« | Exodus 23 | » |
1 You shall not raise a false report: put not your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
2 You shall not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shall you speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
3 Neither shall you countenance a poor man in his cause.
4 If you meet your enemy's ox or his ass going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
5 If you see the ass of him that hates you lying under his burden, and would forbear to help him, you shall surely help with him.
6 You shall not wrest the judgment of your poor in his cause.
7 Keep you far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay you not: for I will not justify the wicked.
8 And you shall take no gift: for the gift blinds the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.
9 Also you shall not oppress a stranger: for you know the heart of a stranger, seeing you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
10 And six years you shall sow your land, and shall gather in the fruits thereof:
11 But the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie still; that the poor of your people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner you shall deal with your vineyard, and with your olive grove.
12 Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest: that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
13 And in all things that I have said to you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth.
14 Three times you shall keep a feast to me in the year.
15 You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread: (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it you came out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
16 And the feast of harvest, the first fruits of your labors, which you have sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when you have gathered in your labors out of the field.
17 Three items in the year all your males shall appear before the LORD God.
18 You shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
19 The first of the first fruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. You shall not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
20 Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
22 But if you shall indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.
23 For my Angel shall go before you, and bring you in to the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but you shall utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
25 And you shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless your bread, and your water; and I will take sickness away from the middle of you.
26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in your land: the number of your days I will fulfill.
27 I will send my fear before you, and will destroy all the people to whom you shall come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you.
28 And I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you.
29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against you.
30 By little and little I will drive them out from before you, until you be increased, and inherit the land.
31 And I will set your bounds from the Red sea even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and you shall drive them out before you.
32 You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me: for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.
The American King James Version (AKJV)
The American King James Version (AKJV) is a modernized adaptation of the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, which seeks to retain the majesty and accuracy of the original text while updating some of the archaic language to make it more accessible to contemporary readers. The AKJV was created by Michael Peter (Stone) Engelbrite in the late 20th century, aiming to preserve the classic beauty and literary excellence of the KJV while ensuring that the scripture remains comprehensible to modern audiences. Michael Peter (Stone) Engelbrite of True Grace Ministries, claims his version is a simple word for word update from the King James English.
This translation adheres closely to the text and structure of the KJV, making only minimal changes where necessary to update outdated terms and phrases. One of the significant features of the AKJV is its commitment to maintaining the same verse structure and traditional phrasing that has made the KJV so enduringly popular. By making modest updates to the language, such as replacing thee and thou with you and your, the AKJV provides a version of the Bible that feels familiar to those who have long cherished the KJV, while being more approachable for new readers. This careful balance allows the AKJV to honor the historical and literary legacy of the KJV while meeting the linguistic needs of readers of today.
The AKJV also seeks to remain faithful to the doctrinal and theological foundations of the KJV. By preserving the original text's meaning and intent, the AKJV provides a reliable translation for study, worship, and personal devotion. Its adherence to the Textus Receptus for the New Testament and the Masoretic Text for the Old Testament ensures that the translation remains consistent with the sources that have historically underpinned the KJV. This fidelity to the original manuscripts and theological perspectives of the KJV helps maintain the trust and respect that many readers have for this venerable translation.
Despite its strengths, the AKJV has not been without its criticisms. Some scholars and readers argue that the translation does not go far enough in updating the language, leaving certain passages still challenging for modern audiences. Others feel that any alteration to the KJV diminishes its historical and literary significance. Nonetheless, the AKJV remains a valuable resource for those who seek a Bible translation that bridges the gap between the time-honored KJV and the needs of contemporary readers, offering a version that is both reverent and readable.