« | Isaiah 34 | » |
1 Draw near, you nations; and hearken, you princes; let the earth hear, and they that are in it; the world, and the people therein.
2 For the wrath of the Lord is upon all nations, and [His] anger upon the number of them, to destroy them, and give them up to slaughter.
3 And their slain shall be cast forth, and their corpses; and their stench shall come up, and the mountains shall be made wet with their blood.
4 And all the powers of the heavens shall melt, and the sky shall be rolled up like a scroll; and all the stars shall fall like leaves from a vine, and as leaves fall from a fig tree.
5 My sword has been made drunk in heaven; behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and with judgment upon the people doomed to destruction.
6 The sword of the Lord is filled with blood, it is glutted with fat, with the blood of goats and lambs, and with the fat of goats and rams; for the Lord has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in Edom.
7 And the mighty ones shall fall with them, and the rams and the bulls; and the land shall be soaked with blood, and shall be filled with their fat.
8 For it is the day of judgment of the Lord, and the year of the recompense of Zion in judgment.
9 And her valleys shall be turned into pitch, and her land into sulphur; and her land shall be as pitch burning night and day;
10 and it shall never be quenched, and her smoke shall go up; it shall be made desolate throughout her generations,
11 and for a long time birds and hedgehogs, and ibises and ravens shall dwell in it; and the measuring line of desolation shall be cast over it, and satyrs shall dwell in it.
12 Her princes shall be no more, for her kings and her great men shall be destroyed.
13 And thorns shall spring up in their cities, and in her strongholds; and they shall be habitations of monsters, and a court of ostriches.
14 And demons shall meet with satyrs, and they shall cry one to the other; there shall the satyrs rest, having found for themselves [a place of] rest.
15 There has the hedgehog made its nest, and the earth has safely preserved its young; there have the deer met, and seen one another's faces.
16 They passed by in [full] number, and not one of them perished; they sought not one another; for the Lord commanded them, and His Spirit gathered them.
17 And He shall cast lots for them, and His hand has portioned out [their] pasture, [saying], You shall inherit [the land] forever; they shall rest on it [throughout] all generations.
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC)
The Apostles’ Bible Complete (ABC) is a modern translation of the Bible that strives to offer a clear and faithful rendering of the scriptures in contemporary language. This translation is designed to be accessible to a wide audience, providing an easy-to-read yet accurate version of the biblical text. The ABC translation aims to bridge the gap between the ancient languages in which the Bible was originally written and the modern vernacular, making it an ideal choice for both personal study and public reading.
One of the notable features of the Apostles’ Bible Complete is its dedication to maintaining the integrity of the original manuscripts. The translators of the ABC worked meticulously with the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts to ensure that their translation accurately reflects the original meaning and intent of the scriptures. By employing a balance of formal equivalence (word-for-word) and dynamic equivalence (thought-for-thought) translation techniques, the ABC aims to preserve the nuances and richness of the original languages while ensuring readability and clarity for modern readers.
The ABC also incorporates extensive cross-references and study aids to enhance the reader’s understanding of the biblical text. These tools include footnotes that provide historical and cultural context, as well as explanations of difficult or ambiguous passages. This approach helps readers to grasp the deeper meanings of the scriptures and to see how different parts of the Bible interconnect. The inclusion of these study aids makes the ABC particularly useful for those who are new to the Bible, as well as for more experienced readers who are looking to deepen their understanding of the text.
Despite its strengths, the Apostles’ Bible Complete has faced some criticisms. Some readers feel that the translation could benefit from further refinement in certain passages, as the balance between formal and dynamic equivalence can sometimes lead to inconsistencies in style and tone. Others have noted that while the study aids are helpful, they can occasionally overwhelm the main text, making it difficult to focus on the scripture itself. Nonetheless, the ABC remains a valuable and respected translation, appreciated for its commitment to accuracy, clarity, and accessibility, and for its ability to bring the ancient words of the Bible to life for contemporary readers.