claude mariotini has a great write on the KJV and modern translations that is worth reading many times.
we do not deny the beauty of the KJV. as i always mention in my classes, the closest english equivalent to classical hebrew is the king james/shakespearean language. nothing in the english language capturs the beauty and heights of the hebrew like the KJV.
yet, the KJV was translated in 1611 when hebrew manuscripts (mss) were not abundantly found and therefore was based on mostly 10th century AD hebrew mss. today we have discovered older hebrew mss like the Dead Sea Scrolls mss (1st cent BC-1st cent AD). our modern translations have an advantage that the translators of the KJV don't have.
but this is not a case of 'either or' but more of a case of 'what is it for'. if you want a translation to read for its poetic beuty, KJV. if you want to get to an accurate translation of the actual hebrew used, tried some of these:
older ones: NASB, RSV, NIV, JPS
newer ones: CEV, NLT, ESV, NET
http://www.claudemariottini.com/blog/2009/11/defending-bible-king-james-version.html
we do not deny the beauty of the KJV. as i always mention in my classes, the closest english equivalent to classical hebrew is the king james/shakespearean language. nothing in the english language capturs the beauty and heights of the hebrew like the KJV.
yet, the KJV was translated in 1611 when hebrew manuscripts (mss) were not abundantly found and therefore was based on mostly 10th century AD hebrew mss. today we have discovered older hebrew mss like the Dead Sea Scrolls mss (1st cent BC-1st cent AD). our modern translations have an advantage that the translators of the KJV don't have.
but this is not a case of 'either or' but more of a case of 'what is it for'. if you want a translation to read for its poetic beuty, KJV. if you want to get to an accurate translation of the actual hebrew used, tried some of these:
older ones: NASB, RSV, NIV, JPS
newer ones: CEV, NLT, ESV, NET
http://www.claudemariottini.com/blog/2009/11/defending-bible-king-james-version.html
Comments
These newer versions you mentioned are very good. I still like the RSV. This year I am using the ESV in my classes so that I may become more acquainted with this translation.
Claude Mariottini
i managed to contact a methodist church where they were phasing out their old pew bibles with new ones (unfortunately NIV!) and they had these old RSV bibles to give away free. i made arrangements to get 20copies of them shipped to my place for my students to use for next year.
ESV sounds quite good. we have a difficulty with peterson's canadian english in the Message. NLT and ESV are in international english.
RSV = Really Solid Version
NIV = Non Inspired Version
ESV = Extremely Solid Version
CEV = Crisp Exact Version
NLT = Neat Light Translation
NET = Nice English Twang