Nikki,
I have to mostly agree and somewhat disagree with the above posts. I was raised on the KJV and I believe that was for a reason. Until I obtained a computer program with a bunch of translations and helps in it, so that I can get depth in God’s Word at the touch of my fingers, (gotta love that) I needed the Strong’s concordance to teach the Word. The Strong’s is based on the old KJV. Even now, if I am without my computer, I still have to go back to the Strong’s for reference when I teach or preach. Since the new concordances, (e.g., NLT) do not have the Hebrew/Chaldean and Greek dictionaries, they are not that helpful if you want to get the fuller meaning of some words, as in Mark’s example with the musical instruments, (maybe that is what KJ men thought of extra wives back then)?!
Having said that, here is what I have found as a result of my studies under the Holy Spirit’s guidance...
The NKJV is the most accurate translation that I have come across, so that is what I use in my ministry for teaching. It corrects many of the errors in the KJV. For example, if you teach someone that God said in the Ten Commandments that ‘Thou shalt not kill’, but the Bible says in Ecclesiastes that ‘there is a time to kill’, how do you explain that? The answer is that the KJV has a mistranslation of the sixth commandment. The NKJV correctly translates the command as, ‘You shall not MURDER.’ Murder is taking someone’s live without a cause and usually in anger. There is a parallel verse in Matthew 5:21 that also has the same error in the KJV, as the Greek word meaning ‘murder’ is incorrectly translated as ‘kill’. This is correctly translated in the NKJV. Interestingly, the NLT also has the correct translations in both cases. So in this instance, both the NKJV and NLT are more accurate than the KJV. This is one of the big things that people who call themselves Christian do not understand, because the leaders of the church were also raised on the error found in the KJV, so they do not understand it. That is why people cannot argue correctly for or against the death penalty by using the KJV Bible, because it has a significant error on this point.
The NLT is actually fairly accurate. However, it has more error than the NKJV, but I use it for baby Christians so that they can more easily understand the Word. I call it ‘the Bible for dummies’. When I get a new ‘disciple’, I give them both translations. I instruct them to READ the NLT daily, but to STUDY out of the NKJV. It was only after I read the NLT version of Isaiah chapter 4 that I truly understood and accepted the concept of modern polygyny as God revealed it directly to me. I also teach people about the Apocrypha and the use of the Strong’s concordance/dictionary, (not the New Strong’s as I think it has more error than the older version). I have found these errors from my studies with the Holy Spirit helping me write my teachings and the book that I recently posted on our web site.
In my opinion, the KJV is simply outdated and too difficult for most new converts to understand. I would rather that someone retained a greater majority of the Word from the NLT, than study and not understand the KJV. I have found the NLT to be so enjoyable for new people to read that they get very excited about it. Even today I gave one to someone that I do not even know, because I had lent it to a Muslim lady in attempts to try to get her to receive the truth about healing, (her mother who is younger than me has terminal cancer). She rejected God’s Word, but told me that when she was reading the NLT Bible that I loaned her while at lunch one day that a co-worker, (who is a Christian) borrowed it to look something up. After reading it the co-worker said to the Muslim lady that she needed to get one. I went to follow-up with the Muslim lady today, (she is my banker) and she told me the story. So I asked her if her co-worker wanted the Bible. She called her and the lady asked for it, so I gave it to her. I also find the Amplified Bible and other translations, (except the NIV) to be occasionally helpful. No offense please, but the NIV is the worst Bible on the planet, in my opinion. It is chocked full of error.
Recently, when this subject came up on another thread, I went to God and He revealed to me the reason that He has allowed the many translations to exist and even allows error in His modern written Word. The key to understanding this reason is found in Matthew 10:34, Ephesians 6:17, Revelation 19:13 and v. 15. The Word of God is Jesus and it is also a sword. Jesus came in one sense in order to divide those who claim to be His people. He does this by His Word, (the ‘sword’). Jesus and the apostles taught us that we should endeavor NOT to become divided over trivial issues that are debatable. However, people who call themselves Christians do it all the time. Just read some of the posts on this web site to illustrate what I am saying. True Christians will NOT argue over debatable issues. They will rather choose to obey Jesus’ command to love one another as HE loves us. This is the only way that the world at large will know that we are His disciples, by our love for one another, (John 13:34-35). However, most ‘Christians’ continue to bite and devour one another. It is only when the Christian church at large becomes perfected in love that Jesus will come back, (Ephesians chapter 4). The different translations and error that is in them is a test for us. Most of us have failed this test miserably. That is one of the reasons that the Christian church at large will go through the great tribulation, because they simply refuse to obey Jesus’ command that we love one another, (perfected Christians will even show respect for their enemies). The tribulation will force people either to learn to walk in love, or reject Christ totally. Unfortunately, the mainstream church is teaching the lie that the ‘rapture’ will occur BEFORE the great tribulation, (which is just around the corner). This will not happen and when people who call themselves ‘Christian’, (but refuse to obey God) find themselves in the midst of this tribulation, they will fall away from the faith. This is what Jesus taught about in Matthew chapter 24, esp. v. 10 and Paul repeated in II Thessalonians chapter 2, esp. v. 3.
The concept of the perfected Christian love walk is a significant part of my ministry and the subject of the book and teachings that God had me make freely available on our web site, (
http://www.perfectchristian.110mb.com). Many of the revelations that God has given me are found in those writings. Anyone who really wants to prepare for these end-time events will be able to use these writings to do so. They will find that I use several translations, the Strong’s, dictionaries, Apocrypha, etc. in order to get a fuller picture of what God is saying to this generation. The bottom line is for us to get perfected in Christ. That can be done using any translation with the help of the Holy Spirit, as you so aptly pointed out.
I hope that this has been helpful.
Be blessed,
Ray
) and "The Scriptures" by my computer, and a copy of the NKJV on the headboard of my bed. (And my Geneva is REALLY heavy. It stays in the bookcase unless I want to look something up specifically!) 
