The NIV and NASB currently are the primary versions used by almost all Christian Protestant denominations. The NASB was first published in 1963(a), while the NIV was published in 1970.(b) Since then Protestants have used the NIV & NASB exclusively for doctrinal teachings and for memorized many verses from it.
Below is a long but not complete list of the most detrimental differences. One person said to me that the "mistakes" do not alter the underlying message being given. Others have said to me that the King James translators expected people to alter it to be more easily understood than the old English they used. I would concur only if these alterations did not change the message of the verses. But you be the judge as you go down the list.
(a) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_American_Standard_Bible
(b) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_International_Version
Below is a long but not complete list of the most detrimental differences. One person said to me that the "mistakes" do not alter the underlying message being given. Others have said to me that the King James translators expected people to alter it to be more easily understood than the old English they used. I would concur only if these alterations did not change the message of the verses. But you be the judge as you go down the list.
(a) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_American_Standard_Bible
(b) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_International_Version
King James
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New International
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New American Standard Bible
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Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches, and righteousness.
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With me are riches and honor, enduring wealth, and prosperity.
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Riches and honor are with me, enduring wealth and righteousness.
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He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
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Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity, and honor.
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He who pursues righteousness and loyalty finds life, righteousness, and honor.
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How art thou fallen from heaven, O LUCIFER, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!
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How you have fallen from heaven,
morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations! |
“How you have fallen from heaven,O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth,You who have weakened the nations!
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For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
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For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
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For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.
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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;
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But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
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But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
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Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.
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Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
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Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
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for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
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For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
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For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.
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For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
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OMITTED
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footnote casts doubt
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Why callest thou me good?
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"Why do you ask me about what is good?"
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"Why are you asking me about what is good?"
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But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
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“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
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“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
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Ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
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You do not know the day or the hour.
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You do not know the day nor the hour.
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When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
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On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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And hearing this, Jesus *said to them, “It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
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Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
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For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
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because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
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Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.
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OMITTED
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[where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.]
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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!
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But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
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But Jesus *answered again and *said to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!
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And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.
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Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’
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And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone.’”
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And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
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Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.
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Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and serve Him only.’”
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Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
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Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life.
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Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life.
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And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
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At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there.
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When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.
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I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
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As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
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We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.
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And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
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footnote casts doubt
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And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
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“We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him, let us not fight against God.”
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“What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
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“We find nothing wrong with this man; suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
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For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
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The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
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For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
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The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven.
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The first man was of the dust of the earth, the second man from heaven.
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The first man is from the earth, earthy; the second man is from heaven.
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In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
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in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
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in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
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Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren,
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Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other,
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Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren,
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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.
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but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
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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.
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For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.
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For there are three that testify:
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For there are three that testify:
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Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it...
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which said: “Write on a scroll what you see and send it...
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saying, “Write in a book what you see, and send it...
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And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
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The four living creatures said, “Amen,” and the elders fell down and worshiped.
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And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.
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...and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
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... But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
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...and fire came down from heaven and devoured them.
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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.
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The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it.
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The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it.
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Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
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“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.
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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.
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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.
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And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.
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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.
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Conclusion:
Not only do the alterations introduce dangerous misconceptions to what is written in the verses but they are misleading even to what one must do to be saved. And if that wasn't already bad enough they even mess with the very verses that pronounce a curse, from God, upon anyone who tampers with God's word. By changing "book of life" to "tree of life", they suggest that they will still be allowed into heaven but just won't get to eat from the tree that brings immortality. However the original Greek is very clear that this "book of life" is the one that at the Great White Throne Judgment determines your final destination of Heaven or the Lake of Fire. |
Revelation 20:12-15(KJV)
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. |
At least here all the versions are in agreement. If you would like to have God add your name to this "book of life" please click here and find out how to accept Jesus as your Lord and Saviour by repenting of your sins.