The focus in Holy Bible Gems is to present chronologically the significant truths, principles, outstanding stories, key Biblical figures, and major historic events, in the King James version of the Holy Bible.
While the reader is encouraged to read the full textual entries, the over-riding highlight throughout the book is the placement of a key bolded and italicized heading succinctly representing each entry, like a polished Gem.
The purpose of this book’s format is to facilitate covering in essence the entire Bible quite rapidly and with assured ease if by reading just the headings alone. The reader can then rely on consistent richness, right to the end of the Bible, without being weighed down with what might be considered vast extraneous material.
About The Book
Several Biblical scholars have changed the wording of the Holy Bible to perhaps present a reading more consistent with a changing language. However, this compiler has decided to go through the Old and New Testaments with a “fine-toothed comb”—preserving the original King James language; and with a fraction of the book’s volume, gather the precious and pertinent Gems of wisdom as well as familiar and outstanding stories—focusing on principles, truths, key figures and historic events; and with no disrespect for the Bible, excluding the more mundane parts which so often may discourage reading of the Bible.
In Holy Bible Gems, the selected quotes, thoughts, and significant events are presented chronologically, one book after another. Each entry in the book has a bolded and italicized heading or Gem which highlights and captures the essence or key phrase of the entry. The Gem may be a short phrase, or enshrined in a few lines.
Clearly, in the selection process—given the highly symbolic nature of the Bible’s text, there is much material which some may consider of high value, but which has been overlooked. Apology is therefore rendered, but with the modest acknowledgment nevertheless of having aimed at an easier read for a willing, searching and appreciative audience.
Throughout the entire book, Old Testament and New Testament, there is a minimum of editing—primarily in the Gem headings, for the purpose of clarity.
Throughout the compiler’s adult life, he has been driven in efforts to help make the truths in the scriptures more plain, clear and accessible to others.
Book Sample
Genesis
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Let Us Make Man in Our Image
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our own likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Genesis 1:26-27
Be Fruitful and Multiply and Replenish the Earth
And God blessed (Adam and Eve), and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis 1:28
Regarding Food God Provided For Man
And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. Genesis 1:29-30
God Saw Everything He Had Made, and It Was Good
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Genesis 1:31
God Blessed the Seventh Day, and Sanctified It
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. Genesis 2:1-3
These Are the Generations When the Heavens and Earth Were Created
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens. And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. Genesis 2:4-5
A Mist Watered the Whole Face of the Ground
But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. Genesis 2:6
The Lord God Formed Man, and He Became a Living Soul
And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7
The Lord Placed Adam in the Garden of Eden
And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden; Genesis 2:8-10
But of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, Thou Shalt Not Eat
And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Genesis 2:15-17
It Is Not Good for Man To Be Alone
It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Genesis 2:18
God Formed Every Beast of the Field, and Every Fowl of the Air
And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: And whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; Genesis 2:19-20
God Made He a Woman, and Brought Her Unto the Man
And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Genesis 2:21-23
Therefore Shall a Man Leave His Father and His Mother, and Shall Cleave Unto His Wife: and They Shall Be One Flesh
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. Genesis 2:24
And Adam and His Wife Eve Were Both Naked, and Were Not Ashamed
And (Adam and Eve) were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Genesis 2:25
Books covered
Pages
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About the author
The author has had an identified interest in writing since one of his grandmothers recognized his writing skill during his teens. Having been orphaned at 12 years of age, he began living with his mother’s parents. Later in college he studied Sociology and English, then spent a couple of years in humanitarian service in New Zealand, and a year of active military service during the Berlin Crisis. Upon college graduation, he taught high school English for several years, then pursued a Master’s degree in Social Work, followed by over thirty years as a clinical social worker and writer/editor for a state health department.
He has had a life-long drive in recording beautiful and meaningful quotes and poems which have helped mold his writing interests and have subsequently found their way into a number of books in his retirement years.
He has a love of the gospel of Jesus Christ; but in his concern over the general decline in scripture reading, and the fact that the average reading level is now below the Jr. high school level; therefore, he has had a major focus on and has spent decades in making scripture reading much more clear for the reader, while maintaining the integrity of original text.
He also has a rather palpable love of people, nature, adventure, music and literature, which is reflected in his writings. He is the father of five grown children, and is currently living with his wife and their aged cat.
Sterling H. Redd, Sr.
