I rarely look at the King James translation, but today I happened to glance at it while preparing for a conference:
Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. James 1:21, KJV
That’s right: we are to avoid a superfluity of naughtiness.
What beautiful phrasing.
“superfluity of naughtiness”: that scares the heck out of me just reading it, much less saying it! no wonder i am a proponent of the NAS…although that phrase is bound to acquire instant conviction in the parameter of a homily.
You know, even with that strange phrasing, I still like the KJV best - I did a little side-by-side of several versions, and the only other one I thought came close to well-representing the ideas was Young’s literal translation, but it didn’t quite work right either. The idea of engrafting is important here, and it isn;t brought across well any other way.
KJV rocks
Personally, I think it’s the ultimate band name. That, or the best phrase to hear Strong Bad say out loud. Or Invader Zim. Either one.