Throughout Scripture, God has promised to preserve His words forever. Knowing this, we can look for evidence of preservation to find the pure words of God.
Let’s take a look at some candidates.
- King James Bible (KJV): first print 1611, font and spelling updates in 4 additions prior to 1769. No doctrinal changes
- English Standard Vision (ESV): first print 2001, revised, 2007, 2011, 2016
- New American Standard Bible (NASB): first print 1971, revised, 1995, 2020
- New International Version (NIV): first print 1978, revised, 1984, 1984, 1996, 1999, 2011
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
(Psalms 12:6-7 KJV)
Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.
(Psalms 119:160 KJV)
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
(Isaiah 40:8 KJV)
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.
(Isaiah 59:21 KJV)
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
(Matthew 24:35 KJV)
Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
(1 Peter 1:23 KJV)
But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
(1 Peter 1:25 KJV)