« | 2 Kings 8 | » |
1 And Elisha spoke to the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, Arise and go, you and your household, and live wherever you can live. For Jehovah has called for a famine. And it shall also come on the land seven years.
2 And the woman arose and did according to the word of the man of God. And she went with her household, and lived in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3 And it happened at the end of seven years, the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines. And she went forth to cry to the king for her house and for her land.
4 And the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Please tell me all the great things which Elisha has done.
5 And it happened as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life cried to the king for the house and for her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O, king, this is the woman, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life.
6 And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed to her a certain eunuch saying, Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day when she left the land, even until now.
7 And Elisha came to Damascus. And Ben-hadad the king of Syria was sick. And they told him, saying, The man of God has come here.
8 And the king said to Hazael, Take a present in your hand and go to meet the man of God, and ask of Jehovah by him, saying, Shall I recover of this disease?
9 And Hazael went to meet him and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and said, Your servant Ben-hadad, king of Syria, has sent me to you, saying, Shall I recover from this disease?
10 And Elisha said to him, Go and say to him, You shall certainly recover. But Jehovah has shown me that he shall surely die.
11 And he settled his face steadfastly until he was ashamed. And the man of God wept.
12 And Hazael said, Why does my lord weep? And he answered, Because I know the evil that you will do to the sons of Israel. You will set their strongholds on fire, and you will kill their young men with the sword, and will dash their children, and rip up their women with child.
13 And Hazael said, What! Is your servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered, Jehovah has shown me that you shall be king over Syria.
14 And he departed from Elisha and came to his master, who said to him, What did Elisha say to you? And he answered, He told me you would surely recover.
15 And it happened on the next day he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face so that he died. And Hazael reigned in his place.
16 And in the fifth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.
17 And he was thirty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.
18 And he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab did; for the daughter of Ahab was his wife. And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah.
19 Yet Jehovah would not destroy Judah for David His servant's sake, as He promised him to give him a light to his sons forever.
20 In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.
21 And Jehoram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And he rose by night and struck the Edomites who were all around him, and the commanders of the chariots. And the people fled into their tents.
22 Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah to this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.
23 And the rest of the acts of Jehoram, and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Matter of the Days of the Kings of Judah?
24 And Jehoram slept with his fathers and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And Ahaziah his son reigned in his place.
25 In the twelfth year of Jehoram the son of Ahab, king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, began to reign.
26 Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
27 And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of Jehovah, as the house of Ahab, for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.
28 And he went with Jehoram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramoth of Gilead. And the Syrians wounded Jehoram.
29 And King Jehoram went back to be healed in Jezreel from the wounds which the Syrians had given him in Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.
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.