David

Can you compare the following translations of 1 Chronicles 20:3 and tell me which is the right one?

Was it violence? (cut them with axes and plows),

or was it Welfare (put them to work with axes and plows)

and how do you know?

Thank you,

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King James Version

1 Chronicles 20:3

And he brought out the people that [were] in it, and cut [them] with saws, and with HARROWS of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

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Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

3 And he led out the people that was therein, and made brads, either instruments by which corns be broken, and sleds, and iron chariots, to pass (over) on them, so that all men were cut into diverse parts, and were all-broken; David did thus to all the cities of the sons of Ammon, and he turned again with all his people into Jerusalem. (And he led out the people who were there, and made brads, that is, instruments by which corn is broken, and sleds, and iron chariots, to pass over the top of them, so that all the people were cut into many parts, and were killed; and David did this to all the cities of the Ammonites, and then he returned with all of his people to Jerusalem.)

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New International Version

3 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

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New Life Version (NLV)

3 He brought out the people who were in it, and made them work with saws, iron picks, and axes. David did this to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then he and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

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Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

3 and the people who [are] in it he hath brought out, and setteth to the saw, and to cutting instruments of iron, and to axes; and thus doth David to all cities of the sons of Ammon, and David turneth back, and all the people, to Jerusalem.

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The Message (MSG)

1 Chronicles 20

1-3 That spring, the time when kings usually go off to war, Joab led the army out and ravaged the Ammonites. He then set siege to Rabbah. David meanwhile was back in Jerusalem. Joab hit Rabbah hard and left it in ruins. David took the crown off the head of their king. Its weight was found to be a talent of gold and set with a precious stone. It was placed on David's head. He hauled great quantities of loot from the city and put the people to hard labor with saws and picks and axes. This is what he did to all the Ammonites. Then David and his army returned to Jerusalem.

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Good News Translation (GNT)

3 He took the people of the city and put them to work with saws, iron hoes, and axes. He did the same to the people of all the other towns of Ammon. Then he and his men returned to Jerusalem.

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New American Standard Bible (NASB)

3 He brought out the people who were in it, and cut them with saws and with sharp instruments and with axes. And thus David did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

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Darby Translation (DARBY)

3And he brought out the people that were in it, and cut them with the saw, and with harrows of iron, and with saws. And so David did to all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

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I was talking with an acquaintance about the nightmare described in an Old Testament story of King David in his wars:

1 Chronicles 20:3

And he brought out the people that [were] in it, and cut [them] with saws, and with HARROWS of iron, and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

I had my King James Bible (above), and he had his NIV (New International Version) and he looked at me when I read my version like I was crazy. He read his version:

New International Version

3 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

Clearly, the first version describes King David as somewhat bloodthirsty for cutting and slicing and dicing heathens with axes and saws. If this is what actually happened, it would have been "Over-The-Top" brutal.

But, the NIV version stated that King David merely "consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes."

It seems to me that either the newer version attempts to "soft-peddle" the Old Testament's actual violence, or else it is an inaccurate translation. Or, the King James Bible is improperly translated.

Either way, one of the Bibles that millions of English-speaking Christians read read day in and day out is wrong

And who is voddie baucham?

I can't tell if this is legit advertising for Calvanist theological software, or if it's a virus.

I think I liked computers when spreadsheets and Windows 3.1 was as good as it got . . .

Thanks,

Or do they just slosh clothes around in soapy dirty water, and not rinse them well enough?

I ask because I've been washing some clothes by hand just to see what actually happens during the process, and fabric seems to need a lot more water to rinse things out than what they usually get.

Anyone know anything about this?

Thanks,

It stars Stephen Fry. What do you think? Worth watching, or not?

Mostly curious . . . Suppose one category of employers had violated an OSHA law since 1992 resulting in OTJ infections that took months (or years) before symptoms appeared, but nobody had yet made the connection between the violated law and the disease?

Would that be addressed as a nation-wide class action lawsuit, or by some other method?

Thanks,

There's a story in the news

http://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/news/couple-guilty-...

about a couple who murdered a boy because they thought he was a WITCH.

You see odd stories in the news and on Youtube (crazy people performing exorcisms) every now and then. I was taught in the grand tradition of the Scientific Method (look it up if you were not taught this), so I'm naturally skeptical of such things. Maybe the boy was indeed a witch, or maybe he was only mistaken to be a witch.

How does a person evaluate a suspected witch or a case of demonic possession? What are the symptoms?

Also, if there is no agreed-upon set of symptoms of demonic possession,

and if nobody can tell if someone is a Witch - or is only weird,

then who's to say if the boy wasn't actually guily of witch craft?

My question is, essentially, "How do you know for sure?"

Some water was discovered to be radioactive.

Instead of warning the people drinking it, the State of Texas decided to ignore the Federal standards and falsify the test results.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVbmHzizE3o&feature...

It explains why so many Texans are so crazy . . .

For real -- check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMI-dcreRsc&feature...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMI-dcreRsc&feature...

Seems to me that if the Supreme Being knows of no other being greater than Himself, then that would make Him an atheist.

So, since I'm an atheist for the same reasons that the Christian God claims, then aren't I more "God-like" than any Christian?

Just curious . . .

Sourpusses who can't chuckle at this will sit in their own church pew.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AEN5BzwJGI

Just curious.

My dad had a few boats, but I never really trusted them. Looking back, I couldn't see what was keeping it afloat.

My little brother caught my dad's love of the ocean (very fond of the 3-story tall waves in the North Atlantic), so all is not lost for the next generation.

Anyway, just curious . . .

This situation comes up from time to time -- do a web search on the "jesus tortilla" and some reports will pop up.

Churches have paid artists to paint pictures of Jesus. In Africa, they tend to look black. In India, they look Indian. In Europe, they look like europeans. At the North Pole they look like Santa, and at the South Pole, they make Jesus look like a penguin.

Evidently, in Mexico, Jesus looks like the image on that lady's flour tortilla. At least she thinks so.

In the Vatican, I suppose he looks like a young Cardinal Ratzsinger.

So, what am I missing here?

Would it be cruel to let people persist in their mistaken notion that the Saviour is likely to appear on tortillas, or tree trunks, or railroad tank cars, or in an artfully arranged platter of mashed potatos? Or would it be more "Christian" and display concern for these people by showing them photos of previous images of Jesus, and explain that her assumption was only presumptious?

Just curious, because this is what would happen without state licensure of the professions.

http://www.familyradio.com/

Harold Camping

was pretty sure the world was going to end last year. Two times, in fact.

Christians have been certain for the past 2000 years that Jesus was about to return, time and time and time and time again.

What makes you so certain that it's going to happen at all?

How many times do your prophecies have to be wrong before you finally give up? (yes, I know - never . . )

Just wondering . . .

$10 a gallon?

$50 a gallon?

That's what the US Constiutuion requires.

The President can send troops for a few months for a "police action," but aside from that,

Congress is supposed to declare war.

What do you think?

And would you enforce it on non-beleivers?

If so, do you support abolishing Religious Freedom rights guaranteed under the 1st Amendment to the US Constitution?

Or, would you support another INQUISITION ?

Start by punishing GLBT people, then atheists, then Sabbath-Breakers, then Adulterers . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC6NwsjqyKY&feature...

Or should they be recycled over and over until they one day become of some use?

. . . . to vacuum the True Beleiver's faith out of his body?

. . . . Have you ever seen this happen?

. . . . Could such a thing as this ever happen?

. . . . Would you like to see such a thing happen?

. . . and should they have asked instead, "How many Hindu gods are there?"

Just wondering . . .

What if you died in a state of doubt, and that doubt was sincere?

Would you die in terror of roasting in Hellfire?