By By Marcus Hondro May 12, 2013 in World Phillip Patterson spent 7 years writing out the King James bible by hand. He did it as a labor of love, finishing Saturday at the St. Peter's Presbyterian Church in Spencertown, N.Y., where he celebrated with members of the congregation. Love of Shakespeare lead to Biblical labors Reporter Nathan Mayberg of the Hudson Register-Star It seems Patterson got his love for the BIble's language from his love of the writings of playwright and poet William Shakespeare “I like the language,” Patterson told Mayberg. “We need to know what life was like for those people to make those laws and make demands.” Poor health didn't stop Bible project Once married and the father to a daughter, Patterson said his deceased partner, Mohammed, a Muslim, whom he was with for 20 years, had encouraged him to start the project. Sick with AIDS, Patterson walks with two canes but said he felt good finishing and got strength from the crowd of well-wishers. He added that despite his deteriorating health he always knew he would be able to finish his version of the King James version of the Bible. He has yet to have his work bound. Patterson, 63, saved the ending passages of his labor for the gathering of about 100, writing out the final words in front of those assembled. What was that final word? "Amen." He wrote it out with a Micron archival felt tip pen, said it out loud, placed the period on the paper and the crowd repeated the word back to him and cheered.Reporter Nathan Mayberg of the Hudson Register-Star reports he asked Patterson what lesson he might have learned from copying out the King James bible - there are some 785,000 words - and Patterson told him that he learned "you have to think for yourself." The former interior designer and cab driver also said he could not help but notice the tremendous amount of violence in so many of the Biblical passages he was copying out.It seems Patterson got his love for the BIble's language from his love of the writings of playwright and poet William Shakespeare “I like the language,” Patterson told Mayberg. “We need to know what life was like for those people to make those laws and make demands.”Once married and the father to a daughter, Patterson said his deceased partner, Mohammed, a Muslim, whom he was with for 20 years, had encouraged him to start the project. Sick with AIDS, Patterson walks with two canes but said he felt good finishing and got strength from the crowd of well-wishers. He added that despite his deteriorating health he always knew he would be able to finish his version of the King James version of the Bible.He has yet to have his work bound. More about phillip patterson, king james bible, Religion, writing bible phillip patterson king james bible Religion writing bible