Why don’t you use the King James Version?

Answer:

The problem is that the English language has changed in the last 400 years. Here are some examples:

"Against" used to merely mean opposite or confronting. Thus in I Samuel 25:20

"And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill, and, behold, David and his men came down against her; and she met them." (KJV)

"So it was, as she rode on the donkey, that she went down under cover of the hill; and there were David and his men, coming down toward her, and she met them." (NKJV)

In today's English, you would think the KJV was saying that David and his men were attacking her when it means they came toward her to confront her.

An even better example is the old English word "let." In 1611, when the KJV was translated, "let" had two meanings:

1. to permit or to allow
2. to hinder, impede or prevent.

Today only the first definition survives, but the KJV has a few places where the old second definition is used:

Isaiah 43:13

"Yea, before the day was I am he; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand: I will work, and who shall let it?" (KJV)

"Indeed before the day was, I am He; And there is no one who can deliver out of My hand; I work, and who will reverse it?" (NKJV)

Romans 1:13

"Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I purposed to come unto you, (but was let hitherto,) that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles." (KJV)

"Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you (but was hindered until now), that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles." (NKJV)

II Thessalonians 2:7

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way." (KJV)

"For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way." (NKJV)

Another example is the word "meat." In the King James day, it meant any food used for nourishment. Today it is limited to animal flesh. This can cause confusion when you read about the "meat offering" in the Old Testament in the KJV and then find out that the offering is composed of flour and oil (but not meat). Or read in Habakkuk 3:17, "and the fields shall yield no meat" (KJV) which means "and the fields yield no food" (NKJV).

In each of these verses, you could walk away with the wrong understanding if you use the KJV. This is not to say that the KJV is a bad translation. The problem is that English has changed as a language, sometimes slightly, sometimes significantly.

An example of a slight change is the word "naughtiness." Today it means a minor misdeed, such as done by a child. But in the King James day, it meant extreme wickedness or very bad.

James 1:21

"Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls." (KJV)

"Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (NKJV).

Jeremiah 24:2

"One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe: and the other basket had very naughty figs, which could not be eaten, they were so bad." (KJV)

"One basket had very good figs, like the figs that are first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad." (NKJV)

Another shift in meaning is found in the word "communicate." Today it means to converse, but notice that its root is the word "commune." It originally meant to share and among the things a person could share are words, which is what we mean by "communicate," but it is a much narrower definition than it used to be.

Philippians 4:14-15

"Notwithstanding ye have well done, that ye did communicate with my affliction. Now ye Philippians know also, that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church communicated with me as concerning giving and receiving, but ye only." (KJV)

"Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only." (NKJV)

Paul was not saying that no one would talk to him, except the Philippians. He was saying that no other church worked with him in his efforts in spreading the gospel, except the Philippians who sent funds to support his work and thus shared in his efforts.

The shift in the English language is why I don't recommend the King James Version. People come away with the wrong ideas because they are applying modern definitions to middle English words.