« | Ezekiel 7 | » |
1 Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
2 "And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: 'An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.
3 Now the end [has come] upon you, And I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways, And I will repay you for all your abominations.
4 My eye will not spare you, Nor will I have pity; But I will repay your ways, And your abominations will be in your midst; Then you shall know that I [am] the LORD!'
5 " Thus says the Lord GOD: 'A disaster, a singular disaster; Behold, it has come!
6 An end has come, The end has come; It has dawned for you; Behold, it has come!
7 Doom has come to you, you who dwell in the land; The time has come, A day of trouble [is] near, And not of rejoicing in the mountains.
8 Now upon you I will soon pour out My fury, And spend My anger upon you; I will judge you according to your ways, And I will repay you for all your abominations.
9 'My eye will not spare, Nor will I have pity; I will repay you according to your ways, And your abominations will be in your midst. Then you shall know that I [am] the LORD who strikes.
10 ' Behold, the day! Behold, it has come! Doom has gone out; The rod has blossomed, Pride has budded.
11 Violence has risen up into a rod of wickedness; None of them [shall remain,] None of their multitude, None of them; Nor [shall there be] wailing for them.
12 The time has come, The day draws near. 'Let not the buyer rejoice, Nor the seller mourn, For wrath [is] on their whole multitude.
13 For the seller shall not return to what has been sold, Though he may still be alive; For the vision concerns the whole multitude, And it shall not turn back; No one will strengthen himself Who lives in iniquity.
14 'They have blown the trumpet and made everyone ready, But no one goes to battle; For My wrath [is] on all their multitude.
15 The sword [is] outside, And the pestilence and famine within. Whoever [is] in the field Will die by the sword; And whoever [is] in the city, Famine and pestilence will devour him.
16 ' Those who survive will escape and be on the mountains Like doves of the valleys, All of them mourning, Each for his iniquity.
17 Every hand will be feeble, And every knee will be [as] weak [as] water.
18 They will also be girded with sackcloth; Horror will cover them; Shame [will be] on every face, Baldness on all their heads.
19 'They will throw their silver into the streets, And their gold will be like refuse; Their silver and their gold will not be able to deliver them In the day of the wrath of the LORD; They will not satisfy their souls, Nor fill their stomachs, Because it became their stumbling block of iniquity.
20 ' As for the beauty of his ornaments, He set it in majesty; But they made from it The images of their abominations -- Their detestable things; Therefore I have made it Like refuse to them.
21 I will give it as plunder Into the hands of strangers, And to the wicked of the earth as spoil; And they shall defile it.
22 I will turn My face from them, And they will defile My secret place; For robbers shall enter it and defile it.
23 ' Make a chain, For the land is filled with crimes of blood, And the city is full of violence.
24 Therefore I will bring the worst of the Gentiles, And they will possess their houses; I will cause the pomp of the strong to cease, And their holy places shall be defiled.
25 Destruction comes; They will seek peace, but [there shall be] none.
26 Disaster will come upon disaster, And rumor will be upon rumor. Then they will seek a vision from a prophet; But the law will perish from the priest, And counsel from the elders.
27 'The king will mourn, The prince will be clothed with desolation, And the hands of the common people will tremble. I will do to them according to their way, And according to what they deserve I will judge them; Then they shall know that I [am] the LORD!' "
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.