Two Paragraphed KJVs

TodayskjvThe Authorized Version of the Bible, popularly known as the King James Version, is a literary landmark that will never be surpassed in the English language; but sadly, it is falling out of use. At least part of the reason, I am convinced, is the antiquated typography that plagues most editions. So why not publish an AV in paragraph form? Today's KJV It has finally happened. After years of moaning about the absence of an edition of the Authorized Version set in modern type, paragraphed and punctuated, I am now the proud owner of one: Today's King James Version, published in Bath, England by an outfit called Bible First. This edition is nicely bound (although the imprinting is not crisp) and was produced in honor of Queen Elizabeth II's jubilee.

As you can see from the photo above, the typeface is modern, the text is paragraphed and the punctuation follows contemporary usage. This makes the classic AV text, a landmark in English literature, more accessible to today's reader -- and it also makes it easier for the Bible student to grasp the flow of the text, which is no longer interrupted by a carriage return at the start of each new verse. The commonly held belief that modern readers cannot comprehend the archaic language of the KJV is, in my view, exaggerated. Yes, there are readers who find it difficult, but that is no reason for more capable students to deny themselves its pleasures. An edition like this is long overdue; it eliminates an unnecessary barrier for the modern reader in approaching this excellent work.

Is Today's KJV perfect? Not quite. What is really needed is a "critical edition" of the KJV, with notes at the bottom explaining difficult words and phrases, much as a critical edition of Chaucer or Shakespeare does. But Today's KJV is, so far as I know, the only edition that offers the traditional text in a contemporary setting. The question is, how do you get one? They are not widely available in the States. In fact, I had never heard of it until Nicholas Gray at R.L. Allan's did the leg-work and located it for me. Much thanks to Nicholas for all the help! If you'd like a copy, I suggest that you get in touch with him. The cost was just under $100, including shipping.

TbsTBS NT - Paragraphed Edition
The Trinitarian Bible Society also publishes a New Testament with paragraphed text, pictured at right. While the typeface is a little archaic, I find this edition more readable than Today's KJV, perhaps because it is presented in a single column format. The paperback binding is not especially nice, but the trim size of the volume is just right and makes for pleasurable handling. If this edition were extended to include the entire Bible and offered in a quality binding, it would be very close to ideal.

Of course, the ultimate paragraphed KJV is the New Cambridge Paragraph Bible, which will hopefully be offered in hand-sized additions in the future.

LINKS
Bibles-Direct.com | Trinitarian Bible Society

J. MARK BERTRAND

J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.

Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.

Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

http://www.lectio.org
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The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible (KJV)