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I can and will dunk on King James weirdos, especially since, growing up Baptist, I grew up with a lot of them, but also holy shit is it strikingly beautiful in places
As a translation of a text it's garbage, but as a piece of LITERATURE it's honestly breathtaking at times
And I'm sorry but contemporary-language Bible translations always sound super weird and cringe, like
I get making things accessible but have a sense of CEREMONY about it
Like there's no comparison here:
"There Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." (Psalm 23: 1-4 KJV)
vs
"God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. You trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure." (Psalm 23: 1-4 The Message)
Awful
@coriander wow they really just nixed the whole meaning of the rod and the staff huh
@coriander okay but say like “both the turmoil and stability you bring me leave me feeling comforted” jfc
@coriander like they're just changing the message to retcon god as someone who never inflicts hardship that's a sin
@Lady Apparently multiple new translations render that phrase as just God being a protector, The Living Bible is similar on this
@coriander yeah well Rashi agrees with me https://www.sefaria.org/Rashi_on_Psalms.23.4.2?lang=bi
@Lady I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm implying these new translations are =P
@coriander i did want to make sure KJV didn't make it up haha
@Lady That's fair
@Lady @coriander I mean technically all three of Rashi, the KJV, and The Message are all interpreting their religious texts as they have them, through the methods of interpretation accepted as valid by their religion as they have it, expressing the theology of of their religion as they have it...
... but I dunno, like, if I can be judgement for a bit rather than detached/theoretical I feel like that's some kinda weak theology and methods of interpretation. Like, come on and bite a bullet. (Or if you care that much, get creative rather than this evasiveness.)
@Lady Too metaphorical, can't have that in our -checks notes-
Psalms