Sample Chapters - MKJV and LITV

Sample Chapters:
MKJV and LITV

Two versions I recommend on this site are the Modern King James Version (MKJV) and the Literal Translation of the Bible (LITV). Since these two versions are not very well known, below are four sample chapters from each version.

Bold verse numbers indicate new paragraphs. Words in brackets [ ] are added by translators and are not in the original. This is the formatting used in the hardcopy editions of the versions.

Psalm 23: MKJV

1 A Psalm of David. The LORD [is] my Shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

3 He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You [are] with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 23: LITV

1 [A Psalm of David.] Jehovah [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters;

3 He restores my soul; He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil; for You [are] with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table for me before my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.

6 Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of Jehovah for as long as [my] days.

Isaiah 53: MKJV

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

2 For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground; He has no form nor majesty that we should see Him, nor an appearance that we should desire Him.

3 [He is] despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not.

4 Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

5 But He [was] wounded for our transgressions; [He was] bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace [was] on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, each one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet He opened not His mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before its shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of My people He [was] stricken.

9 And He put His grave with the wicked, and with a rich one in His death; although He had done no violence, nor [was any] deceit in His mouth.

10 Yet it pleased the LORD to crush Him; to grieve Him; [that] He should put forth His soul as a guilt-offering. He shall see [His] seed, He shall prolong [His] days, and the will of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many; and He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Therefore I will divide to Him with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He has poured out His soul to death; and He was counted among the transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for transgressors.

Isaiah 53: LITV

1 Who has believed our report? And to whom is the arm of Jehovah revealed?

2 For He comes up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of dry ground. He [has] no form nor magnificence that we should see Him; nor form that we should desire Him.

3 He [is] despised and abandoned of men, a Man of pains, and acquainted with sickness. And as it were hiding [our] faces from Him, He being despised, and we did not value Him.

4 Surely He has borne our sicknesses, and He carried our pain; yet we esteemed Him plagued, smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions; [He was] bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His wounds we ourselves are healed.

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have each one turned to his own way; and Jehovah made meet in Him the iniquity of all of us.

7 He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, but He did not open His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a ewe before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth.

8 He was taken from prison and from justice; and who shall consider His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; from the transgression of My people, the stroke [was] to Him.

9 And He put His grave with the wicked; and with a rich [man] in His death; although He had done no violence, and deceit [was] not in His mouth.

10 But Jehovah pleased to crush Him, to make Him sick, [so that] if He should put His soul as a guilt offering, He shall see [His] seed; He shall prolong [His] days; and the will of Jehovah shall prosper in His hand.

11 He shall see [the fruit] of the travail of His soul; He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many, and He shall bear their iniquities.

12 Because of this I will divide to Him with the great, and with the strong He shall divide the spoil; because He poured out His soul to death; and He was counted with transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for transgressors.

John 15: MKJV

1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.

2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.

3 Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.

4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine, so neither [can] you unless you abide in Me.

5 I am the Vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered. And they gather and cast [them] into the fire, and they are burned.

7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.

8 In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you shall be My disciples.

9 As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; continue in My love.

10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.

11 I have spoken these things to you so that My joy might remain in you and your joy might be full.

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

13 No one has greater love than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

16 You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain; that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.

17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

18 If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before [it hated] you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

20 Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his master. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they have kept My saying, they will also keep yours.

21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin.

23 He who hates Me hates My Father also.

24 If I had not done among them the works which no other did, they would not have had sin. But now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father.

25 But that the Word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, "They hated Me without a cause."

26 And when the Comforter has come, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He shall testify of Me.

27 And you also shall bear witness, because you have been with Me from [the] beginning.

John 15: LITV

1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.

2 Every branch in Me not bearing fruit, He takes it away; and each one bearing fruit, He prunes, so that it may bear more fruit.

3 You are already pruned because of the Word which I have spoken to you.

4 Remain in Me, and I in you. As the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, unless it remain in the vine, so neither [can] you unless you remain in Me.

5 I am the Vine; you [are] the branches. He that remains in Me, and I in him, this one bears much fruit. For apart from Me you are not able to do anything.

6 Unless one remains in Me, he is cast out as the branch and is dried up; and they gather and throw [them] into a fire, and they are burned.

7 If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, whatever you desire you will ask, and it shall happen to you.

8 In this My Father is glorified, that you should bear much fruit; and you will be My disciples.

9 As the Father loved Me, I also loved you; continue in My love.

10 If you keep My commandments you will continue in My love, as I have kept My Father's commandments and continue in His love.

11 I have spoken these things to you that My joy may abide in you, and your joy may be full.

12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I loved you.

13 Greater love than this has no one, that anyone should lay down his soul for his friends.

14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.

15 I no longer call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his lord does. But I called you friends, because all things which I heard from My Father I made known to you.

16 You have not chosen Me, but I chose you out and planted you, that you should go and should bear fruit, and your fruit remain, that whatever you should ask the Father in My name, He may give you.

17 These things I command you, that you love one another.

18 If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before [it has hated] you.

19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, for this reason the world hates you.

20 Remember the Word which I said to you, A slave is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted Me, they also will persecute you. If they kept My Word, they also will keep yours.

21 But all these things they will do to you on account of My name, because they do not know the [One] who sent Me.

22 If I had not come and had not spoken to them, they had no sin. But now they do not have excuse as to their sin.

23 The [one] hating Me also hates My Father.

24 If I did not do the works among them which no other did, they had no sin. But now they both have seen and also have hated Me and My Father.

25 But that may be fulfilled the Word that has been written in their Law, "They hated Me without a cause." [Psa. 69:4]

26 And when the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, that One will witness concerning Me.

27 And you also witness, because from [the] beginning you are with Me.

Romans 12: MKJV

1 I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, [which is] your reasonable service.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what [is] that good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to every one who is among you, not to think [of himself] more highly than he ought to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.

4 For even as we have many members in one body, and all members do not have the same function,

5 so we the many are one body in Christ, and each one members of one another.

6 Then having gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, if prophecy, according to the proportion of faith;

7 or ministry, in the ministry; or [he who] teaches, in the teaching;

8 or he who exhorts, in the encouragement; or he who shares, in simplicity; or he who takes the lead, in diligence; or he who shows mercy, in cheerfulness.

9 [Let] love [be] without hypocrisy, shrinking from evil, cleaving to good;

10 in brotherly love to one another, loving fervently, having led one another in honor.

11 As to diligence, not slothful, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

12 rejoicing in hope, patient in affliction, steadfastly continuing in prayer,

13 distributing to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless, and do not curse.

15 Rejoice with rejoicing ones, and weep with weeping ones;

16 minding the same thing toward one another, not minding high things, but yielding to the lowly. Do not be wise within yourselves.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18 If [it is] possible, as far as [is] in you, seeking peace with all men.

19 not avenging yourselves, beloved, but giving place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance [is] Mine, I will repay, says the Lord."

20 Therefore if your enemy hungers, feed him. If he thirsts, give him drink. For [in so] doing you shall heap coals of fire on his head.

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12: LITV

1 Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, [which] is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what [is] the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

3 For through the grace which is given to me, I say to everyone being among you, not to have high thoughts beyond what is right to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God divided a measure of faith to each.

4 For even as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function,

5 so we the many are one body in Christ, and each one members of one another,

6 but having different gifts according to the grace given to us, whether prophecy, according to the proportion of faith;

7 or ministry, in the ministry; or the [one] teaching, in the teaching;

8 or the [one] exhorting, in the encouragement; the [one] sharing, in simplicity; the [one] taking the lead, in diligence; the [one] showing mercy, in cheerfulness.

9 [Let] love [be] without dissimulation, shrinking from evil, cleaving to the good,

10 in brotherly love to one another, loving fervently, having gone before one another in honor;

11 in diligence, not slothful, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

12 in hope, rejoicing; in affliction, enduring; in prayer, steadfastly continuing;

13 imparting to the needs of the saints, pursuing hospitality.

14 Bless those persecuting you; bless, and do not curse.

15 Rejoice with rejoicing ones, and weep with weeping ones;

16 minding the same thing toward one another, not minding high things, but yielding to the lowly. Do not become wise within yourselves.

17 Repay no one evil for evil, having provided right things before all men. [Prov. 3:4]

18 If possible, as far as [is] in you, seeking peace with all men;

19 not avenging yourselves, beloved, but giving place to wrath, for it has been written, "Vengeance [is] Mine," "I will repay," says [the] Lord. [Deut. 32:35]

20 Then "if your enemy hungers, feed him; if he thirsts, give him drink; for doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head." [Prov. 25:21, 22]

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome the evil with good.