« | Exodus 23 | » |
1 You shall not raise a false report. Do not put 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 in order to follow many in order to wrest judgment.
3 And you should not favor 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 who hates you lying under his burden, and would hold back from helping him, you shall surely help him.
6 You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his cause.
7 Keep far from a false matter, and do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.
8 And you shall take no bribe, for the bribe 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, since you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
10 And you shall sow your land six years, and shall gather in the fruits of it.
11 But the seventh year you shall let it rest and let it alone, so that the poor of your people may eat. And what they leave, the animals of the field shall eat. In the same way you shall deal with your vineyard and with your oliveyard.
12 You shall do your work six days, and on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
13 And be watchful in all that I have said to you. And make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth.
14 You shall keep a feast to Me three times 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 of Egypt. And no one shall appear before Me empty.
16 Also the Feast of Harvest, the first-fruits of your labors, which you have sown in the field. Also the Feast of Ingathering, in the end of the year, when you have gathered in your labors out of the field.
17 Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord God.
18 You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, neither shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until the morning.
19 The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of Jehovah your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.
20 Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you to the place which I have prepared.
21 Be on guard before Him, and obey His voice. Do not provoke Him, 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 a foe to your foes.
23 For My Angel shall go before you and bring you in to the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I will cut them off.
24 You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them. And you shall not do according to their works. But you shall surely pull them down, and surely you shall smash their images.
25 And you shall serve Jehovah your God, and He shall bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.
26 Nothing shall 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 before you.
29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become a waste, and the beast of the field multiply against you.
30 By little and little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and inherit the land.
31 And I will stretch 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 or 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 surely will be a snare to you.
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.