I want to preface this new thread by stating that those of you who know me - or who have read my posts - are aware that I'm not a King James Version Onlyist. However, I readily acknowledge that I continue to be greatly influenced by its sublime poetry and literary eloquence. That said, I shall now procede:
The famous H. L. Mencken (1880-1956), the Baltimore Sun reporter and literary critic who covered the Scopes trial, was not only the most renowned cynic of his time, but also an avowed agnostic. I was stunned - as well as delighted - when I came upon Mencken's eloquent testimony to the superiority of the KJV. Following is Mencken's quote in full from the preface to Gustavus Paine's book, The Learned Men (the KJV translators):
"It is the most beautiful of all the translations of the Bible; indeed, it is probably the most beautiful piece of writing in all the literature of the world. Many attempts have been made to purge it of its errors and obscurities. An English Revised Version was published in 1885 and an American Revised Version in 1901, and since then many learned but misguided men have sought to produce translations that should be mathematically accurate, and in the plain speech of everyday. But the Authorized Version has never yielded to any of them, for it is palpably and overwhelmingly better than they are, just as it is better than the Greek New Testament, or the Vulgate, or the Septuagint. Its English is extraordinarily simple, pure, eloquent, lovely. It is a mine of lordly and incomparable poetry, at once the most stirring and the most touching ever heard of.”
I can't imagine what more could be added to the above, except to await your comments!
The famous H. L. Mencken (1880-1956), the Baltimore Sun reporter and literary critic who covered the Scopes trial, was not only the most renowned cynic of his time, but also an avowed agnostic. I was stunned - as well as delighted - when I came upon Mencken's eloquent testimony to the superiority of the KJV. Following is Mencken's quote in full from the preface to Gustavus Paine's book, The Learned Men (the KJV translators):
"It is the most beautiful of all the translations of the Bible; indeed, it is probably the most beautiful piece of writing in all the literature of the world. Many attempts have been made to purge it of its errors and obscurities. An English Revised Version was published in 1885 and an American Revised Version in 1901, and since then many learned but misguided men have sought to produce translations that should be mathematically accurate, and in the plain speech of everyday. But the Authorized Version has never yielded to any of them, for it is palpably and overwhelmingly better than they are, just as it is better than the Greek New Testament, or the Vulgate, or the Septuagint. Its English is extraordinarily simple, pure, eloquent, lovely. It is a mine of lordly and incomparable poetry, at once the most stirring and the most touching ever heard of.”
I can't imagine what more could be added to the above, except to await your comments!
