Text Mining Analysis of the King James Version & New International Version: Concerns and Implications for ESL Readers

Abstract English as a Second Language (ESL) students are often expected to read and use English translations of the Bible for academic and worship purposes. The purpose of this study was to explore the writing style of the King James Version and the New International Version in terms of each translation’s formality, readability, and sentiment using quantitative text mining analysis tools. Results indicated that the KJV used more formal language, had a higher grade level of readability and used slightly more positive wording than the NIV. In addition, for both translations the Old Testament was much more negative in terms of sentiment than the New Testament. Lastly, a moderate positive relationship was found between readability and formality for both translations.