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.

[Olog-hai]

The 1611 edition has the Deuterocanonical books in it, plus a few others outside Catholic canon.

[Colonel_Flagg]

But for many people the language is not clear and can lead to confusion, boredom, misinterpretations, and even a loss of interest in reading Scripture.

These days there are enough study aids, on and offline, so that this shouldn't happen to anyone who seriously desires knowledge. My Zondervan KJV, foe example, contains its own concordance and a series of scripture notes that make reading the text even more of a pleasure.

But you are quite right to note that the goal of Scripture is for its reader to accept Jesus Christ. Bless your day.

[Elsiejay]

“Have always used the KJV and always will.”

Good choice. I switched long ago to the New king James. It is much more “readable.”

Ephesians 2:8-9.

[Alex Murphy]

The study from IUPUI in some ways paints a more religious picture of Americans than the ABS/Barna study, recording that 78 percent read their Bibles monthly, compared with the 41 percent found by Barna and the 53 percent found by Lifeway. But IUPUI also found that fewer Americans read their Bibles every day—just 9 percent, less than the 13 percent recorded by Barna and half of the 18 percent found by Lifeway. IUPUI also noted several main tells: You're more likely to read the Bible if you're female (56 percent compared with 39 percent of men), African American (70 percent read at least once a year, compared with 46 percent of Hispanics and 44 percent of whites), and older (56 percent of those over 70 years old, compared with 44 percent of those between 18 and 29). You're also more likely to read the Bible if you live in the South (61 percent) rather than the Northeast (36 percent).

Interesting article - thanks for posting.

[Free Vulcan]

I like the NKJV translation. Kept the old, fixed the mistakes, and updated the language.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Ephesians 2:8-9.

Thank you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18. Bless your day.

[Vigilanteman]

Completely agree. There is a reason that KJV English remains the gold standard for scripture and a reason that its near contemporary William Shakespeare remains a gold standard for writing.

We used to have a rule in our house that whenever things got really heated and quarrelsome, all verbal statements had to be made in KJV or Shakespearian English.

The effect was like throwing a wet blanket on a small but roaring and growing fire.

[trebb]

I use the NIV and have notes to help ensure translations are good when I am made aware that the difference makes a difference. My wife likes the Living Bible because it is easy to read and understand.

Most of the real differences in translations can be taken into account while reading words that I grew up learning in school.

[ican'tbelieveit]

I tried to find it, but there is scripture about the unsaved being confused by the Bible, that the Holy Spirit guides us in our understanding.

A few years ago a neighbor wanted to read the “Christmas” story out of one of the new translations and was quite embarrassed. Here, let me whip out that KJV and read you what you know it to be.

[El Cid]

It IS the Authorized Version.
(so all the rest are unauthorized)

[Biggirl]

Wow, this is surprising. Rather have a Bible I can understand.

[Biggirl]

Favorite Bible versions: The Jerusalem Bible, NRSV, NAB, Good News, Living Bible in that order.

[ottbmare]

You are right, but please note that I was referring to people who may have difficulties—that is, people who aren’t all that well educated, or may like my father speak good but not Shakespearean/Jacobean English, or young people who are the victims of our public school system. And not everyone is reading Scripture in order to study it seriously. They’re trying to get the point. The ornate language dismays them. My son the Marine is not going to wade through the thees and thous, unfortunately. (Public school. What can I say?—I did my best.)

My late mother had a fabulous Bible that had two side-by-side translations on each page, so if you opened it you would have four translations to compare. It was fascinating. Bible Gateway.com is a modern equivalent but far clunkier.

One great option for someone who is interested in studying but is not an academic is to pull up Lexilogos from Tufts University. You can plug NT verses into it and get a word-by-word analysis of the Greek. Endlessly rich and deep.

[Colonel_Flagg]

We used to have a rule in our house that whenever things got really heated and quarrelsome, all verbal statements had to be made in KJV or Shakespearian English.

I'm not sure what's more impressive, that rule or that you have a family with the English chops to handle it. :)

[Pan_Yan]

The study Bible I read each day is NIV. When I’m working on a lesson I also use a Key Word Bible, which gives the definitions of thousands of the Hebrew and Greek words. It is a KJV.

I have a NKJV sitting beside my chair as well but for some reason I find it difficult to read. I can’t really pin down an explanation.

[trebb]

Mark 1:17 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." I will not budge for men-hating language. "Men" is quite clear.

We believe that the man is supposed to be the spiritual leader and that women have biblically stepped up when men failed, si understand what you are saying.

I'm not convinced that the NIV translation was designed to de-masculize the topic though. I grew up when proper English would use phrases like when a person does such and such, HE blah blah blah.... Even though the word 'he" was used , and it is masculine, it still encompassed either men or women. Did Jesus only mean males when He used the word "men", or was he talking about reaching ALL souls?

[Biggirl]

The latter. The American version. Bill Shakespeare would be pleased his memory has been honored.

[Colonel_Flagg]

I understand. The clarification is useful though and I thank you for it. My experience has been that the more people read Scripture, once they ‘get the point’ as you put it, they tend to want a deeper reading. There are some great study aids — both for the KJV and for other translations — that should make that possible for most anyone.

My favorite online resource is blueletterbible.org. A plethora of translations and links to studies and even sermons on just about any passage you can name.

[laweeks]

Did Jesus only mean males when He used the word "men

C'mon now. The word "men" is nothing to be ashamed of as it used to be acceptable as a pronoun to include both genders. We all knew that . . . that is until the feminatzis started to destroy our language and meanings.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

KVJ was meant to be read out loud. The cadence of the words turns prose into poetry.