What translation, or versions of the bible do you like to use and why?

[Davy]

I was taught in church Jesus spoke many languages so different people could understand him. The pastor talked about a Bible being written for people who did not have one because their language was only oral - no letters, punctuation marks, symbols, or digits. So it is pretty obvious to me, especially considering the fact 2.4 billion people from around the world are Christians, we should choose versions based on how well we can understand the text (as long as they are not paraphrased like Good News and The Message.) Why worry about what an English word meant centuries ago if a Bible version is available that uses words how I understand them? When I find out which Bible version is the best at doing this without losing accuracy I will read it every time because there is no reason the most important book ever written should confuse all the Christians without college degrees in the subject.

The Gospel Message is easy to understand in all languages, so that's not a problem.

But once the new believer sets down to in-depth Bible study, depending on their God-given ability, they may want to look into versions closer to the original manuscripts. And is it any wonder that today, most of the nations require learning English in their public schools, especially in Europe?

 

[GodLovesCats]

The Gospel Message is easy to understand in all languages, so that's not a problem.

But once the new believer sets down to in-depth Bible study, depending on their God-given ability, they may want to look into versions closer to the original manuscripts. And is it any wonder that today, most of the nations require learning English in their public schools, especially in Europe?

Slovakia changed its law a few years ago to let kids select their foreign language.

Germany requires kids to learn "two foreign languages," but that does not necessarily mean one must be English AFAIK.

I am sure religion is not the main reason kids learn English instead of other European languages.

 

[Torah Keeper]

From my travels in Europe, almost nobody can say more than simple words and phrases in English.

 

[Northern Star]

I like to use the NASB mostly, because it is a nice conservative translation. Like @JosephZ said, it's a good word for word translation, which is something I like. I almost always use the NKJV along side the NASB on biblegateway.com. This is just my preference.

 

[Trusting in Him]

All four Maccabees books? The current Catholic Bibles only have 1 and 2. I take it you have all 14 of them despite the fact some were removed permanently centuries ago (including Maccabees 3 and 4).

No it's just 1 to 4. I did not know how many of these there were!

 

[GreekOrthodox]

No it's just 1 to 4. I did not know how many of these there were!

Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox include all four. Everyone has the same NT canon, but the OT ranges from the 39 book Protestant canon to the 54 book Ethiopian canon.

 

[GodLovesCats]

No it's just 1 to 4. I did not know how many of these there were!

Biblical apocrypha - Wikipedia

 

[Gregorikos]

From V.9. Is the New King James True to the Hebrew and Greek Texts? | Bible Questions and Answers – Heritage Baptist Bible Church

"The NKJV uses a multiplicity of references that they state do not appear in the “NU.” Most people have no idea what “NU” stands for. The “N” is referring to the 26th Edition of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament. The “U” is referring to the 3rd Edition of the United Bible Society’s Greek New Testament. Remember, the “NU” New Greek Testament is based largely upon two corrupt manuscripts, the Sinaitic and the Vaticanus. These two manuscripts disagree with each other in hundreds and hundreds of places."

Those editions of the Nestle-Aland Greek New Testament, and the United Bible Society's Greek New Testament are works BASED on Wescott and Hort's translation from Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus. The 1611 King James Version Bible does NOT use those Greek texts, the KJV translators used the Textus Receptus, or Majority Texts for their New Testament from the Greek manuscripts. The NKJV promoters and publisher simply try to hide this fact.

This shows where your misunderstanding came from.

Yes, "The NKJV uses a multiplicity of references that they state do not appear in the “NU.” But you are misunderstanding what that means.

The NKJV very helpfully gives footnotes in hundreds of places contrasting the TR, the Majority Text, and the NU. But the base text of the NKJV NT is the TR.

 

[Davy]

Slovakia changed its law a few years ago to let kids select their foreign language.

Germany requires kids to learn "two foreign languages," but that does not necessarily mean one must be English AFAIK.

I am sure religion is not the main reason kids learn English instead of other European languages.

I am certain that God has increased education, especially in the West, particularly to give the majority the ability to read and study His Word for themselves. And thus the wide availability of His Word in print.

 

[Davy]

The NKJV very helpfully gives footnotes in hundreds of places contrasting the TR, the Majority Text, and the NU. But the base text of the NKJV NT is the TR.

What you just said above contradicts the facts that the NKJV uses the Greek texts from Wescott & Hort.

Example of changes the NKJV makes, which shows it is more in line with the modern Bible versions that use Wescott and Hort's Greek translation from corrupt Greek texts:

Genesis 2:18: The NKJV ought to make Hillary Clinton proud: "And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper COMPARABLE TO HIM"

Genesis 22:8: One of the greatest verses in the Bible proclaiming that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh: "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:" The NKJV adds that little word "for": "God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering" And destroys the wonderful promise! Where'd they get their little "for"? From the NASV!

Genesis 24:47: The "old" KJV reads: "I put the earring upon her face". But the NKJV has different plans for beautiful Rebekah: "I put the nose ring on her nose". Where did it get the ridiculous idea to "cannibalize" Rebekah? Just take a peek at the NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV!

Ezra 8:36: The KJV reads, "And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants. . ." The "much clearer" NKJV reads, "And they delivered the king's orders to the king's satraps. . ." Who in the world thinks "satraps" is "much clearer" than lieutenants? The NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV - they do! They put in the same "much clearer" word!

Psalms 109:6: removes "Satan". (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV).

Matthew 7:14: change "narrow is the way" to "difficult is the way". There's nothing "difficult" about the salvation of Jesus Christ! Jesus says in Matt. 11:30, "For my yoke is EASY, and my burden is light." THE EXACT OPPOSITE! Boy, you talk about a contradiction!

Matthew 12:40: change "whale" to "fish" (ditto NIV) I don't guess it matters (what's the truth got to do with it?), the Greek word used in Matthew 12:40 is ketos. The scientific study of whales just happens to be - CETOLOGY - from the Greek ketos for whale and logos for study! The scientific name for whales just happens to be - CETACEANS - from the Greek ketos for whale!

Matthew 18:26 & Matthew 20:20: The NKJV removes "worshipped him" (robbing worship from Jesus) (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Mark 13:6 & Luke 21:8: removes "Christ" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

John 1:3: change "All things were made BY him;" to "All things were made THROUGH Him" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)

John 4:24: change "God is a spirit" to the impersonal, New Age pantheistic,"God is spirit" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

John 14:2: (NKJV 1979 edition) change "mansions" to "dwelling places" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

John 14:16: change "comforter" to "helper"(refers to Holy Spirit) (NASV)

Acts 4:27, 30: change "holy child" to "holy servant" (refers to Jesus) (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Acts 12:4: change "Easter" to "Passover" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Acts 17:22: changes "superstitious" to "religious" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Acts 24:14: change "heresy" to "sect" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Romans 1:18: change "hold the truth" to "suppress the truth" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Romans 1:25: change "changed the truth" to "exchanged the truth" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Romans 5:8: change "commendeth" to "demonstrates" (NIV, NASV)

Romans 16:18: change "good words and fair speeches" to "smooth words and flattering speech" (NIV, NASV, NRSV)

1 Cor. 1:21: change "foolishness of preaching" to "foolishness of the message preached" (ditto NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV) There's nothing foolish about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unless you're not saved! 1 Cor. 1:18 says: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish FOOLISHNESS. . ." I wonder where that leaves the translators of the NKJV, NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV?

1 Cor. 1:22: change "require" to "request" (NASV)

1 Cor. 6:9: removes "effeminate" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)

1 Cor. 9:27: change "castaway" to "disqualified" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

2 Cor. 2:10: change "person of Christ" to "presence of Christ" (NASV, NRSV, RSV)

2 Cor. 2:17: With all the "corruptions" in the NKJV, you'd expect 2 Cor. 2:17 to change. IT DOES! They change, "For we not as many which CORRUPT the word of God" to "For we are not, as so many, PEDDLING the word of God" (ditto NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

2 Cor. 5:17: change "new creature" to "new creation" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)

2 Cor. 10:5: change "imaginations" to "arguments". Considering New Age "imaging" and "visualization" is now entering the church, this verse in the "old" KJV just won't do. (NIV, RSV)

2 Cor. 11:6: change "rude in speech" to "untrained in speech" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Gal. 2:20: omit "nevertheless I live" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Phil. 2:6: (NKJV 1979e.) change "thought it not robbery to be equal with God" to "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped". (robs Jesus Christ of deity) (NIV, NASV, RSV)

Phil. 3:8: change "dung" to "rubbish" (NIV, NASV, NRSV)

1 Thess. 5:22 change "all appearance of evil" to "every form of evil" (NASV, RSV, NSRV)

1 Timothy 6:5: The NKJV changes "gain is godliness" to "godliness is a MEANS OF gain". There are NO Greek texts with "means of" in them! Where, oh where, did they come from? Care to take a wild guess? YOU GOT IT! The NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV!

1 Timothy 6:10: The NKJV changes "For the love of money is the root of all evil:" to "For the love of money is a root of all KINDS OF evil". The words "KINDS OF" are found in NO Greek text in the world! Where did they get them? Straight from the NIV, NASV, NRSV!

1 Tim. 6:20: change "science" to "knowledge" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Titus 3:10: change "heretic" to "divisive man" (NIV)

Hebrews 4:8 & Acts 7:45: "Jesus" is changed to "Joshua". (NIV, NASV, RSV)

2 Pet. 2:1: change "damnable heresies" to "destructive heresies" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

1 John 3:16: remove "love of God"; (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

1 John 5:13: The NKJV reads: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may CONTINUE TO believe in the name of the Son of God." They add "CONTINUE TO" without any Greek text whatsoever! Not even the perverted NIV, NASV, NRSV and RSV go that far! A cruel, subtil (see Genesis 3:1) attack on the believer's eternal security!

Rev. 2:13: change "Satan's seat" to "Satan's throne" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Rev. 6:14: "Heaven" is changed to "sky" in (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

 

[hedrick]

There’s no such thing as a completely unbiased translation. You have to understand what the author is saying to translate, and different people understand differently. The differences aren’t great, but they exist. Also, evangelical translations sometimes alter OT texts to agree with how they are used in the NT. The NIV did this most, but I haven’t checked the latest edition.

Generally you choose based on how literal a translation you want, your theological orientation, and whether you want the traditional text or a text using the oldest manuscripts.

I’m going to list translations that stay fairly close to the original form, though they aren’t quite literal.

for evangelicals the major translations based on a critical text seem to be NIV, HCSB, and ESV. All are fine translations. ESV tends to be more literal in my view.

The major non evangelical translation is now NRSVue, though it will be a few months before you can get it except in one online version. This is what you would normally use in a university class, except maybe at an evangelical school

I like the Good News Bible. It is a true translation, but it’s thought by thought, not word for word. That doesn’t make it a paraphrase. I’ve checked it against commentaries a few times, and it compares well in accuracy with the more traditional translations.

 

[Gregorikos]

What you just said above contradicts the facts that the NKJV uses the Greek texts from Wescott & Hort.

Example of changes the NKJV makes, which shows it is more in line with the modern Bible versions that use Wescott and Hort's Greek translation from corrupt Greek texts:

Genesis 2:18: The NKJV ought to make Hillary Clinton proud: "And the Lord God said, It is not good that man should be alone; I will make a helper COMPARABLE TO HIM"

Genesis 22:8: One of the greatest verses in the Bible proclaiming that Jesus Christ was God in the flesh: "God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:" The NKJV adds that little word "for": "God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering" And destroys the wonderful promise! Where'd they get their little "for"? From the NASV!

Genesis 24:47: The "old" KJV reads: "I put the earring upon her face". But the NKJV has different plans for beautiful Rebekah: "I put the nose ring on her nose". Where did it get the ridiculous idea to "cannibalize" Rebekah? Just take a peek at the NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV!

Ezra 8:36: The KJV reads, "And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants. . ." The "much clearer" NKJV reads, "And they delivered the king's orders to the king's satraps. . ." Who in the world thinks "satraps" is "much clearer" than lieutenants? The NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV - they do! They put in the same "much clearer" word!

Psalms 109:6: removes "Satan". (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV).

Matthew 7:14: change "narrow is the way" to "difficult is the way". There's nothing "difficult" about the salvation of Jesus Christ! Jesus says in Matt. 11:30, "For my yoke is EASY, and my burden is light." THE EXACT OPPOSITE! Boy, you talk about a contradiction!

Matthew 12:40: change "whale" to "fish" (ditto NIV) I don't guess it matters (what's the truth got to do with it?), the Greek word used in Matthew 12:40 is ketos. The scientific study of whales just happens to be - CETOLOGY - from the Greek ketos for whale and logos for study! The scientific name for whales just happens to be - CETACEANS - from the Greek ketos for whale!

Matthew 18:26 & Matthew 20:20: The NKJV removes "worshipped him" (robbing worship from Jesus) (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Mark 13:6 & Luke 21:8: removes "Christ" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

John 1:3: change "All things were made BY him;" to "All things were made THROUGH Him" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)

John 4:24: change "God is a spirit" to the impersonal, New Age pantheistic,"God is spirit" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

John 14:2: (NKJV 1979 edition) change "mansions" to "dwelling places" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

John 14:16: change "comforter" to "helper"(refers to Holy Spirit) (NASV)

Acts 4:27, 30: change "holy child" to "holy servant" (refers to Jesus) (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Acts 12:4: change "Easter" to "Passover" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Acts 17:22: changes "superstitious" to "religious" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Acts 24:14: change "heresy" to "sect" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Romans 1:18: change "hold the truth" to "suppress the truth" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Romans 1:25: change "changed the truth" to "exchanged the truth" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Romans 5:8: change "commendeth" to "demonstrates" (NIV, NASV)

Romans 16:18: change "good words and fair speeches" to "smooth words and flattering speech" (NIV, NASV, NRSV)

1 Cor. 1:21: change "foolishness of preaching" to "foolishness of the message preached" (ditto NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV) There's nothing foolish about the gospel of Jesus Christ. Unless you're not saved! 1 Cor. 1:18 says: "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish FOOLISHNESS. . ." I wonder where that leaves the translators of the NKJV, NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV?

1 Cor. 1:22: change "require" to "request" (NASV)

1 Cor. 6:9: removes "effeminate" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)

1 Cor. 9:27: change "castaway" to "disqualified" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

2 Cor. 2:10: change "person of Christ" to "presence of Christ" (NASV, NRSV, RSV)

2 Cor. 2:17: With all the "corruptions" in the NKJV, you'd expect 2 Cor. 2:17 to change. IT DOES! They change, "For we not as many which CORRUPT the word of God" to "For we are not, as so many, PEDDLING the word of God" (ditto NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

2 Cor. 5:17: change "new creature" to "new creation" (NIV, NRSV, RSV)

2 Cor. 10:5: change "imaginations" to "arguments". Considering New Age "imaging" and "visualization" is now entering the church, this verse in the "old" KJV just won't do. (NIV, RSV)

2 Cor. 11:6: change "rude in speech" to "untrained in speech" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Gal. 2:20: omit "nevertheless I live" (NIV, NASV, NRSV, RSV)

Phil. 2:6: (NKJV 1979e.) change "thought it not robbery to be equal with God" to "did not consider equality with God something to be grasped". (robs Jesus Christ of deity) (NIV, NASV, RSV)

Phil. 3:8: change "dung" to "rubbish" (NIV, NASV, NRSV)

1 Thess. 5:22 change "all appearance of evil" to "every form of evil" (NASV, RSV, NSRV)

1 Timothy 6:5: The NKJV changes "gain is godliness" to "godliness is a MEANS OF gain". There are NO Greek texts with "means of" in them! Where, oh where, did they come from? Care to take a wild guess? YOU GOT IT! The NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV!

1 Timothy 6:10: The NKJV changes "For the love of money is the root of all evil:" to "For the love of money is a root of all KINDS OF evil". The words "KINDS OF" are found in NO Greek text in the world! Where did they get them? Straight from the NIV, NASV, NRSV!

1 Tim. 6:20: change "science" to "knowledge" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Titus 3:10: change "heretic" to "divisive man" (NIV)

Hebrews 4:8 & Acts 7:45: "Jesus" is changed to "Joshua". (NIV, NASV, RSV)

2 Pet. 2:1: change "damnable heresies" to "destructive heresies" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

1 John 3:16: remove "love of God"; (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

1 John 5:13: The NKJV reads: "These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may CONTINUE TO believe in the name of the Son of God." They add "CONTINUE TO" without any Greek text whatsoever! Not even the perverted NIV, NASV, NRSV and RSV go that far! A cruel, subtil (see Genesis 3:1) attack on the believer's eternal security!

Rev. 2:13: change "Satan's seat" to "Satan's throne" (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

Rev. 6:14: "Heaven" is changed to "sky" in (NIV, NASV, RSV, NRSV)

You don't realize that the Westcott and Hort text is New Testament only? It has nothing whatsoever to do with any Old Testament book. This proves you don't know what you are talking about.

 

[Trusting in Him]

You don't realize that the Westcott and Hort text is New Testament only? It has nothing whatsoever to do with any Old Testament book. This proves you don't know what you are talking about.

Westcott and Hort were also involved in producing "The Revised New Testament" in published in 1881. In 1882 they were asked to produce "The Revised Old Testament" which gave them problems where the new testament is quoting from the old testament. To overcome this problem they changed some of the words in "The Revised Old Testament" without any supporting manuscripts to justify doing so.

When I was a young Christian, I had bought a copy of the revised version of the bible from a second hand bookshop. At this stage, I knew nothing about corrupted translations and I liked it for it's clarity and ease of reading. It was much later that I learned about problems with the accuracy of this translation and checked it out for myself.

As a result, I want to point out that there is a world of difference between bible translation which are easy to read and appear to be really clear to read and those which are better from the aspect of being faithful translations, so beware!

 

[Gregorikos]

Westcott and Hort were also involved in producing "The Revised New Testament" in published in 1881. In 1882 they were asked to produce "The Revised Old Testament" which gave them problems where the new testament is quoting from the old testament. To overcome this problem they changed some of the words in "The Revised Old Testament" without any supporting manuscripts to justify doing so.

When I was a young Christian, I had bought a copy of the revised version of the bible from a second hand bookshop. At this stage, I knew nothing about corrupted translations and I liked it for it's clarity and ease of reading. It was much later that I learned about problems with the accuracy of this translation and checked it out for myself.

As a result, I want to point out that there is a world of difference between bible translation which are easy to read and appear to be really clear to read and those which are better from the aspect of being faithful translations, so beware!

I have no doubt that Westcott and Hort were involved in other projects in their lifetimes. But whatever Old Testament text they worked on was not used for any translation available today.

 

[gym_class_hero]

When I accepted Christ as a 19 year old, I read the KJV. I enjoyed that but understand it's hard to read for some people. The materials the ministry I work for are in KJV and ESV. I bought The Evidence Bible which is NKJV and enjoy it more than any Bible I've read because of all the helpful apologetic and evangelistic topics it includes. I am not a Bible scholar and at my age do not have the time to become one so I mostly concentrate on sharing the Gospel message which is consistent thru the various translations Ive read. If I spend my time contemplating or debating whether using thou or thee is more accurate, it's time lost that would be better spent sharing the simple truth...we are all sinners who only can have eternal life through confession, repentance and belief in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In my experience, churches where pastors pound the pulpit claiming one translation to be the only acceptable one turn more people away from the Gospel than towards it.

 

[Davy]

You don't realize that the Westcott and Hort text is New Testament only? It has nothing whatsoever to do with any Old Testament book. This proves you don't know what you are talking about.

Nice try at attempt to steer away from those quotes, of which examples IF you had continued to read, are a majority from The New Testament.

 

[Davy]

One of the main reasons why... the 1611 KJV Bible is still the most accurate English Bible version to date... repetition and alternation of a subject or object.

It's not redundancy, it's The Holy Spirit markings, sealing in an order within God's Word of the subject or object.

Here's an Acts 2 example about the cloven tongue which The Holy Spirit sealed in the Greek of The New Testament:

Acts 2:3 "tongues" (Greek glossa, which means known languages of the world.)

Acts 2:4 "tongues" (glossa)

Acts 2:6 "language" (Greek dialektos, meaning dialect of a known language)

Acts 2:8 "tongue" (dialektos)

Acts 2:11 "tongues" (glossa)

Acts 2:26 "tongue" (glossa)

Thus in the Greek of Acts 2, the KJV preserves The Holy Spirit marking about what was spoken and understood on Pentecost, and is preserved in a specific order of alternation:

A - glossa
A - glossa
B - dialektos
B - dialektos
A - glossa
A - glossa

That is why often the KJV will repeat the same phrase or idea within a Bible chapter in order to keep God's revelation order in His Word by The Holy Spirit. God did this through His servants that were given to speak and write His Word by unction of The Holy Spirit.

The 1611 KJV Bible preserves these HS markings better than any other English Bible to date.

Thus later modernized Bible versions get farther... away from those HS markings. Modern Bible versions are not more accurate, they are simply attempts to paraphrase to fit modern thinking, getting away from how God thinks by The Holy Spirit.

If you want to become closer to God's Truth in His Word, and I say this for you English speaking peoples particularly, then learning the KJV Bible is simply a translation one has to get used to, and eventually through study it opens up in our understanding, as long as we pray for understanding. The only other more accurate method is study in the original Bible languages of the original manuscripts.

 

[PrincetonGuy]

One of the challenges for Eastern Orthodox is finding Bibles that includes our additional books which are slightly more extensive than Catholic Scriptures. RSV with the Deuterocanonicals is one of the few that has 3rd and 4th Maccabees as well as a few other odds and ends for Orthodox.

I am including in this post a list of all ‘biblical’ writings that have at least some kind of canonical authority:

Books and Additions to Esther and Daniel that are in the Roman Catholic, Greek, and Slavonic Bibles

Tobit
Judith
The Additions to the Book of Esther found in the Greek Version
The Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus, or the Wisdom of Jesus, Son of Sirach
Baruch
The Letter of Jeremiah (Baruch ch. 6)
The Additions to the Greek Book of Daniel
The Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Jews
Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

Books in the Greek and Slavonic Bibles; Not in the Roman Catholic Canon

1 Esdras (2 Esdras in the Slavonic Bible, 3 Esdras in Appendix to the Vulgate)
The Prayer of Manasseh
Psalm 151
3 Maccabees

A composite book in the Slavonic Bible and in the Latin Vulgate Appendix

2 Esdras (3 Esdras in the Slavonic Bible, 4 Esdras in the Vulgate Appendix; “Esdras” is the Greek form of “Era”)

(Note: In the Latin Vulgate, Ezra- Nehemiah are 1 and 2 Esdras.)

A book in an Appendix to the Greek Bible

4 Maccabees (This book is included in two important Bibles from the fourth and fifth century.)

In my personal library, I have an edition of the English Standard Version and an edition of the New Revised Standard Version that include all of writings in the list. However, I am not aware of an edition of the Revised Standard Version or an edition of the Contemporary English Version that include all of writings in the list. The Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, Revised Standard Version, published in 1965, includes only the Apocryphal books and additions to Esther and Daniel that are in the Roman Catholic, Greek, and Slavonic Bibles. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha: Revised Standard Version, Containing the Second Edition of the New Testament and an Expanded Edition of the Apocrypha also includes 3 and 4 Maccabees and Psalm 151. It does not include The Prayer of Manasseh or 1 and 2 Esdras. The New Oxford Annotated Bible with the Apocrypha, New Revised Standard Version, published in 2010, includes all of writings in the list.

 

[PrincetonGuy]

Westcott and Hort were also involved in producing "The Revised New Testament" in published in 1881. In 1882 they were asked to produce "The Revised Old Testament" which gave them problems where the new testament is quoting from the old testament. To overcome this problem they changed some of the words in "The Revised Old Testament" without any supporting manuscripts to justify doing so.

Have you independently documented the claim that Westcott and Hort changed some of the words in "The Revised Old Testament" without any supporting manuscripts to justify doing so”? If so, please post for our consideration the documentation.

 

[Gregorikos]

Nice try at attempt to steer away from those quotes, of which examples IF you had continued to read, are a majority from The New Testament.

I have no problems with ANYthing you posted, but to point out from the get-go the obvious fact that you don't know what you're talking about is important to anyone reading this thread.

Moving on to the New Testament, your post assumes what it fails to prove- that the KJV is correct in everything it says, and any departure from the exact meaning of the KJV is in error.

The same KJV that tells us there were unicorns. (Numbers 23:22; Numbers 24:8; Job 39:9-10; Psalms 29:6; Psalms 92:10) Do you believe in unicorns?

Let's look at your first example.

Matthew 7:14: change "narrow is the way" to "difficult is the way". There's nothing "difficult" about the salvation of Jesus Christ! Jesus says in Matt. 11:30, "For my yoke is EASY, and my burden is light." THE EXACT OPPOSITE! Boy, you talk about a contradiction!

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Matthew 7:14 (KJV)

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14 (NIV)

Looks to me like the problem you allege doesn't exist in the NIV.

Let's try your second example:

Your KJV says in Jonah that the Lord prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. Jonah 1:17 (KJV)

A whale is not a fish, so your KJV New Testament says the Old Testament book of Jonah was incorrect. Thankfully, the Greek word in Matthew 12:40 isn't a whale.

κη̂τος ους n: any large sea monster - big fish, huge fish. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἠ̂ν Ἰωνα̂ς ἐν τῃ̂ κοιλίᾳ του̂ κήτους for as Jonah was in the belly of the big fish MAT.12:40. (Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains (Louw & Nida))

It doesn't MATTER what the scientific name for whales is. You're making an etymological error by citing that as proof.

On and on I could go down the list, but I won't waste my time doing your homework for you.