Why Old King James? (Earth, translation, bible, catholic, Christians)

[ChristineES]

Concupiscense is a word that means agreeing with someone just to get along. I wasn't doing that. When I said I did what Tomspug did, I meant that I really did do it. If I don't agree with someone, I say so.

[tomspug]

I have yet to find that definition of concupiscence. I'll keep looking though.

[ChristineES]

Originally Posted by tomspug

I have yet to find that definition of concupiscence. I'll keep looking though.

I googled it, I didn't want to appear ignorant.

[MidnightBlue]

I think the main reason people find the King James Version difficult is typographical. It's always set up with each verse beginning on a new line, never in paragraphs or in lines of poetry, and that makes it more difficult to read. The translation itself is superior to most of the modern ones, and I don't generally find it difficult or unclear. I'll gladly take this:

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

over any of these:

You are kind, God!
Please have pity on me.
You are always merciful!
Please wipe away my sins.
Wash me clean from all
of my sin and guilt.
I know about my sins,
and I cannot forget
my terrible guilt.
You are really the one
I have sinned against;
I have disobeyed you
and have done wrong.
So it is right and fair for you
to correct and punish me.

***

God, be merciful to me
because you are loving.
Because you are always ready to be merciful,
wipe out all my wrongs.
Wash away all my guilt
and make me clean again.
I know about my wrongs,
and I can't forget my sin.
You are the only one I have sinned against;
I have done what you say is wrong.
You are right when you speak
and fair when you judge.

***

Generous in love—God, give grace!
Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.
Scrub away my guilt,
soak out my sins in your laundry.
I know how bad I've been;
my sins are staring me down.
You're the One I've violated, and you've seen
it all, seen the full extent of my evil.
You have all the facts before you;
whatever you decide about me is fair.

As for the textual issues, I'm not really that interested in trying to recover some fabled original reading. What's of interest to me is the text as it was received by the Church over the centuries, so my main problem with the KJV is that I'd prefer an Old Testament based on the Septuagint, or failing that, the Vulgate. That is, for my purposes I'm generally looking at the Jewish scriptures as the Old Testament of the Christian, and not as the Tanakh, and when I am looking at it as the Tanakh for some reason, I have to bring a whole different outlook and a whole different set of books. Most of the time, the Hebrew text is peripheral to my interest.

I will read the New Revised Standard Version, which is the only Protestant version other than the King James that I have much use for. Generally speaking, the Catholic versions are superior to the Protestant versions in every respect. But the King James Version and the Prayer Book of 1662 are monuments of the language that every English speaker should take the time to know.

[Mister Emu]

I don't find it hard to read at all.

I do not either...

I would be hard pressed to trade my KJV in for another... I absolutley love the language.

[Francine]

Originally Posted by Mister Emu

I would be hard pressed to trade my KJV in for another... I absolutley love the language.

I think the hard thing for me would be the reverse. It would be hard for me to take something written in, say, Egyptian, and turn it into something that reads like the King James Bible. I would keep drifting toward my native American tongue, and every time I caught myself doing that I would need to throw in phrases like "It came to pass" or "exceedingly fair and white" to get back on track.

[MidnightBlue]

Originally Posted by Francine

I think the hard thing for me would be the reverse. It would be hard for me to take something written in, say, Egyptian, and turn it into something that reads like the King James Bible. I would keep drifting toward my native American tongue, and every time I caught myself doing that I would need to throw in phrases like "It came to pass" or "exceedingly fair and white" to get back on track.

You are a wicked girl.

[sandy whitelinger]

Originally Posted by Francine

There's too much concupiscence going on around here.

Usually of the lewd and baser sort!

[sandy whitelinger]

Originally Posted by tomspug

Also, I think that this is a good example of Old King James mistranslation. Concupiscence refers to a particular kind of lust.

Concupiscence
desire, Rom. 7:8 (R.V., "coveting"); Col. 3:5 (R.V., "desire"). The "lust of concupiscence" (1 Thess. 4:5; R.V., "passion of lust") denotes evil desire, indwelling sin.

Pray tell, why is it wrong?