I decided to do what I've thought about doing before, updating the King James to modern English. Where needed. It's out of necessity. I need a version that's in modern English but is still based on the KJV and the Textus Receptus and is still a literal translation and not a paraphrase. When I'm done, this is going to be my main Bible. I'm not retranslating the original texts. I'm updating the archaic words. To do this I have to identify a word as outdated, find the modern equivalent and compare the modern equivalent to the original language via multiple lexicons to make sure it's accurate. It's very time intensive. I've worked through Matthew chapters 1 to 15 so far and did a little on Genesis chapter 1. The plan is to do the NT first and then move to the OT, which I anticipate being easier and quicker.
This is for myself out of necessity, but I'm going to put it on Amazon for Kindle and in paperback. I'll put the NT up first and the OT at some future time. If I go at the present rate, the NT will take about 4.5 months plus proofreading. However, I still have books to write. I'll have to find a balance.
Skipping the genealogy of chapter 1, below is chapter 2 of Matthew. It may need some more proofreading and updating of certain words. You'll notice some of the sentence structure isn't completely modern. The reason for that is that the KJV translators followed the Greek word order as much as they could. It's not up to me to make structural changes except for small things like changing 'went he' to 'he went'. In other cases, if changing the word order to modern English made it closer to the Greek, I moved a word here or there. In those instances, this updated version is going to be more literal to the Greek than the KJV while still being more modern and easier to read. It's a win win.
Shall vs will. In school we were taught that shall was an older version of will. Shall actually means 'will have to', according to the dictionary. So, I left the shalls.. This is likely not the final version, but this is what I have so far.
Matthew Chapter 2
1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, 2 Saying, Where is he who is born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he asked of them where
the Messiah should be born. 5 And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is
written by the prophet, 6 And you Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among
the princes of Judah: for out of you shall come a Governor, that shall shepherd my people
Israel. 7 Then Herod, when he had privately called the wise men, inquired of them diligently
what time the star appeared. 8 And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search
diligently for the young child; and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I,
also, may come and worship him. 9 When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo,
the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the
young child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. 11 And
when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and
fell down, and worshiped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented to
him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.
12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed
to their own country another way. 13 And when they had departed, behold, the angel of the
Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother,
and flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring you word: for Herod will seek the young child
to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and
departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken of the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt I have called my
son.
16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceedingly enraged,
and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the boundaries of
there, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired
of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet,
saying, 18 In Rama a voice was heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But
when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appears in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,
20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for
they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child
and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.
22 But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was
afraid to go there: but, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of
Galilee: 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which
was spoken through the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.
Have a great weekend.
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