NKJV Only?

[Daniel David]

I reopened this due to further discussion. The NKJVO and other version initials followed by an O do not always mean jokes and mocking.

I was serious in my post regarding my position on study:

I am ESVO, NKJVO, and NASBO.

I exclusively use those three.

However, please watch further needless mocking. Thank you.

 

[Siegfried]

Originally posted by Joseph Botwinick:
I am now shutting this thread down as it seeks to make fun of people who hold the KJVO belief.

So why do you not permit non-KJVO's to use the same argumentation KJVO's use day in and day out? Satire is an effective form of argumentation that exposes the logical implications of a faulty view.

Poking fun at a faulty view for the sake of exposing heresy is not equivalent to poking fun at a person.

Joseph, I appreciate your work as a moderator, but I wonder if you might not be accused of partiality for censoring non-KJVO's when they parrot KJVO reasoning?

 

[Siegfried]

Originally posted by Preach the Word:
I am ESVO, NKJVO, and NASBO.

I exclusively use those three.

Wouldn't that be ESVNKJVNASBO?

Oops, I went and needlessly mocked again.

[ November 22, 2002, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: Siegfried ]

 

[Will J. Kinney]

Hi John Henry, you asked: "What is wrong w/ the NKJV OT?????

I will try to point out a few things for you that I have found by comparing the KJB with the NKJV.

God bless,

The Authorized King James Bible compared to the New KJV in 1 and 2 Chronicles.

The New KJV is very different from the 1611 KJB. It has changed well over 70,000 words, not counting the Thee and Ye. It changes the meaning of hundreds of verses and does not always follow the same Hebrew and Greek texts that underlie the King James Bible.

This comparative study will illustrate just some small portion of these differences that exist between the God honoured King James Bible and this new poor imitation. Occasionally I will also mention the NIV and NASB alterations too, but the main focus will be on the differences between the KJB and the NKJV.

1 Chronicles

1:2 KJB, NIV, NASB - Kenan; NKJV changes this name to Cainan with footnote showing the reading is Kenan.

1:7 KJB - Dodanim - NKJV follows a different text and says Rodanim.

2:50 KJB "These were the sons of Caleb the SON of Hur. See 2: 18-19. This Caleb is the grandson of the more famous Caleb. John Gill comments: " These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephratah,.... This is another Caleb, the grandson of Caleb the son of Hezron, called after his name; he was the son of Hur, the firstborn of his wife Ephratah". Young's, Geneva Bible, Hebrew Names Bible and many others agree with the KJB. The NKJV along with the NASB, NIV follows the LXX and reads: "These were the descendants of Caleb. The SON of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, were Shobal..."

4:3 KJB "And these were OF THE FATHER of Etam"; NKJV again follows Some LXX manuscripts and says: "These were THE SONS OF {the father - in italics} Etam". The NASB, NIV also do the same, but a footnote in the NIV says "sons" comes from some LXX mss. but the Hebrew reads 'father'.

4:10 KJB "that thou wouldest keep me from evil, THAT IT MAY NOT GRIEVE ME." NKJV - "keep me from evil, that I MAY NOT CAUSE PAIN." Not even the NASB, NIV read as does the NKJV here.

4:14 KJB "the father of the VALLEY of Charashim" - NKJV "the father of Ge-Harashim" omits 'valley' with footnote: literally 'valley'.

4:17 KJB "and SHE bare Miriam" - NKJV "and MERAB'S WIFE bare Miriam: footnote 'literally "she". If you go through the NKJV and check the footnotes, you will find scores of times where the NKJV alters the reading and then in a footnote tells us that it literally reads as does the KJB. So, why change it? They have to get their copyright in order to make money, so they change literally thousands of words.

5:26 KJB "And God stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, AND THE SPIRIT OF Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria..." Thus there are two different kings. This is the reading of the KJB, Geneva, the Jewish translations, RV, ASV, RSV, Young's, and many others. The NKJV again joins the NASB, NIV and shows these two kings as being only one king. The NKJV reads: "stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, THAT IS, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria..." and it also omits "and the spirit of" which is found in all Hebrew texts.

6:28 KJB "And the sons of Samuel; the firstborn VASHNI, and Abijah." This is the reading of Youngs, Geneva, the Jewish translations, Spanish and others. Yet the NKJV again follows the LXX, Syriac and Arabic and says: "The sons of Samuel were JOEL, the firstborn, and Abijah the second." The RSV footnote tells us that the Hebrew does not contain the word JOEL.

7:28 KJB "GAZA" is changed in the NKJV to AYYAH. Yet the footnote tells us that many Hebrew mss and the Bomberg text read GAZA, just like the KJB. The NKJV does not always follow the same Hebrew or Greek texts upon which the KJB is based.

10:12 KJB "buried their bones under the OAK in Jabesh" . Oak is even in the NASB, RV, ASV, Young's, but it is now a TAMARISK in the NKJV. The NIV says "a great tree".

16:3 KJB "And he dealt to every one...a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a FLAGON OF WINE" - NKJV - "and a CAKE OF RAISINS."

20:3 KJB "And he brought out the people that were in it, AND CUT THEM WITH SAWS". The NKJV here joins the NIV and says: "he brought out the people who were in it and PUT THEM TO WORK WITH SAWS", then it has a misleading footnote which says: "Septuagint reads 'cut them'". This footnote gives the impression that the KJB followed the LXX rather than the Hebrew. However the RSV reads the same as the NKJV, NIV yet in its footnote it notes that the Hebrew reads "cut them". Not only does the KJB read "and cut them with saws" but so also do the NASB, RV, ASV, Douay, Spanish, Jewish translations of 1917, 1936 and Darby. John Gill again notes: "and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron; whereby they were cut asunder, as some were by the Romans and others , or their flesh torn to pieces, and they put to extreme pain and agony, and so died most miserably." The NKJV is wrong and then it tries to discredit the KJB's correct reading.

25:3 Here the NKJV, along with the NIV, NASB, and ESV, adds the name Shimei to the text, even though it is not found in the Hebrew Masoretic text, the RV, ASV, Jewish translations or Geneva bible, to name just a few. The six people listed includes the father, Jeduthun.

29:15 KJB - "For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on earth are as a shadow, AND THERE IS NONE ABIDING." This is pretty straight forward in the KJB. There is none abiding here on this earth, we are just passing through and soon die. The common sense reading of "and there is none abiding" is also found in the RV, ASV, Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, Young's, Geneva Bible, Spanish Reina Valera, New English Bible, RSV, and the English Standard Version. However again the NKJV joins the NIV, NASB with the ridiculous reading of: "our days on earth are as a shadow, AND WITHOUT HOPE."

We certainly do have a hope in God as the whole passage shows the people of God praising Him for His great goodness towards them and His mighty power on their behalf. The NKJV just blundered badly and followed other corrupt versions here, as it does in many other places.

 

[Will J. Kinney]

2 Chronicles

1:16 KJB - "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and LINEN YARN: the king's merchants received the LINEN YARN at a price." NKJV - "Solomon had horses imported from Egypt AND KEVEH, the king's merchants bought them IN KEVEH at the current price."

2:13 KJB - "And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram MY FATHER'S." RV, ASV, Young's, Geneva etc. = KJB. NKJV - "edowed with understanding, Huram my MASTER CRAFTSMAN." NKJV Footnote: literally 'father'.

An apparent contradiction that is in fact a contradiction in the NKJV, NIV and NASB.

One of the proofs of the true Holy Bible, which in English is the King James Bible of 1611, is that it contains no proveable errors. The modern bible versions all contain numerous real and not just apparent contradictions. A case in point is the differences between 1 Kings 7:26 and 2 Chronicles 4:5 where both sections speak of the molten sea constructed by king Solomon that stood upon twelve oxen. How much water did this molten sea actually contain?

In 1 Kings 7:26 we read: "And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: IT CONTAINED TWO THOUSAND BATHS." However in 2 Chronicles 4:5 we read: "And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and IT RECEIVED AND HELD THREE THOUSAND BATHS."

This obviously looks, at first glance, like a contradiction. The NKJV, NIV and NASB all read slightly differently and it is this critical difference that in fact creates a very real rather than an apparent contradiction. The NKJV in 2 Chronicles 4:5 reads: "It CONTAINED THREE thousand baths." yet in 1 Kings 7:26 the NKJV, NIV and NASB all say: "It contained TWO thousand baths."

The solution is really quite easy once you look closely at the correct reading found in the KJB. Not only does the KJB read the way it does but so also do both Jewish translations of the Jewish Publication Society of America and the Hebrew Pub. Company of 1917 and 1936, Young's translation, Green's interlinear, the Revised Version of 1881 and the ASV of 1901.

There are two verbs found in the Hebrew in 2 Chronicles and only one verb in 1 Kings. The NKJV,NIV, NASB, Darby, Geneva Bible, RSV, NEB and NRSV are all wrong and create a real contradiction by not translating the second verb found in 2 Chronicles 4:5. One verb is RECEIVED # 2388 and the second verb is HELD # 3557 three thousand baths.

1 Kings 7:26 tells us that the molten sea actually contained 2,000 baths of water, while the 2 Chronicles passage tells us that it could receive and hold 3,000 baths but it only contained 2,000 - thus is was only filled to two-thirds of its capacity. It is like saying "This gas tank holds 25 gallons; it contains 15 gallons of gas now."

There is no real contradiction in the KJB, but a very definite contradiction in the NKJV, NIV and NASB because they did not translate that second Hebrew verb. These versions are false witnesses to the truth. This is only one of many such examples that prove them to be false bibles. "A faithful witness will not lie; but a false witness will utter lies." Proverbs 14:5

9:21 KJB - "For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of HURAM: every three years once came the ships OF TARSHISH bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and PEACOCKS."

NKJV - "For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of HIRAM (footnote: literally Huram). Once every three years the MERCHANT SHIPS (footnote: literally ships of Tarshish), came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and MONKEYS." PEACOCKS is the reading of the NASB, RV, ASV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Geneva Bible, Young's, Darby, RSV, NRSV, ESV and Spanish versions. The NKJV says 'monkeys' while the NIV goes with Baboons! Now, biology is not my area of expertise, but I'm pretty sure there is a difference between a peacock and a monkey.

10:10 KJB - "My little finger shall be thicker than my father's LOINS." Loins is not an archaic word. In fact the NKJV and NIV frequently use the word loins, which means the upper and lower abdominal area and the region about the hips. Loins is the reading of the NASB, RV, and ASV, RSV, and NRSV here. But the NKJV has joined the NIV and translated this word here as WAIST, and in other places where the KJB correctly has loins, the NKJV changes this to hips Neh. 4:18; backs Ps.66:11; herself Pro. 31:17; yourself Jer. 1:17; heart Eze. 21:6; bodies Eze.44:18, and flanks Nahum 2:10. So much for the accuracy of the NKJV and the false claim that they are just updating the "archaic" language.

10:11 KJB - "but I will chastize you with SCORPIONS". Scorpions is even the reading of the NASB, NIV, but the NKJV says: " I will chastize you with SCOURGES", then in a footnote tells us: literally Scorpions.

13:14 KJB - "And when Judah looked back, BEHOLD, the battle was before and behind."
This word Behold is used very often in the Bible to draw our attention to something. The RV, ASV, NASB translate it just as it stands in the KJB as either Behold or Lo. The NIV tells us in their concordance that they have not translated this word 550 times of the 1,061 times it occurs in the Old Testament. The NKJV has frequently translated this word as Behold, but very often it completely paraphrases it as "to their surprise" 13:14; "here" 16:3; "note that" 16:11; "now listen" 18:12. "take notice" 19:11; omits in 20:2; "here are" 20:10; "surely" 20:16; "there were" 20:24; "look" 28:9; and "indeed" in 20:34. These are just a few of the examples, yet they correctly render the same word as Behold in many other places. Are the NKJV translators really aiming at greater accuracy, or are they just making changes so they can get a copyright and make royalties?

15: 15-17 There are literally hundreds of annoying changes made in the NKJV. Here is just a small sampling. "sought him with their whole DESIRE" becomes "SOUL", "she had made AN IDOL IN A GROVE" becomes "AN OBSCENE IMAGE OF ASHERAH", "the heart of Asa was PERFECT all his days" becomes "heart of Asa was LOYAL".

24:27 KJB - "Now concerning his sons, and THE GREATNESS OF THE BURDENS LAID UPON HIM, and the repairing of the house of God..." This is the reading of the RV, ASV, Young's, Darby, Jewish translations of 1917 and 1936. It most likely refers to the great diseases with which God afflicted him and the heavy taxes and tribute exacted by the Syrians whom God sent against Israel. However the NKJV alters this to: "Now concerning his sons, and THE MANY ORACLES ABOUT HIM, and the repairing of the house..."

26:12 KJB - "The whole number of the chief of THE FATHERS" becomes in the NKJV "the number of the chief OFFICERS" with a footnote telling us that literally it is "the fathers".

32:3 KJB - "He took counsel with his princes and his MIGHTY MEN" which becomes "COMMANDERS" in the NKJV with another footnote telling us that literally it is "mighty men", just as it stands in the KJB.

32:21 KJB - "THEY THAT CAME FORTH OF HIS OWN BOWELS slew him there with the sword." This is the literal rendering of the Hebrew and also the reading of the Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, the RV, Young's, Geneva, World English Bible, Hebrew Names Version, Darby, Douay, and the ASV. However the NKJV says: "SOME OF HIS OWN OFFSPRING struck him down with the sword there." Now God knows how to say "offspring" and "children" and "sons". There are distinct Hebrew words to express these ideas, but He didn't say that here. God said "they that came forth of his own bowels", so why not just keep it that way?

32:30 KJB - "This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and BROUGHT IT STRAIGHT DOWN to the west side of the city..." The NKJV says: "and brought THE WATER BY TUNNEL to the west..." again with a footnote: literally "brought it straight".

33:11 KJB - "Wherefore the LORD brought upon them captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh AMONG THE THORNS, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon." The word is clearly 'thorns' or thistles and, as John Gill remarks, Manasseh was trying to hide himself, and the thorns were spiritually significant as a picture of the due curse for his sin. In 1 Samuel 13:6 the Israelites previously had hid themselves in the caves, and in thickets, and in rocks and pits.

Yet here the NKJV says: he "took Manasseh with HOOKS, bound him with bronze fetters...", while the NIV says he "put a hook in his nose". Young's says Manasseh was taken "among the thickets".

33:6 The NKJV has the annoying habit of frequently changing the wording of whole verses. Here the sins of Manasseh are all changed. "also he observed times" becomes "he practiced soothsaying", "and used enchantments" becomes "used witchcraft", "and dealt with a familiar spirit" becomes "and consulted mediums" and "with wizards" becomes in the NKJV "and spiritists". Likewise in 34:4 the KJB's "images" and "groves" become "incense altars" and "wooden images" in the NKJV.

33:19 KJB - "BEHOLD, they are written among the sayings of THE SEERS". This is the reading of the Jewish translations, Geneva, NIV, RSV, NRSV, ESV, BBE, Green's interlinear and the Spanish. Yet the NKJV along with the NASB says: "INDEED, they are written among the sayings OF HOZNAI", with another misleading footnote that says the Septuagint reads "the seers" as though the KJB is again falsely following the Greek and not the Hebrew.

34:8 KJB - "when he had purged the land, and the HOUSE..." the NKJV says "and the TEMPLE" with a footnote saying literally "house" as in the KJB.

36:10 KJB - "and made Zedekiah, HIS BROTHER king over Judah and Jerusalem." His brother is the reading of the Jewish translations, RV, ASV, Young's, Geneva, Spanish, Darby and others, but the NKJV says: "JEHOIAKIM'S brother" with a footnote that says: literally "his brother". The NASB has "his kinsman" while the NIV goes with "Jehoiachin's uncle" none of which is in any Hebrew manuscript.

I hope this little comparative study allows you to see that the NKJV has changed far more than just a few "archaic" words found in the King James Bible.

Will Kinney

 

[Will J. Kinney]

Don't go on Safari with a New KJV Translator

I can easily list a hundred bad translations found in the imposter called the New King James Version, but here are a few that should cause any serious Christian who trembles at the words of God to cast this poor imitation in the waste basket where it belongs.

Psalm 63:10 "They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for FOXES."

This word is # 7776 and is found 7 times in the Hebrew texts. All 7 are translated "foxes" in both the KJB and the NASB. The same word is found in Judges 15:4 when Samson caught 300 foxes. Foxes is the reading of the Jewish translations, the KJB, NASB, RV, ASV, Young's, Darby, Douay, Spanish and Italian bibles.

However the NKJV says JACKALS here while it translates the other 6 instances as "foxes". The NIV has "foxes" 4 times and "jackals" 3 times.

Isaiah 14:23 "I will also make it a possession for the BITTERN, and pools of water." A bittern is a type of bird similar to a nocturnal heron. It is not an archaic word. The Hebrew word is found only three times and all three are translated as "bittern" in the KJB. Bittern is also the reading of the 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Young's, Darby, KJV 21, Third Millenium Bible, and others.

However the NKJV says here "I will make it a possession for the PORCUPINE." Yet the NKJV translates this same Hebrew word as "bittern" in Zephaniah 2:14. Now, I'm pretty sure there is a difference between a bird and a porcupine. But wait, the NASB says it is a "hedgehog" while the NIV tells us it is a "screech owl".

Matthew 12:40 "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the WHALE'S belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

The word here is Keetos and clearly means Whale. Whale is the reading of the KJB, RV, ASV, RSV, Tyndale, Geneva, Douay, and many others. However the NKJV again joins the NIV and says "A GREAT FISH", while the NASB lets us know it was really a SEA MONSTER.

1 Kings 8:37 "If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew, locust, or if there be CATERPILLAR..."

Caterpillar is # 2625 found 5 times and all translated as caterpillar in the KJB. Caterpillar is also the reading of the Jewish translations, the RV, ASV, NASB and others. However the NKJV again joins the NIV and says GRASSHOPPER here, but it translates the same word as caterpillar in Psalms 78:46 and Isaiah 33:4.

1 Kings 10:22 tells us of Solomon sending a navy of ships to bring gold, silver, ivory, apes and PEACOCKS. Peacocks is the reading of the Jewish translations, RV, ASV, NASB, Young's and others but the NKJV says MONKEYS, while the NIV tells us these were baboons.

1 Kings 12:11 Rehoboam tells the people: "My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with SCORPIONS. Scorpions is the reading of the RV, ASV, NASB and even the NIV. However the NKJV says: "I will chastise you with SCOURGES", even though it correctly has 'scorpions' in Deut. 8:15 and Ezekiel 2:6.

Proverbs 30:26 "The CONIES are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks." A coney is a type of rabbit. Conies is the reading of the NIV, RV, ASV, Geneva, Young's, 1936 Jewish translation, Douay and others.

However the NKJV says ROCK BADGERS. The 1977 NASB had "badgers" but in 1995 the NASB
changed this to "the Shepharim" just to clear it up for us. Any NKJV advocate had better hope the next time they wander into the woods they will encounter a rabbit rather than a badger. They will find out in a real hurry which creature is feeble. The University of Wisconsin didn't call themselves the Badgers because badgers are sissies.

Proverbs 30:14 "There is a generation, whose teeth are as swords, and their JAW TEETH as knives." Jaw teeth is in the NASB, ASV, RV and others. The NIV has "jaws" which is OK, but the NKJV says "whose FANGS are like knives." Vampires perhaps?

Exodus 28:18 "And the second row shall be an EMERALD, a sapphire, and a diamond." Emerald is # 5306 and is used only 3 times in the O.T. Emerald is the reading of the RV, ASV, Young's, Spanish, Geneva, 1936 Jewish bible, and even the RSV.

The NKJV, however says TURQUOISE here but translates the other two instances as "emerald" in Ezekiel 27:12 and 28:13.

In Genesis 24: 22, 47 Abraham's servant was sent to get a bride for Isaac. There we read that the servant put an EARRING on Rebekah. But the NKJV tells us the servant put a NOSE RING on her, yet the NKJV translates this same word as earring 10 other times.

In 1 Samuel 16:12 young David is described as being "ruddy, and withal of a BEAUTIFUL COUNTENANCE, and goodly to look to." This is the reading of the RV, ASV, Geneva, Darby and others. But the NKJV tells us that David had BRIGHT EYES. Tell a woman she has bright eyes rather than a beautiful countenance and I think you will see the difference.

Though I could give many more examples of bad translations in the NKJV, I will close with one more.

In Ecclesiastes 12:11 we read: "The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by THE MASTERS OF ASSEMBLIES, which are given by one shepherd."

The masters of assemblies would be those in charge of leading the congregation in the study and hearing of God's words, and He Himself is our one Shepherd. This is the reading of the RV, ASV, Geneva, Spanish and other versions. Even the NKJV footnote tells us that it is literally "masters of the assemblies".

However, in typical NKJV fashion, they have rendered this verse as: "The words of the wise are as goads, and the WORDS OF SCHOLARS are like well driven nails, given by one Shepherd."

The NKJV attempts to promote the wayward path of modern day Christians who look to the "scholars" to tell us what God really meant and said. I guess the Lord Jesus chose the wrong type of people in Peter, James, John and the rest of the twelve apostles to try to reach the world with the gospel of salvation through simple faith. He really should have chosen some scholars. Then we wouldn't have all this confusion that we see today. Don't ya think?

Will Kinney

 

[Will J. Kinney]

2 Chronicles

1:16 KJB - "And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and LINEN YARN: the king's merchants received the LINEN YARN at a price." NKJV - "Solomon had horses imported from Egypt AND KEVEH, the king's merchants bought them IN KEVEH at the current price."

2:13 KJB - "And now I have sent a cunning man, endued with understanding, of Huram MY FATHER'S." RV, ASV, Young's, Geneva etc. = KJB. NKJV - "edowed with understanding, Huram my MASTER CRAFTSMAN." NKJV Footnote: literally 'father'.

An apparent contradiction that is in fact a contradiction in the NKJV, NIV and NASB.

One of the proofs of the true Holy Bible, which in English is the King James Bible of 1611, is that it contains no proveable errors. The modern bible versions all contain numerous real and not just apparent contradictions. A case in point is the differences between 1 Kings 7:26 and 2 Chronicles 4:5 where both sections speak of the molten sea constructed by king Solomon that stood upon twelve oxen. How much water did this molten sea actually contain?

In 1 Kings 7:26 we read: "And it was an hand breadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies: IT CONTAINED TWO THOUSAND BATHS." However in 2 Chronicles 4:5 we read: "And the thickness of it was an handbreadth, and the brim of it like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and IT RECEIVED AND HELD THREE THOUSAND BATHS."

This obviously looks, at first glance, like a contradiction. The NKJV, NIV and NASB all read slightly differently and it is this critical difference that in fact creates a very real rather than an apparent contradiction. The NKJV in 2 Chronicles 4:5 reads: "It CONTAINED THREE thousand baths." yet in 1 Kings 7:26 the NKJV, NIV and NASB all say: "It contained TWO thousand baths."

The solution is really quite easy once you look closely at the correct reading found in the KJB. Not only does the KJB read the way it does but so also do both Jewish translations of the Jewish Publication Society of America and the Hebrew Pub. Company of 1917 and 1936, Young's translation, Green's interlinear, the Revised Version of 1881 and the ASV of 1901.

There are two verbs found in the Hebrew in 2 Chronicles and only one verb in 1 Kings. The NKJV,NIV, NASB, Darby, Geneva Bible, RSV, NEB and NRSV are all wrong and create a real contradiction by not translating the second verb found in 2 Chronicles 4:5. One verb is RECEIVED # 2388 and the second verb is HELD # 3557 three thousand baths.

1 Kings 7:26 tells us that the molten sea actually contained 2,000 baths of water, while the 2 Chronicles passage tells us that it could receive and hold 3,000 baths but it only contained 2,000 - thus is was only filled to two-thirds of its capacity. It is like saying "This gas tank holds 25 gallons; it contains 15 gallons of gas now."

There is no real contradiction in the KJB, but a very definite contradiction in the NKJV, NIV and NASB because they did not translate that second Hebrew verb. These versions are false witnesses to the truth. This is only one of many such examples that prove them to be false bibles. "A faithful witness will not lie; but a false witness will utter lies." Proverbs 14:5

9:21 KJB - "For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of HURAM: every three years once came the ships OF TARSHISH bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and PEACOCKS."

NKJV - "For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of HIRAM (footnote: literally Huram). Once every three years the MERCHANT SHIPS (footnote: literally ships of Tarshish), came, bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and MONKEYS." PEACOCKS is the reading of the NASB, RV, ASV, 1917, 1936 Jewish translations, Geneva Bible, Young's, Darby, RSV, NRSV, ESV and Spanish versions. The NKJV says 'monkeys' while the NIV goes with Baboons! Now, biology is not my area of expertise, but I'm pretty sure there is a difference between a peacock and a monkey.

10:10 KJB - "My little finger shall be thicker than my father's LOINS." Loins is not an archaic word. In fact the NKJV and NIV frequently use the word loins, which means the upper and lower abdominal area and the region about the hips. Loins is the reading of the NASB, RV, and ASV, RSV, and NRSV here. But the NKJV has joined the NIV and translated this word here as WAIST, and in other places where the KJB correctly has loins, the NKJV changes this to hips Neh. 4:18; backs Ps.66:11; herself Pro. 31:17; yourself Jer. 1:17; heart Eze. 21:6; bodies Eze.44:18, and flanks Nahum 2:10. So much for the accuracy of the NKJV and the false claim that they are just updating the "archaic" language.

10:11 KJB - "but I will chastize you with SCORPIONS". Scorpions is even the reading of the NASB, NIV, but the NKJV says: " I will chastize you with SCOURGES", then in a footnote tells us: literally Scorpions.

13:14 KJB - "And when Judah looked back, BEHOLD, the battle was before and behind."
This word Behold is used very often in the Bible to draw our attention to something. The RV, ASV, NASB translate it just as it stands in the KJB as either Behold or Lo. The NIV tells us in their concordance that they have not translated this word 550 times of the 1,061 times it occurs in the Old Testament. The NKJV has frequently translated this word as Behold, but very often it completely paraphrases it as "to their surprise" 13:14; "here" 16:3; "note that" 16:11; "now listen" 18:12. "take notice" 19:11; omits in 20:2; "here are" 20:10; "surely" 20:16; "there were" 20:24; "look" 28:9; and "indeed" in 20:34. These are just a few of the examples, yet they correctly render the same word as Behold in many other places. Are the NKJV translators really aiming at greater accuracy, or are they just making changes so they can get a copyright and make royalties?

15: 15-17 There are literally hundreds of annoying changes made in the NKJV. Here is just a small sampling. "sought him with their whole DESIRE" becomes "SOUL", "she had made AN IDOL IN A GROVE" becomes "AN OBSCENE IMAGE OF ASHERAH", "the heart of Asa was PERFECT all his days" becomes "heart of Asa was LOYAL".

24:27 KJB - "Now concerning his sons, and THE GREATNESS OF THE BURDENS LAID UPON HIM, and the repairing of the house of God..." This is the reading of the RV, ASV, Young's, Darby, Jewish translations of 1917 and 1936. It most likely refers to the great diseases with which God afflicted him and the heavy taxes and tribute exacted by the Syrians whom God sent against Israel. However the NKJV alters this to: "Now concerning his sons, and THE MANY ORACLES ABOUT HIM, and the repairing of the house..."

26:12 KJB - "The whole number of the chief of THE FATHERS" becomes in the NKJV "the number of the chief OFFICERS" with a footnote telling us that literally it is "the fathers".

32:3 KJB - "He took counsel with his princes and his MIGHTY MEN" which becomes "COMMANDERS" in the NKJV with another footnote telling us that literally it is "mighty men", just as it stands in the KJB.

32:21 KJB - "THEY THAT CAME FORTH OF HIS OWN BOWELS slew him there with the sword." This is the literal rendering of the Hebrew and also the reading of the Jewish translations of 1917, 1936, the RV, Young's, Geneva, World English Bible, Hebrew Names Version, Darby, Douay, and the ASV. However the NKJV says: "SOME OF HIS OWN OFFSPRING struck him down with the sword there." Now God knows how to say "offspring" and "children" and "sons". There are distinct Hebrew words to express these ideas, but He didn't say that here. God said "they that came forth of his own bowels", so why not just keep it that way?

32:30 KJB - "This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and BROUGHT IT STRAIGHT DOWN to the west side of the city..." The NKJV says: "and brought THE WATER BY TUNNEL to the west..." again with a footnote: literally "brought it straight".

33:11 KJB - "Wherefore the LORD brought upon them captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh AMONG THE THORNS, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon." The word is clearly 'thorns' or thistles and, as John Gill remarks, Manasseh was trying to hide himself, and the thorns were spiritually significant as a picture of the due curse for his sin. In 1 Samuel 13:6 the Israelites previously had hid themselves in the caves, and in thickets, and in rocks and pits.

Yet here the NKJV says: he "took Manasseh with HOOKS, bound him with bronze fetters...", while the NIV says he "put a hook in his nose". Young's says Manasseh was taken "among the thickets".

33:6 The NKJV has the annoying habit of frequently changing the wording of whole verses. Here the sins of Manasseh are all changed. "also he observed times" becomes "he practiced soothsaying", "and used enchantments" becomes "used witchcraft", "and dealt with a familiar spirit" becomes "and consulted mediums" and "with wizards" becomes in the NKJV "and spiritists". Likewise in 34:4 the KJB's "images" and "groves" become "incense altars" and "wooden images" in the NKJV.

33:19 KJB - "BEHOLD, they are written among the sayings of THE SE

 

[Daniel David]

Will, as I am sure you know, the imporant fact is whether or not the NKJV followed the Hebrew, not the KJV.

 

[Daniel David]

This thread is now being closed. It has strayed from the original question.

Siegfried, mild forms of parroting and clever uses of logical fallacies are certainly allowed as means of debate and discussion. If it gets out of hand, it will be changed.

Joseph and I of necessity are watching this forum a little more closely. Emotions tend to dominate certain discussions and the versions issue might only have competition with the Calvinism/Arminianism debates.

Joseph has done a fine job and has been quite consistent with his calls. I am trying to do the same. My reopening of this thread has to do with my misunderstanding of some things. I sincerely apologize for my mistake.

[ November 25, 2002, 10:10 AM: Message edited by: Preach the Word ]