Is the New King James version of the Bible accurate?

Answer 1

A:No version of The Bible can be regarded as entirely accurate. Not only are passages always included that we now know not to have been written by the original authors, in some cases we are not even sure what the original text really was. The New King James Version (NKJV) goes some way towards improving the accuracy of the original King James Version.

For example, the NKJV incorporates all the traditional verses of Mark chapter 16 - verses 1-20. It then contains a footnote saying that verses 9-20 are bracketed as not original. This is because we now know that Mark originally ended at verse 16:8, with the young man telling the women that Jesus was risen and they fled in terror, telling no one. The inclusion of the text, but with a disclaimer as to its accuracy, is a reasonable compromise.

Answer 2

Among English translations, the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible is moderately accurate. In some instances where the translators knew that their translation was not literal, or where they were not certain of the correct translation, they placed the text in italics. In other cases, there were minor adjustments to suit the political and social needs of medieval England.

Long since the Bible was translated into English, scholars have found ancient manuscripts and fragments of manucripts that show that the various books of the Bible underwent change between the time of writing and the time of translation. The authors of the KJV were unaware of these changes. We may never know exactly what the original scriptures really said, and even newer translations tend to used the received text, ignoring what we now know about earlier Greek and Hebrew versions.

Answer 3

There is no 'true' Bible, and each version has its strengths and weaknesses. The King James Version (KJV) was based largely on an existing translation known as the Bishop's Bible, with some improvements. One of its strengths, as well as one of its weaknesses, is that when the translators were unsure of the correct translation, or when they chose to depart from the received text, they placed the words they used in italics, to show that this was not a literal translation.

Like all Bibles, the KJV contains material now known to be interpolations and changes to earlier texts. For example, the Gospel According to Saint Mark appears to have originally ended at verse 16:8. Verses 16:9-25, which were added much later and are in the KJV and all other modern Bibles, are known to scholars as the "Long Ending", to distinguish them from the "Short Ending" which was in use for some time.

In addition to the above:

The only 'true' Bible, as such, is the one written in the original language, be it Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek, depending upon the part of the Bible in question. All modern Bibles are simply translations of the original documents and are therefore prone to bias, error, or misinterpretation, or difficulties in translating actual words into modern speak. As an example, John refers to the Holy Spirit as 'parakletos' - or paraclete. In English there is no simple translation of this term (somewhere between helper, advocate, counsellor, advisor) and so the only real way to understand scripture is to learn a little of the original languages in which it was written.

That is not easy for most people and so we have to rely on translations. As stated above, the King James' translation is not perfect by any means, and discoveries more recently (eg the Dead Sea Scrolls) have thrown up doubts as to its reliability in some places.

Generally scholars regard most modern translations as equally as reliable as the KJV, but those which are accepted as the best translations include the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version.

Some translations, however, are or were notoriously bad, and have either disappeared into history, or are used only by fringe sects (like the New World Translation used by Jehovah's Witnesses). The KJV however is still one of the better translations but it is always prudent, before basing one's own beliefs on a passage, to look up what other translations say, and, if possible, look at the original Greek or Hebrew (with a commentary) to get the actual nuances of a passage.

Answer 4

Those who use it would say yes, while those who use other translations would say no. As words have meanings beyond their exact meaning, meanings which depend on the context in which they are used, and the idioms of the people who wrote them (which may have changed over time) we can never be sure if any one translation is 'more correct' than any other.

Even with living languages in translation - such as Japanese-English or Portuguese-Urdu, there are going to be differences in the results if different translators tackle the same text.

Languages can rarely be translated word-for-word and keep the meaning of the original, and once we move away from word-for-word and try to capture the meaning more than the exact transliteration then there will be differences. Particularly when dealing with a language such as English which often has many words for the same basic concept - the house is 20 feet tall, the house is 20 feet high, the house is 3 storeys tall, etc.

AnswerThe King James Bible was, without doubt, one of the finest translations of the Bible into any language, let alone English. One of the reasons for this was that it was not translated by any one person (who can, even inadvertently, be biased), but by a large team of Bible scholar translators, who painstakingly argued over minutiae to ensure that their translation was faithful to the original Greek (or Hebrew) text.

However, I use the word 'was'.

The truth is that the KJV was translated into the English of 400 years ago in 1611. Since then the English language has changed remarkaby. Not only are there new words ('computer', 'television', 'street-cred' etc) but words change meaning. As an example, in 1611 the word 'aggravate' meant to 'increase the weight carried by someone or something' whereas now it simply means to 'annoy'. In a similar way there are many passages and words within the KJV Bible which 400 years ago a reader would read (or more likely, listen to as reading then wasnt a universal skill) and would get a very different meaning from that of a modern reader reading the same passages.

That is why modern translations, that go back to the original Greek or Hebrew, and which translate with regard to modernEnglish useage, are so much more useful and faithful to God's Word. Moreover they provide the reader with a better understanding of what the writer actually wanted to convey.

Of course, there are some modern translations that are poor or are simply paraphrases (eg the Message, despite being an excelemt paraphrase), or notoriously bad (eg the New World Translation). However, some modern translations are exceptionally good and reflect far better than the KJV what passages are actually about. Such Bibles include the New International Version, and the New Revised Standard Version, both recognised by scholars as translations that are faithful to the original meaning as set down in the original languages.

Answer 5

Catholic AnswerThe Catholic Bible is the only accurate Bible that you can read, the Catholic Church wrote it, chose it, guaranteed it, and guarded it for all these centuries. If you look in the front of a Bible and it contains an Imprimatur and a Nihil Obstat, then you know that you are reading a Bible that is guaranteed to be accurate.

Answer 6

Yes it is accurate, however some of the language is now obsolete and there are better, older original manuscripts available these days.

ANOTHER ANSWER:

It's as accurate an "English" translation as you're likely to get [especially in these modern times of recent extremely liberal paraphrasing translations], considering that King James' "translators" who did the task in the 17th century didn't always use only original manuscripts, but took from other extant translations like the Greek Septuagint, the Latin Vulgate, and others ["...that out of the Original Sacred Tongues, together with comparing of the labours, both in our own, and other foreign Languages, of many worthy men who went before us, there should be one more exact Translation of the holy Scriptures into the English Tongue..." -- (The Epistle Dedicatory {preface} of the completed King James Version Bible).

Any translation of God's Word into languages other than the originally inspired manuscripts necessitates the need for the reader and/or scholar to "diligently compare" the scriptures of the different versions to arrive at the proper context and meaning of what God is saying to us.

In the final analysis, it's God's "calling of an individual, or individuals" through the Power of His Holy Spirit that imparts His Truth to a "Faithful" person's "purified" heart and mind.

"...without FAITH it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must BELIEVE that HE IS, and that He is a rewarder of them that DILIGENTLY SEEK HIM." (Heb.11:6)

"Receiving THE END OF YOUR FAITH, even the Salvation of your souls [lives]. Of which Salvation the prophets have inquired and DILIGENTLY SEARCHED, who prophesied of the Grace that should come unto you..." (I Peter 1:9-10).

Those who read the Scriptures [regardless of translation] have more about which to be concerned than just the accuracy of the translation. The TRUE Word of God "searches the accuracy of one's heart... tries and tests it!"

"...the WORD of God is quick [ALIVE; LIVING]... piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is A DISCERNER OF THE THOUGHTS and INTENTS OF THE HEART." (Heb.4:12)

People devoid of God's Holy Spirit are more concerned with finding flaws in God's Word instead of the discovery of the flaws in their own heart... and to recognize the collective NEED of mankind to BELIEVE God's Truth [John 17:17], to REPENT, and TO COME INTO OBEDIENCE TO OUR CREATOR'S [our Father's] COMMANDMENTS:

"So think clearly and exercise self-control. Look forward to the special blessings that will come to you AT THE RETURN OF CHRIST. OBEY GOD because YOU ARE HIS CHILDREN. Don't slip back into your old ways of doing evil; you didn't know any better then. But now YOU MUST BE HOLY IN EVERYTHING YOU DO, just as God - WHO CHOSE YOU TO BE HIS CHILDREN - is Holy. For He Himself has said, 'YOU MUST BE HOLY BECAUSE I AM HOLY.'" (I Peter 1:13-16 NLT New Living Translation)

It's God's Holy Spirit -- dwelling within or absent from -- the heart of the reader of whatever version of the Scriptures it may be that determines how accurately a person sees the Scriptures:

"...'I, the LORD, have spoken! I will bless those who have humble and contrite hearts, WHO TREMBLE AT MY WORD." (Isa.66:2 NLT)

The "somewhat-less-than" Holy Spirit inspired translators of the King James Version Bible did a fine a job as anyone could have done in their commission to bring their English translation of God's "books" to fruition. But in the end... it's God's Grace upon an individual, that determines whether His WORD affects any given reader regarding personal conviction and conduct.

Answer 7

It is not as accurate as the King James version because of losing stuff in translation, but all in all, It should be pretty accurate.