« | Deuteronomy 14 | » |
1 "You [are] the children of the LORD your God; you shall not cut yourselves nor shave the front of your head for the dead.
2 "For you [are] a holy people to the LORD your God, and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who [are] on the face of the earth.
3 " You shall not eat any detestable thing.
4 "These [are] the animals which you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat,
5 "the deer, the gazelle, the roe deer, the wild goat, the mountain goat, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
6 "And you may eat every animal with cloven hooves, having the hoof split into two parts, [and that] chews the cud, among the animals.
7 "Nevertheless, of those that chew the cud or have cloven hooves, you shall not eat, [such as] these: the camel, the hare, and the rock hyrax; for they chew the cud but do not have cloven hooves; they [are] unclean for you.
8 "Also the swine is unclean for you, because it has cloven hooves, yet [does] not [chew] the cud; you shall not eat their flesh or touch their dead carcasses.
9 " These you may eat of all that [are] in the waters: you may eat all that have fins and scales.
10 "And whatever does not have fins and scales you shall not eat; it [is] unclean for you.
11 " All clean birds you may eat.
12 "But these you shall not eat: the eagle, the vulture, the buzzard,
13 "the red kite, the falcon, and the kite after their kinds;
14 "every raven after its kind;
15 "the ostrich, the short-eared owl, the seagull, and the hawk after their kinds;
16 "the little owl, the screech owl, the white owl,
17 "the jackdaw, the carrion vulture, the fisher owl,
18 "the stork, the heron after its kind, and the hoopoe and the bat.
19 "Also every creeping thing that flies is unclean for you; they shall not be eaten.
20 "You may eat all clean birds.
21 " You shall not eat anything that dies [of itself;] you may give it to the alien who [is] within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you [are] a holy people to the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
22 " You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year.
23 "And you shall eat before the LORD your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always.
24 "But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry [the tithe, or] if the place where the LORD your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the LORD your God has blessed you,
25 "then you shall exchange [it] for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses.
26 "And you shall spend that money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen or sheep, for wine or similar drink, for whatever your heart desires; you shall eat there before the LORD your God, and you shall rejoice, you and your household.
27 "You shall not forsake the Levite who [is] within your gates, for he has no part nor inheritance with you.
28 " At the end of [every] third year you shall bring out the tithe of your produce of that year and store [it] up within your gates.
29 "And the Levite, because he has no portion nor inheritance with you, and the stranger and the fatherless and the widow who [are] within your gates, may come and eat and be satisfied, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.
The New King James Version (NKJV)
The New King James Version (NKJV) is a modern translation of the Bible that seeks to preserve the stylistic and literary beauty of the original King James Version (KJV) while making it more accessible to contemporary readers. The project to create the NKJV began in 1975, spearheaded by Arthur Farstad and a team of over 130 scholars, theologians, and pastors. They aimed to maintain the traditional language and rhythm of the KJV while updating archaic terms and expressions to be more understandable for modern audiences. The translation was completed and published in 1982, offering a blend of reverence for the past and clarity for the present.
One of the defining features of the NKJV is its commitment to the Textus Receptus, the same Greek text underlying the New Testament of the KJV. This ensures a high degree of continuity between the two versions, making the NKJV familiar to those who have long cherished the KJV. However, the NKJV also considers findings from more recent scholarship and textual criticism, incorporating insights from the latest manuscripts and research. This approach helps to balance respect for the historical text with a recognition of the advancements in biblical studies.
The NKJV has been praised for its readability and poetic qualities, which make it suitable for both private study and public worship. Its translators worked diligently to preserve the lyrical and memorable phrasing of the KJV, which has deeply influenced English literature and religious practice. By modernizing the language without compromising the text’s inherent dignity and solemnity, the NKJV has become a popular choice among those who value both accuracy and elegance in their Bible reading.
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