Linguistic eloquence of KJ Bible

[KayCee]

I'm only a recent aficianado re the Bible with special interest in historical development of the original (1611AD) KJ and subsequent ancillary versions. I've become enchanted by the linguistic beauty and eloquence of various passages in the original KJ. I simply cannot get enough of these to satiate my thirst. My basic problem is that - being new to Biblical research - I don't know where to look.

It has occurred to me that perhaps there might be an InterNet website that offers a Biblical compilation of the most striking (ie-memorable) passages of the original KJ edition and compares these with subsequent KJ versions.

Thank you for any assistance you may be able to render - KayCee

Bible.com used to have the 1611 edition but as I see they no longer have that available. There is a software that you can download for free that has a compare feature. However you have to buy certain translations and versions.
If you are interested send me a message and I will provide you with a link.

[Ryan1976]

Originally Posted by KayCee

I'm only a recent aficianado re the Bible with special interest in historical development of the original (1611AD) KJ and subsequent ancillary versions. I've become enchanted by the linguistic beauty and eloquence of various passages in the original KJ. I simply cannot get enough of these to satiate my thirst. My basic problem is that - being new to Biblical research - I don't know where to look.

It has occurred to me that perhaps there might be an InterNet website that offers a Biblical compilation of the most striking (ie-memorable) passages of the original KJ edition and compares these with subsequent KJ versions.

Thank you for any assistance you may be able to render - KayCee

While it doesn't offer a comparative study, the following site offers as much as is possible the "original" King James Bible: CLICK ME

The Holy Bible, King James Version

The authentic King James Bible
entire - complete - unabridged.

This is NOT the socalled Aitken
"King James Bible" (see note)

mirrrored from the
Electronic Text Center, U. Va

< the Most Original Copy ~ Anno Domini 1611

version was in use by Anglican speaking protestants for nearly three hundred years






THE HOLY BIBLE,

Conteyning the Old Testament,
AND THE NEW:

Newly Translated out of the Originall
tongues: & with the former Translations
diligently compared and revised, by his
Majesties Special Commandment.
Appointed to be read in Churches.
Imprinted at London by Robert
Barker, Printer to the Kings
most Excellent Majestie.
ANNO DOM. 1611.
Revisions:
1629, 1638 by John Bois and Samuel Ward, Cambridge
1762 by Thomas Paris, Cambridge
1769 by Benjamin Blayney, Oxford
1873 Paragraph by Scrivener, Cambridge


The Epistle Dedicatorie
The Translators to the Reader
Table and Kalender
Names and order of all the Bookes




*even has the (protestant) Apocryphal books that accompanied the original.

[Ryan1976]

Also, if you're click happy, there's a pretty good "brief history of the bible" HERE (click)


The fascinating story of how we got the Bible in its present form actually starts thousands of years ago, as briefly outlined in our Timeline of Bible Translation History. As a background study, we recommend that you first review our discussion of the Pre-Reformation History of the Bible from 1,400 B.C. to 1,400 A.D., which covers the transmission of the scripture through the original languages of Hebrew and Greek, and the 1,000 years of the Dark & Middle Ages when the Word was trapped in only Latin. Our starting point in this discussion of Bible history, however, is the advent of the scripture in the English language with the “Morning Star of the Reformation”, John Wycliffe....

And a nifty little time-line.

Timeline of Bible Translation History

1,400 BC: The first written Word of God: The Ten Commandments delivered to Moses.


500 BC: Completion of All Original Hebrew Manuscripts which make up The 39 Books of the Old Testament.


200 BC: Completion of the Septuagint Greek Manuscripts which contain The 39 Old Testament Books AND 14 Apocrypha Books.


1st Century AD: Completion of All Original Greek Manuscripts which make up The 27 Books of the New Testament.


315 AD: Athenasius, the Bishop of Alexandria, identifies the 27 books of the New Testament which are today recognized as the canon of scripture.


382 AD: Jerome's Latin Vulgate Manuscripts Produced which contain All 80 Books (39 Old Test. + 14 Apocrypha + 27 New Test).


500 AD: Scriptures have been Translated into Over 500 Languages.


600 AD: LATIN was the Only Language Allowed for Scripture.


995 AD: Anglo-Saxon (Early Roots of English Language) Translations of The New Testament Produced.


1384 AD: Wycliffe is the First Person to Produce a (Hand-Written) manuscript Copy of the Complete Bible; All 80 Books.


1455 AD: Gutenberg Invents the Printing Press; Books May Now be mass-Produced Instead of Individually Hand-Written. The First Book Ever Printed is Gutenberg's Bible in Latin.


1516 AD: Erasmus Produces a Greek/Latin Parallel New Testament.


1522 AD: Martin Luther's German New Testament.


1526 AD: William Tyndale's New Testament; The First New Testament printed in the English Language.


1535 AD: Myles Coverdale's Bible; The First Complete Bible printed in the English Language (80 Books: O.T. & N.T. & Apocrypha).


1537 AD: Tyndale-Matthews Bible; The Second Complete Bible printed in English. Done by John "Thomas Matthew" Rogers (80 Books).


1539 AD: The "Great Bible" Printed; The First English Language Bible Authorized for Public Use (80 Books).


1560 AD: The Geneva Bible Printed; The First English Language Bible to add Numbered Verses to Each Chapter (80 Books).


1568 AD: The Bishops Bible Printed; The Bible of which the King James was a Revision (80 Books).


1609 AD: The Douay Old Testament is added to the Rheims New Testament (of 1582) Making the First Complete English Catholic Bible; Translated from the Latin Vulgate (80 Books).


1611 AD: The King James Bible Printed; Originally with All 80 Books. The Apocrypha was Officially Removed in 1885 Leaving Only 66 Books.


1782 AD: Robert Aitken's Bible; The First English Language Bible (KJV) Printed in America.


1791 AD: Isaac Collins and Isaiah Thomas Respectively Produce the First Family Bible and First Illustrated Bible Printed in America. Both were King James Versions, with All 80 Books.


1808 AD: Jane Aitken's Bible (Daughter of Robert Aitken); The First Bible to be Printed by a Woman.


1833 AD: Noah Webster's Bible; After Producing his Famous Dictionary, Webster Printed his Own Revision of the King James Bible.


1841 AD: English Hexapla New Testament; an Early Textual Comparison showing the Greek and 6 Famous English Translations in Parallel Columns.


1846 AD: The Illuminated Bible; The Most Lavishly Illustrated Bible printed in America. A King James Version, with All 80 Books.


1885 AD: The "English Revised Version" Bible; The First Major English Revision of the KJV.


1901 AD: The "American Standard Version"; The First Major American Revision of the KJV.


1971 AD: The "New American Standard Bible" (NASB) is Published as a "Modern and Accurate Word for Word English Translation" of the Bible.


1973 AD: The "New International Version" (NIV) is Published as a "Modern and Accurate Phrase for Phrase English Translation" of the Bible.


1982 AD: The "New King James Version" (NKJV) is Published as a "Modern English Version Maintaining the Original Style of the King James."


2002 AD: The English Standard Version (ESV) is Published as a translation to bridge the gap between the accuracy of the NASB and the readability of the NIV.

[Ryan1976]

You might like the Wycliffe translation too -- on biblegateway (there's a drop-down menu of different versions/translations. Darby and Young's Literal are pretty neato too).

Luke 24:27 (Wycliffe New Testament)

27 And he began at Moses and at all the prophets, and declared to them in all scriptures, that were of him. [And he beginning at Moses and all the prophets, expounded to them in all scriptures, which were of him.]





Luke 24:27 (Darby Translation)

27And having begun from Moses and from all the prophets, he interpreted to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.





Luke 24:27 (Young's Literal Translation)

27and having begun from Moses, and from all the prophets, he was expounding to them in all the Writings the things about himself.

[carpetmanswife]

hey ryan ..love love love the new avatar!! i want one

[jgrig2]

The kjv was my first bible so I have a soft spot but at the end of the day I just cannot buy the TR and alexandrain text arguments made by advocats of it. We ought not to fear textual criticisism and we ought not be afraid to change our english translations inlight (though cautious and hesitant of course) of new and accurate textual discouveries.

[MahogonySnail]

if you want linguistic eloquence and beauty, check out the Aussie bible: http://www.theaussiebible.com.au/
A ripping yarn about Jesus of Nazareth it says.

Sample verses
Luke 1:26

The angel answered, 'Leave the mechanics up to God. This is heavenly stuff. God's Spirit will come upon you, and the Big Brain behind the Big Bang will manipulate the necessary molecules to make it happen. So this little kid of yours will be as special as it's possible to be, and he'll be called God's own Son. Look, even Libby, your old cousin, is preggers'at her age! God can do these things. In fact, Libby is in her sixth month because nothing is impossible with God.'
'God's in charge,' Mary answered. 'If that's what God wants, then it's what I want to.'
Then the angel nicked off and left her alone

This rendition cracks me up:

The angel said to her, 'G'day Mary. You are a pretty special sheila. God has his eye on you.'

[KayCee]

Originally Posted by Narn

Bible.com used to have the 1611 edition but as I see they no longer have that available. There is a software that you can download for free that has a compare feature. However you have to buy certain translations and versions.
If you are interested send me a message and I will provide you with a link.

Thank you for replying to my post . Please send me the adresss website that offers free bible quote downloads and comparisons.

[loveschild]

Maybe biblegateway?