The school I attended included Bible memorization as part of their curriculum. We memorized a chapter or portion of a chapter each month. One of my favorites was Psalm 8. We always used the KJV, at church and at school when I was a child.
In the past few years I have come to very much appreciate some other versions of the Bible that use the same English language we speak and understand today. While the older, more poetic nature of the KJV can be lovely, the NLT (New Living Translation) is the one that brought God’s word to life for me and began my journey into a much closer relationship with God and His Son Jesus Christ. And The Message has become another favorite that I love to go to when trying to understand what a passage of Scripture is saying. It is so very well written in our current language that we use daily.
I am sharing Psalm 8 with you today in all three versions. Comparing them is just so amazing. They all three say exactly the same thing – just using different words! God’s Word is so amazing and so unchanging that even when our words and language morph and change over the years The Bible still says the same thing! Praise You O Lord for your wonderful works to the children of men!!!
Psalm 8
King James Version (KJV)
8 O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.
9 O Lord our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Psalm 8
NLT
1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—
the moon and the stars you set in place—
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority—
7 the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth.
A David Psalm
The Message
8 God, brilliant Lord,
yours is a household name.
2 Nursing infants gurgle choruses about you;
toddlers shout the songs
That drown out enemy talk,
and silence atheist babble.
3-4 I look up at your macro-skies, dark and enormous,
your handmade sky-jewelry,
Moon and stars mounted in their settings.
Then I look at my micro-self and wonder,
Why do you bother with us?
Why take a second look our way?
5-8 Yet we’ve so narrowly missed being gods,
bright with Eden’s dawn light.
You put us in charge of your handcrafted world,
repeated to us your Genesis-charge,
Made us lords of sheep and cattle,
even animals out in the wild,
Birds flying and fish swimming,
whales singing in the ocean deeps.
9 God, brilliant Lord,
your name echoes around the world.
Have a blessed Sunday!
Hi Jill, I’m so glad you thought to put all three translations in one post. I’ve never read The Message, but I can see why you enjoy it. It’s so different from the KJV (and the NLT for that matter) but yet it carries the same message. My first Bible, bought when I became a Christian in high school, was NAS, and now I mostly use NIV. So many translations for so many people, but only one true God. Enjoy your Sunday!
Debbie
Debbie, the first thing I went to from the KJV was the NIV. I still really like that one too and use it when doing a Beth Moore bible study since that is typically what she uses for those. For daily bible reading I have really really been enjoying my NLT. I think it is awesome that there are different choices out there since what resonates deeply for one is not the same for everyone. This way we can each find the one that makes it come alive for us.
this is encouraging. thanks for being so real and honest in your post today. thanks for sharing God’s word!
Thanks for coming by Ali! And I have been reading your blog more often than I have taken the time to comment lately!
Gorgeous! Such a blessing…
Cindy
Thank you Cindy.
Thanks for this post! I believe I need to have The Message Bible. For Christmas, my husband gave me The Complete Jewish Bible. Since I am not Jewish, I read it along with my NLT, so I can follow the Hebrew names. Maybe you are wondering why I would not just stick to the English, which would be easier to read and understand. There is a good reason, Messianic Jewish Believers have always been dear to my heart. Have a wonderful week!
Plete
I’m sure a Jewish Bible would be very interesting! I envy Beth Moore’s daughter Melissa who takes a GREEK Bible to church with her! Oh to be able to read the original and understand it.