In a way, choosing a particular bible translation is a lot like deciding what your Christian beliefs are. You just have to familiarize yourself with them, and then go with what you believe to be right.
For myself, I like the NIV because it's written in more modern English and therefore easier for me to read and understand than the KJV. But there are just some passages that sound better in King James vernacular. Like the 23rd Psalm. It sounds far better to me in KJV than any other translation.
its actually quite different the niv and kjv. very key points are different. when you look at the hebrew and Greek, the translation differences are by far more when using the niv ( which i read still today in conjunction with Kjv. the Kjv authorized is by and far the most accurate translation of the Holy Bible into english. the 1981 niv is much more aqccurate than the newer versions, and the thing with niv is it is always changing, revised re distributed, revised again and redistributed. over time it loses alot from the original. just one example of an issue
john 1:18 niv "
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known."
the Kjv "
No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him."
bosom means in closest relationship with, inseperable from, in unity with.
the greek reads "
theon oudeis heorakin popote monogenes
theos ho on eis ton kolpon tou patros ekeinos exegesato"
and translates this way
" God no one has seen ever yet,
the only begotten of God, the one being in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him Known.
while i understand the thought " Jesus is Himself God" that the niv writers put in there, i know why they did that, but it just isnt there in the translation. the Kjv is like this in nearly every place it is the most accurate. that being said i still today study niv and Love it, i just always go to kjv if there is an issue. Because I have had the luxury of studying linguistics and translation in depth. i think people miss that Hebrew and greek do not word for word translate into any language.
the translation of the Bible is done by what each sentance means, and the idea is then put into the words of another Language. One ancient people expressed complex ideas with thier wordings, if we translate them word for word they dont make sense in english, the translators translate the message, into words modern speaking people understand. the Only way to get a word for word account is to study the andient texts, and you still end up with what the kjv says. i wasted alot of time in the past because i had the idea something was lost in translation, i found the Kjv is the inspired english version of His word.
any translation of the Bible though, in any Language has the message of Christ, details matter in many instances which is why myself i always stick to kjv and study it with niv, and there really are alot of differences in the details.