*This will be pages 3 & 4 of your bible study if you are printing them out. See the pdf link at the end of this post.

Malachi 4:2 according to the…

KJV (King James Version): 

But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

Now see what some of the modern versions are saying:

• NIV (New International Version) : 

But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.

• ESV (English Standard Version):

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall.

• ASV (American Standard Version):

But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall.

• Amplified Bible:

But unto you who revere and worshipfully fear My name shall the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings and His beams, and you shall go forth and gambol like calves [released] from the stall and leap for joy.

• The Message (Malachi 4:1-3): 

“Count on it: The day is coming, raging like a forest fire. All the arrogant people who do evil things will be burned up like stove wood, burned to a crisp, nothing left but scorched earth and ash— a black day. But for you, sunrise! The sun of righteousness will dawn on those who honor my name, healing radiating from its wings. You will be bursting with energy, like colts frisky and frolicking. And you’ll tromp on the wicked. They’ll be nothing but ashes under your feet on that Day.” God-of-the-Angel-Armies says so. ”

• GNT (Good News Translation):

But for you who obey me, my saving power will rise on you like the sun and bring healing like the sun’s rays. You will be as free and happy as calves let out of a stall.

Here’s what’s going through my mind?

• Things that are different, are not the same.

• If the excuse for changing the bible was to make it easier to read and understand, how do some of those changes make understanding the bible any easier? Like the word “gambol”? Who uses that? And adding more words making the verse longer…

• Removing Jesus right out of the picture! God is referencing Jesus Christ in this verse and revealing something to us,  but some person somewhere in history figured it needed changed. Hmmm, I wonder who the real mastermind behind that was?  Jesus is the Sun of righteousness.

Now consider Jesus,  Romans 1:20 and the connection to Malachi 4:2:

Very important!!  Romans 1:20 (KJV)

“For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen,

being understood by the things that are made,

even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”

Jesus is the one and only Son of God sent to bring us eternal life ….. we have only one physical sun that brings life to the earth. 

Jesus’s own statement in the following verse supports Romans 1:20 when he described the Holy Spirit as the wind. Jesus says in John 3:8 (KJV)  “The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.“

I got all of my bible comparison above from BibleGateway.com. Go there and compare your modern day bible version with the King James Version (Note: the KJV is not the same as the New King James Version which has changes in it also). For these reasons and many more I only trust the KJV. See all my KJV Q&A posts.

Its truly not about the “thee’s & thou’s”.

Download and save or print this post and study the bible for yourself!  Bible Study: Malachi 4:2, Jesus removed. Find pages 1 & 2 here.