When I get involved in all those threads about bible versions, one thought inspired by Psalms keeps coming back to me.
Its my actual experience with the AV (KJV). It still surprises me with some of its awe-inspiring renderings!
When I find a stunning verse in the KJV that not only seems to actually improve on the Hebrew or Greek original, but capture the essence of my Englishman's mind at its best, I actually get distracted;
When this rendering is not copied by any other modern version, I actually wonder how they could substitute garbage for such sublime language, and I think, "These people don't even know what they've just lost!" I marvel at their incompetence.
I also wonder how close we were to NOT getting the verse in its arresting clothing, and marvel at how the Holy Spirit must have moved a particular committee member or group to think of the rendering in the first place. It stuns me. I think that right at that moment, the person must have been in a humble spirit to receive the eureka.
When all the bickering gets me wound up almost to confusion, A single focussing thought hits me. I wouldn't know "perfect" if it was right in front of me. But no matter how many times I come up with some rendering or new translation idea that I think is an improvement, I also realise its only an "improvement" for ME. Others don't often appreciate it at all. And I know that for all my cleverness, I couldn't pull off the overall success of the Authorised Version.
Our English Reformation Bible is..Simply the Best.
Let others call it "scraps" or or leftovers of a bygone age. It is still nourishing after 35 years.
peace
Nazaroo
Its my actual experience with the AV (KJV). It still surprises me with some of its awe-inspiring renderings!
When I find a stunning verse in the KJV that not only seems to actually improve on the Hebrew or Greek original, but capture the essence of my Englishman's mind at its best, I actually get distracted;
When this rendering is not copied by any other modern version, I actually wonder how they could substitute garbage for such sublime language, and I think, "These people don't even know what they've just lost!" I marvel at their incompetence.
I also wonder how close we were to NOT getting the verse in its arresting clothing, and marvel at how the Holy Spirit must have moved a particular committee member or group to think of the rendering in the first place. It stuns me. I think that right at that moment, the person must have been in a humble spirit to receive the eureka.
When all the bickering gets me wound up almost to confusion, A single focussing thought hits me. I wouldn't know "perfect" if it was right in front of me. But no matter how many times I come up with some rendering or new translation idea that I think is an improvement, I also realise its only an "improvement" for ME. Others don't often appreciate it at all. And I know that for all my cleverness, I couldn't pull off the overall success of the Authorised Version.
Our English Reformation Bible is..Simply the Best.
Let others call it "scraps" or or leftovers of a bygone age. It is still nourishing after 35 years.
peace
Nazaroo