Discover Scripture in the New King James Version — the majestic KJV tradition brought into contemporary English for today's readers.
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
— Proverbs 3:5-6
In 1975, Thomas Nelson Publishers assembled 130 distinguished Bible scholars, theologians, and educators for a singular mission: preserve the theological integrity and literary beauty of the 1611 King James Version while making it accessible to modern readers. Seven years later, in 1982, the New King James Version was complete — the most faithful update to the KJV ever produced.
The NKJV takes a surgical approach to modernization. Archaic pronouns — “thee,” “thou,” “thine,” “ye” — are replaced with contemporary “you” and “your.” Verb forms like “maketh,” “saith,” and “doth” become “makes,” “says,” and “does.” Words whose meanings have shifted since 1611 are updated for accuracy — for example, “conversation” (which meant “conduct” in Early Modern English) is correctly rendered “conduct” or “way of life.” But the underlying translation philosophy — formal equivalence, word-for-word fidelity to the original languages — remains unchanged.
The result is a Bible that feels familiar to KJV readers, accessible to newcomers, and accurate enough for serious study. The NKJV uses the same manuscript tradition as the KJV — the Textus Receptus and Majority Text for the New Testament, the Ben Chayyim Masoretic Text for the Old Testament — while transparently footnoting places where its text differs from the modern Critical Text used by the NIV and ESV.
What separates the NKJV from other modern translations is its reverence for the KJV tradition. Where the NIV and ESV started fresh from the original languages with contemporary English, the NKJV started with the KJV and refined it. The theological vocabulary is preserved: “propitiation,” “sanctification,” “righteousness,” and “atonement” — terms that carry centuries of doctrinal weight — remain intact rather than being replaced with simpler paraphrases.
Consider Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” — identical to the KJV. Or Psalm 23:1: “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want” — again, unchanged because the language needs no improvement. The NKJV's editors wisely left alone what was already perfect.
Where modernization does occur, it improves clarity without sacrificing accuracy. Isaiah 40:31 in the KJV reads “they shall mount up with wings as eagles” — the NKJV reads “they shall mount up with wings like eagles.” The change from “as” to “like” is a minor grammatical refinement that makes the simile clearer in contemporary usage. These small updates accumulate across the whole Bible to create a significantly more readable text without compromising doctrinal precision.
The KJV uses 1611 Early Modern English ("thee/thou/maketh"). The NKJV updates this to contemporary English while preserving the same translation philosophy and manuscript tradition. If you love the KJV but struggle with its archaic language, the NKJV is the natural bridge.
Learn more →The NIV uses dynamic equivalence — thought-for-thought translation — for maximum readability. The NKJV uses formal equivalence — word-for-word — for maximum accuracy. The NIV reads more naturally in casual contexts; the NKJV is more suitable for careful doctrinal study.
Learn more →Both the NKJV and ESV use formal equivalence and target the same readership of serious Bible students. The key difference: the NKJV follows the Majority Text/Textus Receptus, while the ESV uses the Critical Text. This creates minor differences in a handful of passages.
Learn more →Some Christians hold a KJV-Only position, believing the 1611 text is uniquely preserved. The NKJV was designed to respect this tradition — its 130 scholars included many who revered the KJV — but it does not claim inerrancy for the 1611 translation itself, a distinction some KJV-Only advocates reject.
Learn more →“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
— Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
— Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)
“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
— Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV)
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
— Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV)
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
— 2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)
The New King James Version (NKJV) was published in 1982 by Thomas Nelson, under the editorial leadership of Arthur Farstad. It was designed as a modern-language update to the King James Version, replacing archaic "thee," "thou," and "-eth" verb endings with contemporary English while preserving the KJV's formal-equivalence translation philosophy and its reliance on the Textus Receptus/Majority Text for the New Testament. The NKJV retains the literary dignity of the KJV while making it accessible to modern readers.
The NKJV updates the KJV's Early Modern English (1611) into contemporary language. "Thou art" becomes "you are." "He maketh" becomes "He makes." "Whatsoever" becomes "whatever." The NKJV retains all the KJV's familiar cadences and formal-equivalence accuracy — word-for-word fidelity to the Hebrew and Greek — but removes the language barrier that makes the KJV difficult for new readers. Both translations use the same underlying manuscript tradition (Textus Receptus/Majority Text), which distinguishes them from translations like the NIV and ESV that draw on the Critical Text.
Yes. The NKJV is a highly accurate formal-equivalence translation. Over 130 scholars from diverse Protestant denominations worked for seven years to produce it. Where the KJV used archaic words that have shifted in meaning, the NKJV provides clearer renderings without sacrificing faithfulness. For example, "conversation" in the KJV (which meant "conduct" in 1611) is updated to "conduct" or "way of life" in the NKJV — a correction that improves accuracy. The NKJV also provides footnotes indicating where its text differs from the Critical Text, making it transparent for serious study.
The NKJV is ideal for readers who love the KJV's formal, dignified style but find the archaic language a barrier. It is popular among Baptist, Reformed, and charismatic churches that hold a preference for the Majority Text tradition. It is also an excellent choice for new believers coming from KJV church backgrounds, students who want formal-equivalence accuracy in readable modern English, and anyone who finds modern translations like the NIV too paraphrastic. The NKJV is particularly strong for devotional reading, memorization, and verse-by-verse Bible study.
Many of the most cherished KJV verses read even more clearly in the NKJV. Psalm 23:1 becomes "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want" — identical to the KJV. Proverbs 3:5-6 reads: "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." John 3:16 is essentially unchanged. Jeremiah 29:11 reads: "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." The NKJV preserves these verses' meaning while removing linguistic stumbling blocks.