So...there has been this little discussion going on, a bit behind the scenes. And in that context I mentioned something to the effect that the Biblical book Micah 6:8 represents God's basic operating instructions. I did not quote the verse, but I will here.
The King James Version, which many people prefer, both for its lyricism and because it's what they grew up with, reads as follows:
6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what [is] good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
The New Revised Version, the one I use most of the time, due to its excellent translation and inclusive language, puts it this way:
6:8 He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
Someone of, shall we say, a more conservative persuasion, put the quote like this:
I will show thee, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requireth of thee: Verily, to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to walk solicitous with thy God.
No attribution was included and I haven't been able to find it via google, so I can't say where it came from. And yes, you may have to read it closely to see the difference. But when I showed it to my daughter, she just started to laugh, and exclaimed, "OK, that explains SO much!"
Now maybe it was just a typo. As the self-proclaimed Queen of Typos, I have to be prepared at all times to laugh at myself over things like this. But maybe it's for real. And if so, it DOES explain a lot!
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I found it! The translation referred to above is NOT a typo; it's from the Latin Vugate, Jerome's translation of the Bible in the 300s-400s. I wish I were a scholar of Biblical translations but I'm not, so it will take me a while to sort out the questions this raises. I do know that authoritative modern Bible translations bypass Jerome and go straight to the original Biblical languages, but I don't know anything much about Jerome's translation. Something to explore someday. I still find a lot of humor in the juxtaposition of the two translations.
8 comments:
So, where does that translation come from...the New Right Wing Version? RE the "typo:" We can always hope... Lisa :-]
Verily, to do judgment.... I know very little about the Bible but doesn't it directly contradict that somewhere else? Didn't Jesus (or someone in the Bible?) say "judge not, least you be judged?"
I was WONDERING where all that a-judgin' was coming from!!!
What a difference in the meaning of the two words!
okay, here we have it from The Jerusalem Bible, which i used for years of theology study, and which was translated directly from the ancient texts and languages: " What is good has been explained to you, man: this is what Yahweh asks of you: only this, to act justly, to love tenderly and to walk humbly with your God. " sounds pretty good to me, a life direction i could follow, in fact - i do try to follow it, although i no longer really consider myself a christian.
Well, I guess you really aren't interested in a debate, unless the particiants in the debate are all just talking about what they already have in common. Then, as you stated, it becomes a discussion amongst friends. I do suggest this though. Next time, don't go out of your way to email me personally and ask me to look at your comments. It really is a waste of your time and mine. I have to admit, you almost made me think you cared about the eternal location of a stranger's soul.
and then, moving on into the NT, from the gospel of Matthew, we have these words from Jesus himself, during the evangelical discourse, the same great session where he gave out the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer. "Do not judge, and you will not be judged; because the judgements you give are the judgements you will get, and the amount you measure out is the amount you will be given." Matthew 7:1-3
another little goody in this same discourse is one i'd love to ask the folks who feel the need to publicly pray before football games, etc. to meditate upon for a while: "And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room, and, when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you." Matthew 6: 5-6 both quotes are again from The Jerusalem Bible.
Very interesting juxtaposition there. lol.
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