Revitalizing My Quiet Time

I grew up on the King James Bible. I grew up in churches that considered non-KJV Bibles to be uselessly heretical, no matter how well intended the translators might be. Aside from the Phariseical leanings of such attitudes, I have and will always love the King James translation. It is a masterpiece with an unmatched elegance of language. For me, no other version has a more impactful rendering of Psalm 46:10 – “Be still, and know that I am God.”

That said, the King James translation is not perfect. No translation in any language can claim that. Even the translators themselves (in a preface that is unfortunately missing from nearly every KJV printed today) admitted to their inadequacy and admitted that future translations would likely do a better job. Not every English language version since has done so. In fact, I would agree with those who claim not only that most haven’t but that many of them are corrupted versions of God’s Word altered to suit a specific agenda. When a group of translators limit their source texts to only those that are corrupt and/or fit their worldviews, you end up with a version that is unreliable.

Any serious student of the Bible knows for a fact that it was written in the languages that were common to the people at the time. That’s why the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew and the New Testament primarily in Greek and Aramaic. Even our beloved KJV was translated into the language that was commonly used at that time. You don’t even need a Bible student to tell you that the English language has changed drastically in the last 400 years. For anyone to instantly condemn every new translation that comes out simply makes no sense. Is it that inconceivable that a group of God fearing people could faithfully translate His Word into the language we commonly use today and succeed? Is it impossible for them to produce a version that you can not only trust, but teach from? Of course not.

Having grown up with the King James Bible, though, I still tend to take a skeptical view of other versions. The KJV has proven itself to me time and time again in its ability to bring me closer to God and know His will for my life. New versions come out so frequently nowadays it’s easy to see that Satan is very eager to muddy the waters of doctrine, especially since English is by and large the universal language. If I’m going to use any other version on a regular basis, I’m going to do my homework.

You see, my problem with the KJV is not so much its lack of readibility as much as my familiarity with it. I’ve read through it so many times that it’s easy (almost automatic) to read a passage and get almost nothing from it. Reading the Bible is not exciting like it used to be, and as such my quiet time in it had dropped significantly in recent years. That a large number of passage are still difficult to read does not help.

A few months ago, the Sunday School teacher for my singles class told me about a new English version called the NET Bible. The abbreviation is short for New English Translation, but the acronym also signifies that its primary method of distribution is the internet. Best yet, the text is available to download, print out and even give away those printouts for free. Better yet, you can quote large portions of it in your own writings and in most instances without needing to ask permission. It’s automatically given. Even the most popular English translation today, the NIV, can’t claim that.

Along with the text, you get well over 60,000 translators’ and study notes that basically tell you why every phrase of every verse was translated the way they were. They explain on their site, bible.org, the principles that guided their translation process. This was a project in development for over ten years, with much feedback from the Christian community throughout the entire process. It was not funded or commissioned by any denomination or group (a plus in my book), but the translators knew that accountability was paramount if their work was to be trusted.

I, along with my brothers, are reading through the Bible in a one year program again. We just finished up Leviticus last night, and I can safely say there is a night and day difference in readability. I am understanding far better what I read, and I look forward to each night’s reading. I hate to miss a day now. The Word of God is exciting to me again, as it should be. I have since ordered copies to give to my brothers as gifts. Curt has noticed the same difference as I have and is getting more out of his readings, too. Aaron is eagerly awaiting his.

I can understand your hesitation if you’re one of those who distrust any Bible that is not a KJV. It’s too easy to be led astray by faulty versions if you’re not careful. I now use the NET Bible as my main Bible, but I am nowhere near ever discarding my KJVs. My familiarity with them is a benefit now, since when I read passages that I’ve known so well I often find myself going back to the KJV to see how it compares. I have not found one difference yet that hasn’t been satisfactorily explained. All the doctrines we hold dear are still intact. You can trust this version.

As I mentioned above, there are a few verses where I find the KJ rendering more powerful or more meaningful. In the case of Psalm 46:10, there is a specific time of my life that causes this verse and the KJ rendering to have such meaning for me. The NET reading is accurate, but the KJV reading for this particular verse is preferable to me. This tends to be the exception, though. The NET Bible is a wonderful translation that is better than the King James without ever really replacing it. Every Christian who should own a copy of both. Because of the collective heart of the translators, every Christian can.