Welcome to the
United States Bible Society Bible History Page.
This page was created because of two questions that were asked?
1) Is there any
difference between the King James and NIV?(yes)
2) Which version of Bible do I recommend?(King James)
The reason I answered this way is is found in the History of our
Bible.
.
The reason we recommend the King
James Bible and the reason you find slight differences in the NIV( and other versions) vs. the King James can be found in
the History of our Bible. God has perserved His Word and takes a active role in the perservation of His Word. Some
men have tried to change God's Word through the Ages but God has perserved His Word in ways only He could which testifies
to the fact that He is God and the King James Bible is His Perserved Word.
Gods Word was recorded on scrolls on
the original manuscripts. It was then distributed through the different reigions of the Roman Empire in the Greek language.
The Byzantine (or Traditional) Text stayed pure and unchanged while the Alexandrian and other Text strayed from the original.
Men like Orgin, with the Alexandrian Text, would only transcribed the parts of the Original Text that fit with his beliefs.
He did not believe that Jesus was God in flesh and blood and omited the sections that dealt with what he was oppsed to.
God elimanated the corrupt text through the Muslim Conquest but allowed the pure text or what is called the "textus
receptus". Other men, such as, Wescott and Hort attempted to challenge the perserved text by using the arcalogical finds
of the codex sianatics and the codex vadicanis from the Alexandrian text which contained omissions and changes from
the original text. These changes fit the beliefs of the Wescott and Hort commitee to form a new "Critical Text"
which is the father of all modern versions we see today.
The New Versions contain 98% of the
pure text but have slight changes that challenge the virgin birth, the trinity, the diety of Christ, and the Blood of Jesus.
Below are a few differences between versions so you can prayfully consider which Bible you will read and hold fast too.
Mt 9:13
KJV> for I am not come to call the righteous,
but sinners TO REPENTANCE.
NIV>For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
NASV>For I did not
come to call the righteous, but sinners.
NWT>For I came to call, not righteous people, but sinners.
Mt
18:11
KJV>For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
NIV>OMITTED
NASV>footnote casts doubt
NWT>OMITTED
Mt 19:17
KJV>WHY CALLEST THOU ME GOOD?
NIV>"Why do you ask me about what is good?"
NASV>"Why
are you asking me about what is good?"
NWT>"Why do you ask me about what is good?"
Mt 25:13
KJV>Ye know neither
the day nor the hour WHEREIN THE SON OF MAN COMETH.
NIV>You do not know the day or the hour.
NASV>You do not
know the day nor the hour.
NWT>You know neither the day nor the hour,
Mk 10:24
KJV>.how hard it
is FOR THEM THAT TRUST IN RICHES to enter into the kingdom of God!
NIV>.how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
NASV>.how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
NWT>.how difficult a thing it is to enter into the kingdom
of God!
Lk 2:33
KJV:And JOSEPH and his mother,,,
NIV>The child's father and mother.
NASV>His
father and mother.
NWT>its father and mother.
Lk 4:4
KJV>Man shall not live by bread alone, BUT
BY EVERY WORD OF GOD.
NIV>Man does not live on bread alone.
NASV>Man shall not live on bread alone.
NWT>Man
must not live by bread alone.
Lk 4:8
KJV>Get thee behind me, Satan.
NIV>OMITTED
NASV>OMITTED
NWT>OMITTED
Jn 6:47
KJV>He that believeth ON ME hath everlasting life.
NIV>He who believes
has everlasting life.
NASV>He who believes has eternal life.
NWT>He that believes has everlasting life.
Jn 8:9
KJV>And when they heard it, BEING CONVICTED BY THEIR OWN CONSCIENCE, went out.
NIV>.those who
heard began to go away.
NASV>.when they heard it, they began to go out one by one. NWT>OMITTED
Jn 9:4
KJV>I must work the works of him that sent me.
NIV>We must do the work of him who sent me.
NASV>We must
work the works of Him who sent Me.
NWT>We must work the works of him that sent me.
Jn 10:30
KJV>I
and MY Father are one
NIV>I and the Father are one.
NASV>I and the Father are one.
NWT>I and the Father
are one.
Ac 2:30
KJV>that of the fruit of his loins, ACCORDING TO THE FLESH, HE WOULD RAISE UP Christ
to sit on his throne;
NIV>.he would place one of his descendants on his throne.
NASV>.to seat one of his descendants
upon his throne.
NWT>.he would seat one from the fruitage of his loins upon his throne.
Ac 8:37
KJV>If
thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
NIV>OMITTED
NASV>footnote casts doubt (some editions just omit it) NWT>OMITTED
Ac 23:9
KJV>Let
us not fight against God.
NIV>OMITTED
NASV>OMITTED
NWT>OMITTED
Rom 13:9
KJV>Thou
shalt not bear false witness.
NIV>OMITTED
NASV>OMITTED
NWT>OMITTED
Co 1:14
KJV>In
whom we have redemption THROUGH HIS BLOOD, even the forgiveness of sins.
NIV>In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins.
NASV>In whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
NWT>By means of whom we have our release
by ransom, the forgiveness of our sins.
1Ti 3:16
KJV>GOD WAS manifest in the flesh.
NIV>He appeared
in a body.
NASV>He who was revealed in the flesh.
NWT>He was made manifest in the flesh.
1Ti 6:5
KJV>Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: FROM SUCH
WITHDRAW THYSELF.
NIV>"from such withdraw thyself" is omitted
NASV>"from such withdraw thyself"
is omitted
NWT>"from such withdraw thyself" is omitted
1Pe 1:22
KJV>Ye have purified
your souls in obeying the truth THROUGH THE SPIRIT.
NIV>you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth.
NASV>Since
you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls.
NWT>Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience
to the truth.
1Jo 4:3
KJV>And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus CHRIST IS COME IN THE FLESH is
not of God.
NIV>But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.
NASV>And every spirit that
does not confess Jesus is not from God.
NWT>But every inspired expression that does not confess Jesus does not originate
with God.
Re 5:14
KJV>Four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped HIM THAT LIVETH FOR EVERAND EVER.
NIV>.the elders fell down and worshipped.
NASV>.the elders fell down and worshipped.
NWT>.the elders
fell down and worshipped.
Re 20:9
KJV>Fire came down FROM GOD out of heaven.
NIV>Fire came down
from heaven.
NASV>Fire came down from heaven.
NWT>Fire came down out of heaven.
Re 21:24
KJV>And
the nations OF THEM WHICH ARE SAVED shall walk in the light of it.
NIV>The nations will walk by its light.
NASV>And
the nations shall walk by its light.
NWT>And the nations will walk by means of its light.
