« | Ezekiel 6 | » |
1 And it happened, the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying,
2 Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them.
3 And say, Mountains of Israel, hear the Word of the Lord. So says the Lord Jehovah to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.
4 And your altars shall be wasted, and your pillars shall be broken. And I will make fall your slain before your idols.
5 And I will put the dead bodies of the sons of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones around your altars.
6 In all the places where you live, cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be deserted; so that your altars may be laid waste and become guilty, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your pillars may be cut down, and your works wiped out.
7 And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and you shall know that I am Jehovah.
8 Yet I will leave a remainder that may be left to you some who escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the lands.
9 And those of you who escape shall remember Me among the nations where they shall be exiled, because I was broken by their whoring heart which has departed from Me, and with their whoring eyes which go after their idols. And they shall despise themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
10 And they shall know that I am Jehovah, and that I have not said in vain to do this evil to them.
11 So says the Lord Jehovah: Strike with your hand and stamp with your foot, and say, Alas, for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! For they shall fall by the sword, and by the famine, and by the plague.
12 He who is afar off shall die of the plague; and he who is near shall fall by the sword; and he who remains and is under siege shall die by the famine. So I will fulfill My fury on them.
13 Then you shall know that I am Jehovah, when their dead shall be among their idols all around their altars, on every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, the place where they offered sweet aroma to all their idols.
14 And I will stretch out My hand on them and make the land a waste, even more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all the places where they live; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.
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.