Errors in the New King James Version
I have said the King James Version is the only commonly available English Bible without error. On this page I will provide incontrovertible proof of error in the New King James Version that is not in the King James Version. I do not choose the New King James Version as an example of the counterfeit bibles because it is the worst of them but rather because of those bibles most commonly used, it has the least error and is the most deceptive.
I will display half a dozen passages from the New King James Version that are clearly erroneous. These are not the only verses by any means. I could come up with at least two hundred verses that have some type of poison in them but in some the error is very subtle; in others the discussion would be longer than the length of this page would bear.
New King James Version – “The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times. You shall keep them, O LORD, You shall preserve them from this generation forever.” Psalms 12:6-7.
Get out a dollar bill printed in the United States of America and ask yourself how much error in that bill would it take to make it a counterfeit. Then read the above verse again and ask yourself how much error in the New King James Version would it take to make God a liar. Understand that I’m not calling error a simple misprint or some innocent mistake. I’m calling error a deliberate change so that bible contradicts itself or an error that is obvious to anyone acquainted with history and the English language or a change that conflicts with Protestant doctrine.
Exodus 6:3
King James Version – “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”
New King James Version – “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them.”
In Genesis 49:18 in the New King James Version Jacob is speaking and he says, “I have waited for your salvation, O LORD!” Obviously God was known by the name “LORD” long before God spoke to Moses in Exodus 6:3.
Isaiah 7:14
King James Version – “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”
New King James Version – “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”
Saying “the virgin” as in the New King James Version means that not only did Isaiah and the king he was speaking with know who “the virgin” was but that in addition “the virgin” was alive at that time. Admittedly, the reading of this verse wouldn’t be of much concern to a Roman Catholic.
Matthew 21:17-19
King James Version – “And he left them, and went out of the city into Bethany; and he lodged there. Now in the morning as he returned into the city, he hungered. And when he saw a fig tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever. And presently the fig tree withered away.”
New King James Version – “Then he left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there. Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, ‘Let no fruit grow on you ever again.’ Immediately the fig tree withered away.”
The New King James Version contradicts itself in Mark 11:20 where it says the next “morning” they saw “the fig tree dried up from the roots.” If it had dried up “immediately” they would have noticed it the day before. There is no contradiction in the King James Version since “presently” designates an indefinite time.
Mark 7:18-19
King James Version – “And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?”
New King James Version – “So He said to them, ‘Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?’”
The King James Version says food goes into the “belly” (digestive tract), goes into the “draught” (sewer)“ thus “purging” (getting rid of) all “meats” (foods). The New King James Versions says food enters the stomach and is eliminated. I agree so far. Then it says that food is purified by going into the stomach and then being eliminated. “Purifying” foods means the food has been made clean by going through the digestive tract. You can only believe the New King James Version in these verses if you believe feces made from used food is clean.
Acts 12:3-4
King James Version – “And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.) And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.”
New King James Version – “And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to seize Peter also. Now it was during the Days of Unleavened Bread. So when he had arrested him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four squads of soldiers to keep him, intending to bring him before the people after Passover.”
When did Herod intend to bring Peter before the Jews? Was it after Easter or after the Passover? It says the incident occurred during the days of unleavened bread. The days of unleavened bread occurred after the Passover so unless you believe Herod intended to wait about a year before bringing Peter before the Jews, the New King James Version has to be wrong.
Herod was a pagan and not a Jew. The festival he wished to honor before punishing Peter was that of Astarte also known as the queen of heaven. Astarte was also known as Ishtar. Ishtar was pronounced as we would pronounce Easter (see The Two Babylons by Alexander Hislop on page 103 of the “popular edition” published in 1921). “Easter” as in the King James Version is correct and the New King James Version is wrong.
Hebrews 4:8
King James Version – “For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.”
New King James Version – “For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.”
The same Greek word translated Joshua in the New King James Version was translated Jesus thirteen other times just in the book of Hebrews. There is no reason for this other than private interpretation.
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© Martin J. Lohne 2020