« | Numbers 6 | » |
1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
2 Speak to the sons of Israel, and say to them, When a man or a woman shall vow a vow, a vow of a Nazarite, to be separated to Jehovah,
3 he shall separate from wine and strong drink and shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink; neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes or dried.
4 All the days of his Nazariteship he shall eat nothing that is made of the grapevine, from grape seeds even to a stem.
5 All the days of his vow to separate, no razor shall come upon his head. Until all the days are fulfilled in which he separates to Jehovah, he shall be holy. He shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.
6 All the days that he separates to Jehovah, he shall not come near any dead body.
7 He shall not make himself unclean for his father, or for his mother, or for his brother, or for his sister, when they die, because his separation to his God is upon his head.
8 All the days of his separation he is holy to Jehovah.
9 And if any man dies very suddenly beside him, and he has defiled the head of his consecration, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing, on the seventh day he shall shave it.
10 And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtle-doves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
11 And the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, because he sinned by the dead, and shall make his head holy that same day.
12 And he shall set apart to Jehovah the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a guilt offering. But the former days shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.
13 And this is the law of the Nazarite, when the days of his separation are fulfilled. He shall be brought to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
14 And he shall offer his offering to Jehovah: one male lamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,
15 and a basket of unleavened cakes of fine flour, cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and their food offerings and their drink offerings.
16 And the priest shall bring them before Jehovah and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering.
17 And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings to Jehovah, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also his food offering and his drink offering.
18 And the Nazarite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation and put it in the fire under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.
19 And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram and one unleavened cake out of the basket, and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them on the hands of the Nazarite, after his separation has been shaved.
20 And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before Jehovah. This is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder. And afterward the Nazarite may drink wine.
21 This is the law of the Nazarite who has vowed his offering to Jehovah for his separation, besides that which he is able to get. According to the vow which he vowed, so he must do according to the law of his separation.
22 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,
23 Speak to Aaron and to his sons saying, In this way you shall bless the sons of Israel, saying to them,
24 Jehovah bless you and keep you.
25 Jehovah make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
26 Jehovah lift up His face to you and give you peace.
27 And they shall put My name upon the sons of Israel. And I, I will bless them.
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.