« | Jeremiah 16 | » |
1 The word of the LORD also came to me, saying,
2 "You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place."
3 For thus says the LORD concerning the sons and daughters who are born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bore them and their fathers who begot them in this land:
4 "They shall die gruesome deaths; they shall not be lamented nor shall they be buried, [but] they shall be like refuse on the face of the earth. They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their corpses shall be meat for the birds of heaven and for the beasts of the earth."
5 For thus says the LORD: "Do not enter the house of mourning, nor go to lament or bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people," says the LORD, "lovingkindness and mercies.
6 "Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried; neither shall men lament for them, cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them.
7 "Nor shall [men] break [bread] in mourning for them, to comfort them for the dead; nor shall [men] give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or their mother.
8 "Also you shall not go into the house of feasting to sit with them, to eat and drink."
9 For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will cause to cease from this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.
10 " And it shall be, when you show this people all these words, and they say to you, 'Why has the LORD pronounced all this great disaster against us? Or what [is] our iniquity? Or what [is] our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?'
11 "then you shall say to them, 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me,' says the LORD; 'they have walked after other gods and have served them and worshiped them, and have forsaken Me and not kept My law.
12 'And you have done worse than your fathers, for behold, each one follows the dictates of his own evil heart, so that no one listens to Me.
13 'Therefore I will cast you out of this land into a land that you do not know, neither you nor your fathers; and there you shall serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor.'
14 " Therefore behold, the days are coming," says the LORD, "that it shall no more be said, 'The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,'
15 "but, 'The LORD lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.' For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.
16 " Behold, I will send for many fishermen," says the LORD, "and they shall fish them; and afterward I will send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
17 "For My eyes [are] on all their ways; they are not hidden from My face, nor is their iniquity hidden from My eyes.
18 "And first I will repay double for their iniquity and their sin, because they have defiled My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable idols."
19 O LORD, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction, The Gentiles shall come to You From the ends of the earth and say, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, Worthlessness and unprofitable [things."]
20 Will a man make gods for himself, Which [are] not gods?
21 " Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know My hand and My might; And they shall know that My name [is] 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.