elekk.xyz is one of the many independent Mastodon servers you can use to participate in the fediverse.

Server stats:

73
active users

Quiet public

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

Quiet public

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

Quiet public

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

Quiet public

@coriander wow they really just nixed the whole meaning of the rod and the staff huh

@Lady Too metaphorical, can't have that in our -checks notes-

Psalms

Quiet public

@coriander okay but say like “both the turmoil and stability you bring me leave me feeling comforted” jfc

Quiet public

@coriander like they're just changing the message to retcon god as someone who never inflicts hardship that's a sin

Quiet public

@Lady Apparently multiple new translations render that phrase as just God being a protector, The Living Bible is similar on this

Quiet public

@Lady I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm implying these new translations are =P

Quiet public

@coriander i did want to make sure KJV didn't make it up haha

Quiet public

@Lady That's fair

Quiet public

@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.)