King James Literal Version (KJLV) — Purpose & Method
“For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” — Acts 20:27 (NKJV)
“Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.” — Proverbs 23:23 (NKJV)
“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” — Proverbs 30:5–6 (NKJV)
Our Purpose
The King James Literal Version exists for one reason: to declare the whole counsel of God — not a summarized, smoothed, or simplified approximation of it.
Modern translations, however well-intentioned, frequently prioritize readability over precision, and brevity over completeness. In doing so, they risk obscuring the very nuances, structures, and contextual threads the original authors — moved by the Holy Spirit — deliberately constructed. The KJLV is a corrective to that drift.
As Dr. Michael A. Scordato, Ph.D. states plainly: “I want to hear their voices, not someone talking about their voices.”
That conviction governs every translation decision made here.
Our Method
The KJLV is built on four interlocking principles:
1. Word-for-Word with Genitive Associations Rather than sense-for-sense paraphrase, the KJLV translates word-by-word, preserving the possessive and relational genitive structures of Koine Greek. These grammatical relationships carry theological weight — weight that disappears when compressed into idiomatic English.
2. Original Punctuation as Theological Context Punctuation is not cosmetic. It is structural. The KJLV restores punctuation marks consistent with the original language’s logical and rhetorical flow, recovering contextual meaning that has been routinely lost through editorial shortening.
3. Koine Greek Sentence Divisions Over English Verse Divisions The verse divisions familiar to modern readers were added centuries after the original texts were written — and they were added without regard for Koine Greek sentence and thought structure. Greek communicates in complete, flowing thoughts. English verse divisions frequently interrupt mid-thought, fracturing context and distorting meaning. In the KJLV, the dash ( — ) marks authentic Koine Greek sentence divisions, allowing the original thought structure to govern the reader’s understanding rather than later editorial choices.
4. The NKJV as a Modern Comparison Text The New King James Version serves as a modern-language reference alongside the KJLV — not as an authority, but as a mirror. Readers are invited to observe the differences between the two and draw their own conclusions about what has been gained, and what has been lost, in translation.
A Final Word on Priority
“The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” — Psalm 12:6 (NKJV)
Modern ease of readability is not our priority. Truth conveyance is. Where these two goals conflict, we choose truth — because the reader of Scripture is owed the authors’ actual words, not an editor’s best summary of them.
We are logically layered from our opening until end. Anchored in Scripture, transparent about method, honest about priorities, and grounded in the core philosophy of Dr. Scordato’s approach based on the Bible’s Proverbial application: “Tone, Length, Expansion, Methodology…Proverbs 23:23 covers it all”.
Why Base It Off the Texts Behind the King James Version (KJV)?
The Enduring Nature of God’s Word
Scripture itself testifies that God’s Word is not subject to the decay and limitations of the physical world. Isaiah 40:8 declares that though the grass withers and the flower fades, the Word of our God stands forever. Jesus affirmed this in Matthew 24:35, stating that heaven and earth will pass away, but His words will by no means pass away. Psalm 119:89 further anchors this truth: “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.” These passages collectively establish that God’s Word carries a timeless authority and purpose that demands preservation — not because men decided so, but because God Himself ordained it.
The Case for the Majority Text
This understanding of preservation shapes the very question of which underlying manuscripts deserve trust. When considering the texts behind modern Bible translations, two broad streams emerge. On one side stands the Majority Text — the body of manuscripts that were actively copied, used, and transmitted by faithful believers across centuries of Christian history. On the other side are a small number of manuscripts discovered in obscure locations, some having gone unseen for hundreds or even thousands of years.
The question of reliability is straightforward: between manuscripts that were consistently in the hands of God’s people — read, copied, and verified across generations — and fragments recovered from forgotten corners, which bears the greater mark of providential preservation? The Majority Text, standing behind the KJV, reflects a continuous and professional stewardship of Scripture. This is why the textual foundation of the KJV was chosen over compilations assembled by selecting between fragmentary scraps and piecing them together to form the basis of other modern versions.
Age alone does not establish authority. An older manuscript is not inherently more accurate, just as an older person is not automatically correct in what they say or write. What matters is faithfulness of transmission and continuity of use among God’s people.
God’s Word Is Not Hidden
Scripture itself warns in the strongest terms against tampering with the text. Deuteronomy 4:2 commands: “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it.” Deuteronomy 12:32 repeats this charge plainly. Revelation 22:18–19 closes the canon with a solemn warning — that anyone who adds to or takes away from the words of the prophecy of the Book will face severe divine consequences. These are not minor cautions. They are direct prohibitions that make the practice of selecting between disputed fragments and reconstructing Scripture a spiritually dangerous endeavor, one that stands in direct tension with the revealed and preserved Word God has already given His people.
God’s manner of revelation further supports this. Amos 3:7 shows that God revealed His purposes to His servants the prophets in the days of old. That work of foundational revelation is finished. Now, as 1 Corinthians 2:10 affirms, His Word is illuminated to believers through the Holy Spirit. Colossians 1:26 makes clear that this mystery has been revealed to all the saints — not to a select few, not recovered after two thousand years of hiddenness, but given openly to the whole body of Christ.
This matters because the idea of a secret, recovered, or newly corrected Scripture bears the hallmarks of a pattern Scripture itself condemns. The Nicolaitans, mentioned in Revelation 2:6 and 2:15, represent a doctrine Jesus expressly condemns — a system built on exclusive, hidden knowledge accessible only to initiates. This same spirit has reappeared in various forms throughout history, from certain medieval orders to modern secret societies, and in smaller movements in every generation between. These systems consistently share four characteristics:
- Exclusive Truth: Only the group possesses the correct understanding of Scripture.
- Charismatic Leadership: A leader claims unique access to divine or secret revelation.
- Apocalyptic Focus: The group positions itself as a chosen remnant in the end times.
- Isolation: Separation from the broader body of believers and mainstream churches.
A theology that requires hidden manuscripts, newly discovered corrections, or special scholarly access to reconstruct what God truly said drifts dangerously close to this pattern. God has not hidden His Word. He has preserved it — openly, continuously, and faithfully — through the hands of His people across the centuries.
So…
Brothers and sisters, we stand at the precipice of a profound truth, a truth as ancient as the hills and as fresh as the morning dew. We have seen the commitment to the Word, to preserving every jot and tittle, because as Psalm 12:6 declares, “The words of the LORD are pure words, like silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.” And what is the purpose of this labor, this dedication? It is to bring us closer to the heart of God, to allow us to hear His voice with clarity and precision. For in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1, NKJV)
KJLV is not being made as simply a mere translation, but as a gateway to a deeper understanding of the divine. Let us be diligent in our study, unwavering in our faith, and ever mindful of the words of Proverbs 23:23: “Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.”
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
EXAMPLE TEXT:
James Chapter 1:1-4 KJLV (King James Literal Version FIRST DRAFT)
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1. Reconnecting With The People (James 1:1)
Greek Sentence: Introducing hope to spread joy
1… I, the man Jacob, a servant of Him, God who is Lord Jesus the Messiah; to she, the twelve tribes, in the dispersion—greetings of active joy.
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2. Trials and Perseverance (James 1:2–4)
Greek Sentence: The proving of self
2… Now she joy is entirely being counted for, my brothers, for this is my active wish for you whom is being proved through falling into this diverse temptations,
3… everyone knowing now that this trial of all of ours against the conviction persuaded to faith is in fact processing now according to make her the longsuffering patience;
4… this moreover longsuffering act finished this maturity so you might actively hold on, in order that the potential exists to accomplish his maturation altogether as a completed whole, in this so no one is lacking.
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