The KJV of 1611, as printed today has thousands of changes from the original to correct words to modern spelling and to add punctuation. These changes to “modern” spelling and punctuation were begun hundreds of years ago with succeeding editions so even the KJV is more modern than the original edition. The first American modern Bible I’m aware of was published in 1901, The American Standard Bible. I’ll give examples of a short passage from each of several modern Bibles to illustrate how they differ.
In my examples below I also include the KJV for comparison. Paraphrase Bibles such as The Message, the Contemporary English Version, CEV, or the Lining Bible do not attempt to translate words precisely. Instead they try to convey the meaning of the original authors. The Living Bible was actually based on the American Standard Bible, above. The translations such as the New International Version, NIV, or the New Revised Standard Version, NRSV, try to translate accurately and leave it to the readers to interpret what the authors intended their readers to understand. My first attempt at Bible study used the New Jerusalem Bible because of its excellent footnotes and cross-references. The New Jerusalem Bible and the New American Bible are Roman Catholic Bibles, and there is a version of the NRSV available for Roman Catholic readers. I have included Widgets for some of the Bibles mentioned on this page for anyone interested in purchasing, or considering purchasing any of these Bibles.
Parallel Bibles are Bibles that have multiple versions in one book. (Some have multiple volumes.) I have a couple Parallel Bibles shown as my picks for anyone interested in buying several versions in a single book to compare different versions. In Parallel Bibles it is easier to make comparisons because the verses from different versions appear in columns next to each other on the same or facing pages. I will give some examples of the language used in several Bible versions. I used the same first few verses from Matthew, chapter 5, the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount: (I include the date of the edition I copied because many have more recent editions.)
When Jesus saw his ministry drawing huge crowds, he climbed a hillside. Those who were apprenticed to him, the committed, climbed with him. Arriving at a quiet place he sat down and taught climbing companions. This is what he said:
“You’re blessed when you’re at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule.
“You’re blessed when you feel you’re lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you. …” THE MESSAGE 1995
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on the side of a mountain and sat down.
Jesus’ disciples gathered around him, and he taught them.
God blesses those people who depend only on him. They belong to the kingdom of heaven!
God blesses those people who grieve. They will find comfort. … CEV 1995
One day as the crowds were gathering, he went up the hillside with his disciples and sat down and taught them there.
“Humble men are very fortunate!” he told them, “for the Kingdom of Heaven is given to them. Those who mourn are fortunate! For they shall be comforted. …” The Living Bible 1971
When he saw the crowds he went up the hill. There he took his seat, and when his disciples had gathered round him he began to address them. And this is the teaching he gave:
‘How blest are those who know their need of God; the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
How blest are the sorrowful; they shall find consolation. … The New English Bible 1970
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. …” NRSV 1989
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. …” NIV1984
And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:
And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. … KJV 1913
When he saw the crowds he went up a mountain. There he sat down, and when his disciples had gathered round him he began to address them. And this is the teaching he gave:
‘Blessed are the poor in spirit; the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Blessed are the sorrowful; they shall find consolation. …’ The Revised English Bible 1989
Seeing the crowds, he went onto the mountain. And when he was seated his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
How blessed are the poor in spirit: the kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
Blessed are the gentle: they shall have the earth as inheritance.
Blessed are those who mourn: they shall be comforted. … The New Jerusalem Bible 1985
(The New Jerusalem Bible has the last two lines above reversed from other Bibles and in a footnote indicates that the italicized words may be a gloss.)
It can be seen from the examples, above, that different Bibles have much in common. Some are easier to understand than others. I have picked a few different versions for anyone interested in buying a Bible. Some are “Study” Bibles with extensive cross-references and footnotes. Many that I picked are relatively inexpensive paperback editions.
I suspect that newer editions of the Bibles I used to provide the above examples have probably included some changes also. I have included links to Wikipedia to allow easy access to more information about each of the Bibles that I mentioned. There are many more modern Bibles than the ones I have mentioned. I attempted to mention the more popular and ones with which I am familiar.
I have a page, Available Bibles, that shows Bibles and books about the Bible that are available for purchase at Amazon. It includes audio books read by several different people.
