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The Bible: King James Version
The King James Bible or Authorized Version (1611) comprises the Old Testament, the Apocrypha and the New Testament, from God's creation of the heaven and earth and the fall of man in Genesis, through the life Jesus Christ, to St John the Divine's foretelling of the end of the world and God's final judgment in Revelation. Among the most influential texts of all time and the cornerstone of the Christian faith, the King James Bible is the work of the great scholars and theologians of the early seventeenth century and reflects their desire for greater stability in the Christian religion. They revised and retranslated existing versions, including that of William Tyndale, to create a standardized Bible that would be accessible to all speakers and readers of English. Definitive and highly readable, this superb edition brings new vigour to one of the finest pieces of English prose.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
1929 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1611
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* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author
Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.
See also: Anonymous
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
November 16, 2017
Full disclosure—I read this book (the King James translation in particular) with two distinct purposes in mind:
It took me just shy of a year to get through this behemoth. But ultimately, I'm glad that I read it. Horrifying violence and excruciating tedium notwithstanding (I'm looking at you, Deuteronomy), the King James edition contains some pretty first-rate content, including but not limited to erotic poetry (The Song of Solomon), proto-existentialist musings (Ecclesiastes) and pragmatist ethics (James).
One thing that especially struck me was the patchwork quality of the text. As the introduction to the Penguin Classics edition explains, the word "Bible" comes from the Greek ta biblia, meaning "the little books." This etymological history is
Hell, Ecclesiastes (dated circa 180 B.C.E.) even seems to wax thanatist at times:
Definitely worth the read.
P.S. I remain convinced that the Bible, when read in accordance with the rule against surplusage, fails to expressly forbid homosexuality (see Leviticus 18:22: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind"), although it does, among its less equivocal faults, enjoin rape victims to marry their rapists (Deuteronomy 22:28).
(1) To provide a literary backdrop for some of my favourite works of English prose and verse; and
(2) To find proof, which I then hoped to relay to my family, that the Bible doesn't necessarily condemn same-sex relationships.
It took me just shy of a year to get through this behemoth. But ultimately, I'm glad that I read it. Horrifying violence and excruciating tedium notwithstanding (I'm looking at you, Deuteronomy), the King James edition contains some pretty first-rate content, including but not limited to erotic poetry (The Song of Solomon), proto-existentialist musings (Ecclesiastes) and pragmatist ethics (James).
One thing that especially struck me was the patchwork quality of the text. As the introduction to the Penguin Classics edition explains, the word "Bible" comes from the Greek ta biblia, meaning "the little books." This etymological history is
something that is useful to keep in mind both when thinking about the nature of the Bible and when reading it. It is the work of many authors and compilers living over a period of roughly a millennium. The book may be thought of as an anthology but it is really closer to being a library [emphasis added].
Hell, Ecclesiastes (dated circa 180 B.C.E.) even seems to wax thanatist at times:
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing is it for the eyes to behold the sun. But if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all; yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many. All that cometh is vanity.
Definitely worth the read.
P.S. I remain convinced that the Bible, when read in accordance with the rule against surplusage, fails to expressly forbid homosexuality (see Leviticus 18:22: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind"), although it does, among its less equivocal faults, enjoin rape victims to marry their rapists (Deuteronomy 22:28).
Read
January 28, 2019I thought it might be fun to pick up this obscure piece of historical literature I’d heard about from somewhere. Now that I’m finished I’m told it is the most popular published work of all time? Wow, talk about jumping on my bandwagon, people!
Okay, that may not be exactly how it worked out. But here are some good reasons that may have led to my reading of The Holy Bible.
This is the Penguin Classics version, which includes verses but formats them within the original paragraphs, so the book reads like other works of literature. As someone who has read pieces of the Bible before, independent chunks of verses, chapters, or even full books, I wanted to look at the Bible in a manner more original to how its authors wrote it (without going all Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic about it), and the Penguin Classics format lends itself better to that. It also includes the Apocrypha, something I had only vaguely been aware of before, but I definitely was interested in reading a new conglomeration of Biblical writings that might add more depth and perspective to my previous Bible-reading experiences.
The Holy Bible is wrapped up in so many aspects of the modern culture of western civilization, that most of the references to it have taken on their own life, separate from either original intent or repurposed to meet a particular cultural, social, historical, or political expectation. I wanted to read the Holy Bible with a view as to its more immediate audiences, authors (as far as we can know or guess about them), and cultural context and see if that would allow me to establish a base of understanding for moving forward to how it is used now, rather than the reverse: skewing things while looking back at only those designated sections that serve a modern-day purpose.
I wanted to read The Holy Bible all at once, rather than piecemeal. I wanted to read it in a way that allowed me a view into its development and coherency as a whole, single groupings of texts. At the same time, the Bible is kinda big, if you aren’t familiar with it. One might accurately nickname the Bible, the “Cargo Pants Killer” by the way that it challenges the increasingly decorative and less functional properties of modern cargo pants (oh, am I the only person who actually wears cargo pants anymore, let alone someone who expects them to be functional?! … what is wrong with us, society?!). This meant that I divided up the pages of the Penguin Classics Bible into weeks and months, and determined to keep on a schedule to ensure a protracted, consistent reading that would have me finish in a year. A year is a pretty long time to be reading any book and keep a clear vision of the beginning and its progress through to the conclusion by the end of the year, but I felt that reading regularly would still grant me that, besides the fact that I took notes after the completion of each book of the Bible so as to keep my thoughts fresh in review.
Finally, I wanted to know and understand the God of the Bible as best as possible, realizing that I would be seeing Him through the kaleidoscopic lens of various human narrators with limited personal understandings and vastly different cultural contexts.
Enough about how and why I chose to read The Holy Bible … what about the reading itself? Huh. Well, after finishing nearly 2,000 pages of just under one million words of reading within a year’s time frame … where do I start?
Maybe I’ll start at the genesis, because, I mean … well, you get the idea. The opening book of the Bible rings of ancient folktales and mythology, though its creation narrative differs in fascinating ways from the cosmology of most other ancient religions (those not related to or based on the Bible themselves). But, looking back, I found it interesting to track the writings of the Bible with the development of the ancient world civilizations and progress of humanity.
Genesis begins with a marriage. It alludes to an established, though mysterious, antediluvian civilization, and then focuses its main narrative with families. Those families next become tribes. The tribes stay relevant throughout the Bible, even into the New Testament, but they soon morph into a nation. By the time we get to the New Testament, the focus shifts from a nation (or fragments of one) to a church. All this mirrors the Ancient Near East’s development from family groups, to tribal/nomadic civilizations into city-states, nations, and empires, so it is interesting to see how people’s interactions with God differ--or stay the same--with this meticulous development over time. For example, worship came in the form of rough altars for the individual, nomadic families. Then a moving tabernacle was designed for worship as the families evolved to tribes wandering in the wilderness. Once those tribes came to establish themselves in the land of Canaan as a nation with a single ruler, the time came for a temple. Later, by New Testament times, the temple would be supported by synagogues. These developments show the consistent need for worship, regardless of the people or time period, but also show how as civilizations developed, including increasing population and technology, the methods for worship also adjusted in a way that matched the growing needs of a changing people and their world.
These distinctions of themes and their consistency or evolution through the millenia saddled in the expanse of the Biblical works was something I continued to find myself drawn to, so perhaps I’ll work through some of the themes that seemed most prevalent or surprising to me throughout my year long journey.
For a tradition that has dominated kingdoms, governments, and world civilizations for at least the past 1,500 years, The Holy Bible is a strong and dependable advocate of humility. This is an important (and far too often overlooked) distinction, I think, between the core of a belief system and the very human culture(s) and traditions found within that belief system.
Almost all of the calls of repentance (and humility) are aimed towards the believing people of God. Most of the high profile, prophetic figures were not ambitious or vain. Moses spurned an enviable position in the greatest civilization known to man to become a nomadic herdsman, and even in his moment as the triumphant leader of an escaping nation, he was credited for his meekness. Other prophets wore sackcloth, demeaned rather than exalted themselves, chose lives of difficulty where they were hated and despised, all for messages of rejecting pride or taking up commitments of respect towards God and each other.
These Old Testament messages of humility are reinforced in a most inspiring manner with the teachings of Christ, whose Sermon on the Mount and other moral codes emphasize focusing less on matters of shallow personal interest and more on looking outward with a mind to service and empathy. Regardless of your religious inclinations, individuals focused on personal humility (different from humiliation) and altruistic service make society a happier and ultimately more successful place. This perhaps more than anything says something about the enduring and still relevant nature of the Bible through thousands of years down to today.
Another theme that I found from my reading came as I noted the consistent attention that the God of the Bible gives to the outcasts, the poor, the disenfranchised, and the forgotten. I think that some people tend to look at the seeming “exclusive” nature of the Bible stories, with “chosen” people or tribes supplanting or being favored in active discrimination over others. Yet woven, intentionally or not, throughout the Bible is the story of the triumph of the underdog, where the God of the Bible pays an inordinate amount of sympathetic time and attention to the sinner, the “un”chosen ones, the gentile, the publicly despised, and people on the fringe.
Right from the start, even with the murder of Abel by Cain, God’s “cursing” of Cain includes an inexplicable protection for him--the sinner--and his prosperity. It is the disinherited of Abraham and Isaac’s sons who end up receiving the higher blessings, and yet--at the same time--as Hagar is exiled with her son, God sends an angel to protect them and assure their survival. Joseph is made a slave and a prisoner--the lowest stations a person can attain in any civilization--and God helps him to not just live, but thrive. Balaam is a prophet for another nation, yet he receives revelation and warnings from God (through a donkey, no less!) for his people. Rahab is a prostitute, but she receives redemption and survival thanks to her services in leading to the overthrow of Jericho. Ruth is not an Israelite, yet because of her faith she becomes the grandmother to a great Israelite king and immediate ancestor to the Messiah Himself.
These are just a few examples, there are many, many more. I continue to be inspired by Ezekiel’s statement that rebukes the leaders of Judah for their neglect and promises that the Lord will, “seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.” Such a focus on the outcasts and undesirables does not change once we get to the New Testament. If anything, it increases: the Samaritans, the publicans, the gentiles, the children, the women, the people with disabilities, the poor, the diseased, those with mental disorders. They are the main focus of Christ’s ministry and his apostles come to grips with and continue this focus after his death and resurrection (though we have to overlook some baffling and seemingly uninspired--or at least very culturally and situationally circumstantial--language that Paul has towards women).
Regardless with how the Bible may have been used socially, politically, and culturally during the rise and dominance of western civilization, that does not change the undeniable and consistent way that God insists on looking out after all different types and manner of people from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences.
Surely, if we are being honest in our reading of themes within the Bible, this has to be one of the most consistently powerful ones: that God is no respecter of persons--even if people are--and that He is interested in the well-being and development and protection of them all, in one way or another. Even some of the hardest and/or most distant (culturally) scriptural passages and moments can show this given the right perspective.
Something else that I found meaningful as I read was the way in which the God of the Bible made Himself accessible to people. It was always through sanctification, something achieved most often through ritual or some sort of liturgical statement or action. Nothing makes this more clear than the Levitical descriptions of the rituals of sacrifices and offerings. No one is excepted from making sacrifices, whether it be an Israelite, a visiting foreigner, a servant, or a tribal elder or priest of great distinction. Every situation is addressed: a sin offering, a thanksgiving offering (once again, a focus on humility), even an offering for sins committed that they were not aware of. This more than anything seems to emphasize God’s justice: all must be sanctified in order to be in His presence, and it is not just because He has unreasonable commands, but even those things that you did not know you did wrong keep you from being in God’s presence--He is not just making stuff up but dealing with a set of laws paralleling something of a Divine, non-mortal, nature.
Thus, we ritually complete actions that help us to be in the right mindset for godliness. Moses was asked to remove the sandals from off his feet to be in the presence of God. Joshua experienced a very similar thing before an angel of the Lord. Isaiah had his lips burned with coal (I’m sure metaphorically, but still, a clear action was required to sanctify him). Ezekiel was asked to go forth onto a plain where the glory of God then rested upon him. Jesus himself prayed until his countenance changed on the Mount of Transfiguration. Whether sanctification is necessary because of sins or simply as a demonstration of gratitude or humility, some sort of action or ritual is what helps in the sanctification process. The theme seems to be that a religious mindset is an easy thing to claim, but until actions in the form of a ritual or step in the process of sanctification are performed, it is difficult if not impossible to access God or pure godliness.
Other themes I noticed throughout but will not elaborate on here were themes of mercy and grace, marriage and covenants, remembering and honoring those who came before, simple acts of neighborly goodness, political powers rising and falling while religious tradition outlasts them all, intolerance for sin or wickedness yet forgiveness for the penitent in spite of those things, among dozens of other intriguing and perspective-impacting themes woven throughout the many books of the Old and New Testament. I’m confident that if you have a general theme you’d like some Biblical perspective on, you could read the Bible with it in mind and be illuminated on several levels, especially if you look at it contextually.
Some favorite books of the Bible for various reasons: Genesis, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Job, Psalms (fascinating, narrative-free, look at Israelite culture through poems and songs), Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, 2 Esdras (Apocrypha), St. John, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews, 1 & 2 Peter, Revelation … and probably half a dozen others that I’m not remembering right now or that, under different circumstances with a new reading, would be newly impacting.
So what is the takeaway from a year of reading the whole of the Bible? I guess I would admonish you (so Biblical!) to not allow modern cultural perspectives on Christians or the Bible be the driving force behind your understanding of this book. I am reminded of a telling story that happened to the Kingdom of Judah in 2 Kings (and 2 Chronicles) under Josiah’s reign. While cleaning out the temple, which came under misuse from previous administrations, Hilkiah finds the book of the law (the scriptures, as we would call them today). These end up in the hands of King Josiah, which--upon reading it--immediately triggers him into a state of humility (he rent his clothes), then he has the priests and his servants, “inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found.” They do so, and the answer from God is as follows: “Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord [...] and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace.”
Should we not do the same? If you have discovered (or “rediscovered”) this book of law, these scriptures, why not read it (again or for the first time). See if it triggers you to humility. Then take it as Josiah instructed (and as James confirms later on) in petition to God and see if He will give liberally as He gathers you with your fathers and gives you peace in this life. Then, have faith that in the next life, as Revelation bookends, “God shall wipe away all tears from [your] eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Whatever your faith, traditions, pains, afflictions, or background, the Bible offers to all (outcasts, disenfranchised, underdogs) hope that comes through humility and sanctification.
You do not have to believe in God to believe that following these tenets has brought us most of the good that modern society and western civilization has to offer. You do not have to believe in God to believe that humbly living by these tenets today will make this world a better place. You do not have to believe in God … but, boy, it sure wouldn’t hurt to try.
Okay, that may not be exactly how it worked out. But here are some good reasons that may have led to my reading of The Holy Bible.
This is the Penguin Classics version, which includes verses but formats them within the original paragraphs, so the book reads like other works of literature. As someone who has read pieces of the Bible before, independent chunks of verses, chapters, or even full books, I wanted to look at the Bible in a manner more original to how its authors wrote it (without going all Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic about it), and the Penguin Classics format lends itself better to that. It also includes the Apocrypha, something I had only vaguely been aware of before, but I definitely was interested in reading a new conglomeration of Biblical writings that might add more depth and perspective to my previous Bible-reading experiences.
The Holy Bible is wrapped up in so many aspects of the modern culture of western civilization, that most of the references to it have taken on their own life, separate from either original intent or repurposed to meet a particular cultural, social, historical, or political expectation. I wanted to read the Holy Bible with a view as to its more immediate audiences, authors (as far as we can know or guess about them), and cultural context and see if that would allow me to establish a base of understanding for moving forward to how it is used now, rather than the reverse: skewing things while looking back at only those designated sections that serve a modern-day purpose.
I wanted to read The Holy Bible all at once, rather than piecemeal. I wanted to read it in a way that allowed me a view into its development and coherency as a whole, single groupings of texts. At the same time, the Bible is kinda big, if you aren’t familiar with it. One might accurately nickname the Bible, the “Cargo Pants Killer” by the way that it challenges the increasingly decorative and less functional properties of modern cargo pants (oh, am I the only person who actually wears cargo pants anymore, let alone someone who expects them to be functional?! … what is wrong with us, society?!). This meant that I divided up the pages of the Penguin Classics Bible into weeks and months, and determined to keep on a schedule to ensure a protracted, consistent reading that would have me finish in a year. A year is a pretty long time to be reading any book and keep a clear vision of the beginning and its progress through to the conclusion by the end of the year, but I felt that reading regularly would still grant me that, besides the fact that I took notes after the completion of each book of the Bible so as to keep my thoughts fresh in review.
Finally, I wanted to know and understand the God of the Bible as best as possible, realizing that I would be seeing Him through the kaleidoscopic lens of various human narrators with limited personal understandings and vastly different cultural contexts.
Enough about how and why I chose to read The Holy Bible … what about the reading itself? Huh. Well, after finishing nearly 2,000 pages of just under one million words of reading within a year’s time frame … where do I start?
Maybe I’ll start at the genesis, because, I mean … well, you get the idea. The opening book of the Bible rings of ancient folktales and mythology, though its creation narrative differs in fascinating ways from the cosmology of most other ancient religions (those not related to or based on the Bible themselves). But, looking back, I found it interesting to track the writings of the Bible with the development of the ancient world civilizations and progress of humanity.
Genesis begins with a marriage. It alludes to an established, though mysterious, antediluvian civilization, and then focuses its main narrative with families. Those families next become tribes. The tribes stay relevant throughout the Bible, even into the New Testament, but they soon morph into a nation. By the time we get to the New Testament, the focus shifts from a nation (or fragments of one) to a church. All this mirrors the Ancient Near East’s development from family groups, to tribal/nomadic civilizations into city-states, nations, and empires, so it is interesting to see how people’s interactions with God differ--or stay the same--with this meticulous development over time. For example, worship came in the form of rough altars for the individual, nomadic families. Then a moving tabernacle was designed for worship as the families evolved to tribes wandering in the wilderness. Once those tribes came to establish themselves in the land of Canaan as a nation with a single ruler, the time came for a temple. Later, by New Testament times, the temple would be supported by synagogues. These developments show the consistent need for worship, regardless of the people or time period, but also show how as civilizations developed, including increasing population and technology, the methods for worship also adjusted in a way that matched the growing needs of a changing people and their world.
These distinctions of themes and their consistency or evolution through the millenia saddled in the expanse of the Biblical works was something I continued to find myself drawn to, so perhaps I’ll work through some of the themes that seemed most prevalent or surprising to me throughout my year long journey.
For a tradition that has dominated kingdoms, governments, and world civilizations for at least the past 1,500 years, The Holy Bible is a strong and dependable advocate of humility. This is an important (and far too often overlooked) distinction, I think, between the core of a belief system and the very human culture(s) and traditions found within that belief system.
Almost all of the calls of repentance (and humility) are aimed towards the believing people of God. Most of the high profile, prophetic figures were not ambitious or vain. Moses spurned an enviable position in the greatest civilization known to man to become a nomadic herdsman, and even in his moment as the triumphant leader of an escaping nation, he was credited for his meekness. Other prophets wore sackcloth, demeaned rather than exalted themselves, chose lives of difficulty where they were hated and despised, all for messages of rejecting pride or taking up commitments of respect towards God and each other.
These Old Testament messages of humility are reinforced in a most inspiring manner with the teachings of Christ, whose Sermon on the Mount and other moral codes emphasize focusing less on matters of shallow personal interest and more on looking outward with a mind to service and empathy. Regardless of your religious inclinations, individuals focused on personal humility (different from humiliation) and altruistic service make society a happier and ultimately more successful place. This perhaps more than anything says something about the enduring and still relevant nature of the Bible through thousands of years down to today.
Another theme that I found from my reading came as I noted the consistent attention that the God of the Bible gives to the outcasts, the poor, the disenfranchised, and the forgotten. I think that some people tend to look at the seeming “exclusive” nature of the Bible stories, with “chosen” people or tribes supplanting or being favored in active discrimination over others. Yet woven, intentionally or not, throughout the Bible is the story of the triumph of the underdog, where the God of the Bible pays an inordinate amount of sympathetic time and attention to the sinner, the “un”chosen ones, the gentile, the publicly despised, and people on the fringe.
Right from the start, even with the murder of Abel by Cain, God’s “cursing” of Cain includes an inexplicable protection for him--the sinner--and his prosperity. It is the disinherited of Abraham and Isaac’s sons who end up receiving the higher blessings, and yet--at the same time--as Hagar is exiled with her son, God sends an angel to protect them and assure their survival. Joseph is made a slave and a prisoner--the lowest stations a person can attain in any civilization--and God helps him to not just live, but thrive. Balaam is a prophet for another nation, yet he receives revelation and warnings from God (through a donkey, no less!) for his people. Rahab is a prostitute, but she receives redemption and survival thanks to her services in leading to the overthrow of Jericho. Ruth is not an Israelite, yet because of her faith she becomes the grandmother to a great Israelite king and immediate ancestor to the Messiah Himself.
These are just a few examples, there are many, many more. I continue to be inspired by Ezekiel’s statement that rebukes the leaders of Judah for their neglect and promises that the Lord will, “seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.” Such a focus on the outcasts and undesirables does not change once we get to the New Testament. If anything, it increases: the Samaritans, the publicans, the gentiles, the children, the women, the people with disabilities, the poor, the diseased, those with mental disorders. They are the main focus of Christ’s ministry and his apostles come to grips with and continue this focus after his death and resurrection (though we have to overlook some baffling and seemingly uninspired--or at least very culturally and situationally circumstantial--language that Paul has towards women).
Regardless with how the Bible may have been used socially, politically, and culturally during the rise and dominance of western civilization, that does not change the undeniable and consistent way that God insists on looking out after all different types and manner of people from all sorts of backgrounds and experiences.
Surely, if we are being honest in our reading of themes within the Bible, this has to be one of the most consistently powerful ones: that God is no respecter of persons--even if people are--and that He is interested in the well-being and development and protection of them all, in one way or another. Even some of the hardest and/or most distant (culturally) scriptural passages and moments can show this given the right perspective.
Something else that I found meaningful as I read was the way in which the God of the Bible made Himself accessible to people. It was always through sanctification, something achieved most often through ritual or some sort of liturgical statement or action. Nothing makes this more clear than the Levitical descriptions of the rituals of sacrifices and offerings. No one is excepted from making sacrifices, whether it be an Israelite, a visiting foreigner, a servant, or a tribal elder or priest of great distinction. Every situation is addressed: a sin offering, a thanksgiving offering (once again, a focus on humility), even an offering for sins committed that they were not aware of. This more than anything seems to emphasize God’s justice: all must be sanctified in order to be in His presence, and it is not just because He has unreasonable commands, but even those things that you did not know you did wrong keep you from being in God’s presence--He is not just making stuff up but dealing with a set of laws paralleling something of a Divine, non-mortal, nature.
Thus, we ritually complete actions that help us to be in the right mindset for godliness. Moses was asked to remove the sandals from off his feet to be in the presence of God. Joshua experienced a very similar thing before an angel of the Lord. Isaiah had his lips burned with coal (I’m sure metaphorically, but still, a clear action was required to sanctify him). Ezekiel was asked to go forth onto a plain where the glory of God then rested upon him. Jesus himself prayed until his countenance changed on the Mount of Transfiguration. Whether sanctification is necessary because of sins or simply as a demonstration of gratitude or humility, some sort of action or ritual is what helps in the sanctification process. The theme seems to be that a religious mindset is an easy thing to claim, but until actions in the form of a ritual or step in the process of sanctification are performed, it is difficult if not impossible to access God or pure godliness.
Other themes I noticed throughout but will not elaborate on here were themes of mercy and grace, marriage and covenants, remembering and honoring those who came before, simple acts of neighborly goodness, political powers rising and falling while religious tradition outlasts them all, intolerance for sin or wickedness yet forgiveness for the penitent in spite of those things, among dozens of other intriguing and perspective-impacting themes woven throughout the many books of the Old and New Testament. I’m confident that if you have a general theme you’d like some Biblical perspective on, you could read the Bible with it in mind and be illuminated on several levels, especially if you look at it contextually.
Some favorite books of the Bible for various reasons: Genesis, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles, Job, Psalms (fascinating, narrative-free, look at Israelite culture through poems and songs), Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zephaniah, 2 Esdras (Apocrypha), St. John, Romans, 1 Corinthians, Hebrews, 1 & 2 Peter, Revelation … and probably half a dozen others that I’m not remembering right now or that, under different circumstances with a new reading, would be newly impacting.
So what is the takeaway from a year of reading the whole of the Bible? I guess I would admonish you (so Biblical!) to not allow modern cultural perspectives on Christians or the Bible be the driving force behind your understanding of this book. I am reminded of a telling story that happened to the Kingdom of Judah in 2 Kings (and 2 Chronicles) under Josiah’s reign. While cleaning out the temple, which came under misuse from previous administrations, Hilkiah finds the book of the law (the scriptures, as we would call them today). These end up in the hands of King Josiah, which--upon reading it--immediately triggers him into a state of humility (he rent his clothes), then he has the priests and his servants, “inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found.” They do so, and the answer from God is as follows: “Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord [...] and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith the Lord. Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace.”
Should we not do the same? If you have discovered (or “rediscovered”) this book of law, these scriptures, why not read it (again or for the first time). See if it triggers you to humility. Then take it as Josiah instructed (and as James confirms later on) in petition to God and see if He will give liberally as He gathers you with your fathers and gives you peace in this life. Then, have faith that in the next life, as Revelation bookends, “God shall wipe away all tears from [your] eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Whatever your faith, traditions, pains, afflictions, or background, the Bible offers to all (outcasts, disenfranchised, underdogs) hope that comes through humility and sanctification.
You do not have to believe in God to believe that following these tenets has brought us most of the good that modern society and western civilization has to offer. You do not have to believe in God to believe that humbly living by these tenets today will make this world a better place. You do not have to believe in God … but, boy, it sure wouldn’t hurt to try.
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December 5, 2024magnificent version of kjv
November 13, 2021
needed a better editor
January 1, 2024
My goal in writing this review is not to presume to pass judgment on the style or content of the Bible, discussing in detail the passages at which I condescend to turn up my discerning nose. I did want to put in a good word for the Penguin Classics edition, however. I felt like the notes, though sparse, were informative and helpful. The introduction, in particular, articulated very well why a reader might choose the King James Bible in an increasingly crowded field of translations and versions.
I chose this edition of the Bible because I found it in a used bookstore for seven dollars, it was in great shape, and it included the Apocrypha from the King James translation. I’d never read the Apocrypha before and was happy to find it included with the King James Version of the Bible that I grew up with. I was also pleasantly surprised to find this edition arranged in paragraphs instead of verses (though the verse numbers still appear as subscripted numbers at the beginning of each verse) which I felt improved the flow and readability of the text. I read the whole thing over the course of a year, something I’d been wanting to do for a long time, and I felt like this edition of the King James Version made that a little easier and more enjoyable.
The only thing I disliked was the regularization of some of the verbs. I tripped over the use of show and helped where I was used to reading shew and holp. I know this is a little nit-picky of me, and the rationalization for the regularization of the verbs is explained in the introduction, but I figure anyone choosing to stick with the King James isn’t going to get hung up over some minor archaic verbiage. I was an hungered for the language I grew up with.
I chose this edition of the Bible because I found it in a used bookstore for seven dollars, it was in great shape, and it included the Apocrypha from the King James translation. I’d never read the Apocrypha before and was happy to find it included with the King James Version of the Bible that I grew up with. I was also pleasantly surprised to find this edition arranged in paragraphs instead of verses (though the verse numbers still appear as subscripted numbers at the beginning of each verse) which I felt improved the flow and readability of the text. I read the whole thing over the course of a year, something I’d been wanting to do for a long time, and I felt like this edition of the King James Version made that a little easier and more enjoyable.
The only thing I disliked was the regularization of some of the verbs. I tripped over the use of show and helped where I was used to reading shew and holp. I know this is a little nit-picky of me, and the rationalization for the regularization of the verbs is explained in the introduction, but I figure anyone choosing to stick with the King James isn’t going to get hung up over some minor archaic verbiage. I was an hungered for the language I grew up with.
August 17, 2024
I couldn’t possibly “review” everything about this tome without adding to the time it and its fan club have wasted in my life. And certainly, I couldn’t appropriately honour the hundreds of millions of people who were murdered or enslaved in its name. There are some neat moments in here, perhaps even a few useful ones: Ecclesiastes is refreshingly philosophical; Job is an intriguing dialogue; the Gospels contain some interesting narrative if you can ignore the terribly poor style and pacing. But the vast majority of the Bible’s books are just unenjoyable to read: boring genealogies, disturbing chronicles of genocide after genocide, a dizzying fluctuation between the gross abuse and stark silence of women, empty platitudes, slavery, bad literary style (at least this occasionally has translation to blame), God’s favourite special little boy is always the worst person possible—no, not in a we’re-all-sinners kind of way, but in a, no-remotely-decent-person-could-ever-commit-this-much-murder kind of way. Normally I’m an advocate for going straight to primary sources, but honestly, I don’t hate anyone enough to recommend that with the Bible. Then again, reading it in full is an effective argument against Christianity… You know what the Bible *doesn’t* have? A killer soundtrack. Go watch Prince of Egypt or Veggietales instead.
*Note: I’ve read the full ESV and NKJV translations, and decent portions of the NIV and KJV translations. I recommend the ESV (if you must).
*Note: I’ve read the full ESV and NKJV translations, and decent portions of the NIV and KJV translations. I recommend the ESV (if you must).
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August 16, 2016Well, this was a trip. I feel like that's all that I'm licensed to say considering my stance on Christianity. I think that the only thing about this book that I feel comfortably allowed to say is that, after reading it, the majority of modern-day Christians do not follow the Commandments that were set forth by God in Exodus, nor do they listen to and live by the proverbs and laws that Jesus put down in Matthew.
October 15, 2013
This book is disgusting! A self-help book promoting rape, incest and mass murder!
Amazon, Kobo and WH Smith need to pull it, like they are with any self-pubbed books that have sex in them!
Amazon, Kobo and WH Smith need to pull it, like they are with any self-pubbed books that have sex in them!
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July 12, 2020It's very funny that you can give this a star rating. In any case, here are the books I liked:
Genesis
Exodus
Ruth
Samuel
Esther
Job
Song of Solomon
Jonah
Tobit
Judith
1 Maccabees
Luke
Acts
Genesis
Exodus
Ruth
Samuel
Esther
Job
Song of Solomon
Jonah
Tobit
Judith
1 Maccabees
Luke
Acts
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November 7, 2020Read
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November 20, 2024Finally got through the whole thing.
April 19, 2016
It had been awhile since I had read through the KJV. A number of things to note: obviously, some words are obsolete, while others are used in an obsolete sense (let, suffer, conversation, etc.); there is in spite of that a simplicity to the language (a very high percentage of the words are three syllables or less); a comparison with the Douay-Rheims version (a Roman Catholic translation of about the same vintage) shows that the KJV relies more heavily on Anglo-Saxon vocabulary than on Latin vocabulary; the KJV does a remarkable job of providing a way of seeing through to the original. Unlike most modern translations, the reader can easily see the differences in style between writers (for example, Isaiah and Jeremiah). All in all, I found it a very helpful and profitable read.
December 30, 2013
An EPIC work of fantasy!
Could even MAYBE compare to percy jackson and other mythological Gods!
The plot was interesting, although many people spoiled it for me and told me the protagonist died! but then he RESURRECTED AND DIED AGAIN! What a PERFECT example of how a non fiction book operates, highly commendable.
Could even MAYBE compare to percy jackson and other mythological Gods!
The plot was interesting, although many people spoiled it for me and told me the protagonist died! but then he RESURRECTED AND DIED AGAIN! What a PERFECT example of how a non fiction book operates, highly commendable.
Want to read
December 8, 2018Bought 25 August 2006
Want to read
October 2, 2016I have good intentions toward this book but sometimes I wonder about the two volume annotated Norton.
read-elsewhere
May 11, 2016Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews