Describing Men

I grew up on the old King James Version of the Bible. Well, I wasn’t actually ‘on it,’ but you know what I mean. Of course the KJV’s language is the Shakespearean English. (It was published in 1611.) We don’t speak that way anymore. At least I don’t, do ye?

But I do wish the modern versions would have kept some of the quaint language of the KJV. For example, in the original Hebrew of the Old Testament, a literal translation is sometimes more interesting than the Anglicized version. Here is an Anglicized version (The New Revised Standard Version) of 1 Samuel 25.22 reads:

                                God do so to David and more also, if by morning I leave

                                so much as one male of all who belong to him.

 But not as interesting as the KJV of 1 Sam. 25.22:

                                So and more also do God unto the enemies of David

                                if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light

                                any that pisseth against the wall.

Now isn’t that more descriptive?