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Bible Translations: Good or Bad?
There are more than 35 English translations of the Bible. W hy are there different translations? Are the differences important? If the
versions disagree, which are we to believe? If a Bible translation is indeed the W ord of God, shouldn’t it be translated as accurately as
possible from the original languages (Hebrew and Greek), not contradict itself, and not have anything added or deleted? In Proverbs 30:5-6,
we are told, "Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, or he will rebuke you
and prove you a liar. (NIV)"
Differences between Bible translations is generally NOT because the translators have chosen to use different wording, but because the
translators have used non-traditional Greek texts for many of the newer Bible translations. These non-traditional Greek texts have words
added, words deleted, and words altered. This document compares some of the differences between the NIV ( New International Version)
and the KJV (King James) translations. Bold type has been added to facilitate the comparison between the two. W hile the actual text in
each column is taken from either the NIV or the KJV, SIMILAR translations are listed at the end of this document.
Questionable differences:
NIV
KJV
Rev. 14:1
... there before me was the Lamb, standing on
Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his
name and his Father's name written on their
foreheads.
And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion,
and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having
his Father's name written in their foreheads.
Rev. 8:13
As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in
midair call out in a loud voice: ...
And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the
midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, ...
1 Cor. 14:33
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace...
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, ...
Rev. 15:3
Just and true are your ways, King of the ages.
... just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
Rev. 6:16-17
... hide us from the face of him who sits on the
throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the
great day of their wrath has come ..
... hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne,
and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his
wrath is come ...
John 14:28
... for the Father is greater than I.
... for my Father is greater than I.
Psalms 8:5
You made him a little lower than the heavenly
beings ...
For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels ...
M ore serious differences:
NIV
KJV
Luke 2:33
The child's father and mother marveled ...
And Joseph and his mother marvelled ...
Matt 20:20
... kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
... worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.
Phil 2:5-6
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ
Jesus: W ho, being in very nature God,did not
consider equality with God something to be
grasped ...
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
W ho, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery
to be equal with God ...
Psalms 12:
6-7
And the words of the LORD are flawless, like
silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven
times. O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect
us from such people forever.
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in
a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt
KEEP them, O LORD, thou shalt PRESERVE them
from this generation FOR EVER.
(God promised He will preserve His word forever;
omitted from the NIV)
Serious differences:
Mark 1:2-3
NIV
It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my
messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way""a voice of one calling in the desert,'Prepare the way
for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"
KJV
As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my
messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy
way before thee. The voice of one crying in the
wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his
paths straight.
The quoted reference is from Malachi 3:1, not Isaiah.
John 9:35
Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when
he found him, he said, "Do you believe in the Son of
M an?"
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he
had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on
the Son of God?
Eph 3:14
For this reason I kneel before the Father,
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ,
Rom 1:2-3
regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a
descendant of David
Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which
was made of the seed of David according to the flesh;
Rev 22:14
"Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they
may have the right to the tree of life and may go
through the gates into the city.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that
they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter
in through the gates into the city.
Luke 11:2-4
'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom
come.... And lead us not into temptation.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in
heaven, so in earth.... And lead us not into
temptation; but deliver us from evil.
Some major omissions
NIV
KJV
1 John 5:7-8
(omitted)
For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the W ord,
and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
Acts 8:37
(omitted)
If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and
said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
Matt 18:11
(omitted)
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Luke 9:56
(omitted)
For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them.
1 Cor 5:7
...Christ, our Passover lamb, has
been sacrificed
... Christ our passover is sacrificed for us
John 6:47
... he who believes has
everlasting life.
He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Mark 11:26
(omitted)
But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven
forgive your trespasses.
Matt 5:44
Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you,
Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate
you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
John 16:16
In a little while you will see me
no more, and then after a little
while you will see me.
A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall
see me, because I go to the Father.
1 Cor. 10:28
(omitted)
... for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof:
Luke 4:4
Jesus answered, "It is written:
'M an does not live on bread
alone.'"
And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by
bread alone, but by every word of God.
John 4:3
... but every spirit that does not
acknowledge Jesus is not from
God.
... And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh is not of God
Acts 2:30
... and knew that God had
promised him on oath that he
would place one of his
descendants on his throne.
... and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of
his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his
throne;
Col 1:14
... in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins.
... In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness
of sins:
1 Cor 5:7
For Christ, our Passover lamb,
has been sacrificed.
For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Luke 4:8
Jesus answered, "It is written:
'W orship the Lord your God and
serve him only.'”
... And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for
it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou
serve.
Mark 15:28
(omitted)
... And the scripture was fulfilled, which saith, And he was numbered
with the transgressors.
Mark 10:21
Then come, follow me.
... and come, take up the cross, and follow me.
Matt 20:16
(omitted)
... for many be called, but few chosen.
Rom 8:1
(omitted)
... who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Mark 13:33
Be on guard! Be alert!
Take ye heed, watch and pray:
Matt 25:13
Therefore keep watch, because
you do not know the day or the
hour.
W atch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son
of man cometh.
Rev 11:17
saying: "W e give thanks to you,
Lord God Almighty, the One
who is and who was, because
you have taken your great power
and have begun to reign.
Saying, W e give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast,
and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast
reigned.
Mark 10:24
But Jesus said again, "Children,
how hard it is to enter the
kingdom of God!
But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for
them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
John 8:1-11
(disclaimer indicating it does not
really belong in the Bible)
[The story of the woman taken in adultery]
Rev 2:15
... the teaching of the
Nicolaitans.
... the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.
Mark 6:11
(omitted)
Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and
Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Luke 17:36
(omitted)
Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
Rev 21:2224
... the glory of God gives it light,
and the Lamb is its lamp. The
nations will walk by its light,
... the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And
the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it:
Matt 19:17
"W hy do you ask me about
what is good?" Jesus replied.
"There is only One who is good.
W hy callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God:
Matt. 6:13
(omitted)
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matt. 15:8
(omitted)
This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth
Matt. 19:9
(omitted)
... and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
Matt. 20:7
(omitted)
.. and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.
Matt. 20:16
(omitted)
...for many be called, but few chosen.
Matt. 20:22
(omitted)
... and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with
Matt. 25:13
(omitted)
... wherein the Son of M an cometh
Matt. 27:35
(omitted)
... that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet They parted
my garments among them and upon my vesture did they cast lots.
Matt. 18:11
(omitted)
For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
Mark 6:11
(omitted)
Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha
in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Mark 10:21
(omitted)
... take up the cross.
Luke 1:28
(omitted)
... blessed art thou among women ...
Luke 4:8
(omitted)
... get thee behind me Satan
Luke 4:18
(omitted)
... he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted ...
John 3:13
(omitted)
... which is in heaven ...
John 3:15
(omitted)
... should not perish...
John 11:41
(omitted)
... from the place where the dead was laid ...
Acts 15:18
(omitted)
Known unto God are all his works ...
Acts 23:9
(omitted)
... let us not fight against God ...
Rom. 8:1
(omitted)
... who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Rom. 13:9
(omitted)
Thou shalt not bear false witness
I Cor. 6:20
(omitted)
... and in your spirit which are God's
II Cor. 10:4
(omitted)
... but mighty through God.
Gal. 3:1
(omitted)
... that you should not obey the truth
Eph. 5:30
(omitted)
... of his flesh, and of his bones.
Heb. 7:21
(omitted)
... after the order of Melchisedec
I Pet. 1:22
(omitted)
... through the Spirit.
I Pet. 4:14
(omitted)
... on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
I John 4:3
(omitted)
... Christ is come in the flesh.
I John 5:13
(omitted)
... and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God
Rev. 1:11
(omitted)
I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last.
Rev. 5:14
(omitted)
... him that liveth for ever and ever.
Rev. 14:5
(omitted)
... before the throne of God
Rev. 21:24
(omitted)
... of them which are saved
The NIV omits 45 complete verses, and parts of 147 other verses, omitting a total of 64,576 words. In VOLUM E, this is equivalent to
removing the entire books of Ruth, Ester, Ecclesiates, Song of Solomon, Lamentations, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Malachi, Colossians, I Tessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, I Peter,
II Peter, I John, II John, III John, Jude and more... a significant portion of the Bible!
NIV Contradictions
Two different people killed Goliath in the NIV; David in 1 Samuel, while Elhanan does it in 2 Samuel. 21:19: ... “Elhanan son of JaareOregim the Bethlehemite killed Goliath the Gittite...” (NIV).
Christ is the morning star of of both the KJV and the NIV in Rev. 22:16, “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the
churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright M orning Star." (NIV) and 2 Peter 1:19, “And we have the word of the
prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the
morning star rises in your hearts.” (NIV).
However, the NIVequates Christ with Lucifer in Isaiah 14:12, “ How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn! You
have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!” (NIV), while the KJV uses “son of the morning” for Lucifer, “How art
thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!” (KJV).
This last contradiction is indicative of the occultic influences upon the 1890's Greek text from which the NIV has been translated.
Similar Translations
KJV: New King James, King James III (Literal), Geneva, W ycliffe
NIV: NAS, NASB, RSV, NRSV, AS, Amplified, New Century, New English, Today’s English, Modern English, Contemporary English,
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