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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Why the NKJV over the NASB ? | Bible general Archive 3 | Hank | 189786 | ||
Hi, justme - Comparative sales rankings of the Bible versions tend to shift from time to time and also tend to vary depending on who's doing the ratings. I wandered around the web and found that the NIV still leads the pack. Coming in second, however, was the NKJV, which has apparently edged out the KJV fairly recently, moving the venerable old KJV to third. Coming in fourth was the New Living Translation, then the Holman Christian Standard Bible, and, in sixth place, the NASB Update. Rounding out the top ten, in seventh place was The Message (thumbs down!), followed by New Century Version, English Standard Version and New International Reader's Version. ...... What a change since I was a youth. Back then, the "Top Ten" positions were all held by the King James Bible.:-) It was essentially the only game in town then. ...... Among the current Top Ten, five of them are essentially literal translations and five are paraphrased versions. ...... One possible answer to your question about the surge in sales of the NKJV involves money -- money poured into advertising. Thomas Nelson, publishers of the NKJV, has spent a lot of money on sales promotion, just as Zondervan has on the NIV. ...... I would like to say a few words again on a subject about which I've written several times on this Forum. The NASB has been the object of what I consider unfair and inaccurate criticism concerning its style. It has been called "wooden," a term which a few critics of the NASB have used but don't bother to define what they mean by it. I doubt some of them know what they mean. They're just aping what some other critic said, and he probably didn't know what he was talking about either. But basically, as far as I'm able to put together what a few critics have said about the NASB, they seem to agree that while it's a trustworthy translation that's faithful to the ancient texts, it suffers because in its attempt to be literal it lacks natural English flow and syle. The pre-1995 update rendition was a bit "woody" in spots, I'll admit: some of its locutions were a trifle clumsy, awkward and stilted. But in the Update the team of translators and stylists did a creditable job of making the rough places smooth. It's a fine line to tread between stylistic excellence and translation excellence. The NASB philosophy always has been accuracy first, style second. By contrast, the parihrastic philosophy puts style first. I can't agree with the "wooden" critics, especially since most of them, I'm convinced, don't know good style from bad anyway. I recommend NASB Update without the slightest hesitation. It's possibly the best and most faithful Bible translation we have in modern English today. --Hank | ||||||
2 | Why the NKJV over the NASB ? | Bible general Archive 3 | justme | 190106 | ||
Hank: Thank you for answering my question. I am sorry I did not acknowledge you answer sooner. I went to the Lemstone Christian Book Store, I talked with the new owner about the NASB, and other versions. He told me that there is more sales in the NLT and the ESV. The NIV still carries a large amount of sales, but there is a shift. The shift is slightly away from the NKJV, and a large drop in sales from the NASB. His reasoning was people want an easy to read verson. For me that does not explain why the ESV is doing good. In the SBC churches I know of in our area the NIV and the ESV seem to be used a good bit. When I was the pastor in my first church they had KJV pew Bibles. When it came time to stand for the Scripture reading unless I used the KJV some could not follow. However I did preach out of the NIV. The people liked it so well they changed pew Bibles to the NIV. My dear wife and I read the Daily Bread together, and we read the Scripture out of the NIV. Often we reread the passage in the NASB to see if it is clearer in the NASB. My wife likes the NIV best of all, so that's what we use for devotions together. I have used the Daily Bread from when it first came out in 1955 I think. Once on their mailing list they will stay with you even if you move all over the planet. Never have I been sent a demand if we don't get so much money in we are going down the tubes. This is a genuine ministry, worth supporting. As a side note, so many Bibles are being made in China, and Korea! The workmanship is very good, but the pride of having a Bible made in the USA is harder to find. My wife and me had nothing but the KJV until we were marride about 7 years. How did we ever understand what we read? It did not seem hard at the time, and we were taught how to read KJV in the SS and memorized Scripture in the KJV as well. I don't think we even knew it was written on a 11th grade level. My how things have changed. Thanks for your information! Blessings, oh wise one in Arkansas. justme |
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3 | Why the NKJV over the NASB ? | Bible general Archive 3 | Hank | 190111 | ||
Justme - Your calling me "wise one in Arkansas" reminds me of a cartoon I saw several years ago in the "New Yorker." Two adult owls were talking, and one said to the other, "How's you son coming on, wise wise?" ...... By heaping lavish praise upon the NASB, I hope I didn't inadvertently paint myself into a corner and look like the world's foremost hypocrite if I ventured to say something very good about the King James Bible too. In my judgment we do ourselves a distinct disservice to lay this venerable old masterpiece quietly away in some dark, obscure corner of our bookshelf to gather dust, keeping it only because we lack the courage to put it in the trash heap. It was by reading the King James Bible that school kids a few generations ago learned to read English -- and what a treasure trove of beautiful and majestic English it was, and is still. When contemporary readers of English skip over the King James Bible and land on some modern paraphrased version, they not only do themselves ill by choosing to remain ignorant of one of the supreme masterpieces of English literature, but they do themselves no favor by substituting a literal translation -- the KJV is, after all, among the most literal of translations -- for the cheap substitute of a paraphrase. ...... Here's a sample from a segment of one of the loveliest of the Psalms, the 23rd, in two versions. First, the KJV: "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me: thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." ...... Now, here's the same passage in a modern version, the New Century Version, "Even if I walk through a very dark valley, I will not be afraid, because you are with me, your rod and your walking stick comfort me." ...... Is this a better rendition? No, I affirm it is far inferior to the King James. Is this clearer than the King James? Not to me it isn't. Does the locution of this modern version lift and inspire like the King James does? Not for me it doesn't. ...... But I'll have to admit that I learned from the New Century Version that God hobbles around Heaven with a walking stick! How absurd! --Hank | ||||||
4 | Why the NKJV over the NASB ? | Bible general Archive 3 | azurelaw | 190112 | ||
Not only wise, but humorous are you, Hank. Sooner or later, I will need a walking stick. But every moment to the last breath of mine, I need His rod and staff. Shalom Azure |
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