The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1923-11-20
undermining the Bible.

Hendrix Van Loon, the weli-known au-
thor, believes that the Bible can be rewritten
in present day English and modernized toI
advantage He has undertaken and completed
such work, and has explained that the Bible
story he tells is the kind he would like to tell
to his own boys. He claims for it, it is under
stood, a greater simplicity because the Ian
guage employed is more up to date, more I'M
derstandable Not everyone will agree with
him that he has achieved that object. r. W.
Osborn, who has reviewed Mr.. Van Looms
work in the New York World, is one who
does not agree that the new version is equal
to the old He makes comparison OF Mr.. Van
Looms description of the battle between Da-
vid and Goliath and that found in the King
Tames version. Mr. Van Loon reWrites the
18th chapter of the book of Samuel as fol-
lows:
When the Philistines saw that a mere
child was going to fight man twice his
size they called for their hero and bade
him make an example Of the boy. Goliath
needed no urging. Swinging his terrible
sword, he rushed at David. But pebble
from David's sling hit him right in the
eve. Stunned by the blow Goliath STUN 4
bled and fell and dropped his weapon
Quick as lightning David was upon HIM
He grabbed the giants sword. He hack
ed af him with unexpected violence With
a single blow he cut off the monstrous
head He picked ii up and carried it back
TO the iubilant soldiers. The Philistines
fed and David was hailed as the savior
of the country.
Mr.. Osborn, recalling that Mr.. Van
Loon believed he had done better piece OF
found in thP |
King James version, expresses the opinion
that the old narrative is far better done, say
ing he Should prefer to leave the telling
where it is done in English generally better,
always more impressive, and only occasion
ally so archaic as to be troublesome"
One does not have to depend on Mr. Os-
born for the comparison, since the two pas
sages NAV be considered herewith side by
side. The King James version tells the story
Of the battle of David and Goliath as follows:
4S And it came to pass, when the
Phstine arose and came and drew
nigh to meet David, that David has fled
and ran toward the army to meet the
Philistine
40 And David put his hand in his
bag, and took thence stone, and slang
it. and smote the Philistine in his fore
head that the stone sunk into his fore
head; and he fell upon his face to the
earth.
so So David prevailed over the Phi
listine with sling and with stone, and
smote the Philistine, and slew him; but
there was no sword in the hand OF Da-
vid.
81 Therefore David ran, and stood
upon the Philistine, and took his sword,
and drew it out of the sheath thereof,
and slew him. and cut off his head there
with And when the Philistines their
champion was dead they fled.
Most Bible students, no doubt, will pre-
fer the old version to the new. Surely, there
is more dignity in the way the story of Da-
vid and Goliath is told in the King James
Bible Also, there is an indefnable some
thing in the style of that kind of writing that
makes more profound and a more lasting
impression. Besides, the urge for changed
version today is not justified by single ap-
parent need In all likelihood modernized
Bibles will not go far, however much some
persons may be persuaded that their UP to
date presentation would make a stronger
appeal