Can or Can’t

(Pro 20:9 KJV)  Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

In reading this first in the Legacy Standard Bible I find a difference that might be subtle, but it is very real.  You will notice that the KJV puts the cleansing power in the hands of the believer.  Since this is a rhetorical question, this statement comes across accurately that we cannot save ourselves.  Good theology.  Even the Old Testament reminds us that we are saved by God’s power, or grace, and not our own ability.  That is the point of this verse.  Now look at the LSB,

Proverbs 20:9 (LSB) Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure, I am clean from my sin”?

At first glance you might ask, “What is the difference?”  The LSB asked a question and thinks that the answer is “no” just as the question in the KJV expects a “no”, but the question is actually different.  The way the LSB states things, it is impossible for us to live upright and righteous lives.  That is repeatedly refuted in Proverbs and Psalms and many other places in the Bible. We are expected to live upright lives.

In comparing the two I find that the KJV, along with the NASB, as an accurate statement, and the LSB is a bit deceptive.

So?  Read with discernment.  Read with your mind.  God will give you the guidance you need.