The Bible In-Verse

By Lloyd McCalla

JEHOVAH JIREH, the poem displayed on the cover, is among the most moving portions of scripture. If we close our eyes and "feel" the scene with our hearts, we see, not only the plan of salvation, but we "feel" the pain sin caused the very heart of God when He sacrificed His own son. What a love story!
To paint that love story in poetic pastels is the purpose of THE GOSPEL IN VERSE. As one enjoys the beauty of perfect rhyme and meter my hope is that the depths of God's love will penetrate and permeate the soul of the reader.
What would possess anyone to undertake the mind-boggling challenge of putting the entire bible in verse? Shortly before beginning I felt strongly that my poetic gift had irretrievably declined. After writing one poem, "A Stable", about Christ's lowly stable birth, I felt impressed to put all my favorite bible passages into poetry. Then something, (or better, Someone) impressed me to put the whole bible in verse. My first reaction was, "That's crazy-that's impossible." But the assurance came that "with God, all things are possible." Mark 2:27. I also realized that Somebody bigger than I would finish what He had begun.
Sometimes the verse flowed. At other times I labored at it and had to use several versions of the bible to retain the integrity of the text along with the rhyme. And that was the major hurdle, scriptural integrity. The rhyme was a gift. My hope is that all, whether grade school scholar or seminary professor, will find this text unbiased and theologically sound. My hope is that the message of God's "love letter", the bible, will flow forth to a new generation in the beauty of "poetic pastels" that will make it a joy to read and to listen to.
Although the rhyme and meter is consistent throughout the text there are a few passages in italics in which the beat is different. The accent falls on the first syllable rather than the second. Each of these passages is footnoted with the comment, "see introduction." The entire ten commandments in Exodus
20 is written with this alternative beat. This alternative beat is just the way the Spirit moved me at that moment.
A few chapters are not included at the end of Exodus because the statutes and judgments could become as burdensome to the reader (and the writer) as they were to the Israelites (Acts 15:10). I hope that this does not detract from the reader's acceptance and enjoyment of the text.
As noted earlier JEHOVAH JIREH is paraphrased to grasp the overwhelming emotion weaved into every fiber of the story. Hope fully, in no other passage is anything added that is not implicit in the original translation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 27, 2014
• ISBN: 9781499013818

Book preview

The Bible In-Verse

Lloyd McCalla

Copyright © 2014 by Lloyd McCalla.

ISBN:      Softcover      978-1-4990-1380-1

                Ebook         978-1-4990-1381-8

NKJV—New King James Version

Scriptures taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 04/02/2015

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Contents

INTRODUCTION

FAVORITE BIBLE PASSAGES

Job Chapter 38

Job Chapter 41

Job Chapter 42

Psalm 1

Psalm 19

Psalm 23

Psalm 24

Psalm 34

Psalm 37

Psalm 46

Psalm 91

Psalm 121

Psalm 139

Isaiah 52 & 53

Isaiah 55

Isaiah 56:17-25

Revelation 21:1-7

Romans 8

I Corinthians 13

Eph. 3:7-10/Eph. 3:14-21

THE BOOK OF Genesis

Genesis I The Creation

Genesis II God Creates Woman

Genesis III TheTemptation And Fall

Genesis IV Adam and Eve Have Sons

Genesis V, VI Noah Builds an Ark

Genesis VII & VIII The Flood

Genesis IX The Rainbow of Promise

Chapter X Ham’s Sin—Canaan’s Curse

Chapter XI The Tower of Babel

Genesis XII The Call of Abram

Genesis XIII Lot chooses Sodom

Genesis XIV Lot Captured and Rescued

Genesis XV God’s Covenant with Abram

Genesis XVI Hagar Runs Away

Genesis XVII The Covenant of Circumcision

Genesis XIX Sodom Destroyed By Fire

Genesis XX Abimelech Takes Sarah As His Wife

Genesis XXI The Birth of Isaac

Genesis CHAPTER XXII JEHOVAH JIRAH—The Lord God Will Provide

Genesis XXIV Eleazar Finds Isaac a Wife

Genesis XXV Esau Sells His Birthright

Genesis XXVI Isaac and Aminidas

Genesis XXVII Jacob Steals Esau’s Blessing

Genesis XXVIII Jacob’s Ladder

Genesis XXIX Jacob Meets Rachel

Genesis XXX Jacob Acquires Herds

Genesis XXXI Jacob Flees From Laban

Genesis XXXII Jacob Wrestles With God

Genesis XXXIII Jacob Meets Esau Again

Genesis XXXIV Jacob’s Sons Massacre the Hivites

Genesis XXXV Jacob Cleanses His House

Genesis XXXVI

Genesis XXXVII Joseph and His Dreams

Genesis XXXIX Potiphar’s Wife Accuses Joseph of Rape

Genesis 40 Joseph Interprets Dreams

Genesis XXXXI Joseph Interprets Pharaoh’s Dreams

Genesis XXXXII Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt

Genesis XXXXIII Joseph’s Brothers Return to Egypt

Genesis XXXXIV Joseph Tests His Brothers

Genesis XXXXV Joseph Reveals Himself to His Brothers

Genesis XXXXVI Jacob Meets Joseph

Genesis XXXXVII Jacob Meets Pharaoh

Genesis XXXXVIII Jacob Blesses Joseph’s Two Sons

Genesis XXXXIX & XXXXX Jacob Is Buried At Machpelah

Exodus I The Israelites Enslaved

Exodus II The Birth of Moses

Exodus III God Sends Moses Back to Egypt

Exodus IV Moses Argues With God

Exodus V Moses Confronts Pharaoh

Exodus VI

Exodus VII

Exodus VIII & IX God Strikes Egypt with Plagues

Exodus X

Exodus XI Death of the Firstborn Announced

Exodus XII The Passover Instituted

Exodus XIII

Exodus XIV

Exodus XV (The Song of Moses)

Exodus XVI The Manna And The Sabbath

Exodus XVII Water Miraculously Supplied

Exodus XVIII Jethro (Moses’ Father-in-law)

Exodus XIX God’s Covenant With Isreal

Exodus XX The Ten Commandments

Exodus XXI The Law Concerning Servants

Exodus XXII

Exodus XXIII Justice for All

Exodus XXIV The People Make A Covenant With God

Exodus XXXII The People Worship a Golden Calf

Exodus XXXIII

Exodus XXXIV

INTRODUCTION

JEHOVAH JIREH, the poem displayed on the cover, is among the most moving portions of scripture. If we close our eyes and feel the scene with our hearts, we see, not only the plan of salvation, but we feel the pain sin caused the very heart of God when He sacrificed His own son. What a love story!

To paint that love story in poetic pastels is the purpose of THE GOSPEL IN VERSE. As one enjoys the beauty of perfect rhyme and meter my hope is that the depths of God’s love will penetrate and permeate the soul of the reader.

What would possess anyone to undertake the mind-boggling challenge of putting the entire bible in verse? Shortly before beginning I felt strongly that my poetic gift had irretrievably declined. After writing one poem, A Stable, about Christ’s lowly stable birth, I felt impressed to put all my favorite bible passages into poetry. Then something, (or better, Someone) impressed me to put the whole bible in verse. My first reaction was, That’s crazy-that’s impossible. But the assurance came that with God, all things are possible. Mark 2:27. I also realized that Somebody bigger than I would finish what He had begun.

Sometimes the verse flowed. At other times I labored at it and had to use several versions of the bible to retain the integrity of the text along with the rhyme. And that was the major hurdle, scriptural integrity. The rhyme was a gift. My hope is that all, whether grade school scholar or seminary professor, will find this text unbiased and theologically sound. My hope is that the message of God’s love letter, the bible, will flow forth to a new generation in the beauty of poetic pastels that will make it a joy to read and to listen to.

Although the rhyme and meter is consistent throughout the text there are a few passages in italics in which the beat is different. The accent falls on the first syllable rather than the second. Each of these passages is footnoted with the comment, see introduction. The entire ten commandments in Exodus 20 is written with this alternative beat. This alternative beat is just the way the Spirit moved me at that moment.

A few chapters are not included at the end of Exodus because the statutes and judgments could become as burdensome to the reader (and the writer) as they were to the Israelites (Acts 15:10). I hope that this does not detract from the reader’s acceptance and enjoyment of the text.

As noted earlier JEHOVAH JIREH is paraphrased to grasp the overwhelming emotion weaved into every fiber of the story. Hope fully, in no other passage is anything added that is not implicit in the original translation.

FAVORITE BIBLE PASSAGES

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LET THERE BE LIGHT

JOB CHAPTER 38

"Were you there

When at creation

I first laid the earth’s foundation?

Were you at the coronation

When the night with stars were crowned?

When I made the sun to rise—

Set it far above the skies—

Tell me, Job, if you are wise,

Where such wisdom can be found?

"Did you lay the ocean floor?

Unlock Hades hidden door?

Can you make the eagle soar

When it searches for the prey?

Can you make the beams of light

Break the stranglehold of night?

Can you guide the geese in flight?

Can you make the winds obey?

"When I filled the earth with lakes—

Gently formed the snow’s white flakes—

Made the trees, the birds, the snakes—

Were you there to tell me how?

Can you measure, Job, the girth—

The circumference—of the earth?

Can you make the seals give birth?

If you can, Job, do it now.

When the night with stars were crowned

"Can your waters fill the springs?

Write the songs for birds to sing?

Can you form the robin’s wings

Or make Pleiades appear?

Can you penetrate the veil

Of the mystery of the hail?

Weigh the mountains in a scale?

I did! Were you there?

"Can you tell the winds to blow?

Bind the treasures of the snow?

Can you make spring flowers grow

In the month of May?

Do you know the ‘Master Plan’?

Tell me if you understand.

Did you create Saturn’s bands

Or form the Milky Way?

"Job: