The NKJ Uses Awkward English

In this thread I am not at all doubting the soundness of the translation of the NKJV . It is theologically solid . I am addressing the wording of the version . It is not , nor has it ever been , a spoken form of English . It is not natural in its delivery . Something that stilted is deficient .

I had a thread on Archaic Words in the KJV . It was stopped at the conclusion of Isaiah . It is a shame that you all will not be able to see gems like :

Why trimmest thou thy way to seek love ?

We are spoiled .

My bowels , my bowels !

They are sottish children.

And none shall fray them away .

They must needs be borne , because they cannot go .

A wonderful thing . [ meaning = a terrible thing ]

The stock is a doctrine of vanities .

The noise of the bruit is come .

I try the reins .

Very naughty figs . [ a classic ]


Many of the same phrases in the KJV are in the NKJ . At times the wording is made clearer . That is a good thing . But much of the language remains wooden and mechanical . The NKJ wording is above and the TNIV wording is below .

From The Book Of Jeremiah ( chapters 1 - 10 )

1:8 Do not be afraid of their faces .

Do not be afraid of them .

1:17 Do not be dismayed before their faces .

Do not be terrified by them

2:2 The kindness of your youth , The love of your betrothal

the devotion of your youth , how as a bride you loved me

2:8 And walked after things that do not profit .

following worthless idols .

2:19 Your own wickedness will correct you

Your wickedness will punish you

2:25 For I have loved aliens

I love foreign gods

2:33 Why do you beautify your way to seek love ?

How skilled you are at pursuing love !

2:34 I have not found it by secret search , But plainly on all these things .

though you did not catch them by breaking in . Yet in spite of all this

2:36 Why do you gad about so much to change your way ?

Why do you go about so much , changing your ways ?

3:2 Where have you not lain with men ?

Is there any place where you have not been ravished ?

3:25 And our reproach covers us .

and let our disgrace cover us .

4:13 we are plundered !

We are ruined !

4:20 And my curtains in a moment .

my shelter in a moment .

6:11 The aged with him who is full of days .

and the old , those weighed down with years .

7:33 And no one will frighten them away .

and there will be no one to frighten them away .

10:8 A wooden idol is a worthless doctrine .

taught by worthless wooden idols .

 

Jeremiah 13 -- 29

13:22 Your skirts have been uncovered , Your heels made bare .

your skirts have been torn off and your body mistreated

14:9 Why should You be like a man astonished

Why are you like someone taken by surprise

15:6 I am weary of relenting !

I am tired of holding back .

15:17 I did not sit in the assembly of the mockers

I never sat in the company of revelers

16:7 nor shall men give them the cup of consolation

nor will anyone give them a drink to console them .

18:10 I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it .

I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it .



18:16 A perpetual hissing

lasting scorn



19:8 I will make this city desolate and a hissing

make it an object of horror and scorn

20:10 Perhaps he can be induced

Perhaps he will be deceived

22:15 Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar ?

Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar ?

22:22 The wind shall eat up all your rulers

The wind will drive all your shepherds away

23:13 And caused My people Israel to err .

and led my people Israel astray .

25:8 you have not heard my words

you have not listened to my words

25:9 make them an astonishment , a hissing , scorn , and perpetual desolations .

make them an object of horror and and scorn , and an everlasting ruin .

25:34 You shall fall like a precious vessel .

you will fall like the best of the rams .

27:19 the remainder of the vessels that remain in this city

the other articles that are left in this city

29:8 nor listen to the dreams which you cause to be dreamed .

Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have .

 

I am no cheerleader of the NKJ , that's right . It is a serviceable translation . But it just doesn't cut the proverbial mustard . If it had less biblish and a more natural flow -- it would be better .

By the way , would any of you like to see it upgraded ? Do any of you know if such plans are in the works ? It has gone a long time with no improvements .

 

Jeremiah 30 -- 39

30:14 All your lovers

All your allies

30:18 And the palace shall remain according to its own plan .

and the palace will stand in its proper place .

30:19 I will also glorify them

I will bring them honor

30:24 In the latter days you will consider it .

In days to come you will understand this .

31:5 eat them as ordinary food

enjoy their fruit .

31:12 Streaming to the goodness of the Lord --

rejoice in the bounty of the Lord --

31:14 I will satiate the soul of the priests

I will satisfy the priests with abundance

31:17 shall come back to their own border

will return to their own land

31:19 Surely , after my turning , I repented ; And after I was instructed , I struck myself on the thigh .

After I strayed , I repented ; after I came to understand , I beat my breast .

31:20 Is he a pleasant child ?

the child in whom I delight ?

31:22 A woman shall compass a man .

the woman will return to the man .

31:35 The ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night

who decrees the moon and the stars to shine by night

34:17 I proclaim a liberty to you , says the Lord -- to the sword

I now proclaim 'freedom' for you , declares the Lord -- 'freedom' to fall by the sword

35:19 shall not lack a man to stand before Me forever .

will never fail to have a descendant to serve me .

37:14 brought him to the princes

brought him to the officials

38:16 who made our very souls

who has given us breath

39:18 your life shall be as a prize to you

but will escape with your life

 

Why not let me continue on the book of Jeremiah ? Then , when I'm done folks can debate whether or not the NKJV rendering is better than the TNIV wording ? People may come at this with the idea that even if the NKJ is unwieldy -- it may be more accurate .

I will not post again on this thread unless you give me the go-ahead .

 

Okay , I'll be back to finish out Jeremiah in about 14 hours or so .

Thanks

 

Jeremiah 42 -- 49

42:18 And you shall be an oath , an astonishment

You will be a curse an an object of reproach

44:19 we made cakes for her , to worship her , and pour out drink offerings to her

we were making cakes impressed with her image and pouring out drink offerings to her ?

45:3 I fainted in my sighing

I am worn out with groaning

46:7 Whose waters move like the rivers ?

like rivers of surging waters ?

46:10 The sword shall devour ; It shall be satiated

The sword shall devour till it is satisfied

46:17 is but a noise

only a loud noise

46:28 I will rightly correct you

I will discipline you

47:5 Baldness has come upon Gaza

Gaza will shave her head in mourning

48:11 He has settled on his dregs

like wine left on its dregs

48:26 he shall also be in derision .

let her be an object of ridicule .

48:30 I know his wrath , says the Lord , But it is not right ; His lies have made nothing right .

I know her insolence but it is futile , declares the Lord , and her boasts accomplish nothing .

48:32 Your plants have gone over the sea

Your branches spread as far as the sea

48:38 A general lamentation ... like a vessel in which is no pleasure

in the public squares there is nothing but mourning ... like a jar that no one wants

48:45 The crown of the head of the sons of tumult .

the skulls of the noisy boasters .

49:1 Why then does Milcom inherit Gad

Why then has Molek taken possession of Gad ?

49:2 It shall be a desolate mound

it will become a mound of ruins

49:4 Your flowing valley

your valleys so fruitful

49:10 I have uncovered his secret places

I will uncover his hiding places

49:16 Your fierceness has deceived you

the pride of your heart have deceived you

49:17 shall be an astonishment ... and will hiss at all its plagues .

will be appalled and will scoff because of all its wounds .

49:19 from the floodplain of the Jordon

from Jordon's thickets

49:20 the least of the flock shall draw them out

The young of the flock will be dragged away

49:25 Why is the city of praise not deserted

Why has the city of renown not been abandoned

49:38 princes

officials

 

Jeremiah 50 -- 51

50:7 We have not offended ... the habitation of justice

We are not guilty ... their verdant pasture

50:11 you bellow like bulls

and neigh like stallions

50:15 She has given her hand

She surrenders

50:19 His soul shall be satisfied

their appetite will be satisfied

50:26 cast her up

pile her up

50:34 disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon

unrest to those who live in Babylon

50:39 and the ostriches shall dwell in it .

and there the owl will dwell

51:1 a destroying wind

the spirit of a destroyer

51:10 The Lord has revealed our righteousness .

The Lord has vindicated us

51:11 Make the arrows bright

Sharpen the arrows

51:16 treasuries

storehouses

51:18 a work of errors

the objects of mockery

51:34 like a monster

Like a serpent

 

This whole thread has been aimed at native speakers of English .

 

While it is my own opinion , the NKJ is not as clear ( yet accurate ) as the TNIV . Go through some of my examples and see if that is the case or not . I note you preferred the "bright arrows" of the NKJ .

I do not believe that many have taken the time to actually examine various verses and compared them in several translations as well as Bible study helps .