There are more versions than you can shake a stick at. Most are paraphrases and not true translations from the original Greek and Hebrew manuscripts. There are two translations that are basically used when a version is created, the Majority Text and the Minority Text. Over the years the Majority Text has proven to be the most accurate and is what the King James version was translated from. The first KJV is very difficult to read as the English spelling of words and grammar was much different. My pastor preaches out of the NIV, which is because it is an easier read, but I have been, and will probably always be KJV, but in fact the NIV has caught up in popularity and by now may have even passed it. It is VERY close, but there are some differences. The KJV was translated by 47 scholars, at three of the major universities in England, broken up into groups of 7, (one group with only 5,) translated and each letter proofed before being accepted, by each member of the group, then proofed by each member of the other groups before being accepted. Once all 66 books were put through that, they had their finished product. No other translation has been put through such a rigorous examination. I can not read Greek, or Hebrew, though I do use the Stong's Concordance for word verification and usage, so must accept that having gone through all that, that the KJV is the closest thing I will ever come to having an accurate translation of God's Word to study.
Gary Vest
This is CABL.com posting #303903. Tiny Link: cabl.co/mbrdP
