« | Exodus 23 | » |
1 "You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
2 "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert [justice.]
3 "You shall not show partiality to a poor man in his dispute.
4 " If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again.
5 "If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.
6 " You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute.
7 "Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.
8 "And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.
9 "Also you shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
10 " Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce,
11 "but the seventh [year] you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard [and] your olive grove.
12 "Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.
13 "And in all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from 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, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty);
16 "and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in [the fruit of] your labors from 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 leavened bread; nor shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until morning.
19 "The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the LORD your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its 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; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name [is] in Him.
22 "But if you 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 will 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, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their [sacred] pillars.
25 "So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take sickness away from the midst of you.
26 "No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.
27 " I will send My fear before you, I will cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and 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 become too numerous for you.
30 "Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.
31 "And I will set your bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, 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 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.
Despite its strengths, the NKJV has faced criticism from some quarters. Critics argue that by adhering too closely to the Textus Receptus, it may not fully reflect the breadth of available manuscript evidence. Others feel that it may still be too archaic for some readers, especially those who are new to the Bible or who come from different linguistic backgrounds. Nonetheless, the NKJV remains a significant and respected translation, offering a bridge between the venerable tradition of the KJV and the needs of modern readers.