A Weakness Of The KJV...

... and to a lesser extent many other English Bible versions too.

Many times the words justice and righteousness are used interchangeably. But the word justice has been given short shrift.

The KJV uses the word justice a grand total of 28 times in the entire Bible. That's shameful.

WEB : 120
NIV : 130
NKJV : 136
ESV : 138
NET : 141
NASB : 148
CSB : 153
EHV : 169
LEB : 171
NLT : 173
LSB : 174
ISV : 175
NRSV : 175
NCB : 213
CEB : 220
NABRE : 238

The NABRE is the winner.

In the Old Testament alone :

KJV : 28
NIV, WEB : 115
NRSV : 125
ESV, NET : 127
NKJV : 128
NASB : 136
CSB : 139
NLT : 151
EHV : 154
CEB : 156
LEB : 158
ISV : 160
LSB : 163
NCB : 192
NABRE : 231

Again, the winner is the NABRE.

In the New Testament alone :

KJV : 0
WEB : 5
NABRE : 7
NKJV : 8
MOUNCE, LSB, ESV : 11
NASB : 12
LEB : 13
NRSV, NET, CSB : 14
NIV, ISV, EHV : 15
NCB : 21
NLT : 22
CEB : 25

CEB is the winner. The NABRE didn't do so well this time.

Considering the three categories NCB came out on top.

 

Jer. 33:16 snip :
NET : The Lord has provided us with justice
NABRE : The Lord our justice
KJV : The Lord our righteousness.

In overwhelming numbers the English versions use the KJV wording.

The Spanish versions use the wording "Jehova, justicia nuestra" meaning Jehova, our justice.

The Revised Martin Luther Text (1985) has the word 'gerechtigkeit (justice) 306 times in the whole canon.

The French Nouvelle Version Segond Revisee has justice 380 times.

Perhaps we are missing something significant in our English Bible versions.

 

I will contrast the wording of the NLT and KJV in 22 verses. But mostly I will be doing snippets.

The NLT reading is at the top and the KJV rendering is below.

Matt. 5:6
God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness

Matt, 12:18
he will proclaim justice to the nations
he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles

Matt. 12:20
he will cause justice to be victorious
till he send forth judgment unto victory

Matt. 23:23
you ignore the more important aspects of the law --justice, mercy, and faith
have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith

Luke 11:42
you ignore justice and the love of God
pass over judgment and the love of God

Luke 18:3
Give me justice in the dispute with my enemy
Avenge me of mine adversary

Luke 18:5
I'm going to see that she gets justice
I will avenge her

Luke 18:7
God will surely give justice to his chosen people
And shall not God avenge his own elect

Luke 18:8
he will grant justice to them quickly!
he will avenge them speedily

To be continued.

 

Acts 8:33
He was humiliated and received no justice
In his humiliation his judgment was taken away

Acts 17:31
For he has set a day for judging the world with justice
Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness

Acts 28:4
Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live
though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live

Romans 1:32
They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death

Romans 2:2
And we know that God in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things
But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things

Galatians 6:7
Don't be misled --you cannot mock the justice of God
Be not deceived: God is not mocked : for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap

2 Thessalonians 1:5
And God will use this persecution to show his justice
which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God

2 Thessalonians 1:6
In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you
Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you

Hebrews 1:8
You rule with a scepter of justice
a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of they kingdom

Hebrews 1:9
You love justice and hate evil
Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity

Hebrews 7:2
The name Melchizedek means "king of justice"
by interpretation king of righteousness

Hebrews 11:33
By faith those people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice
who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness

2 Peter 1:1
This gaith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior
to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ