Is the King James Bible Harder to Understand

"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

</td>	HARD WORD (NASB)	EASY WORD (KJB</td>	</td></tr>
Matt.1:11, 1:1	deportation </td>	carried away </td></tr>
Matt.1:2	considered </td>	thought </td></tr>
Matt.2:1, 2:7	magi </td>	wise men </td></tr>
Mark. 2:21	unshrunk </td>	new </td></tr>
Matt. 2:16	<p align="left">environs </td>	coasts </td></tr>
Luke 3:17, Matt.3:12	winnowing fork </td>	fan </td></tr>
Luke 11:33, Matt. 5:15, Mark 4:2	peck- measure </td>	bushel </td></tr>
Matt. 5:1	annuls </td>	break </td></tr>
Matt. 5:21	murder </td>	kill </td></tr>
Luke 5:29, Matt. 8:1	recline at the table </td>	sat </td></tr>
Matt. 8:32	begone </td>	go </td></tr>
Matt. 9:13, 12:7	compassion </td>	mercy </td></tr>
Matt. 9:17	<p align="left">wineskins </td>	bottles </td></tr>
Matt. 9:18	synagogue official </td>	certain ruler </td></tr>
Mark 5:25, Matt. 9:2	hemorrhage </td>	issue of blood </td></tr>
Matt.9:20, 14:36	<p align="left">fringe </td>	hem </td></tr>
Matt. 9:38	<p align="left">beseech </td>	pray </td></tr>
Matt. 10:1	summoned </td>	called </td></tr>
Matt. 10:10	tunics </td>	coats </td></tr>
Matt. 10:16	shrewd </td>	wise </td></tr>
Matt. 11:26	well pleasing </td>	good </td></tr>
Mark 14:3	vial </td>	box </td></tr>
Mark 14:3, 14:18	reclining </td>	sat </td></tr>
Luke 1:22	<p align="left"> mute </td>	speechless </td></tr>
Mark 15:18	acclaim </td>	salute </td></tr>
Luke 3:5	<p align="left"> ravine </td>	valley </td></tr>
Luke 6:1	descended </td>	came down </td></tr>
Luke 5:5	<p align="left">bidding </td>	word </td></tr>
Luke 6:22	ostracize </td>	separate you from their company </td></tr>
Luke 6:48	torrent burst </td>	stream beat </td></tr>
Luke 6:49	collapsed </td>	fell </td></tr>
Luke 7:2	highly regarded </td>	dear </td></tr>
Luke 7:32	sang a dirge </td>	have mourned </td></tr>
Luke 8:15	<p align="left">perseverance </td>	patience </td></tr>
Luke 8:3	the abyss </td>	the deep </td></tr>
Luke 8:33	rushed </td>	ran </td></tr>
Luke 9:39	seizes </td>	taketh </td></tr>
Luke 9:42	dashed him to the ground </td>	threw him </td></tr>
Luke 9:45	concealed </td>	hid </td></tr>
Luke 10:2	plentiful </td>	great </td></tr>
Luke 10:2	beseech </td>	pray </td></tr>
Luke 10:20	<p align="left">recorded </td>	written </td></tr>
Luke 10:21	well-pleasing </td>	good </td></tr>
Luke 11:21	undisturbed </p></td>	in peace </td></tr>
Luke 11:28	observe it </td>	keep it </td></tr>
Luke 23:45	being obscured</div></td>	darkened </td></tr></table> (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