Part 1: Elvis: The Book of the King, In King James English.

THE KING IN KING JAMES ENGLISH: BOOK ONE: THE STORM.

CHAPTER 1

1     Now the South wind blew softly

2     In the city where a young child dwelled.

3     And it was fair weather,

4     Being the fourth month of the year,

5     The month called Tammuz.

6     For the flowers were upon the earth

7     and the time of singing of birds was come,

8     and the voice of the turtle was heard in the land.

9     And it was at even when the sun was down,

10   Lo, about the third hour of the night.

11   And some people were afoot,  returning to their homes from worship,

12    and yet others slept, for the day was spent.

 

CHAPTER 2

1     Then arose a little cloud, like a man's hand.

2     And those who beheld it said, "What is this?"

3     For never had they seen such a thing.

4     Then the wind become contrary to them.

5     And then came the elders of the city and sought to discern the face of the sky.

6     And one sayeth, "We know that in the morning, if there be red sky and lowring, it will be foul weather.

7     And when it is evening, if the sky is red, it will be fair weather.

8     But what meaneth this?"

9     And they could not discern the sign.

10   And then they beheld, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.

11   And one among them spake saying, "Surely doth much evil now come unto our city."

12   But another disputed, saying, "Nay, it shall be but a night of darkness and gloominess."

13   Then spake a wise man truth, saying,

14  "Nay, this be a sign of great trouble and distress, wasteness and desolation.

15   Behold: Much wrath is upon us."

 

CHAPTER 3

1     Then there rose a tempestuous wind,

2     And it wrought even more boisterous, and increased continually.

3     Then it became a great storm, and God made it to pass over the four corners of the city.

4     And all the trees bowed down before it. Yea the whole land trembled at the sound of the wind.

5     And all in the streets fled for the noise of the wind, and went in unto their dwellings.

6     And those sleeping within their houses awoke.

7     And all saw that no small tempest lay on the city

8     And they were afraid.

9     And there was a man and his wife in this city, and their child, who was but one year of age.

10   And the man was the son of Jesse.

11    And Jesse awoke from his wine and went to the house of his son and warned him of the wrath to come.

 

CHAPTER 4

1     Then a great many clouds came upon the earth

2     And the Heavens above became black with them.

3     Lo, blacker than coal.

4     And behold they overshadowed the city.

5     And darkness filled the sky all above it.

6     And the sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars withdrew their shining.

7     Nay, neither the moon nor stars could be seen.

8     And the blackness of the fierce cloud that seized upon the city did terrify the people.

9     And the darkness was as pavillions round about, filled with dark waters, and thick clouds of the skies.

 

CHAPTER 5

1     And the voice of much thunder was heard in the heavens.

2     Yea, there was thunder as when a lion uttereth his voice and roareth.

3     And the sky shot out lightning as hot thunderbolts.

4     And the lightning lighted the world

5     and the earth trembled and shook, and the hills did move.

6     Then the Heavens dropped, and the skies sent out a great noise of coming rain.

7     And the windows of Heaven opened up and a flood of mighty waters cast down to earth as if by God's hand.

8     Yea, God sent a great and grievous rain out of his treasures upon the earth and the clouds poured out water.

9     And the rain watered the whole face of the ground.

10   And the sound of the mighty tempest was exceeding loud so that the city was like to be destroyed

11   so that all people trembled.    

12   Yea, the whole city feared for the thunder and lightning and noise of the wind.

 

CHAPTER 5

1     An the rain descended and the winds blew and beat upon the house of the son of Jesse, even as it did all others.

2     For God sendeth the storm on the just and the unjust.

3     And Jesse and his son stood against the wall of the dwelling seeking to strengthen it that it not fall.

4     But when they saw the house might fall, the son took his wife and child and father, and sought refuge in a hole in the ground.

5     But Jesse looked back from behind him to see the torment, and lo, he beleld no man. For all who could had gone into holes in the ground as do snakes in their fear.

6     And Jesse remained there, as one frozen by the torment his eyes say,

7     Yea, as Lot's wife was when God sent fire and brimstone against Sodom and Gomorrah, was he like unto a pillar of salt.

8     And his son called out unto him crying, "Abba!" and drew him in afore the wind lay hold on him and took him away.

9     And the fear of God was upon all the people as they beheld the torment, and lo they trembled.

10    And the whole multitude of the city prayed for their own salvation that day.

 

CHAPTER 7

1     Then all hope that all would be saved was taken away.

2     For within the mighty tumult arose a great noise of devouring wind.

3     And the clouds began to churn unto the midst of Heaven, with thick darkness.

4     And the heaven opened, and down from without the cloud a great whilwind of the LORD came forth in fury.

5     And it was such a storm of wind such as was not seen since men were in that city.

6     For it was as a fire infolding itself.

7     And it descended and smote the ground and the whole land quaked greatly.

8     And all the people cried out, "LORD, Have mercy upon us - we perish!"

9     And all that the finger of God touched was crushed and swallowed up.

10   And it went forth with fierce fury, for it was a continuing whirlwind.

11   And the great and strong wind rent the city, and brake in pieces the houses before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind.

12    And the earth quaked alway: And it was a very great trembling.

13    And all the city was in jeopardy

14    And all were affrighted, pleading, "LORD, Save us."

15    And all prayed as people at the time of their judgement.

16    Saying, "Please Lord, Forgive us. Let us not die!"

17    But God answereth not all prayers.

 

CHAPTER 8

1     Then were many taken away and given up unto death.

2     Lo, children were taken from their fathers

3     and wives from their husbands,

4     and even horns were taken from their cows.

5     For they were as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away,

6     plucked up by the wind into the sky.

7     And death came for two hundred and thirty and five souls.

8     And three hundred and fifty other were maimed.

9     And nine hundreds of dwellings were brought to naught

10   As were all of the dwellings in the quarter of the children of the Ethiopians, whose fathers had been slaves in the land.

11    Nay, not one of their houses remained.

 

CHAPTER 9

1     But the mother of the child hid in the corner of the hole and prayed without ceasing.

2     And she called aloud unto Jesus saying, "Master, I beseech thee, look upon my son, for he is my only child.

3     And by reason of the prayer of the mother,

4    The child and all around him were saved.

5     And above them their house fell not, for the LORD made an hedge about it to preserve it from the wind.

6     But a house of God, and many others houses fell,

7     And great was the fall of them.

 

CHAPTER 10

1     Then God maketh the storm a calm,

2     So that the thunders ceased,

3     And the winds ceased their raging and were abated and thence stopped.

4     And even the rain from heaven was restrained, and fell no more.

5     Nay, rain was not poured more upon the earth.

6     And there was a great calm.

7     And the people came up from their refuge and saw nigh all was destroyed. Yea, nigh all save the house of the child.

8     And behold the city was rent in the midst

9     And the shadow of death did stain it.

10   And lo, the greater part of the city was broken down by the torment and it's fierce anger.

11   And great fires consumed many of the dwellings throughout the place.

12   And the smoke of the city went up as the smoke of a furnace, for there were many fires.

13   And the ruin of the city was great.

14   And there arose a great cry, for there were but a few houses in the city where there was not one dead.

15   And ten and three were dead in but one family.

16   And cries filled the air as of the anguish of women who bring forth their first child.

17   Yea, voices were heard in the city, lamentation and bitter weeping, women weeping for their children refused to be comforted, because they were not.

18   Yea, lamentation and weeping and great mourning, mothers weeping for their children and would not be comforted. Because they were not.

19   Daughters of the city who bewaileth themselves, and spreadeth their hands saying, "Woe are we now!  For our souls are wearied because of our loss.

 

CHAPTER 11

 

1     But the house of the child was not consumed, nor was his life.

2     And the mother answered unto her child saying, "It is a miracle of the Hand of God. For not only have our lives been spared, but our home as well."

3     And the men of the city marvelled, saying, "What manner of thing is this? That a house of worship nearby be not spared, but the wind touched not the house of the child.

4     Surely the mercy of the LORD is  upon it, and the mother and father and the child within it."

5     And it was taken as a sign from God that great things hould come from that child.

6    Then the mother said unto her son, "God hath saved thee from his wrath. For thou art surely here to do the will of he who hath all power,

7     He who even the winds and the lightning obey."

8      Glory to God in the highest.     

End of Part 1.

For Part 2 go to the following link:

http://my.nowpublic.com/strange/part-2-elvis-book-king-king-james-english

To Return to the Introduction and List of Current Chapters, use the following link:

http://my.nowpublic.com/strange/unique-elvis-book-being-published-internet-one-chapter-weekly

 

Writer's Blog for Part 1.        

Two years ago I was visiting my brother in Florence, Alabama, when I had the sudden urge to go to Graceland.  It was in the early afternoon, and a two and a half hour drive... and I got to the outskirts of Memphis right at rush hour.

I felt like a fool.  I had no plans, little money, and no real reason for going there at that time, other than I had wanted to write about Elvis in the way I am doing above, and I wanted to see Graceland one more time before I started writing.

So I said to God, to give me some kind of sign if I was doing what I should be doing.

I do this sometimes, and sometimes I am given a sign, and sometimes not.

I had the radio on but wasn't paying attention to it, but I did realize that the very next song that came on... was Elvis.

I went to Graceland... but still didn't begin writing the book.

I remembered this today, because I was again having doubts about what I was doing, all day long, and the night before as well.

I had my ipod with me and at work I put earphones in my ears, and turned it on.

Now mind you  I had not asked for a sign, and wasn't even thinking about that.  I just wanted something to listen to at work.

Also keep in mind that I have 1,100 different songs, Plus stories and chapters from the new Testament on my ipod, and even some French lessons.  The ipod is set to "shuffle" and not to play anything in any order.

When I pushed play, "Graceland," by Paul Simon came on.

And it said,

"For reasons I can not eplain... there's some part of me wants to see Graceland..."

"I have reason to believe... we all will be received, in Graceland...."

The odds of that song coming up first... were 1100 to 1.

Now many of you may not believe in signs from God, but I do.

I believe he has given me three signs at different times in my life... and that is enough for me. I rarely even ask for any more nowadays.

I just go forth about my life as sort of a reluctant, backsliding Christian and an inconsistent writer.

I believe it was Jonah in the Bible who was told to go to Ninevah and speak to the people about God. Instead... he went the other way, trying to escape from both God and what he was supposed to do.  Then if you believe the Bible, God caused Jonah to be swallowed by a whale... who then spit him up on the shores of Ninevah. Jonah, after spending several days in the belly of the whale, got the message, and went to Ninevah and spoke with the people as commanded.

I guess I am like Jonah, I seem to be doing everything I can, NOT to write this book... but I can't shake the feeling that I am supposed to be doing it.

Well, at least I have finished the first chapter.

I'm waiting now to see how you, the people who love Elvis, feel about it.

In the meantime... I'm staying away from whales.

Will.    

P.S. You may also wish to read "Elvis at My Father's Cafe..." at the below link. Thanks.

http://my.nowpublic.com/culture/elvis-my-fathers-cafe