At the risk of irritating my readers, or being called a fundamentalist, or being shunned by the reformed community, I must confess: I prefer the King James Version.
No, I did not say that I only use the KJV. I did not say that I believe the translation itself is inspired, nor did I say that I believe it is the most accurate translation — I am not qualified to make that sort of judgment. But I do prefer it in most cases, and I am qualified to say that.
In our home we have at least eight translations, all of which I have done some reading in. I’ve read all of the ESV more than once, and I have recommended it to friends and family. I’m currently using it for my Old Testament reading. (It is a very close second.) But I still prefer the KJV.
Why? Here are my reasons, however weak they may be.
1. Without debating the sources, the KJV is a very literal translation, and the translators did their job carefully and prayerfully. I’m not saying that modern translation teams don’t do the same—I know that they do.
2. The language is precise. There is a purpose for “thee” and “thou.”
3. The language is reverent. The very sound of the verses can prepare one for worship. (Again, I know that the same can be said for other good translations.)
4. I like the sound of the language. Read the 23rd Psalm in the KJV, and then read it in the Holman.
5. The King James Version has been greatly used by God for several hundred years. Whitefield, Spurgeon, and Lloyd-Jones preached from it, and millions have been converted under the hearing of it.
6. You can quote from the King James to a Mormon, a Jehovah’s Witness, a fundamentalist, a Primitive Baptist, a flaming liberal, or a solid conservative and be taken seriously. Some of these groups, however, believe that no other version can properly be called “the Bible,” so they won’t listen if you use anything else.
7. The pronunciation of proper names is given in the text.
8. The last reason is the worst, but I have to include it. I was raised with it. It was the first version that I read, and the version that I’ve memorized from, and the version that was used to convict me of my sin.
Just because we disagree with the KJV only folk doesn’t mean we have to throw the translation out altogether, does it? And are you really sure that the source is not as accurate as the one being used for the modern translations?
I’m going to continue to use my ESV and NASB when I study a passage. I’m going to continue to glance in the NIV every once in a while. (I’m going to continue to not use the Holman.) And I’m going to carry my ESV to church. But while I’m in the privacy of my home, hidden in my dark office, I’ll be reading the KJV and secretly preferring it.