« | Amos 9 |
1 I saw the Lord standing by the altar. And He said, Strike the capital of the door, so that the thresholds shall shake; and break them on the head of all of them. And I will kill the last of them with the sword. Not one of them fleeing will flee, and not a fugitive of them will escape.
2 If they dig into hell, there My hand shall take them. And if they go up to the heavens, I will bring them down from there.
3 And if they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out from there. And if they are hidden from My sight in the bottom of the sea, I will command the serpent there, and he shall bite them.
4 And if they go into captivity before their enemies, I will command the sword there, and it shall kill them; and I will set My eyes on them for evil, and not for good.
5 And the Lord Jehovah of Hosts is He who touches the land, and it shall melt, and all who dwell in it shall mourn. And all of it shall rise up like the Nile, and sink down like the Nile of Egypt.
6 It is He who builds His staircase in the heavens, and He has founded the heavens on the earth; He who calls for the waters of the sea, and pours them out on the face of the earth; Jehovah is His name.
7 Are you not like sons of the Ethiopians to Me, O sons of Israel, says Jehovah? Have I not brought Israel up out of the land of Egypt? and the Philistines from Caphtor, and the Syrians from Kir?
8 Behold, the eyes of the Lord Jehovah are on the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from the face of the earth; except that I will not completely destroy the house of Jacob, says Jehovah.
9 For lo, I will command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, as one shakes with a sieve, yet not a grain shall fall to the earth.
10 All the sinners of My people shall die by the sword, who say, The evil shall not draw near, or come in front of us.
11 In that day I will raise up the booth of David that has fallen, and close up its breaks; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old;
12 so that they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the nations on whom My name is called, says Jehovah who is doing this.
13 Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that the plowman and the reaper shall draw near, the treader of grapes, and he who draws along the seed. And the mountains will drip must, and all the hills will be dissolved.
14 And I will turn back the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the cities which are desolate, and they shall live in them. And they shall plant vineyards and drink their wine. They shall also make gardens and eat their fruit.
15 And I will plant them on their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, says Jehovah your God.
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.