« | Joshua 4 | » |
1 And it happened when all the people had completely passed over the Jordan, Jehovah spoke to Joshua saying,
2 Take twelve men for you out of the people, a man out of every tribe,
3 and command them saying, Take twelve stones from here, out of the middle of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm. And you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the place where you shall stay tonight.
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had prepared from the sons of Israel, a man out of every tribe.
5 And Joshua said to them, Pass over in front of the ark of Jehovah your God into the middle of the Jordan. And every man take a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel,
6 so that this may be a sign to you when your sons ask in time to come, saying, What do you mean by these stones?
7 Then you shall answer them, The waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of Jehovah. When it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off, and these stones shall be for a memorial to the sons of Israel forever.
8 And the sons of Israel did as Joshua commanded. And they took up twelve stones out of the middle of the Jordan, as Jehovah spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they stayed, and laid them down there;
9 even the twelve stones Joshua lifted up in the middle of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who carried the ark of the covenant, stood. And they are there to this day.
10 For the priests who bore the ark stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished, all that Jehovah commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua. And the people hurried and passed over.
11 And it happened, when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of Jehovah and the priests passed over before the people.
12 And the sons of Reuben, and the sons of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, passed over armed in front of the sons of Israel, as Moses spoke to them;
13 about forty thousand armed men of the army passed over before Jehovah to battle, to the plains of Jericho.
14 On that day Jehovah made Joshua great in the sight of all Israel. And they feared him, even as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.
15 And Jehovah spoke to Joshua, saying,
16 Command the priests who bear the ark of the testimony, that they come up out of the Jordan.
17 Joshua, therefore, commanded the priests saying, Come up out of the Jordan.
18 And it happened, when the priests who carried the ark of the covenant of Jehovah had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, the soles of the feet of the priests were lifted up to the dry land, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and flowed over all its banks, as before.
19 And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth of the first month, and camped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho.
20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, were raised by Joshua in Gilgal.
21 And he spoke to the sons of Israel saying, When your sons shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What do these stones mean?
22 Then you shall let your sons know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.
23 For Jehovah your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you until you had passed over, even as Jehovah your God did to the Red Sea which He dried up from before us until we had gone over;
24 so that all the people of the earth might know the hand of Jehovah is mighty, and so that you might fear Jehovah your God forever.
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.