« | 2 Chronicles 15 | » |
1 And the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded.
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said to him, Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin. Jehovah is with you while you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will be found by you. But if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.
3 And for a long time Israel had been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 And when they turned in their trouble to Jehovah, the God of Israel, and sought Him, He was found by them.
5 And in those times there was no peace to him who went out, nor to him who came in, but great tumult was on all the people of the lands.
6 And nation was beaten by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every distress.
7 But you be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.
8 And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim. And he renewed the altar of Jehovah before the porch of Jehovah.
9 And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon. For they fell to him out of Israel in great numbers, when they saw that Jehovah his God was with him.
10 And they gathered to Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.
11 And they offered to Jehovah in that day part of the plunder which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.
12 And they entered into a covenant to seek Jehovah, the God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul,
13 and that whoever would not seek Jehovah, the God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.
14 And they swore to Jehovah with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with ram's horns.
15 And all Judah rejoiced at the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought Him with their whole desire. And He was found by them, and Jehovah gave them rest all around.
16 And also as to Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen mother, because she had made an idol in a grove. And Asa cut down her idol and stamped it and burned it at the torrent Kidron.
17 But the high places were not taken away out of Israel. But the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.
18 And he brought into the house of God the things which his father had dedicated, and which he himself had dedicated, silver and gold and vessels.
19 And there was no war to the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Asa.
The Modern King James Version (MKJV)
The Modern King James Version (MKJV) is a contemporary English translation of the Bible that aims to preserve the majesty and accuracy of the original King James Version (KJV) while updating its language for modern readers. Developed by Jay P. Green Sr. and first published in 1990, the MKJV seeks to maintain the literary beauty and doctrinal reliability of the KJV, making only necessary adjustments to archaic terms and phrases to enhance readability. This careful balance allows the MKJV to retain the classic feel of the KJV while making it more accessible to today’s audience.
One of the standout features of the MKJV is its commitment to formal equivalence, or word-for-word translation. The translators have meticulously preserved the structure and vocabulary of the KJV, only updating words and phrases that have become outdated or whose meanings have shifted over time. This approach ensures that the MKJV remains faithful to the original texts and maintains the theological and literary integrity of the KJV. By preserving the cadence and phrasing of the original, the MKJV offers a reading experience that is both familiar and refreshed for modern readers.
The MKJV also pays special attention to the textual basis of the translation. Like the KJV, it relies on the Textus Receptus for the New Testament and the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament. This adherence to traditional source texts underscores the MKJV’s commitment to continuity with the historic Christian tradition. The translation is designed to serve both devotional and scholarly purposes, providing a text that is suitable for study, teaching, and public reading in a variety of settings.
Despite its strengths, the Modern King James Version has faced some criticism. Some scholars and readers argue that the translation could benefit from a more extensive revision to fully embrace contemporary language, suggesting that the MKJV’s adherence to the structure and style of the KJV may still pose challenges for modern readers. Others appreciate the balance it strikes but note that it occupies a niche space, appealing primarily to those who have a strong attachment to the KJV. Nonetheless, the MKJV remains a respected and valued translation for those seeking a modern update of the KJV that honors its rich heritage and timeless message.