The Most Popular and Fastest Growing Bible Translation Isn't What You Think It Is

Christianity Today ^ | 03/14/2014 | Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra

[SeekAndFind]

When Americans reach for their Bibles, more than half of them pick up a King James Version (KJV), according to a new study advised by respected historian Mark Noll.

The 55 percent who read the KJV easily outnumber the 19 percent who read the New International Version (NIV). And the percentages drop into the single digits for competitors such as the New Revised Standard Version, New America Bible, and the Living Bible.

So concludes "The Bible in American Life," a lengthy report by the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Funded by the Lilly Foundation, researchers asked questions on what David Briggs of the ARDA, which first reported the results, calls "two of the most highly respected data sources for American religion"—the General Social Survey and the National Congregations Study.

The numbers are surprising, given the strong sales of NIV translations in bookstores. The NIV has topped the CBA's bestselling Bible translation list for decades, and continued to sell robustly in 2013.

The high numbers of KJV readers confirm the findings of last year's American Bible Society (ABS) State of the Bible report. On behalf of ABS, Barna Group found that 52 percent of Americans read the King James or the New King James Version, compared with 11 percent who read the NIV. The KJV also received almost 45 percent of the Bible translation-related searches on Google, compared with almost 24 percent for the NIV, according to Bible Gateway's Stephen Smith.

In fact, searches for the KJV seem to be rising distinctly since 2005, while most other English translations are staying flat or are declining, according to Smith's Google research.

[OneWingedShark]

[yawningotter]

I have heard that Shakespeare worked on the KJV, which would explain the literary qualities. It is also clear that many newer translations are the work of scholars who may know the languages of the Bible, but they don’t always know how to make it flow.

[OneWingedShark]

Now, remember that even though many of the authors were not highly schooled, the most prolific New Testament author was Paul who had a formal education. Yet, he also chose to write in "common" Greek.

If God wanted the original texts to be produced in the language of the man on the street, then I think it is our duty to maintain it in that fashion. God's word IS for the man on the street and there shouldn't be an entrance barrier for the understanding of His Word.

Very well said; and perfectly in keeping with the Spirit of the Great Commission.

[Joshua]

Example: KJV: And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

NIV & NLT: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

---

Agreed. Always better to use old words that don’t exist. “fishers” is an animal in the weasel family. “Fissures of men” would accurately describe KJV only
advocates. This whole topics begs the question: So what?

[maxwellsmart_agent]

The new translations of the Bible are not correct. The New American Bible for instance, distorts the wording and meaning in a lot of cases. My favorite, and one of the worst distortions is Matthew Chapter 19, Verse 9, where a bunch of liberals who wish to change things to go their way, changed ‘except it be for fornication’ to ‘(unless the marriage is unlawful)’. That is a completely different meaning. It seams strange to me that the scholars who did this think they know more than people did 1500 years ago about the vernacular and the idiosyncrasies of speech that were used then. Baloney! I'll keep my old Bible and refer to it rather than something that is a perversion of the meaning.

[Boogieman]

“The numbers are surprising, given the strong sales of NIV translations in bookstores. The NIV has topped the CBA’s bestselling Bible translation list for decades, and continued to sell robustly in 2013.”

It’s not that surprising. The obvious conclusion is that people who buy NIVs don’t actually end up reading them.

[ForYourChildren]

Interesting, I would not have thought that it would be so prolific. Good to see, I guess....

[SeekAndFind]

RE: The new translations of the Bible are not correct.

This verse from the Book of Isaiah is very interesting...

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (KJV)

Many other modern translations translate the verse thusly:

____________________________________

For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel. (NET BIBLE )

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. (Amplified Bible)

But the Lord will still show you this sign:

The young woman is pregnant[a]
and will give birth to a son.
She will name him Immanuel (Easy to Read Version )

Suit yourself. The Lord will give you a proof-sign anyway: See, a young maiden[a] will conceive. She will give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel, that is, “God with us.” (The Voice)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman[a] shall conceive and bear[b] a son, and shall call his name Immanu-el. (Revised Standard Version)

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I will not budge for men-hating language. “Men” is quite clear.

Well, aside from Mark 1:17, The way some translate this verse from the Book of Isaiah is very interesting...

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (KJV)

Many other modern translations translate the verse thusly:

____________________________________

For this reason the sovereign master himself will give you a confirming sign. Look, this young woman is about to conceive and will give birth to a son. You, young woman, will name him Immanuel. (NET BIBLE )

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us]. (Amplified Bible)

But the Lord will still show you this sign:

The young woman is pregnant[a]
and will give birth to a son.
She will name him Immanuel (Easy to Read Version )

Suit yourself. The Lord will give you a proof-sign anyway: See, a young maiden[a] will conceive. She will give birth to a son and name Him Immanuel, that is, “God with us.” (The Voice)

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, a young woman[a] shall conceive and bear[b] a son, and shall call his name Immanu-el. (Revised Standard Version)

Note how that replace the word “virgin” with “young woman”.

[ottbmare]

Thanks, I’ll look at that. Sounds good.

[Rashputin]

I agree. I prefer the NKJV to the KJV but ever since I sat down and read it I prefer the Douay-Rheims to either of them.

I also like what I've read from the Knox translation but haven't gotten one for myself to read all the way through yet.

[jagusafr]

This is very surprising to me - I figured the NIV had taken the lead by a lot. I use English Standard Version, NIV, Holman and a couple of others. KJV is certainly poetic.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Regardless ... dig deep into the Word and become closer to God. I know you will.

I appreciate our conversation and thank you for raising a United States Marine.

[Defiant]

Well, amazingly, there is a contingent who have voiced their preference for West Side Story. I guess it’s not as clear-cut as I thought. To me, the beauty of Shakespeare’s writing is unmatched anywhere in English literature, but the King James Bible hearkens back to the same poetic and refined use of the written word. I love the KJV, and if there are places where the translation is not as good as modern interpretations, we can put asterisks there and see what the original Greek or Hebrew said, while still enjoying the majesty of the KJV.

[little jeremiah]

Until feminism started its rot, “men” often meant “humans”.

[Joshua]

Example: KJV: And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”

NIV & NLT: “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.”

---

Always better to use old words that don’t exist. “fishers” is an animal in the weasel family. “Fissures of men” would accurately describe the KJV only crowd

[Revolting cat!]

I read my Motel 6 Bible.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: I read my Motel 6 Bible.

If it is in a Motel, it’s probably a Gideon Society distributed Bible. The last one I saw in a motel was the New King James Version.

[onedoug]

In addition, I have Nave's "Study Bible" KJV, very useful for all its marginal and footnotes, O&NT;

The Stone Edition "Tanach" (OT, great appendices on Hebrew and Temple stuff, maps & genealogical charts);

"The Torah: A Modern Commentary" Ed. WC Plaut, which claims a "liberal" POV, though I wish all liberalism were as conservative;

"The Jewish Study Bible", Oxford Univ Press, again with some great maps and wonderful supplemental essays;

A leather-bound Nelson & Sons RSV with my name in gold from my tenth birthday on its leather-bound cover. Terrific illustrations, swell maps.

Then the commentaries... Oh, the commentaries....

[zeugma]

For me, the version I use depends largely on what I'm reading. Psalms and Proverbs just don't sound right in anything but KJV. OTOH, I use several versions when reading the NT. NIV, ESV, ASV, sometimes all at once.:-)

To me it's mostly a matter of taste. The Lord will speak through anything He desires to.