What I have attempted to do here, for easy comparison, is to lay out in a table verses from the KJV and NASV, where the underlying [English] text affects the accuracy of the translation. Most of these are omissions. A few are changes, and a very few are additions. This pattern is in keeping with the general philosophy of modern textual criticism (which I completely disagree with) that “shorter is almost always better.”
| Reference | NASB | KJV |
| Matthew 5:32 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | but I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for the reason of unchastity, makes her commit adultery; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. | But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. |
| Matthew 5:44 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, | But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; |
| Matthew 19:9 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | “And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” | And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery. |
| Matthew 20:16 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | “So the last shall be first, and the first last.” | So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. |
| Matthew 20:22 | But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” | But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. |
| Matthew 20:23 | He *said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.” | And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. |
| Mark 1:2 (Isaiah didn’t write the first quote.) | As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; | As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. |
| Mark 6:11(Does this change the meaning significantly?) | “Any place that does not receive you or listen to you, as you go out from there, shake the dust off the soles of your feet for a testimony against them.” | And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city. |
| Mark 7:8 | “Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.” | For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. |
| Mark 9:45 | “If your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame, than, having your two feet, to be cast into hell, | And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: |
| Mark 9:49 | “For everyone will be salted with fire. | For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt. |
| Mark 10:24 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! | And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! |
| Mark 11:10 (Was that easy for you to follow?) | Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David; Hosanna in the highest!” | Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. |
| Mark 12:30 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | AND YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH.’ | And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. |
| Mark 15:3 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | The chief priests began to accuse Him harshly. | And the chief priests accused him of many things: but he answered nothing. |
| Luke 2:33 | And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. | And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him. |
| Luke 2:43 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | and as they were returning, after spending the full number of days, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. But His parents were unaware of it, | And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it. |
| Luke 23:38 | Now there was also an inscription above Him, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” | And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. |
| Luke 23:45 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | because the sun was obscured; and the veil of the temple was torn in two. | And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. |
| John 3:16 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. | For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. |
| John 6:11 | Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. | And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would. |
| John 8:59 | Therefore they picked up stones to throw at Him, but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple. | Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. |
| John 9:4 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work. | I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. |
| Acts 2:30 | “And so, because he was a prophet and knew that GOD HAD SWORN TO HIM WITH AN OATH TO SEAT one OF HIS DESCENDANTS ON HIS THRONE, | Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; |
| Acts 9:5 | And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, | And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. |
| Acts 9:6 (Was that easy for you to follow?) | but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” | And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. |
| Acts 10:6 | he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.” | He lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by the sea side: he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do. |
| Acts 10:21 | Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?” | Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius; and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek: what is the cause wherefore ye are come? |
| Acts 10:32 | ‘Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simon the tanner by the sea.’ | Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter; he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner by the sea side: who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. |
| Acts 15:24 | “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, | Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment: |
| Acts 18:21 | but taking leave of them and saying, “I will return to you again if God wills,” he set sail from Ephesus. | But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. |
| Acts 28:16 | When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to stay by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him. | And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard: but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier that kept him. |
| Romans 9:28 (Was that easy for you to follow?) | FOR THE LORD WILL EXECUTE HIS WORD ON THE EARTH, THOROUGHLY AND QUICKLY.” | For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth. |
| Romans 11:6 | But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. | And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work. |
| Romans 14:6 | He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. | He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. |
| Romans 14:21 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | It is good not to eat meat or to drink wine, or to do anything by which your brother stumbles. | It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. |
| 1 Corinthians 10:28 | But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; | But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof: |
| Galatians 3:1 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? | O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? |
| Ephesians 3:9 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; | And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: |
| Ephesians 3:14 | For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, | For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, |
| Galatians 5:30 | because we are members of His body. | For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. |
| Philippians 1:16 (Was that easy for you to follow?) | the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel; | The one preach Christ of contention, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my bonds: |
| Philippians 1:17 (Was that easy for you to follow?) | the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. | But the other of love, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel. |
| Philippians 3:16 | however, let us keep living by that same standard to which we have attained. | Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing. |
| Colossians 2:18 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, | Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, |
| 1 Thessalonians 1:1 | Paul and Silvanus and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. | Paul, and Silvanus, and Timotheus, unto the church of the Thessalonians which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ. |
| 1 Timothy 3:3 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. | Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; |
| 1 Timothy 3:16 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory. | And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. |
| 1 Timothy 6:5 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. | Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. |
| Hebrews 7:21 | (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, “THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, ‘YOU ARE A PRIEST FOREVER'”); | (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec🙂 |
| James 2:20 | But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? | But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? |
| James 4:2 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. | Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. |
| 1 Peter 4:14 | If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. | If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. |
| 1 John 4:3 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. | And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world. |
| Jude 1:23 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | save others, snatching them out of the fire; and on some have mercy with fear, hating even the garment polluted by the flesh. | And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. |
| Jude 1:25 | to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen. | To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. |
| Revelation 2:15 | ‘So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. | So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. |
| Revelation 8:13 | Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!” | And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! |
| Revelation 15:3 | And they *sang the song of Moses, the bond-servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the nations! | And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. |
| Revelation 16:7 | And I heard the altar saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.” | And I heard another out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments. |
| Revelation 21:24 | The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. | And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. |
| Revelation 22:14 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. | Blessed are they that do his command-ments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. |
| Revelation 22:19 (Does this change the meaning significantly?) | and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book. | And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. |
All translations have words and phrases that could be better translated. All translations occasionally replace a single Greek word with an equivalent English phrase, or vice versa.
Genesis 25 – equivalent phrase versus literal
7And these are the days of the years of Abraham’s life which he lived, an hundred threescore and fifteen years.
English: “threescore and fifteen” è literal: (seventy [shibiyim] – שׁׅבְעִים) (five [chamish] – תָמֵשׁ)
Matthew 5:18 – “jot” = iwta or yodh – “tittle” = keraia
18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
But the versions that were translated from the Gnostic minority texts bring in readings that are radically and completely different from the originals.
Some of the most troubling differences are in the last 7 rows of this table. Notice the warning.
Revelation 22
18For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Keeping in mind this warning, what are the implications when a translation omits a phrase (such as “them which are saved”) or radically changes a word (e.g., from “angel” to “eagle”) in this book?
What are the implications of teaching out of a translation like this?
–Beth Johnson – Bible Studies for Women: Muliebral Studies; Muliebral Viewpoint; Articles and Books by Beth Johnson
Thank you for telling us how important the version of translation is!
My point is to show how the minority versions leave out much that is in the original or else they add to the original–both being very dangerous practices that can lead the reader to misunderstand the will of God.
This is one of the clearest comparisons I have seen between versions, and makes it abundantly clear that our choice of versions is critical in knowing the truth vs error. If I were Satan, I couldn’t think of a better way to attack faith and hide the Truth of God than to make fun of the idea that God could preserve His Word perfectly, and to introduce counterfeit scripture. Too many are ignorant of his devices. THANK YOU for posting this!