The NRSV version: Psalm 23:1-23:6
And the classical King James Version:
1The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
And the Message version:
1You, LORD, are my shepherd.
I will never be in need.
2You let me rest in fields of green grass.
You lead me to streams of peaceful water,
3and you refresh my life.
You are true to your name, and you lead me
along the right paths.
4I may walk through valleys as dark as death,
but I won't be afraid.
You are with me, and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe.
5You treat me to a feast, while my enemies watch.
You honor me as your guest, and you fill my cup
until it overflows.
6Your kindness and love will always be with me
each day of my life, and I will live forever
in your house, LORD.
And the translation in the Book of Common Prayer:
1 The Lord is my shepherd; *
I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures *
and leads me beside still waters.
3 He revives my soul *
and guides me along right pathways for his Name’s sake.
4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I shall fear no evil; *
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You spread a table before me in the presence of those
who trouble me; *
you have anointed my head with oil,
and my cup is running over.
6 Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days
of my life, *
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Which do you prefer? Why?
What I _prefer_ is the KJV. I think most of the feeling is personal history, but there are a few points that may be rationalizations, or may be valid. The psalm is poetry, of course, and I know none of the conventions of Hebrew poetry, but the KJV translators attended carefully to using English poetic rhythm and words, as far as possible without damaging the translation (they didn't even try to get rhyme in there too! ;^) ). I memorized the KJV Psalm 23 as a very small child, and love it. The BCP 79 comes next, but it irritates me because it's _too_ close to the KJV: reading it aloud, my tongue goes along the familiar words, then gets tangled when I hit a change. The rhythm can't help but be disturbed when you do things like change "maketh me to" to "makes me", and I think it's less good than it was, but then I heard and read Elizabethan English as early as I heard and read Modern English, and my parents and teachers were careful to explain the ways where usage has changed to promote misunderstanding, such as "Suffer the little children", (and we still have such usages as "on sufferance") so I was never bothered by that. I suppose that if people are going to be handed Bibles without such teachers to go along with them, we have to have Modern English translations. But I can't _feel_ that they're an "improvement", only a "necessary evil". (Well, I suppose in some cases where earlier witnesses have been found than those the KJV translators had, there might be a bit of an improvement, and in Paul's convoluted sentences there's a lot of improvement, but not here in this psalm). What can I say about "The Message" version, except that I don't think it's as poetic, and it doesn't turn me on?
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