A copy of the CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION ( CEV ) of the Holy Bible; being entitled: open hearts, open minds, OUTDOORS!, is pictured to the left. The following quotation is taken from this version of the Holy Bible:
"Languages are spoken before they are written. And far more communication is done through the spoken word than through the written word. In fact, more people hear the Bible read than read if for themselves. Traditional translations of the Bible count on the reader's ability to understand a written text. But the Contemporary English Version differs from all other English Bibles-past and present-in that it takes into consideration the needs of the hearer, as well as those of the reader, who may not be familiar with traditional biblical language. The Contemporary English Version has been described as a 'user-friendly' and a 'mission-driven' translation that can be read aloud without stumbling, heard without misunderstanding, and listened to with enjoyment and appreciation, because the language is contemporary and the style is lucid and lyrical." [ See The Holy Bible, CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH VERSION, AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY, NEW YORK, Text: Copyright 1995, American Bible Society, p. vii. ]
Jeremiah 44:15-18 read as follows: "A large number of Jews from both northern and southern Egypt listened to me as I told them what the LORD had said. Most of the men in the crowd knew that their wives often burned incense to other gods. So they and their wives shouted: 'Jeremiah, what do we care if you speak in the LORD's name? We refuse to listen! We have promised to worship the goddess Astarte, the Queen of Heaven, and that is exactly what we are going to do. We will burn incense and offer sacrifices of wine to her, just as we, our ancestors, our kings, and our leaders did when we lived in Jerusalem and the other towns of Judah. We had plenty of food back then. We were well off, and nothing bad ever happened to us. But since the time we stopped burning incense and offering wine sacrifices to her, we have been dying from war and hunger." With the preceding passage from the Holy Bible in mind, we see that the Jews tried to justify the sin of idolatry ( see Exodus 20:3, Matthew 4:10, Romans 15:4, Colossians 2:11-14 ( especially verse 14, for example ), and Hebrews 8:1-13 ( especially verse 13, for example ), for example ) by stating that they had plenty of food, were well off, and that nothing bad ever happened to them. The LORD had spoken to them, through the prophet Jeremiah ( see Jeremiah 44:1, 4, and 16 ), and told them that they would die in war or from starvation ( see Jeremiah 44:12 ), because of their sin of idolatry ( please read Jeremiah 44:1-18 to get the context ).
Moreover, the Jews refused to listen ( see verse 16 ). Many ( see Matthew 7:13, for example ) people are equally stubborn even today. They refuse to listen to God's word ( the Holy Bible - see Psalm 119:65-72, 142, 151, John 1:1, 14; 7:16; 8:26; 10:30; 17:17, Colossians 2:8, 9, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17, and 1 John 5:6-8, for example ); choosing, rather, to practice idolatry. Jesus ( see Matthew 5:1 ) said that only those who obey His Father in heaven will get into the kingdom of heaven ( see Matthew 7:21, for example ). Please study the Holy Bible ( see 2 Timothy 2:15, for example ).
If you have any questions about the Holy Bible, you can contact me by e-mail at:
<rewillis1_1@juno.com>
<Russell E. Willis>
