By Marv Knox
Just before Sunday morning worship a few years ago, an associational director of missions sidled close to me so I alone could hear his important inquiry: “Do you intend to preach from the King James Version of the Bible?”
“Yes, sir,”?I replied. “This is King James country.”
“Very good,” he affirmed, smiling broadly. “I’m carrying an extra copy, just in case you aren’t.”
The director of missions was a caring minister and a true friend. He wanted the folks in the rural congregation to worship God that morning, and he knew they wouldn’t think about the Scripture, much less listen to my sermon, if the text were not marked by the distinctive “whithersoevers” and “beseecheths” of their beloved King James Bible. He also realized these good people just might run the editor of their Baptist newspaper out of town on a rail, and he didn’t want that happening on his watch. Forsooth!
For millions of English-speaking Christians, the King James Version is the only faithful representation of God’s holy Bible. The KJV marks its 400th anniversary this year.
While the King James Version may be the most famous and perhaps most beloved Bible, it’s one among a multitude. The Bible app on my cell phone allows me to choose among 21 English editions of the Bible. And if I were sufficiently fluent, I could read from 62 versions in 23 languages, even as missionaries around the globe lovingly labor to translate God’s truth into other tongues.
What’s your favorite translation of the Bible? Tough question, isn’t it? As we’ve planned this celebration of the King James, I’ve tried to pick a favorite, and I can’t do it. God’s blessings are just too abundant. But I’ve narrowed my list to four translations. Here they are, along with the reasons why they top my list:
• King James. Although Elizabethan English is not my mother tongue, the King James still feels like my spiritual tongue. Since I’m of a certain age and from a certain background, my earliest memories from church and home include passages of the Bible read or recited in King James English. That’s how I imagined God and the ancient Hebrews and all the apostles sounded. When I recall most Scripture, it comes out in the King James’ phrases, because that’s what I memorized as a child and youth. Besides all that, the power and majesty of its language still stirs my soul. When I read purely for devotion, I typically turn to the KJV.
• New American Standard. This is the most literal word-for-word translation of Old Testament Hebrew and New Testament Greek into English. When I’m studying the Bible or preparing to teach, I always turn to the NASB, because it provides the most consistent, literal rendering. And so it is an invaluable tool when my first task is to understand specifically what the authors intended. The “down” side to this translation is that it’s sometimes choppy and difficult, because the syntax of ancient Hebrew and Greek is different than contemporary English.
• New International. The NIV offers the most fluid, readable text of the major English translations. That’s why it has become the most popular translation among U.S. evangelical Christians. Although some word choices and phrase selections have been politicized in recent years, it’s a solid and beautiful translation. When I preach, I almost always read from the NIV, because I know most of the worshippers will be reading from it, too.
• The Message. This relatively new edition was translated by a pastor who sought to offer his church members an accurate version of the Bible in the everyday English of today’s Americans. In that regard, it’s quite faithful to the early intention of the King James—a lovely, eloquent translation of the Bible in language spoken by the people.