Working on a modern King James Bible in 2024

The Holy Scriptures Bible Society is conducting a project to produce a faithful modern King James Bible for today’s English speakers.  Let’s look at some examples from the KJV of revisions for a modern King James Bible. “I will pass through all thy flock to day, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted cattle, and all the brown cattle among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats: and [of such] shall be my hire.” (Gen. 30:32 KJV) In this verse, we find the phrase “to day”. Nowadays, it is odd to see these two words separate instead of the single word “today.” Is there any problem with putting them together to form a single word, so that it does not stick out as strange to a modern day English reader? No. A modern KJV could simply combine the words together, which does not alter the meaning. Let’s consider another example. “And the mouth of it within the chapiter and above [was] a cubit: but the mouth thereof [was] round [after] the work of the base, a cubit and an half: and also upon the mouth of it [were] gravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.” (1 Kings 7:31 KJV) Here we find the term “an half”. Today, it is standard to instead write this as “a half.” So would updating the KJV to “a half” change the meaning in some ungodly way? No. There would be nothing evil about that. They both mean the same thing. And we can examine one more verse. “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner [stone], a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.” (Isaiah 28:16 KJV) In this verse, we find the archaic English forms of the third person singular simple present indicative of “saith” and “believeth.” Today, who speaks English using these forms? Is there any difference in meaning between “saith” and “says,” which is what we use in the present? No. Is there a different signification between “believeith” and “believes”? No. “Saith” means “says.” “Believeth” means “believes.” There would be nothing wrong with updating these archaic forms in a modern KJV. There is no difference in meaning. The primary purpose of this website is to help people find our project. To visit the main project website you may click here:  www.KJVupdate.com.