fork
+|unshrunk
-fan
+|new
-Luke 11:33, Matt. 5:15, Mark 4:2
+|-
-peck- measure
+|Matt. 2:16
-bushel
+|environs
-Matt. 5:1
+|coasts
-annuls
+|-
-break
+|Luke 3:17, Matt.3:12
-Matt. 5:21
+|winnowing fork
-murder
+|fan
-kill
+|-
-Luke 5:29, Matt. 8:1
+|Luke 11:33, Matt. 5:15, Mark 4:2
-recline at the table
+|peck- measure
-sat
+|bushel
-Matt. 8:32
+|-
-begone
+|Matt. 5:1
-go
+|annuls
-Matt. 9:13, 12:7
+|break
-compassion
+|-
-mercy
+|Matt. 5:21
-Matt. 9:17
+|murder
-wineskins
+|kill
-bottles
+|-
-Matt. 9:18
+|Luke 5:29, Matt. 8:1
-synagogue official
+|recline at the table
-certain ruler
+|sat
-Mark 5:25, Matt. 9:2
+|-
-hemorrhage
+|Matt. 8:32
-issue of blood
+|begone
-Matt.9:20, 14:36
+|go
-fringe
+|-
-hem
+|Matt. 9:13, 12:7
-Matt. 9:38
+|compassion
-beseech
+|mercy
-pray
+|-
-Matt. 10:1
+|Matt. 9:17
-summoned
+|wineskins
-called
+|bottles
-Matt. 10:10
+|-
-tunics
+|Matt. 9:18
-coats
+|synagogue official
-Matt. 10:16
+|certain ruler
-shrewd
+|-
-wise
+|Mark 5:25, Matt. 9:2
-Matt. 11:26
+|hemorrhage
-well pleasing
+|issue of blood
-good
+|-
-Mark 14:3
+|Matt.9:20, 14:36
-vial
+|fringe
-box
+|hem
-Mark 14:3, 14:18
+|-
-reclining
+|Matt. 9:38
-sat
+|beseech
-Luke 1:22
+|pray
-mute
+|-
-speechless
+|Matt. 10:1
-Mark 15:18
+|summoned
-acclaim
+|called
-salute
+|-
-Luke 3:5
+|Matt. 10:10
-ravine
+|tunics
-valley
+|coats
-Luke 6:1
+|-
-descended
+|Matt. 10:16
-came down
+|shrewd
-Luke 5:5
+|wise
-bidding
+|-
-word
+|Matt. 11:26
-Luke 6:22
+|well pleasing
-ostracize
+|good
-separate you from their company
+|-
-Luke 6:48
+|Mark 14:3
-torrent burst
+|vial
-stream beat
+|box
-Luke 6:49
+|-
-collapsed
+|Mark 14:3, 14:18
-fell
+|reclining
-Luke 7:2
+|sat
-highly regarded
+|-
-dear
+|Luke 1:22
-Luke 7:32
+|mute
-sang a dirge
+|speechless
-have mourned
+|-
-Luke 8:15
+|Mark 15:18
-perseverance
+|acclaim
-patience
+|salute
-Luke 8:3
+|-
-the abyss
+|Luke 3:5
-the deep
+|ravine
-Luke 8:33
+|valley
-rushed
+|-
-ran
+|Luke 6:1
-Luke 9:39
+|descended
-seizes
+|came down
-taketh
+|-
-Luke 9:42
+|Luke 5:5
-dashed him to the ground
+|bidding
-threw him
+|word
-Luke 9:45
+|-
-concealed
+|Luke 6:22
-hid
+|ostracize
-Luke 10:2
+|separate you from their company
-plentiful
+|-
-great
+|Luke 6:48
-Luke 10:2
+|torrent burst
-beseech
+|stream beat
-pray
+|-
-Luke 10:20
+|Luke 6:49
-recorded
+|collapsed
-written
+|fell
-Luke 10:21
+|-
-well-pleasing
+|Luke 7:2
-good
+|highly regarded
-Luke 11:21
+|dear
-undisturbed
+|-
-in peace
+|Luke 7:32
-Luke 11:28
+|sang a dirge
-observe it
+|have mourned
-keep it
+|-
-Luke 23:45
+|Luke 8:15
-being obscured
+|perseverance
-darkened
+|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.
+{| border="1"
-Luke 18:40
+|Luke 18:40
-questioned
+|questioned
-asked
+|asked
-John 6:60
+|-
-difficult
+|John 6:60
-hard
+|difficult
-John 7:6
+|hard
-opportune
+|-
-ready
+|John 7:6
-John 10:23
+|opportune
-portico
+|ready
-porch
+|-
-John 10:24
+|John 10:23
-suspense
+|portico
-doubt
+|porch
-John 11:17
+|-
-tomb
+|John 10:24
-grave
+|suspense
-John 11:57
+|doubt
-seize
+|-
-take
+|John 11:17
-John 11:39
+|tomb
-stench
+|grave
-stinketh
+|-
-John 12:45
+|John 11:57
-beholds
+|seize
-seeth
+|take
-John 12:40
+|-
-perceive
+|John 11:39
-understand
+|stench
-John 13:12
+|stinketh
-reclined
+|-
-set down
+|John 12:45
-John 13:23
+|beholds
-reclining
+|seeth
-leaning
+|-
-John 14:27
+|John 12:40
-fearful
+|perceive
-afraid
+|understand
-John 16:8
+|-
-concerning
+|John 13:12
-of
+|reclined
-I Thess. 2:17
+|set down
-having been bereft of you
+|-
-being taken from you
+|John 13:23
-I Thess. 2:18
+|reclining
-thwarted
+|leaning
-hindered
+|-
-I Thess. 5:1
+|John 14:27
-epochs
+|fearful
-seasons
+|afraid
-I Thess. 5:14
+|-
-admonish
+|John 16:8
-warn
+|concerning
-Thess.2:3
+|of
-apostasy
+|-
-falling away
+|I Thess. 2:17
-Thess. 2:3
+|having been bereft of you
-lawlessness
+|being taken from you
-sin
+|-
-Thess. 3:2
+|I Thess. 2:18
-perverse
+|thwarted
-unreasonable
+|hindered
-Thess. 3:6
+|-
-aloof
+|I Thess. 5:1
-withdraw
+|epochs
-I Tim.1:15
+|seasons
-foremost of all
+|-
-chief
+|I Thess. 5:14
-I Tim. 2:8
+|admonish
-dissensions
+|warn
-doubting
+|-
-I Tim.2:9
+|2 Thess.2:3
+|apostasy
-discreetly
+|falling away
-sobriety
+|-
-I Tim. 3:2
+|2 Thess. 2:3
-prudent
+|lawlessness
-sober
+|sin
-I Tim.3:2
+|-
-respectable
+|2 Thess. 3:2
-of good behavior
+|perverse
-I Tim. 3:3
+|unreasonable
-pugnacious
+|-
-striker
+|2 Thess. 3:6
-I Tim. 3:3
+|aloof
-uncontentious
+|withdraw
-not a brawler
+|-
-I Tim.3:8
+|I Tim.1:15
-sordid
+|foremost of all
-filthy
+|chief
-I Tim. 5:12
+|-
-previous pledge
+|I Tim. 2:8
-first faith
+|dissensions
-I Tim. 6:3
+|doubting
-advocates
+|-
-teach
+|I Tim.2:9
-I Tim.6:4
+|discreetly
-conceited
+|sobriety
-proud
+|-
-I Tim. 6:10
+|I Tim. 3:2
-a pang
+|prudent
-sorrows
+|sober
-Tim. 3:2
+|-
-arrogant
+|I Tim.3:2
-proud
+|respectable
-Titus 1:6
+|of good behaviour
-dissipation
+|-
-riot
+|I Tim. 3:3
-Titus 1:7
+|pugnacious
-sordid
+|striker
-filthy
+|-
-Titus 3:2
+|I Tim. 3:3
-to malign no one
+|uncontentious
-to speak evil of no man
+|not a brawler
-Titus 3:2
+|-
-uncontentious
+|I Tim.3:8
-to be no brawlers
+|sordid
-Titus 3:10
+|filthy
-factious
+|-
-heretics
+|I Tim. 5:12
-Phil. 2:1
+|previous pledge
+|first faith
-consolation
+|-
-comfort
+|I Tim. 6:3
-Phil. 2:30
+|advocates
-deficient
+|teach
-lack
+|-
-Heb. 2:17
+|I Tim.6:4
-propitiation
+|conceited
-reconciliation
+|proud
-Heb. 5:10
+|-
-designated
+|I Tim. 6:10
-called
+|a pang
-Heb. 7:2
+|sorrows
-apportioned
+|-
-gave
+|2 Tim. 3:2
-Heb. 12:1
+|arrogant
-encumbrance
+|proud
-weight
+|-
-James 1:2
+|Titus 1:6
-encounter
+|dissipation
-fall into
+|riot
-James 1:11
+|-
-in the midst
+|Titus 1:7
-in his ways
+|sordid
-James 5:11
+|filthy
-blessed
+|-
-happy
+|Titus 3:2
-I Pet.4:4
+|to malign no one
-dissipation
+|to speak evil of no man
-riot
+|-
-I John 5:10
+|Titus 3:2
-borne
+|uncontentious
-gave
+|to be no brawlers
-Rev.1:3
+|-
-heed
+|Titus 3:10
-keep
+|factious
-Rev. 1:9
+|heretics
-perseverance
+|-
-patience
+|Phil. 2:1
-Rev. 2:2
+|consolation
-perseverance
+|comfort
-patience
+|-
-Rev. 2:3
+|Phil. 2:30
-perseverance
+|deficient
-patience
+|lack
-Rev. 3:10
+|-
-perseverance
+|Heb. 2:17
-patience
+|propitiation
-Rev. 2:23
+|reconciliation
-pestilence
+|-
-death
+|Heb. 5:10
-Rev. 4:1
+|designated
-standing
+|called
-was
+|-
-Rev. 5:11
+|Heb. 7:2
-myriads of myriads
+|apportioned
-ten thousand times ten thousand
+|gave
-Rev. 6:8
+|-
-ashen
+|Heb. 12:1
-pale
+|encumbrance
-Rev. 6:8
+|weight
-famine
+|-
-hunger
+|James 1:2
-Rev. 6:8
+|encounter
-pestilence
+|fall into
-death
+|-
-Rev. 7:15
+|James 1:11
-spread His tabernacle over
+|in the midst
-dwell among
+|in his ways
-Rev. 9:11
+|-
-abyss
+|James 5:11
-pit
+|blessed
-Rev. 11:7
+|happy
-abyss
+|-
-pit
+|I Pet.4:4
-Rev. 11:9
+|dissipation
-laid in a tomb
+|riot
-put in graves
+|-
+|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.)
 {| border="1"
 |Rev. 11:11
@@ Line 424: / Line 537: @@
 |diadem
 |crown
-|-
 |-
 |Rev. 19:20
-seized
+|seized
 |taken
 |-