From KJV To ESV

25 Nov

Posted by Isaiah in Christianity.

For a long time now I’ve only been referring to the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible for reading, learning and quotes. At the same time, I was looking around for a modern English translation that I can use.

Finding one that is almost as reliable as the KJV isn’t easy.

Today, there are so many Bible translations on the shelf that picking one isn’t an easy choice. While some say that there’s no point in being picky so long as you can understand what you read, I beg to differ.

If you study Bible translations and how each version came about, you’d be surprised at how vastly different they can be. Then there are the sources from which the translations draw from that you need to be aware of, like the Textus Receptus, Latin Vulgate, Masoretic Text etc. I’d strongly suggest reading up on what those are and see whether the Bible translation you’re using is indeed reliable.

In other words, do not be fooled, but take some time to do a comparison of Bible translations before you settle on one or two that you will frequently refer to for study.

Personally I prefer to go for text-for-text translations of which the King James Version is a perfect example of, rather than the corrupted thought-for-thought translations (in my opinion) that gave us the New International Version (NIV) and Eugene Peterson’s The Message which takes thought-for-thought to the extremes.

So why switch my main reference to the English Standard Version (ESV)?

For some time now, I’ve been “testing” out the ESV and so far it has passed my own tests for a reliable translation as compared to the KJV. It is a literal or word-for-word translation as like the KJV, but in modern English. Coupled that with the fact that today I find myself referring more and more to my copy of the ESV for study, I decided to make a ’switch’ to make the ESV as my primary study Bible.

Because of this change, you’ll soon see verses quoted on my blog taken from the ESV instead of the KJV since that’s what I am studying and sharing from.

Shalom Aleichem.

Comparison chart taken from http://www.zondervanbibles.com/translations.htm (link no longer active).

14 Responses to this post.

Posted by nannywen on 25.11.07 at 22:50

interesting! i liked the chart. i’m using NKJV, thinking of buying another version for self-study too thanks for the info!
Posted by Sicarii on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Glad you found it useful, Nanny. :-)

God bless, and Shalom!
Posted by Sidharth on 25.11.07 at 22:50

I use NASB, AMP, NKJV and NIV [Though NIV isn't as good as the rest]

Sidharth
Posted by Sicarii on 25.11.07 at 22:50

I have 2 copies of the NIV that I no longer refer to except to point out inconsistencies in that particular translation when compared to the KJV. :-)

Forgot to mention that along the way where I was looking for a modern translation I also looked at the NASB and liked it too. I chose the ESV in the end because I liked the way it read.

God bless, and Shalom!
Posted by Lincoln on 25.11.07 at 22:50

I would have been a fan of the ESV, except it omits and changes a few things as well, in part because I think it still relies on the gutted Minority texts. Case in point, Psalms 139:16:

KJV - Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

ESV - Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

The KJV describes the process of our development in the womb, where our form continues to grow and develop parts (when as yet there was none of them). The ESV switches this and suggests that it’s our days that are being fashioned, favoring the view of predestination where every aspect of our daily lives would have already been predetermined from birth.

Some will claim that’s how the original manuscript reads. Whatever. The point is without comparison you could end coming away with an understanding of a verse that’s completely different than what it was meant to convey. You’ll be left wondering if what you read in the ESV lined up with the KJV rendering. Kinda sad that we have to constantly compare verses because of the prejudice of men.

For a KJV style Bible with a modern modern language update though, I’ve heard good things about the Millennium Bible.
Posted by Sicarii on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Dear Lincoln:

I think all the modern translations change things quite a bit in general, which makes me wonder why that is so. Copyright laws have a part to play I suppose and greed is perhaps the underlying reason.

Thank you for highlighting that to me, guess I missed it! And that’s why though I am making the ESV my primary study Bible, I’ll still have an eye on the KJV and make comparative notes whenever the ESV has footnotes accompanying certain verses that go “Some manuscripts say…”.

I have yet to come across the Millennium Bible where I am, but I’ll keep an eye out for it.

God bless, and Shalom!
Posted by FishHawk on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Please be assured that this is not meant to unfairly demean, embarrass, nor insult anyone in anyway; but the absolute truth of the matter truly is that without the witness of our Hevenly Father’s Holy Spirit: all we have are words on a page, regardless of what version is employed. After all: if His ways truly are much much higher than our own, how could any of us really know what is truly meant by this or that unless He Himself reveals it??? Take Isaiah 45:7 in the KJV for an example. Yes, there is safety in numbers; but were there not millions upon millions of Germans who felt justified in their opinions just because of there being so many others who felt the same way as they did during the days of the Nazis?
Posted by Sicarii on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Dear FishHawk:

No offense taken at all.

I agree with you that without the inspiration of our Heavenly Father’s spirit that we’ll just have words on a page, so to speak. However, that is quite a separate issue from Bible translations from my point of view.

Translations are copies of the original in another language, to put it simply. Therefore it is also important to note which original is used for the translation, because, as we say in IT terms, it is a case of truth in, truth out or garbage in garbage out if it is a word-for-word translation.

There are translations which are thought-for-thought that I don’t agree with precisely for the reason that you cited. Now if we were to insert private interpretations of the interpreters as translations of God’s Word in their original form, then there is cause for doubt, whether one agrees with the translated interpretation or not.

God bless, and Shalom!
Posted by Dan King on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Congrats on the recent switch! I teach a Bible Interpretation class at a small local Bible College, and I also currently use the ESV as my primary study Bible. I regularly refer to several different translations, as well as do regular word studies, but I do like the ESV as a primary word-for-word.
Posted by Sicarii on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Dear Dan,

I didn’t know that you teach that! Wow!

The primary reason I like the ESV is because of the way it flows. Like you I also refer to other versions as well, mainly the KJV and the NKJV. I was hoping to get a copy of the NASB too.

God bless, and Shalom!
Posted by Soldier of Christ Jesus on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Evil Substandard Translation says:
Genesis 22:8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

The King James Bible says:
Genesis 22:8 And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

No need to go further, with just this one verse ESV has proven to be a translation from the devil, this is a clear attack on God.
And you people that is promoting this filth are in serious trouble.

Do a verse for verse comparison between ESV and the King James Bible and you will see that ESV falls short all over the place.
Corrupt manuscripts and satans people translating makes for deceptive translations.

ESV is basically a remake of the NIV, same gnostic manuscripts.

You’ve been warned.
Posted by Soldier of Christ Jesus on 25.11.07 at 22:50

“I’ve been “testing” out the ESV and so far it has passed my own tests for a reliable translation as compared to the KJV. It is a literal or word-for-word translation as like the KJV, but in modern English.”

Ehh no it’s not. It’s deception. Plus it’s nothing like the King James, based on totally different manuscripts. ESV denies essential doctrines as I’ve already shown you in the above post.

And to help you out, if you go the ESV site and look up a site they have a link where you can compare ESV and KJB verse by verse next to each other. The subtle changes is the characteristic of the scribes Lord Jesus warns about.

Luke 20:46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
Luke 20:47 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
Posted by Soldier of Christ Jesus on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Here’s another interesting one:

ESV Acts 17:29
Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.

KJB Acts 17:29
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.

ESV effectively destroyes the word Godhead which ofcourse is something we use to describe the Trinity. Instead we have got “divine being” ? What?

Another interesting attack on Lord Jesus from ESV (which apparently is just the old blasphemous RSV in a new package)
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:

ESV 1 Timothy 3:16
He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

KJB 1 Timothy 3:16
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.

One of the greatest verses showing that Jesus indeed was God manifest in the flesh.

Of course a verse people like the Russellites hates, and muslims and other enemies of the gospel.
But I guess you can close your eyes to that since it’s in “modern english”.

ESV is an evil translation.
Posted by Daniel Chew on 25.11.07 at 22:50

Soldier,

we are not Ruckmanites here. You can continue to promote the cultic and schismatic teachings of KJV-Onlyism, but you guys seriously have no clue what you are talking about. So which KJV version is the authoritative one? The 1611 version, or the one we are using today which is the 6th revision of the KJV? And with regards to the original text, which Textus Receptus do you think is authoritative? Erasmus’, who is a Roman Catholic? Stephanus’? Beza’s ? Scrivner’s?

I think you should go back and think about this issue. It is a fact that the KJV we have now is not even the same version as the one that King James originally commissioned. The KJV also does not always follow the Textus Receptus, nor even the Majority Text manuscripts. Perhaps you may want to learn some Greek and Hebrew and try comparing the Textus Receptus reading to the KJV yourself and see the difference between them.

Sincerely,
Daniel Chew.