/lit/ - Literature

I'm starting to read the bible, the King James Version is usually the one recommended in /lit/ but from what I've seen, many other places recommend newer editions/translations.

For example, I intend to follow this Yale courses online while reading it because they seem good - https://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-145 and https://oyc.yale.edu/religious-studies/rlst-152 - the old testament one recommends and edition called "The Jewish Study Bible" (this edition: https://www.amazon.com/Jewish-Study-Bible-Publication-Translation/dp/B00GSCX06K/ref=sr_1_4 , which is just the Tanakh, leaving some books of the christian bible out).

The only base for comparison I have so far are the first chapters of Genesis, but this indeed seems a much better translation: text reads better, seems more "modern" without losing the "old" feel (plus the annotations and intros on the edition are very good). The only thing is that it is more verbose and the KJV at some times sounds more like my preconception of how it should sound (which is not exactly a good thing).

The new testament course I've linked also recommends the New Revised Standard Version and lists others as acceptable, but specifically says "This is meant to exclude old versions, such as theKing James Version or the Douay Version, and modern paraphrases, such as The Living Bible."

The only thing I see about the KJV is that it is the one that is usually most cited, but anyway I think most of the more famous quotes are left untouched in these other versions (stuff like "Am I my brother's keeper?").

Is there any good reason why I should go with the KJV (or even read it along with these other translations)? Why is it the one usually recommended here?

Why don't modern Christians follow the OT? I believe the standard answer is that Jesus came to reinterpret it, so they should only follow the NT, and the parts of the OT which the NT validates. But why would God give a commandment and subsequently withdraw it?

For example, Deuteronomy 22:21 says what should be done if a woman was not a virgin at the time of her marriage.
>"Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you."
According to Catholic dogma, the Bible was inspired by God, so why would he set down these rules if Jesus would come along and revise them? Is God not infinite through time? If his rules change, then either God changes (he doesn't), or morality is arbitrary and has no significance outside of God's command, illustrated in Genesis 22. God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son, and God’s command is good and just, so Abraham prepares to kill his son.

Is God just some sick fuck sitting up there bending us to his will, reminding us that if we don’t follow his commands to the letter then we’ll get buttfucked by Satan’s spiny phallus and filled with his searing hot loads for all eternity? What is God’s point in telling the Jews one thing, then coming to earth and saying another?

Ok, so how do i read this thing so that I'm actually getting stuff out of it and not wasting my time? Are there any unnecessary parts that I can skip? Hoping to understand both Christianity better, and to understand the cultural/literary influences that this book has on the West. I'm not planning to convert, necesarily, but I'm not against entertaining the idea if it seems like the right thing to do.

Is the King James Bible really a great work of literature in itself (especially aesthetically/stylistically speaking) or is it just important to read because of its "historical significance"?

So which bible does /lit/ recommend for its literary value? King James or regular version? And if KJV where can u find a good copy?

Should i read the bible

>>8091557
And one more, to sharpen the edge.

What is the best guide/resources to reading and understanding the KJV? I'm looking to read the bible mostly for literary purposes, though i wouldn't mind learning about theology in the process.

Hey guys. Is there still a point these days to read The Old Testament? I've been reading the KJB recently not so much as in an attempt to convert as in a search for a literary experience/because it's an important work to understand the western canon. Because Christianity relies mostly on the New Testament, is the OT as important or has it degenerated more or less solely into a source of prose?