Elgin Taylor, Star Writer
Lluidas Vale, St. Catherine
Recent times have seen the production of several English versions of the Bible which threaten to eclipse the time-honoured King James version (KJV). A check at our leading book stores will reveal a number of these translations, including the American Standard Version, the New World Translation, the New International Version and the Living Bible.
Many of us who grew up on the King James Version believe that it represents the Bible, and anything else would not be the real McCoy.
Well, there are people who would counter this stance by stating that it is all about the same God and his Son, Jesus Christ, and that's what really matters. Some may even claim that the later translations make for easier reading and comprehension. Still there may be others who would argue that clarity is something which is the prerogative of the Holy Spirit.
Others may even cynically point out that sometimes, in order to get clarity, we have to go backwards and not necessarily forward, or the route of a new translation. They would support this position by pointing out that scholars, preachers and students of the Bible, often consult the original Hebrew and Greek to get better insights into what the Scriptures are saying.
Literature lovers, too, have their point of view. They view this new wave of translations as an attempt to water down the poetry of the Bible into prose. How can one better, for instance, Psalm 98 vs. 8 of the King James Version which reads:
"Let the floods clap their hands;
Let the hills be joyful together"
Or, Songs of Solomon 4 v. 11 which states:
"Thy lips, O my spouse,
drop as the honeycomb:
Honey and milk are under thy tongue, and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon."
Let's face it, in a similar manner, a translation of, say, Chaucer's
Canterbury Tales into Standard English just wouldn't make the cut.
So, for myself and other lovers of literature, I say: 'Bring back the King James version!'
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