Have homosexuals finally done something so outrageous that the public may at long last grow wary of their antics? It would be nice, but so far people have tolerated “Gay Pride” Parades, in which lascivious behavior has been at the forefront, the taking over of the entertainment and news media, and are beginning to cave on homosexual marriage. Now that the Queen James Version of the Bible (a homosexual-friendly version) has been published, will society finally be out-raged sufficiently to say, “Enough!”?
Released on November 27, 2012, the Queen James Version costs just $34.95 and can be ordered on-line. Anyone wanting to know who published it, who the editors are, or what scholarly credentials the translators possess will simply have to wonder. As yet, none of that information has been forthcoming. Actually, it is not really a new translation at all; it is based on the 1769 edition of the King James Version that is still being marketed around the world. But they did alter eight verses to try to remove any condemnation of the sin of homosexuality: Genesis 19:5, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, 1 Timothy 1:10, and Jude 7. The remainder of the King James, according to reports, is unaltered.
The unnamed editors, however, do have a website on which they say: “We edited those eight verses in a way that makes homophobic interpretations impossible.” This statement is not true. They edited the verses to make them say something different from what they actually say. The only honest approach to the Scriptures is to study them to find out what they say. If someone has a bias in favor of homosexuality, then he does not care what the text actually says; he is only concerned about how it can be translated favorably toward that sin. One may as well produce the Adulterer’s Bible. Of course, it would require changing closer to 50 verses plus Mark 6:17-18; it could be called Herod’s Bible. At least that would be more subtle.
But why did they produce an entire version to alter only eight verses—especially with the name it sports? Anyone seeing someone carry such a disreputable work will know immediately that the carrier had a bias toward defending homosexuality. And then they could not take the time to produce a translation of their own! This is nothing more than an in-your-face, “I accept homosexuality as legitimate; what are you gonna do about it?” statement. Frankly, this effort is nothing more than a Jehoiakim maneuver that has gone high tech. This wretched king of Judah, when read God’s Word from a scroll, took a penknife, cut it up, and burned it in the fire (Jer. 36). All that these editors have done differently, after burning the words to which they objected, was to write in their own. Like a child who attempts to mend a broken cookie jar (without any skill or knowhow), when they finished, they puffed out their chests and said: “There, good as new.”
Genesis 19:5
In the King James, the verse declares that the men of Sodom who had surrounded Lot’s house called for him to bring them out that they might “know them.” The QJV changes that portion of the text to read: “that we may rape and humiliate them.” While the men undoubtedly sought to abuse the visitors without their permission or cooperation, which would have left them humiliated, the newly stated verse is more of a com-mentary than a translation. Maybe they could make a case for “dynamic equivalence,” but even that would be difficult to do. The Hebrew word, according to The Complete Word Study Dictionary: Old Testament by Warren Baker, D.R.E. and Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D., means “to know, to learn, to perceive, to discern…. The word also refers to knowing a person sexually (Gen. 4: 1; 19:5; 1 Kgs. 1:4)” (420). It does not inherently ex-press violence or the intent of anyone to use force; it only conveys the idea of having carnal knowledge of another individual.
The QJV “translation” goes far beyond the meaning of the word. They have concluded (and rightly so) that the men intended to use force to achieve their goal, but discerning the intent of the men is drawing a conclusion from the facts; it still is not part of the definition of know. Words in a translation must be translated accurately; rape and humiliate is not a correct rendering.
Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13
The Hebrew of the first of these verses is simple and straightforward: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination.” Although some sentences in the Bible tend to be long and full of participial phrases and several types of clauses, these are two simple sentences. No one has any difficulty understanding them—except homosexuals. The QJV adds the phrase, in the temple of Molech, after the word woman. Such a phrase is not in any Hebrew text. It is an opinion that has been inserted into the text—and an unwarranted one at that.
They did the same thing with the second passage in the book: “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” Again, the phrase, in the temple of Mo-lech, was added after the word woman. To be sure, the people were to abstain from false worship with Molech. He was not to give any of his descendants to Molech (Lev. 20:2), which defiles God’s sanctuary and profanes His name (v. 3). And if anyone protected the man who had given his descendants to Molech, that man and his family God would cut off from the people, also. He would do so to all who prostituted themselves with Molech (20:4-5). God would behave similarly toward anyone who went after mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with such things (v. 6).
However, all of those types of things are listed in the first part of Leviticus 20. Then God makes a general statement: “Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God (v. 7). Then Moses lists several sexual sins, but not one of them had to do with Molech. Anyone who reads the context of Leviticus 20 can easily determine what relates to false worship and what relates to holiness.
Maintaining sexual purity is also the theme of Leviticus 18. In the midst of this text—none of which has anything to do with the commands being given—there is one reference to Molech: “And you shall not let any of your descendants pass through the fire to Molech, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am the Lord” (Lev. 18:20). This statement stands on its own. None of the sins before it or after it are tied into idolatry. Verse 21, although close in proximity, has nothing to do with Molech, and to add to verse 22 the words, in the temple of Molech, is presumptuous. Any reader who reads the entire chapter will be able to discern what homosexuals cannot see—because they are so desperate to find support for their sinful practices. The only connection is that pagans practice abominations.
Romans 1:26-27
No one needs to have any help understanding the passage as inspired by the Holy Spirit and translated by legitimate versions of the Bible. Compare the differences between the versions:
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: For even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward an-other; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet (KJV).
Their women did change their natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, left of the natural use of the woman, burned in ritual lust, one toward another; Men with men working that which is pagan and unseemly. For this cause God gave the idolators up unto vile affections, receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet (QJV).
Needless to say the word ritual is not in the Greek language. What exactly is ritual lust in the first place? Does that only occur when the men enter a temple? Outside the pagan temple they mate with women, do they, but once they enter into the temple, men suddenly strike their fancy? Who can believe it? Also, if homosexuality is practiced in a pagan temple, it is a vile practice, but otherwise it is legitimate? The absurd just keeps becoming more absurd. Anyone reading the text in a legitimate translation can discern what Paul is saying.
1 Corinthians 6:9 and 1 Timothy 1:10
One easily sees how the words selected for this passage were changed. Below are a few translations which are followed by the Queen James.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with man-kind… (KJV).
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites… (NKJ).
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor morally weak, nor promiscuous, (QJV) (Page 554).
Obviously, homosexuals and sodomites were changed to morally weak and promiscuous. Why?
The answer is obvious: a genuine translation puts homosexuals in a bad light; thus they desire to change it. Below are how other translations treat those two words.
ASV: effeminate, abusers of themselves with men
NAS: effeminate, homosexuals
ESV: men who practice homosexuality
RSV: sexual perverts
NIV: male prostitutes, homosexual offenders
To be sure, not every translation is as precise as it could be, but none of them have morally weak and promiscuous. The Greek word malakos [3120] is an adjective that modified clothing in its three other appearances in the New Testament, where it is translated “soft” (Matt. 11:8; where it appears twice; Luke 7:25). In this instance, it refers to a man who is “soft.”
The other word in 1 Corinthians 6:9 is arsenokoitees [733], a word found only here in the New Testament. It is a compound word from a word meaning male [730] and one translated “bed” [2845] in Hebrews 13:4. Thus, a man is in bed with another man, engaging in a same sex relationship. The English word coitus can be traced back through French and Latin, but it bears a striking resemblance to the Greek word.
The only other time the compound word [733] ap-pears in the New Testament is in 1 Timothy 1:10, where the King James describes those who defile themselves with mankind and the New King James again uses sodomites. This time the QJV uses the rather bland “them that defile themselves,” which could mean almost anything.
Jude 7
The final of the eight passages changed for this genuine perversion is Jude 7, which ought to strike terror into the hearts of all who practice homosexuality, but, no, they decided to change this verse, also. Both versions appear below:
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (KJV).
Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after nonhuman flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire (QJV).
It might seem inconsequential for them to change “strange” flesh to “non-human” flesh, but the difference is significant. Homosexual adherents argue that it would have been wrong to try to have intimate relations with angels; the only problem is that nothing in Genesis 19 indicates that they knew the men were angels. Now the text identifies them as angels in Genesis 19:1, which they were. But consider the first introduction we have of them, which is in Genesis 18. We know that the Lord is present with Abraham because the first verse divulges that information to us. But Abraham did not know it at the time. What he saw was three men approaching (v. 2). Addressing them as, “My Lord,” he begged them to remain with him and be refreshed. Three measures of fine meal were kneaded and made into cakes. A young calf was also prepared. Nothing indicates that Abraham knew that two of them were angels and that one was the Lord until He told Abraham what would happen.
Similarly, the reader of Genesis 19 knows that two angels came to Sodom, but neither Lot nor the men of the city give any inkling that they knew. Addressing them as, “my lords,” Lot begged them to come to his house to spend the night. When the men of Sodom came to Lot’s house, they did not ask to see the angels who floated in on clouds that afternoon; they asked for the men, that they might know them carnally (Gen. 19: 5). They would have included Lot also, since he had deigned to interfere and made judgmental statements against them, referring to their intentions as wicked.
Thus, homosexuals have no proof that the Sodomites knew that they were seeking to have intercourse with angels—not that it would have made any difference to them—but that is not the point. Those perverted men sought “strange” flesh, and the Greek word is heteros [2087], which is usually translated “other.” In other words, men usually seek the flesh of women, but in this instance, they were seeking other flesh—that of men. Nowhere in the Bible is heteros ever translated “non-human.” That rendering comes from homosexual theology—not from the Greek word or anything demanded by the text. One might well ask, “What kind of flesh do angels have? Jesus said that in heaven men neither marry nor are given in marriage because they “are like the angels of God in heaven” (Matt. 22:30). So, if they take on a human body when they come to earth, they either have to have the appearance of a body—one whose feet can be washed and who can eat food—or they must take on a human body, in which case their flesh would be like any other male’s flesh and not nonhuman at all!
These, then, are the eight passages that distinguish the King James from the Queen James. They are not legitimate changes, supported by any better knowledge or research techniques or any evidence that has surfaced from ancient manuscripts. They are purely the machinations coming from those who are committed to a way of life that is condemned in the Scriptures. Rather than repent and seek to please the Lord, they have decided that God is on their side, and they are determined to convince everyone else of the same thing. To be sure, some translators have attempted to put their own theology into the Scriptures (relating to salvation and doctrine), but this is the first “version” to champion immorality.