The King James Version (KJV) is a 1611 English translation that shaped centuries of Protestant worship and literary English, while the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) is a modern Catholic translation published for use in the Mass, catechesis and private reading. The two differ in age, tradition and approach: the KJV uses majestic seventeenth-century English and a Protestant canon, and the NABRE uses contemporary American English and the Catholic canon with its deuterocanonical books. Readers who love traditional cadence and familiar phrasing often prefer the KJV, while Catholic readers who want a text matched to their liturgy usually choose the NABRE.
Background
The KJV was produced under the authority of King James I of England and published in 1611 by a committee of scholars working from earlier English translations, especially the Bishops’ Bible and Tyndale’s work. Its Old Testament includes the books Protestants traditionally recognize, so the Apocrypha is printed separately in many editions. Over the following centuries it became the dominant Bible of English-speaking Protestants, and its phrasing entered everyday speech and hymnody.
The NABRE belongs to the American Catholic bishops’ long effort to produce an English Bible for their own people. It first appeared in 1970 as the New American Bible, was revised in later decades, and received its current revised edition in 2011, which included a fuller revision of the Old Testament and Psalms. Its books and notes are prepared under Catholic scholarly oversight, and it carries the imprimatur of the Church, which signals approval for Catholic study and worship.
Translation Method
The KJV is generally described as an essentially literal translation that tries to keep the wording and sentence patterns of the original languages where English allows. That choice gives the reader a sense of the Hebrew and Greek phrasing, though it can also leave some passages dense or archaic for modern ears. Its vocabulary, such as “thee” and “thou,” reflects the English of its own day.
The NABRE takes a more mixed path. It aims for clear, accurate contemporary English and generally translates ideas into natural modern sentences, while still attending closely to the underlying text. The result is easier to follow in a single reading, though some readers feel it gives up a bit of the original’s texture in exchange for clarity.
Reading Level and Style
The KJV’s language is rich and rhythmic, and many readers find its cadences beautiful when read aloud. The archaic verb forms and older idioms, however, can slow a first-time reader and sometimes obscure meaning that a modern English speaker would catch quickly. Familiarity with the KJV often comes from years of hearing it in church, so its style feels natural to those who grew up with it.
The NABRE reads in plain modern American prose with a sober, dignified tone suited to public proclamation at Mass. It is well suited to reading straight through, to group study and to teaching, since its wording rarely needs explaining. Some readers miss the poetic lift of older English, which is a trade-off of its clarity.
A Verse to Compare
Psalm 23:1
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(KJV)
The KJV renders this famous opening with the older English “The LORD is my shepherd” and keeps the word order and capitalization of the divine name that many Protestant readers know by heart. The NABRE keeps the same core image of the Lord as shepherd but phrases the line in plainer modern English, making the sentence feel more like conversation than recitation. Both preserve the same meaning, so the difference lies mainly in rhythm and familiarity rather than in the message itself.
Who Should Use It
Choose the KJV if you value historic English, enjoy memorizing passages for devotional use, or want the language that shaped much of English literature. Its limits are the archaic vocabulary and the absence of the Catholic deuterocanonical books in its main text, so Catholic readers will find it incomplete for their own tradition.
Choose the NABRE if you are Catholic, if you follow the Lectionary readings, or if you want an accurate modern English text for study and teaching. Its clarity makes it easy to read in a single sitting, though readers who prize the sound of older English may find it less memorable on the tongue.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the KJV the same Bible as the NABRE?
No, they come from different traditions and use different canons. The KJV is a Protestant translation of 1611, while the NABRE is a modern Catholic translation that includes the deuterocanonical books.
Which is easier to read, the KJV or the NABRE?
The NABRE is generally easier for modern readers because it uses contemporary English. The KJV rewards patient reading, but its older vocabulary can slow first-time readers.
Can Catholics use the KJV for personal study?
Many Catholics do, but the KJV omits the deuterocanonical books that the Catholic Church includes in its Bible. For Catholic liturgy and study, the NABRE is the translation generally used.
