About NKJV Bible

The New King James Version (NKJV) is widely regarded as an excellent, reliable, and “literal” (word-for-word) translation, particularly for study.  See “What is the NKJV Translation philosophy” above for details.

The NKJV has been assessed at an eighth grade reading level, ideal to both to call up younger readers to a more scholarly comprehension and to communicate clear biblical truths in an accessible way to more seasoned readers. This reading level remains relevant for a lifetime of Bible study. 

The New King James Version (NKJV) is considered a highly accurate and reliable translation that remains popular for deep study and personal reading. 

In 1975, 130 international and multi-denominational Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians formed the largest translation committee of any translation to date, and worked for seven years to create a completely ground-up, modern translation of Scripture that honored the beloved KJV legacy wherever an accurate translation supported it.

Scholars were assigned specific Old and New Testament books based on their areas of expertise. They submitted their work to the Executive Editors for the Old and New Testaments, who next gave it to the English Editor to be checked for grammatical accuracy, literary beauty, and effective communication of content. Throughout the entire editing process, the work was regularly reviewed by the clergy and lay advisers on the British Oversight Committee and the North American Overview Committee. The final exhaustive process was carried out by a separate Executive Review Committee for each Testament.

The translators consisted of a team of international and multi-denominational Bible scholars, church leaders, and lay Christians. See the full list of NKJV translators >

The NKJV translates from the traditional texts of the Hebrew and Aramaic Old Testament and the Greek New Testament.  The New Testament of the NKJV does lean on the traditional body of original language manuscripts known as the Textus Receptus (also known as the “received text”) however, the NKJV uniquely provides notes wherever there is a meaningful difference with more recently discovered manuscripts, known as the “critical text”. The NKJV Translation notes a key benefit of the NKJV. 

Yes.  The NKJV fits into the “word for word” section of the translation spectrum. The NKJV translates from the traditional texts of the Hebrew and Aramaic Old Testament and the Greek New Testament, and it has footnotes wherever variations are found in additional manuscripts (known as “critical texts”) that would affect the wording of the English translation.

The NKJV is a “word for word” translation which is sometimes known as formal equivalence. It gives the meaning clearly in natural English while maintaining as much of the wording and grammar of the original languages as possible. Therefore, the match between the original language and the English translation is as complete as can be, making the NKJV ideal for close study. The NKJV was created using a painstaking translation and review process involving scholars in countries around the world.

Based on the more recently discovered manuscripts, some modern translations choose to omit some of the phrases and verses found in the original King James Version. The scholars of the New King James Version chose to retain all the traditional verses. Significant textual variations are footnoted, showing the source of many variant reading.

No. The international team who worked on this version was made up of respected scholars, editors, and laity representing a broad cross-section of Bible-oriented Christian traditions and denominations.

Yes. Built into the NKJV translation are footnotes providing the textual variations in the source texts. That means rather than telling you which documents to disregard, the NKJV provides both for deeper study.  Additionally, though they are used by all translations, the NKJV is one of only a few translations to provide and identify “supplied words” for clarity and transparency. Supplied words are words used to create smooth and clear English sentences in the translation process from the original language, and they are indicated in the biblical text using italics.

Yes. The New King James Version (NKJV) is a good, readable, and accurate option for beginners who prefer the traditional style and the stalwart connection to modern academia.  Its beautiful language and rigorous scholarship serve both the heart and the head. 

Yes. The NKJV provides an accurate translation, built–in translation notes and beautiful language to collectively invite readers into a deeper understanding of Scripture.  

The beautiful flow and cadence of the NKJV make it a popular translation for memorizing.  

NKJV Comfort Print is a custom typeface designed for the New King James Version, created to reduce eye strain during extended reading. It features carefully balanced letter shapes, optimal spacing, and line matching that prevents “ghosting” from showing through thin Bible pages. The contrast and weight of the typeface are designed for crisp readability. Importantly, NKJV Comfort Print is not related to the size of type; it is used in all NKJV Bibles published by Thomas Nelson Bibles providing a comfortable reading experience no matter what the type size.

Yes. Built into the NKJV translation are notes uniquely showing the textual variations in the source texts. That means rather than telling you which documents to disregard, the NKJV provides both for deeper study. 

Scholars were assigned specific Old and New Testament books based on their areas of expertise. They submitted their work to the Executive Editors for the Old and New Testaments, who next gave it to the English Editor to be checked for grammatical accuracy, literary beauty, and effective communication of content. Throughout the entire editing process, the work was regularly reviewed by the clergy and lay advisers on the British Oversight Committee and the North American Overview Committee. The final exhaustive process was carried out by a separate Executive Review Committee for each Testament.

Altogether it took seven years to produce the complete New King James Version. (Coincidentally, the original 1611 translation also took seven years to complete.) The New King James Version represents an investment of over $4.5 million. All of those costs have been paid by Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Yes, the New King James Version (NKJV) is copyrighted. It is owned by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and was copyrighted in 1982. While it is copyrighted, the publisher allows for limited free use (up to 500 verses or 25% of a work) without written permission for non-commercial, non-commentary, and non-biblical reference works.