Celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible
The highly acclaimed Scottish composer James MacMillan writes in his blog, on the telegraph website, how the presence of the King James Bible was an "inescapable and powerful influence" on him, and how the KJV is a "treasury of beautiful poetry that many different kinds of composers over the centuries have been moved to produce works of numinous profundity".
In a new year address recorded for the BBC, Dr Rowan Williams
called on people of all faiths to celebrate the astonishing contribution made
by the King James Bible 400 years ago.
"Whether you're a Christian or belong to another religion -
or whether you have nothing you'd want to call a religion at all - some sort of
big picture matters," he says.
"If we are going to talk about a 'big society', that will
need a big Holyvibe picture - a picture of what human beings are really
like and why they're so unique and precious.
The King James Bible is one of the greatest English literary
works. To Celebrate the 400th anniversary of its publication, a series of
documentaries and readings will soon be available on the BBC website featuring
James Naughtie, Simon Schama, Rowan Williams, Emilia Fox, Toby Stephens and
others.
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is
no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
1 Let everyone put himself under the authority of the higher
powers, because there is no power which is not of God, and all powers are
ordered by God.
2 Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the
ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
2 For which reason everyone who puts himself against the
authority puts himself against the order of God: and those who are against it
will get punishment for themselves.
3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt
thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt
have praise of the same:
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear to the good work but to the
evil. If you would have no fear of the authority, do good and you will have
praise;
4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do
that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is
the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.
4 For he is the servant of God to you for good. But if you do
evil, have fear; for the sword is not in his hand for nothing: he is God's
servant, making God's punishment come on the evil-doer.
5 Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but
also for conscience sake.
5 So put yourselves under the authority, not for fear of wrath,
but because you have the knowledge of what is right.
6 For for this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's
ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.
6 For the same reason, make payment of taxes; because the
authority is God's servant, to take care of such things at all times.
7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is
due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
7 Give to all what is their right: taxes to him whose they are,
payment to him whose right it is, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour is
to be given.
8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that
loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
8 Be in debt for nothing, but to have love for one another: for
he who has love for his neighbour has kept all the law.
9 For this, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill,
Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet;
and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this
saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
9 And this, Do not be untrue in married life, Do not put to
death, Do not take what is another's, Do not have desire for what is another's,
and if there is any other order, it is covered by this word, Have love for your
neighbour as for yourself.
10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the
fulfilling of the law.
10 Love does no wrong to his neighbour, so love makes the law
complete.
11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake
out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.
11 See then that the time has come for you to be awake from
sleep: for now is your salvation nearer than when you first had faith.
12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore
cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.
12 The night is far gone, and the day is near: so let us put off
the works of the dark, arming ourselves with light,
13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and
drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.
13 With right behaviour as in the day; not in pleasure-making and
drinking, not in bad company and unclean behaviour, not in fighting and envy.
14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision
for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not give thought to
the flesh to do its desires.
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