I’ve reading the KJV since I was in pre-school and I have nothing but love for Grand-Daddy of Bibles. However, my wife and kids don’t much care for it, and I want to make Bible reading as enjoyable as possible. Would any of you all recommend the NKJV?
The NKJV preserves the quality of language of the KJV quite well, and is a good one to read aloud. For study purposes, it is useful a study aid as well, in that the NKJV’s New Testament is a translation of the Majority Text (most translations are based on the Critical Text). As a former Eastern Orthodox, this was useful for me, as the nearest English language equivalent of the Orthodox Bible is the relatively recent Oxford NETS Septuagint, combined - with one or two caveats - with the NKJV New Testament. As a translation, for both simple reading and study, I use the RSV and the NRSV side by side: the RSV for satisfactory renderings overall and the NRSV for accuracy. I consult the NJPS for the Masoretic Text and the NETS for the Septuagint, and the NKJV for for the Majority Text. For purposes of prayer or more devotional reading, I prefer older translations such as the KJV (with Apocrypha) or the Douay-Rheims-Challoner, because of the poetic quality and dignity of the language.
Has anyone tried the KJV 2000 edition? Clunky name, but I have heard it does a better job than NKJV of preserving the antique flavor and making it more readable.
When I look at the Biblegateway site I can search a bible called "[King James Version (KJV)" but there is also an "Authorised (King James) Version (AKJV)". Are these two names for the same version or are the differences 'twixt the two versions?
That's available free in E-Sword and some of the other Bible resources. Or something called KJ21 which is comparable. The problem with those is I never see print versions. It is more in keeping with the original intention of the NKJV before the committee found out they wouldn't be able to secure a copyright for a mere edit and Arthur Farstad decided to follow one of his obsessions and translate the Majority Text to make a NT that could be copyrighted. There's little real difference. I think the Authorized Version is the Cambridge standard text.
I do wish that Dr. Farstad and his team had picked a legit MT text to translate instead of the Textus Receptus.
I prefer the MEV to the NKJV. The MEV (Modern English Version) is IMO even more faithful to the original KJV. Both are pretty good, though.
I'm not him (her?), but I personally prefer the fact that the MT is the text used by, well, the majority of churches throughout Christendom's history. It's not an attempt to reconstruct what the originals said, and I'm fine with that. Frankly, I don't need the originals because the MT has been the voice of God to generations upon generations of people holier than I. Don't get me wrong: the TR is fine, and its differences from the MT are small, but a pure MT translation would be even better.
Are their any differences between TR and MT that give you concern as being an error impacting faith, morals, or order of the church?
The NKJV is good, but I've never actually used it as my regular bible. I used to use the Authorised version, and then when I realised I was unnecessarily making my life harder I went full transition to a completely modern language translation based on accuracy rather than prose (NRSV). If you want to keep some of the feel of the KJV whilst being more accessible and easier to digest, the NKJV is perfectly capable of doing the task.
I can't think of any, which is why the TR is still a great source text in my opinion. To play devil's advocate to myself, one might say that the history of Tyndale, Coverdale, and the KJV are so long and so widespread that the TR is the traditional New Testament text as far as English translation is concerned, and a purely MT-based would in fact be an innovation!