The King James version of the Bible was written 400 years ago on May 2, 1611. I'm admit that the KJV is the most influential scripture translation of all times but it's not the original. I remember when most folks thought it was written by God himself. As new versions came out they called it blasphemy.
When I was a kid I had to memorize several psalms in my English class. Since I learned them in the King James Version it wasn't until years later that I had any clue as to what I'd memorized. But since then the memorized psalms have served me well.
I think that it's much easier to read the books of the Bible now that we have so many reader-friendly versions. Over the years I've taught a 34 week class to adults called "Disciple I." The goal is to read and understand the entire Bible. It's exciting and I'd love to lead this class again if I didn't travel so much and I had the energy. In this class we do everything we can to make it easy for adults, many of whom have never read the Bible, to grasp these 66 books. The KJV just doesn't cut it.
But it is beautiful. It's very moving to attend a funeral and recite "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil."
Martin Luther King, Jr., in his "I Have a Dream" speech quoted the King James Version when he said, "I have a dream that one day 'every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.'" (Isaiah 40:4-5)
So Happy Birthday King James Version. May you live a long life, along with your younger, easier to comprehend, brother and sister versions.
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When I was a kid I had to memorize several psalms in my English class. Since I learned them in the King James Version it wasn't until years later that I had any clue as to what I'd memorized. But since then the memorized psalms have served me well.
I think that it's much easier to read the books of the Bible now that we have so many reader-friendly versions. Over the years I've taught a 34 week class to adults called "Disciple I." The goal is to read and understand the entire Bible. It's exciting and I'd love to lead this class again if I didn't travel so much and I had the energy. In this class we do everything we can to make it easy for adults, many of whom have never read the Bible, to grasp these 66 books. The KJV just doesn't cut it.
But it is beautiful. It's very moving to attend a funeral and recite "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I shall fear no evil."
Martin Luther King, Jr., in his "I Have a Dream" speech quoted the King James Version when he said, "I have a dream that one day 'every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.'" (Isaiah 40:4-5)
So Happy Birthday King James Version. May you live a long life, along with your younger, easier to comprehend, brother and sister versions.
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