im 17 and ive read the New Living translation...and its pretty easy....i saw this king james version...and i though it may be usful to study different versions of the bible.....anyways ..is the old kind james version hard for me to understand?
2007-05-01 19:04:06 · 15 answers · asked by Regular Guy 1 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
I don't like the King James version I read the NIV so much easier
2007-05-01 19:23:07 · answer #1 · answered by Angel Eyes 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not that difficult and it will improve your vocabulary and your English. If you can change thee to the and thou to you in your head, you can do your own modern version as you go.
The King James remains the most beautiful translation for the prose and poetry. Further other versions, and new ones come all the time, have made more than 800 changes, most of which, degrade the meaning of the oldest manuscripts and even use poor manuscripts which were passed up by earlier scholars.
Quite often these new translations drop words which support the divinity of Jesus or support Gnostic doctrines. The King James is well worth the effort once you see what is going on and also when the Lord starts to speak to your heart.
Check out the Thompson Chain Reference Bible. It is the King James Version with a study guide second to none. I have had one for 50 years Also not every Bible that claims to be a King James Version follows the 1611 version.
http://www.kirkbride.com
2007-05-01 19:27:43 · answer #2 · answered by Tommy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Probably. Just remember that the King James Version was written in Shakespearean English, so if you can read Shakespeare easily, then you would have no trouble with the KJV. If you are trying to find a more accurate version, you might try the New American Standard or the New International Version since they both benefit from scholarship and discoveries that were not available when the KJV was written. You might also want to check out the Amplified Bible. It does a good job of expanding on words that have more meaning than the English word they are translated into. Greek has four different words that are all translated "love" in English, yet in greek, each word refers to a different form of love. You can get more meaning by knowing which word is used. For example: when Jesus asks Peter if he loves Him, the first two times Jesus asks if Peter agapes (unconditionally love) Him, and the last time he asks if he phileos (brotherly or friendly love) Him.
2007-05-01 19:13:54 · answer #3 · answered by treycadeboy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Some of the words can be a little hard to understand, but you can always get a good study Bible or one that shows both the New King James and the old King James version for comparison. The NKJ is pretty simple. It's not in as plain english as New Living, but it's in a lot closer language to that of the origional context.
I'm 18 and reading the bible for the first time and I switch between King James and New King James. If I get stuck, I use commentaries or compare. It's not really that hard. :)
Also, God will help you to understand!
2007-05-01 19:08:09 · answer #4 · answered by intothecrimsonsky 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The King James Version of the Bible is the closest translation to the ancient Massorectic texts. Of course there are errors where words or phrases in the original languages were unreadable or difficult to translate to the English.
When I first started to read the scriptures in the KJV I was all over the place and really didn't give it much thought, thus taking what a pastor said to be the truth rather than searching for myself.
With the many questions I had it became clear to me that in my own spiritual journey I then had to pray for understanding and allow the Holy Spirit to guide me into His truth. It was then that the KJV really opened up for me as I read the words line upon line, verse by verse, chapter by chapter the flow and beauty of the words illuminated and became like a prism. As the hunger for understanding deepened I found that aquiring a copy of a Strongs Exhaustive Concordance coded to the Hebrew and Greek . Several years ago I also aquired a E.W.Bullinger KJV Companion Bible which is a great study tool.
I have looked at other translations and find that in several of them scriptures are missing and that is very regrettable especially when Jesus told us that it is by His Spirit we would be led into all truth and where do we find that truth.....In His Word!
When King James commissioned the 24 or so scholars to translate the KJV the reason for doing that was so that every person in his kingdom would have access to God's Word in their own homes.
2007-05-01 20:59:09 · answer #5 · answered by Suzanne K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
King James can be hard for some to read. But in answering your question would it be hard to read, is hard to say. Cause it depends on your understanding of the version of king James. For an example: My husband understands it. As for me I have a hard time and I have to go back in forth with New Living and King James. That is why my husband bought me the 4 in one bible. So my opinion is try it and see what you think.
2007-05-02 08:26:20 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The King James was published in 1611 and the English language has changed a lot since then. You need at least a 12th grade reading level to comprehend the vocabulary used. There is a modern version of the KJV called the New King James that removes many of the archaic words and replaces them with modern equivalent.
The New American Standard (and its more recent update) is a very good word for word translation, but is a little awkward in its ease of readability.
The NIV was less word for word and hence less wooden in its readability (also geared to a 9th grade reading level). It is the most popular translation among Evangelicals over the past 25 years.
The New Living Translation (NLT) is also quite readable and popular right now. Very readable but slightly less known are the ESV, New Century, CEV. The NRSV and NIVI are considered readable and gender inclusive (God is still referred to as Father, but words such as "brothers" are rendered "brothers and sisters" when referring to the family of God).
Of course the best translation is the one that you like to read!
2007-05-01 19:24:03 · answer #7 · answered by biblechick45 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I prefer the King James version. It is the closest to literal translation that there is. This is used when the text is studied in higher education, so it would be to your benefit to become familiar with it.
But hang on to your old one. It might aid in your understanding of the King James, and you might find it more comfortable.
Yes. The King James is definitely takes some getting used to.
2007-05-01 19:12:19 · answer #8 · answered by mithril 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The problem with the KJV is that it uses a lot of outdated English, which tends to make it harder to read, not only because some words are unfamiliar, but also because some of the words have significantly changed in meaning. That doesn't mean one shouldn't use, only that these might distract from the text itself.
Personally, I would recommend installing one (or more) bible programs on your computer (e-sword is probably the best freeware one I've found for Windows).
2007-05-02 04:19:14 · answer #9 · answered by Deof Movestofca 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I find it very hard to read. The language has changed considerably since it came out -- it is contemporary with Shakespeare. Many King James versions have proper names cluttered with diacritical marks which are supposed to guide pronunciation but I find to be annoyingly distracting. Just remember when reading any version that it is fiction.
2007-05-01 19:10:44 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋