the new cambridge paragraph bible -...

THE NEW C AMBRIDGEPAR AGR APH BIBLEWITH THE APOCRYPHA

King James Version

Edited by David Norton

www.cambridge.org© Cambridge University Press

Cambridge University Press978-0-521-84386-7 - The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible, with the Apocrypha: King James VersionEdited by David NortonFrontmatterMore information

http://www.cambridge.org/0521843863

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Rights in the Authorised (King James) Version of the Bible

are vested in the Crown

The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible

with the Apocrypha: King James Version,

as edited by David Norton

© Cambridge University Press 2005

This edition is printed and published by

Cambridge University Press,

The Queen’s Printer,

under Royal Letters Patent

Typeset in 10/12.5pt Swift (EF)

Printed in the United Kingdom

at the University Printing House, Cambridge

ISBN-13 978-0-521-84386-7 hardback

ISBN-10 0-521-84386-3 hardback

ISBN-13 978-0-521-84387-4 black French Morocco leather

ISBN-10 0-521-84387-1 black French Morocco leather






CONTENTS

Editor’s Introduction

THE HOLY BIBLE

Epistle Dedicatory

The Translators to the Reader

The Names and Order of all the Books of the Old and New Testamentand the Books called Apocrypha

the old testament

the apocrypha

the new testament

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EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION

Though it is the most important book in the religious life and the cul-ture of the English-speaking world, the King James Bible or AuthorisedVersion of 1611 has never been perfectly printed. This is not to sayeither that it is badly printed or that absolute perfection can beachieved, but that the text and its presentation can be improved. First,what we now read as the King James Bible contains numerous deliber-ate and some accidental changes to the text, and these can be revised tomake it more faithful to the King James translators’ own decisions as tohow it should read. Second, the presentation of the text – spelling,punctuation and formatting – interferes with the clarity with which itspeaks to the minds and souls of present-day readers. Unnecessarybackground noise gets in the way. To use another image, there is dustand dirt on the old master, the paint is darkened and cracked: we canstill see that the picture is a great one, but not how great it is.

Such improvements are needed because of the way the text devel-oped and then stopped developing. The first edition was preparedunder the supervision of some of the translators and is uniquelyauthoritative, but it has its unavoidable share of mistakes. Most ofthese are typographical, but some come from problems in the copy theprinter used and some from mistakes the translators themselves made.Subsequent early printings corrected some of the mistakes and intro-duced others, so variant readings began to accumulate. Printing theKing James Bible became both a large-scale commercial enterprise anda scholarly endeavour. The commercial enterprise produced innumer-able editions without much care for the basis of the text they werereproducing. Meanwhile editors worked over the detail of the text,introducing small changes which usually made it a more literal trans-lation of the originals, but sometimes, presumably for reasons of style,changed its English. This work of accidental and deliberate textualdevelopment came to an almost complete stop with an Oxford editionof 1769, which thereafter became accepted as the standard. It is still,with very little change, the received text that we read as the King JamesBible.

Spelling and punctuation changed steadily through this century anda half. By the time the text became fixed these generally conformed tomid-eighteenth-century standards. Some other aspects of presentationsuch as paragraphing and the two-column format with each verseprinted on a new line remained unchanged in most editions.

After 1769 the desire for stability prevailed over the desire to‘improve’. This received text was and is a good one, but its chief virtue

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has been its stability. The King James translators themselves recognisedthe desire for stability in religion as they justified the work that theyhad done in making a new translation. In their preface, ‘the Translatorsto the Reader’, they observe

that whosoever attempteth anything for the public (specially if itpertain to religion, and to the opening and clearing of the word ofGod), the same setteth himself upon a stage to be glouted upon byevery evil eye, yea, he casteth himself headlong upon pikes, to begored by every sharp tongue. For he that meddleth with men’sreligion in any part meddleth with their custom, nay, with theirfreehold; and though they find no content in that which theyhave, yet they cannot abide to hear of altering.

Yet, at the risk of glouting and goring, the stable text does needchanging. First, as already noted, it is not the translators’ text but hashad many readings changed according to the judgements of editorswho had made it into a revised version: not a heavily revised version,but still a revised version. Second, it is now possible to go back to manu-script work by the translators which sometimes clarifies exactly whatthey decided was the right reading or the best phrasing. Third, itsspelling and punctuation are neither those of the original nor of thepresent. Fourth, its usual formatting, by privileging the verse referencesystem, inhibits clear, contextual reading.

One example must serve to illustrate the kind of changes editorshave made and the light that the manuscript work can give. It turns ona single letter. Hos. 6:5 reads in the first edition, ‘therefore haue Ishewed them by the Prophets’. The second edition removed an s, creat-ing the reading of the received text, ‘therefore have I hewed them by theprophets’. ‘Shewed’ is generally reckoned a misprint because the literalsense of the Hebrew is ‘cut down’, as in the earlier English translations.However, the King James translators’ manuscript work shows it was nota misprint: they struck through ‘cut down’ in their source text and sub-stituted ‘shewed’. In doing so they followed an Aramaic reading fromTargum Jonathan, and the general sense of the note to this verse in thepopular Geneva Bible: ‘I haue still laboured by my prophets, and as itwere, framed you to bring you to amendement, but all was in vaine: formy word was not meate to feede them, but a sworde to slaye them’. Toput it another way, God’s word, which should have led to reform of life,has been ignored, so, rather than saving, it condemns. Figuratively,what should have been food has become a sword. Troubled as othershad been before them at the violent picture of God hewing peopledown, the King James translators chose what we may think of as a gen-tler reading. Theology may lie in a single letter, and an apparently cor-rect change may remove the translators’ understanding of the original.

This example tells much of the kind of work that lies behind The NewCambridge Paragraph Bible. All the different readings between the firstedition and the current text, as represented by Cambridge and Oxfordeditions, have been identified. Their history has been traced and their


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rationale examined, including their relation to the translators’ manu-script work and to the original languages. Except where there are goodreasons to think that the first edition does not represent the readingsthe translators decided on, first edition readings are restored. Conse-quently The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible gives the reader as closely aspossible the exact text that the King James translators themselvesdecided on – but which was far from perfectly realised in the first edi-tion. The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible is the translators’ Bible.

An important aim is to give the reader consistent modern spellingand presentation in order to make it easier to read and study than thereceived text. This is the work that is like cleaning an old master. Theremoval of obsolete and inconsistent spellings, old-fashioned punctua-tion and cumbersome presentation will be more obvious than thechanges to readings. Spelling is the most important issue, especiallybecause it may appear that the King James Bible no longer sounds quitelike itself. Where in current texts, Jesus ‘spake’ to the multitude, in TheNew Cambridge Paragraph Bible he ‘spoke’. The word is the same but thesound is different. Now, in 1611 spelling varied freely. One notableaspect of this variation involves forms that we would think would haveto be pronounced differently, for instance ‘murderer’ and ‘murtherer’(Num. 35:18 and 19). Similarly, a word might be treated as aspiratedaccording to the printer’s convenience, as in Ezek. 40:42, ‘a cubite andan halfe long, and a cubite & a halfe broad’. Such variations in closeproximity strongly suggest that the 1611 spelling cannot be taken as areliable guide to pronunciation, and that therefore editors shouldignore apparent changes of sound in modernising the spelling.

The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible keeps the modernisation withinstrict limits: spellings may be modernised, but words and grammaticalforms cannot be changed. ‘Thou wouldst’ does not become ‘you would’because that changes the character of the language. Throughout the lan-guage stays the same, that of the translators. Occasionally this meansthat older words or forms are reintroduced, either because at some pointin the history of the text the translators’ word was changed to a similar,different word, or because a modern form obscures the meaning. WhenPaul, in the received text, wishes ‘that women adorn themselves in mod-est apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety’ (1 Tim. 2:9), he appearsto want them not only to be modest and sober, but also ashamed. This isnot what the translators meant. They used a word that might once havesounded the same as ‘shamefacedness’, ‘shamefastness’. This is not soeasily read as ‘ashamed’: its authentic strangeness takes the reader to theright meaning, holding fast to modesty. ‘Instead’ illustrates how a modern spelling can obscure meaning. Its usual meaning now isabstract: as an alternative to. However, in the English of the King Jamesit is always given as two words, ‘in stead’, and often has a much more concrete sense that fits with phrases such as ‘reigned in his stead’. Whenone reads in current texts that God took one of Adam’s ribs ‘and closedup the flesh instead thereof’ (Gen. 2:21), one might well be puzzled:instead of what? one might ask. The real meaning becomes clearer in the

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first edition’s ‘closed up the flesh in stead thereof’. The New CambridgeParagraph Bible restores old spellings of this sort.

Consistency of spelling is not made a fetish. The translators, again intheir preface ‘to the Reader’, argued their right to use a range of vocab-ulary rather than a single English word for a particular word in theoriginal. ‘Is the kingdom of God,’ they ask, ‘become words or syllables?why should we be in bondage to them if we may be free?’ The NewCambridge Paragraph Bible uses the same freedom with words that havemore than one current form, such as ‘toward’ and ‘towards’, or‘among’ and ‘amongst’. The eighteenth-century editors tried to settleon one form, deciding, for instance, that ‘among’ was preferable to‘amongst’. Yet, with understandable frailty, they missed two earlyexamples. The first edition had used both forms freely. Rather thancompleting those editors’ work by banishing the last two uses of‘amongst’, The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible has gone back to the trans-lators’ choices as represented in the first edition. Again the result is amore authentic text.

In short, what The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible does is to modernisethe spelling of the Bible without sinning against the language of thetranslators.

Like the spelling, the punctuation of the received text belongs to theeighteenth century and often appears heavy to modern taste. Since theoriginal punctuation is often closer to modern practice, it is usuallyrestored, but the punctuation of the received text is drawn on wherev-er the original is impossible by modern standards and in some othercases where it seems to be more helpful. Speech marks have beenadded, again as an aid to the reader. Rather than just indicating thebeginning of a speech by the use of a capital letter, as in most editionsfrom the first onwards, this also indicates the end of a speech, and ithelps to reveal the often considerable complexities of speech withinspeech.

In all likelihood, the first edition of the King James Bible was hurriedthrough the press before the translators had fully completed theirwork. One of the casualties of this hurry was the paragraphing. Itemerged rough and incomplete: for instance, there are no paragraphbreaks marked in the New Testament after Acts 20. Curiously, thisunsatisfactory situation has remained unchanged in the received text.What The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible does is to present the entire textin paragraphs that conform as far as possible to present-day ideas ofparagraphing. This contributes to the aim of making the King JamesBible as readable and comprehensible as possible without falsifying theessentials of the translators’ work.

Poetic parts of the text have been given in verse lines. Here a word ofcaution is necessary: it is not always clear what parts of the originalwere poetry, nor how that poetry should be lineated; moreover, theKing James Bible was made as a prose translation, and its words onlysometimes work as verse. Nevertheless, the appearance of poetry, at theleast, may act as a reminder that some parts were originally poetry.


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Sometimes it may do more, bringing out the structure of the poetryand more of the rhythm of the text.

The King James translators were instructed that ‘no marginal notesat all [were] to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew orGreek words, which cannot without some circumlocution so brieflyand fitly be expressed in the text’. Consequently they supplied in themargin notes that give either alternative translations or literal render-ings of the original (most of these begin ‘Heb.’ or ‘Gr.’ for Hebrew orGreek). Subsequent editions added a few more such notes. The readermay find these additional notes helpful, so The New Cambridge ParagraphBible keeps them within square brackets, thus making clear whichnotes are original and which are not.

Thousands of specks of dust have been blown away from the receivedtext in The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible, leaving the King James Biblepresented with a fidelity to the translators’ own work never beforeachieved, and allowing the most read, heard and loved book in theEnglish language to speak with new vigour to modern readers.

A full account of the history of the text and of the principles onwhich The New Cambridge Paragraph Bible was made is available in DavidNorton, A Textual History of the King James Bible (Cambridge UniversityPress), 2005.

david norton

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THE HOLY BIBLECONTAINING THE

OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT

AND THE BOOKS C ALLED APOCRYPHA

TR ANSL ATED OUT OF THE ORIGINAL TONGUES

AND WITH THE FORMER TR ANSL ATIONS

DILIGENTLY COMPARED AND REVISED

BY HIS MAJEST Y’S SPECIAL COMMANDMENT

Appointed to be read in Churches

CUM PRIVILEGIO






TO THE MOSTHIGH AND MIGHT Y

Prince, James, by the grace of God,King of Great Britain, France and Ireland,

Defender of the Faith, etc.

THE TRANSLATORS OF THE BIBLEwish grace, mercy, and peace, through JESUS

CHRIST our LORD

Great and manifold were the blessings, most dread Sovereign, whichAlmighty God, the Father of all mercies, bestowed upon us the people ofEngland, when first he sent your Majesty’s royal person to rule and reignover us. For whereas it was the expectation of many, who wished not wellunto our Sion, that upon the setting of that bright occidental star, QueenElizabeth of most happy memory, some thick and palpable clouds of dark-ness would so have overshadowed this land, that men should have been indoubt which way they were to walk, and that it should hardly be known,who was to direct the unsettled state: the appearance of your Majesty, as ofthe sun in his strength, instantly dispelled those supposed and surmisedmists, and gave unto all that were well affected exceeding cause of comfort;especially when we beheld the government established in your Highness,and your hopeful seed, by an undoubted title, and this also accompaniedwith peace and tranquillity at home and abroad.

But amongst all our joys, there was none that more filled our hearts,than the blessed continuance of the preaching of God’s sacred wordamongst us, which is that inestimable treasure, which excelleth all theriches of the earth, because the fruit thereof extendeth itself, not only tothe time spent in this transitory world, but directeth and disposeth menunto that eternal happiness which is above in heaven.

Then, not to suffer this to fall to the ground, but rather to take it up, andto continue it in that state, wherein the famous predecessor of your High-ness did leave it: nay, to go forward with the confidence and resolution of aman in maintaining the truth of Christ, and propagating it far and near, isthat which have so bound and firmly knit the hearts of all your Majesty’sloyal and religious people unto you, that your very name is precious amongthem, their eye doth behold you with comfort, and they bless you in theirhearts, as that sanctified person, who, under God, is the immediate authorof their true happiness. And this their contentment doth not diminish ordecay, but every day increaseth and taketh strength, when they observe thatthe zeal of your Majesty towards the house of God doth not slack or go back-ward, but is more and more kindled, manifesting itself abroad in the far-thest parts of Christendom, by writing in defence of the Truth (which hathgiven such a blow unto that man of sin, as will not be healed), and every dayat home, by religious and learned discourse, by frequenting the house ofGod, by hearing the word preached, by cherishing the teachers thereof, bycaring for the Church as a most tender and loving nursing father.

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There are infinite arguments of this right Christian and religious affec-tion in your Majesty: but none is more forcible to declare it to others thanthe vehement and perpetuated desire of accomplishing and publishing ofthis work, which now with all humility we present unto your Majesty. Forwhen your Highness had once out of deep judgement apprehended howconvenient it was, that out of the original sacred tongues, together withcomparing of the labours, both in our own and other foreign languages, ofmany worthy men who went before us, there should be one more exacttranslation of the Holy Scriptures into the English tongue; your Majesty didnever desist to urge and to excite those to whom it was commended, thatthe work might be hastened, and that the business might be expedited in sodecent a manner, as a matter of such importance might justly require.

And now at last, by the mercy of God, and the continuance of ourlabours, it being brought unto such a conclusion, as that we have greathope that the Church of England shall reap good fruit thereby; we hold itour duty to offer it to your Majesty, not only as to our King and Sovereign,but as to the principal mover and author of the work: humbly craving ofyour most sacred Majesty, that since things of this quality have ever beensubject to the censures of ill-meaning and discontented persons, it mayreceive approbation and patronage from so learned and judicious a princeas your Highness is, whose allowance and acceptance of our labours shallmore honour and encourage us, than all the calumniations and hard inter-pretations of other men shall dismay us. So that if, on the one side, we shallbe traduced by Popish persons at home or abroad, who therefore willmalign us, because we are poor instruments to make God’s holy Truth tobe yet more and more known unto the people, whom they desire still tokeep in ignorance and darkness; or if, on the other side, we shall bemaligned by self-conceited brethren, who run their own ways, and give lik-ing unto nothing but what is framed by themselves, and hammered ontheir anvil; we may rest secure, supported within by the truth and inno-cence of a good conscience, having walked the ways of simplicity andintegrity, as before the Lord; and sustained without by the powerful pro-tection of your Majesty’s grace and favour, which will ever give counte-nance to honest and Christian endeavours against bitter censures anduncharitable imputations.

The Lord of heaven and earth bless your Majesty with many and happy days,that, as his heavenly hand hath enriched your Highness with many singularand extraordinary graces, so you may be the wonder of the world in this lat-ter age for happiness and true felicity, to the honour of that great God, andthe good of his Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour.

THE EPISTLE DEDIC ATORY

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THE TR ANSL ATORS TO THE READER 1

Zeal to promote the common good, whether it be by devising anything our-selves, or revising that which hath been laboured by others, deserveth cer-tainly much respect and esteem, but yet findeth but cold entertainment inthe world. It is welcomed with suspicion in stead of love, and with emula-tion in stead of thanks: and if there be any hole left for cavil to enter (andcavil, if it do not find a hole, will make one), it is sure to be misconstrued,and in danger to be condemned. This will easily be granted by as many asknow story, or have any experience. For was there ever anything projectedthat savoured any way of newness or renewing, but the same endured manya storm of gainsaying or opposition? A man would think that civility, whole-some laws, learning and eloquence, Synods, and Church-maintenance (thatwe speak of no more things of this kind) should be as safe as a sanctuary,and out of shot,2 as they say, that no man would lift up the heel, no, nor dogmove his tongue against the motioners of them. For by the first we are dis-tinguished from brute beasts led with sensuality; by the second we are bri-dled and restrained from outrageous behaviour, and from doing of injuries,whether by fraud or by violence; by the third we are enabled to inform andreform others by the light and feeling that we have attained unto ourselves;briefly, by the fourth, being brought together to a parle face to face, wesooner compose our differences than by writings, which are endless: andlastly, that the Church be sufficiently provided for is so agreeable to goodreason and conscience that those mothers are held to be less cruel that killtheir children as soon as they are born, than those nursing fathers andmothers (wheresoever they be) that withdraw from them who hang upontheir breasts (and upon whose breasts again themselves do hang to receivethe spiritual and sincere milk of the word) livelihood and support fit fortheir estates. Thus it is apparent that these things which we speak of are ofmost necessary use, and therefore that none, either without absurdity canspeak against them, or without note of wickedness can spurn against them.

Yet for all that, the learned know that certain worthy men3 have beenbrought to untimely death for no other fault, but for seeking to reducetheir countrymen to good order and discipline; and that in some common-wealths4 it was made a capital crime once to motion the making of a newlaw for the abrogating of an old, though the same were most pernicious;and that certain,5 which would be counted pillars of the state, and patternsof virtue and prudence, could not be brought for a long time to give way togood letters and refined speech, but bore themselves as averse from them,as from rocks or boxes of poison; and fourthly, that he was no babe, but a

1 [The original marginal notes have, where possible, been expanded to give clearer references.Additional notes are placed in square brackets. PL and PG refer to J.-P. Migne, Patrologia Latina andPatrologia Graeca, CC to Corpus Christianorum.]

2 “Exw b�lou�. 3 Anarcharsis with others.4 Locri Epizephyrii. 5 Cato the elder.

The best thingshave beencalumniated






THE TR ANSL ATORS TO THE READER

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The highestpersonages havebeen culmniated

great clerk that gave forth (and in writing to remain to posterity) in passionperadventure, but yet he gave forth that he had not seen any profit to comeby any Synod or meeting of the clergy, but rather the contrary;1 and lastly,against Church-maintenance and allowance, in such sort as the ambassa-dors and messengers of the great King of kings should be furnished, it is notunknown what a fiction or fable (so it is esteemed, and for no better by thereporter himself,2 though superstitious) was devised: namely, that at suchtime as the professors and teachers of Christianity in the Church of Rome,then a true Church, were liberally endowed, a voice forsooth was heardfrom heaven, saying, ‘Now is poison poured down into the Church’, etc.Thus not only as oft as we speak, as one saith, but also as oft as we do any-thing of note or consequence, we subject ourselves to every one’s censure,and happy is he that is least tossed upon tongues; for utterly to escape thesnatch of them it is impossible. If any man conceit that this is the lot andportion of the meaner sort only, and that princes are privileged by theirhigh estate, he is deceived. As ‘the sword devoureth as well one as theother’, as it is in Samuel;3 nay, as the great commander charged his soldiersin a certain battle to strike at no part of the enemy, but at the face;4 and asthe king of Syria commanded his chief captains ‘to fight neither with smallnor great, save only against the king of Israel’:5 so it is too true that envystriketh most spitefully at the fairest, and at the chiefest. David was a wor-thy prince, and no man to be compared to him for his first deeds, and yet foras worthy an act as ever he did, even for bringing back the ark of God insolemnity, he was scorned and scoffed at by his own wife.6 Solomon wasgreater than David, though not in virtue, yet in power: and by his power andwisdom he built a temple to the Lord, such a one as was the glory of theland of Israel, and the wonder of the whole world. But was that his magnif-icence liked of by all? We doubt of it. Otherwise, why do they lay it in hisson’s dish, and call unto him for easing of the burden,7 ‘Make,’ say they, ‘thegrievous servitude of thy father, and his sore yoke, lighter’.8 Belike he hadcharged them with some levies, and troubled them with some carriages;hereupon they raise up a tragedy, and wish in their heart the Temple hadnever been built. So hard a thing it is to please all, even when we please Godbest, and do seek to approve ourselves to every one’s conscience.

If we will descend to later times, we shall find many the like examples ofsuch kind, or rather unkind acceptance. The first Roman Emperor9 didnever do a more pleasing deed to the learned, nor more profitable to pos-terity, for conserving the record of times in true supputation, than when hecorrected the calendar, and ordered the year according to the course of thesun: and yet this was imputed to him for novelty and arrogance, and pro-cured to him great obloquy. So the first christened Emperor10 (at the least-wise, that openly professed the faith himself, and allowed others to do thelike) for strengthening the empire at his great charges, and providing forthe Church, as he did, got for his labour the name Pupillus,11 as who wouldsay, a wasteful prince, that had need of a guardian or overseer. So the best

1 Gregory Nazianzen, Epistulae, 130 (PG 37:225).2 Joannes Nauclerus, Chronica (1579), p. 504. 3 2 Sam. 11:25.4 [Julius Caesar. Plutarch, Caesar, 45:2–3.] 5 1 Kgs 22:31.6 2 Sam. 6:16. 7 Seisavvcqeian.8 1 Kgs 12:4. 9 Julius Caesar. Plutarch, Caesar, 59.10 Constantine.11 Aurelius Victor, Incerti Auctoris, Epitome de Caesaribus (1579), 41:16.






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christened emperor,1for the love that he bore unto peace, thereby to enrichboth himself and his subjects, and because he did not seek war but find it,was judged to be no man at arms2 (though indeed he excelled in feats ofchivalry, and showed so much when he was provoked), and condemned forgiving himself to his ease, and to his pleasure. To be short, the most learnedemperor of former times3 (at the least, the greatest politician), what thankshad he for cutting off the superfluities of the laws, and digesting them intosome order and method? This, that he hath been blotted by some to be anepitomist, that is, one that extinguished worthy whole volumes to bring hisabridgements into request. This is the measure that hath been rendered toexcellent princes in former times, even, ‘cum bene facerent, male audire’,for their good deeds to be evil spoken of. Neither is there any likelihood thatenvy and malignity died and were buried with the ancient. No, no, thereproof of Moses taketh hold of most ages, ‘You are risen up in your fathers’stead, an increase of sinful men’.4 ‘What is that that hath been done? thatwhich shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun,’ saith thewise man:5 and St Stephen, ‘As your fathers did, so do you’.6 This, and moreto this purpose, his Majesty that now reigneth (and long and long may hereign, and his offspring for ever, ‘himself and children and children’s chil-dren always’)7 knew full well, according to the singular wisdom given untohim by God, and the rare learning and experience that he hath attainedunto; namely, that whosoever attempteth anything for the public (speciallyif it pertain to religion, and to the opening and clearing of the word of God),the same setteth himself upon a stage to be glouted upon by every evil eye,yea, he casteth himself headlong upon pikes, to be gored by every sharptongue. For he that meddleth with men’s religion in any part meddlethwith their custom, nay, with their freehold; and though they find no con-tent in that which they have, yet they cannot abide to hear of altering.Notwithstanding, his royal heart was not daunted or discouraged for this orthat colour, but stood resolute, ‘as a statue immovable, and an anvil noteasy to be beaten into plates’, as one saith;8 he knew who had chosen him tobe a soldier, or rather a captain, and being assured that the course which heintended made much for the glory of God, and the building up of hisChurch, he would not suffer it to be broken off for whatsoever speeches orpractices. It doth certainly belong unto kings, yea, it doth specially belongunto them, to have care of religion, yea, to know it aright, yea, to profess itzealously, yea, to promote it to the uttermost of their power. This is theirglory before all nations which mean well, and this will bring unto them afar most excellent weight of glory in the day of the Lord Jesus. For theScripture saith not in vain, ‘Them that honour me, I will honour’,9 neitherwas it a vain word that Eusebius delivered long ago, that piety towards God10

was the weapon, and the only weapon, that both preserved Constantine’sperson, and avenged him of his enemies.11

But now what piety without truth? what truth, what saving truth, with-out the word of God? what word of God, whereof we may be sure, without

1 Theodosius I. 2 Zosimus, Historia Nova, 4:50:5.3 Justinian I. 4 Num. 32:14.5 Eccles. 1:9. 6 Acts 7:51.7 Aujto;", kai; pai'de", kai; paivdwn pavntote pai'de".8 ”Wsper ti;" ajndria;" ajperivtrepto" kai; a[kmwn ajnhvlato". Suda, see under ‘Job’.9 1 Sam. 2:30. 10 qeosevbeia.11 Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 10:8:6.

His Majesty’sconstancy,notwithstandingcalumniation, forthe survey of theEnglishtranslations

The praise of theHoly Scriptures







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the Scripture? The Scriptures we are commanded to search. John 5:39. Isa.8:20. They are commended that searched and studied them. Acts 17:11 and8:28–9. They are reproved that were unskilful in them, or slow to believethem. Matt. 22:29. Luke 24:25. They can make us wise unto salvation. 2 Tim.3:15. If we be ignorant, they will instruct us; if out of the way, they willbring us home; if out of order, they will reform us; if in heaviness, comfortus; if dull, quicken us; if cold, inflame us. ‘Tolle, lege; tolle, lege’,1 take upand read, take up and read the Scriptures (for unto them was the direction),it was said unto St Augustine by a supernatural voice. ‘Whatsoever is in theScriptures, believe me,’ saith the same St Augustine, ‘is high and divine;there is verily truth, and a doctrine most fit for the refreshing and renewingof men’s minds, and truly so tempered that every one may draw fromthence that which is sufficient for him, if he come to draw with a devoutand pious mind, as true religion requireth.’2 Thus St. Augustine. And StJerome: ‘Ama Scripturas, et amabit te sapientia’, etc.3 Love the Scriptures,and wisdom will love thee. And St Cyril against Julian: ‘Even boys that arebred up in the Scriptures become most religious’, etc.4 But what mention wethree or four uses of the Scripture, whereas whatsoever is to be believed, orpractised, or hoped for is contained in them? or three or four sentences ofthe Fathers, since whosoever is worthy the name of a Father, from Christ’stime downward, hath likewise written not only of the riches, but also of theperfection of the Scripture? ‘I adore the fulness of the Scripture,’ saithTertullian against Hermogenes.5 And again, to Apelles a heretic of the likestamp he saith, ‘I do not admit that which thou bringest in’ (or concludest)‘of thy own’ (head or store, ‘de tuo’) without Scripture.6 So St Justin Martyrbefore him: ‘We must know by all means,’ saith he, ‘that it is not lawful’ (orpossible) ‘to learn’ (anything) ‘of God or of right piety, save only out of theProphets, who teach us by divine inspiration’.7 So St Basil after Tertullian: ‘Itis a manifest falling away from the faith, and a fault of presumption, eitherto reject any of those things that are written, or to bring in’ (upon the headof them, ejpeisavgein) ‘any of those things that’ are not written.8 We omit tocite to the same effect St Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem in his fourth Cateches, StJerome against Helvidius, St Augustine in his third book against the lettersof Petilian, and in very many other places of his works.9 Also we forbear todescend to latter Fathers, because we will not weary the reader. TheScriptures then being acknowledged to be so full and so perfect, how can weexcuse ourselves of negligence if we do not study them? of curiosity, if we be not content with them? Men talk much of eijresiwvvnh,10 how many sweetand goodly things it had hanging on it; of the philosopher’s stone, that it turneth copper into gold; of cornucopia, that it had all things necessaryfor food in it; of panaces the herb, that it was good for all diseases; of

1 St Augustine, Confessions, 8:12:29.2 St Augustine, De Utilitate Credendi, 6:13 (PL 42:74).3 St Jerome, Ad Demetriadem, Epistulae 130:20 (PL 22:1123).4 St Cyril of Alexandria, Contra Julianum, 7:234 (PG 76:857).5 Tertullian, Adversus Hermogenem, 22:5 (CC 1:416; PL 2:218).6 Tertullian, De Carne Christi, 7:3 (CC 2:887; PL 2:766).7 Oi|ovn te. Justin Martyr, Exhortation to the Greeks, 38:70 (PG 6:312).8 ÔUperhfaniva" kathgoriva. St Basil, Concerning Faith, 1 (PG 31:680).9 [St Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechesis, 4:33 (PL 33:496); St Jerome, De Perpetua Virginitate Beatae Mariae; St

Augustine, Contra Litteras Petiliani.]10 Eijresiwvnh su'ka fevrei, kai; pivona" a[rtou", kai; mevli ejn kotuvlh/, kai; e[laion, etc. An olive bough

wrapped about with wool, whereupon did hang figs, and bread, and honey in a pot, and oil. Songin Plutarch, Theseus, 22:5.






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catholicon the drug, that it is in stead of all purges; of Vulcan’s armour,that it was an armour of proof against all thrusts and all blows, etc. Well,that which they falsely or vainly attributed to these for bodily good, we mayjustly and with full measure ascribe unto the Scripture for spiritual. It isnot only an armour, but also a whole armoury of weapons, both offensiveand defensive, whereby we may save ourselves and put the enemy to flight.It is not a herb, but a tree, or rather a whole paradise of trees of life, whichbring forth fruit every month, and the fruit thereof is for meat, and theleaves for medicine. It is not a pot of manna or a cruse of oil, which were formemory only, or for a meal’s meat or two, but as it were a shower of heav-enly bread sufficient for a whole host, be it never so great; and as it were awhole cellar full of oil vessels, whereby all our necessities may be providedfor, and our debts discharged. In a word, it is a panary of wholesome foodagainst fenowed traditions; a physician’s shop (St Basil calleth it)1 of preser-vatives against poisoned heresies; a pandect of profitable laws against rebel-lious spirits; a treasury of most costly jewels against beggarly rudiments;finally, a fountain of most pure water springing up unto everlasting life.And what marvel? the original thereof being from heaven, not from earth;the author being God, not man; the inditer, the Holy Spirit, not the wit ofthe Apostles or Prophets; the penmen such as were sanctified from thewomb, and endued with a principal portion of God’s spirit; the matter, ver-ity, piety, purity, uprightness; the form, God’s word, God’s testimony, God’soracles, the word of truth, the word of salvation, etc.; the effects, light ofunderstanding, stableness of persuasion, repentance from dead works,newness of life, holiness, peace, joy in the Holy Ghost; lastly, the end andreward of the study thereof, fellowship with the saints, participation of theheavenly nature, fruition of an inheritance immortal, undefiled, and thatnever shall fade away: happy is the man that delighteth in the Scripture,and thrice happy that meditateth in it day and night.

But how shall men meditate in that which they cannot understand? Howshall they understand that which is kept close in an unknown tongue? as itis written, ‘Except I know the power of the voice, I shall be to him thatspeaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian to me’.2 TheApostle excepteth no tongue, not Hebrew the ancientest, not Greek themost copious, not Latin the finest. Nature taught a natural man to confessthat all of us in those tongues which we do not understand are plainly deaf;we may turn the deaf ear unto them. The Scythian counted the Athenian,whom he did not understand, barbarous;3 so the Roman did the Syrian andthe Jew (even St Jerome himself calleth the Hebrew tongue barbarous,belike because it was strange to so many);4 so the Emperor ofConstantinople5 calleth the Latin tongue barbarous, though Pope Nicholasdo storm at it;6 so the Jews long before Christ called all other nations log-nazim, which is little better than barbarous. Therefore as one complaineththat always in the Senate of Rome there was one or other that called for an interpreter,7 so, lest the Church be driven to the like exigent, it is neces-sary to have translations in a readiness. Translation it is that openeth the

1 Koinovn ijatrei'on. St Basil, Exegetic Homilies, 10:1, Concerning Faith, 1 (PG 29:210).2 1 Cor. 14:11.3 Clement of Alexandria, Stromateis, 1:16:77:3 (PG 8:792).4 St Jerome, Ad Damasum, Epistulae, 20:4:1 (PL 22:356).5 Michael III, son of Theophilus. 6 Petrus Crabbe, ed., Conciliorum (1538), 2:30v.7 Cicero, De Finibus, 5:29:89.

Translationnecessary







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window, to let in the light; that breaketh the shell, that we may eat the ker-nel; that putteth aside the curtain, that we may look into the most holyplace; that removeth the cover of the well, that we may come by the water,even as Jacob rolled away the stone from the mouth of the well, by whichmeans the flocks of Laban were watered.1 Indeed without translation intothe vulgar tongue, the unlearned are but like children at Jacob’s well(which was deep)2 without a bucket or something to draw with; or as thatperson mentioned by Isaiah, to whom when a sealed book was deliveredwith this motion, ‘Read this, I pray thee’, he was fain to make this answer, ‘Icannot, for it is sealed’.3

While God would be known only in Jacob, and have his name great inIsrael, and in no other place, while the dew lay on Gideon’s fleece only, andall the earth besides was dry, then for one and the same people, which spokeall of them the language of Canaan, that is, Hebrew, one and the same orig-inal in Hebrew was sufficient.4 But when the fulness of time drew near thatthe Sun of righteousness, the Son of God, should come into the world, whomGod ordained to be a reconciliation through faith in his blood, not of the Jewonly, but also of the Greek, yea, of all them that were scattered abroad, thenlo, it pleased the Lord to stir up the spirit of a Greek prince (Greek for descentand language), even of Ptolemy Philadelphus king of Egypt, to procure thetranslating of the book of God out of Hebrew into Greek. This is the transla-tion of the Seventy Interpreters, commonly so called, which prepared theway for our Saviour among the gentiles by written preaching, as St John Bap-tist did among the Jews by vocal. For the Grecians, being desirous of learn-ing, were not wont to suffer books of worth to lie moulding in kings’libraries, but had many of their servants, ready scribes, to copy them out,and so they were dispersed and made common. Again, the Greek tongue waswell known and made familiar to most inhabitants in Asia by reason of theconquest that there the Grecians had made, as also by the colonies whichthither they had sent. For the same causes also it was well understood inmany places of Europe, yea, and of Africa too. Therefore the word of Godbeing set forth in Greek, becometh hereby like a candle set upon a candle-stick, which giveth light to all that are in the house, or like a proclamationsounded forth in the market-place, which most men presently take knowl-edge of; and therefore that language was fittest to contain the Scriptures,both for the first preachers of the Gospel to appeal unto for witness, and forthe learners also of those times to make search and trial by. It is certain thatthat translation was not so sound and so perfect but that it needed in manyplaces correction; and who had been so sufficient for this work as the Apos-tles or apostolic men? Yet it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to them totake that which they found (the same being for the greatest part true andsufficient), rather than by making a new, in that new world and green age ofthe Church, to expose themselves to many exceptions and cavillations, asthough they made a translation to serve their own turn, and therefore bear-ing witness to themselves, their witness not to be regarded. This may be sup-posed to be some cause why the translation of the Seventy was allowed topass for current. Notwithstanding, though it was commended generally, yetit did not fully content the learned, no not of the Jews. For not long afterChrist, Aquila fell in hand with a new translation, and after him Theodotion,

1 Gen. 29:10. 2 John 4:11. 3 Isa. 29:11.4 See St Augustine, Contra Faustum Manichaeum, 12:32 (PL 42:172).

The translation ofthe Old Testamentout of the Hebrewinto Greek






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and after him Symmachus: yea, there was a fifth and a sixth edition, theauthors whereof were not known. These with the Seventy made up the Hexa-pla, and were worthily and to great purpose compiled together by Origen.Howbeit the edition of the Seventy went away with the credit, and thereforenot only was placed in the midst by Origen (for the worth and excellencethereof above the rest, as Epiphanius gathereth),1 but also was used by theGreek Fathers for the ground and foundation of their commentaries.2 Yea,Epiphanius above-named doth attribute so much unto it that he holdeth theauthors thereof not only for interpreters, but also for prophets in somerespect: and Justinian the Emperor, enjoining the Jews his subjects to usespecially the translation of the Seventy, rendereth this reason thereof,because they were as it were enlightened with prophetical grace.3 Yet for allthat, as the Egyptians are said of the Prophet to be men and not God, andtheir horses flesh and not spirit:4 so it is evident (and St Jerome affirmeth asmuch)5 that the Seventy were interpreters, they were not prophets; they didmany things well, as learned men, but yet as men they stumbled and fell,one while through oversight, another while through ignorance; yea, some-times they may be noted to add to the original, and sometimes to take fromit: which made the Apostles to leave them many times, when they left theHebrew, and to deliver the sense thereof according to the truth of the word,as the Spirit gave them utterance. This may suffice touching the Greek trans-lations of the Old Testament.

There were also within a few hundred years after Christ translationsmany into the Latin tongue: for this tongue also was very fit to convey theLaw and the Gospel by, because in those times very many countries of thewest, yea of the south, east and north, spoke or understood Latin, beingmade provinces to the Romans. But now the Latin translations were toomany to be all good, for they were infinite (‘Latini interpretes nullo modonumerari possunt,’ saith St Augustine).6 Again, they were not out of theHebrew fountain (we speak of the Latin translations of the Old Testament),but out of the Greek stream; therefore, the Greek being not altogether clear,the Latin derived from it must needs be muddy. This moved St Jerome, amost learned Father, and the best linguist without controversy of his age, orof any that went before him, to undertake the translating of the OldTestament out of the very fountains themselves; which he performed withthat evidence of great learning, judgement, industry, and faithfulness, thathe hath for ever bound the Church unto him in a debt of special remem-brance and thankfulness.

Now though the Church were thus furnished with Greek and Latin trans-lations, even before the faith of Christ was generally embraced in theEmpire (for the learned know that even in St Jerome’s time the Consul ofRome and his wife were both ethnics, and about the same time the greatestpart of the Senate also):7 yet for all that the godly-learned were not contentto have the Scriptures in the language which themselves understood, Greek

1 Epiphanius, De Mensuris et Ponderibus, 17 (PG 43:265–6).2 See St Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, 2:15:22 (CC 32:47; PL 34:46).3 Profhtikh'" w{sper cavrito" perilamyavsh" aujtouv". Justinian, Novellae, 146; R. Schöll and W. Kroll,

eds, Corpus Iuris Civilis (1895), 3:745.4 Isa. 31:3.5 St Jerome, De Optimo Genere Interpretandi; Ad Pammachium, Epistulae, 57 (PL 22:568–79).6 St Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, 2:11:16 (CC 32:42; PL 34:43).7 St Jerome, Ammianus Marcellinus, Zosimus.

Translation outof Hebrew andGreek into Latin

The translatingof the Scriptureinto the vulgartongues







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and Latin (as the good lepers were not content to fare well themselves, butacquainted their neighbours with the store that God had sent, that theyalso might provide for themselves),1 but also for the behoof and edifying ofthe unlearned which hungered and thirsted after righteousness, and hadsouls to be saved as well as they, they provided translations into the vulgarfor their countrymen, insomuch that most nations under heaven didshortly after their conversion hear Christ speaking unto them in theirmother tongue, not by the voice of their minister only, but also by the writ-ten word translated. If any doubt hereof, he may be satisfied by examplesenough, if enough will serve the turn. First, St Jerome saith, ‘Multarum gen-tium linguis Scriptura ante translata docet falsa esse quae addita sunt’,etc.,2 i.e., ‘the Scripture being translated before in the languages of manynations doth show that those things that were added’ (by Lucian orHesychius) ‘are false’. So St Jerome in that place. The same Jerome elsewhereaffirmeth that he, the time was, had set forth the translation of theSeventy, ‘suae linguae hominibus’;3 i.e., for his countrymen of Dalmatia.Which words not only Erasmus doth understand to purport that St Jerometranslated the Scripture into the Dalmatian tongue, but also SixtusSenensis,4 and Alphonsus à Castro5 (that we speak of no more), men not tobe excepted against by them of Rome, do ingenuously confess as much. So StChrysostom, that lived in St Jerome’s time, giveth evidence with him: ‘Thedoctrine of St John,’ saith he, ‘did not in such sort’ (as the philosophers did)‘vanish away: but the Syrians, Egyptians, Indians, Persians, Ethiopians, andinfinite other nations, being barbarous people, translated it into their(mother) tongue and have learned to be (true) philosophers’, (he meanethChristians).6 To this may be added Theodoret, as next unto him both forantiquity, and for learning. His words be these, ‘Every country that is underthe sun is full of these words’ (of the Apostles and Prophets), ‘and theHebrew tongue’ (he meaneth the Scriptures in the Hebrew tongue) ‘isturned not only into the language of the Grecians, but also of the Romans,and Egyptians, and Persians, and Indians, and Armenians, and Scythians,and Sauromatians, and, briefly, into all the languages that any nationuseth’.7 So he. In like manner Ulphilas is reported by Paulus Diaconus8 andIsidore,9 and before them by Sozomen,10 to have translated the Scripturesinto the Gothic tongue: John Bishop of Seville by Vasseus, to have turnedthem into Arabic about the year of our Lord 717;11 Bede by Cistertiensis, tohave turned a great part of them into Saxon; Efnard by Trithemius, to haveabridged the French Psalter, as Bede had done the Hebrew, about the year800; King Alured by the said Cistertiensis, to have turned the Psalter intoSaxon;12 Methodius by Aventinus13 (printed at Ingolstad), to have turned theScriptures into Slavonian;1 Valdo Bishop of Frising by Beatus Rhenanus, to

1 2 Kgs 7:9. 2 St Jerome, Praefatio in Evangelio.3 St Jerome, Sophronius [preface to Psalms].4 Sisto da Siena, Bibliotheca Sancta (1566), 1:4:385.5 Alfonso de Castro, Adversus Omnes Haereses (1546), 1:13.6 St John Chrysostom, In Joannem Homilia, 2:2 (PG 59:32).7 Theodoretus Cyrensis, Graecarum Affectionum Curatio, 5:66 (PG 83:948).8 Paulus Diaconus, Historia Miscella, 12, Valens (PL 95:932).9 Isidore of Seville, History of the Goths, 8. 10 Sozomen, Historia Ecclesiastica, 6:37 (PG 67:1405).11 Joannes Vasseus, Rerum Hispaniae Memorabilium Annales (1577), p. 461.12 Polydore Virgil, Anglicae Historiae, 5, testatur idem de Aluredo nostro [testifies the same of our

Alfred].13 Johannes Aventinus, Annales Boiorum (1554), 4:434.






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have caused about that time the Gospels to be translated into Dutchrhythm, yet extant in the library of Corbinian;2 Valdus by divers, to haveturned them himself, or to have gotten them turned into French about theyear 1160; Charles the fifth of that name, surnamed the Wise, to havecaused them to be turned into French, about 200 years after Valdus’ time, ofwhich translation there be many copies yet extant, as witnessethBeroaldus.3 Much about that time, even in our King Richard the second’sdays, John Trevisa translated them into English, and many English Bibles inwritten hand are yet to be seen with divers, translated, as it is very probable,in that age. So the Syrian translation of the New Testament is in mostlearned men’s libraries, of Widminstadius’ setting forth, and the Psalter inArabic is with many, of Augustinus Nebiensis’ setting forth. So Postelaffirmeth that in his travel he saw the Gospels in the Ethiopian tongue: andAmbrose Thesius allegeth the Psalter of the Indians, which he testifieth tohave been set forth by Potken in Syrian characters. So that to have theScriptures in the mother tongue is not a quaint conceit lately taken up,either by the Lord Cromwell in England,4 or by the Lord Radevil in Polonie,or by the Lord Ungnadius in the Emperor’s dominion, but hath beenthought upon, and put in practice of old, even from the first times of theconversion of any nation; no doubt because it was esteemed most profitableto cause faith to grow in men’s hearts the sooner, and to make them to beable to say with the words of the Psalm, ‘As we have heard, so we have seen’.5

Now the Church of Rome would seem at the length to bear a motherlyaffection towards her children, and to allow them the Scriptures in theirmother tongue: but indeed it is a gift not deserving to be called a gift, anunprofitable gift:6 they must first get a licence in writing before they mayuse them, and to get that, they must approve themselves to their confessor,that is, to be such as are, if not frozen in the dregs, yet soured with theleaven of their superstition. Howbeit it seemed too much to Clement theeighth that there should be any licence granted to have them in the vulgartongue, and therefore he overruleth and frustrateth the grant of Pius thefourth.7 So much are they afraid of the light of the Scripture (‘LucifugaeScripturarum’, as Tertullian speaketh),8 that they will not trust the peoplewith it, no not as it is set forth by their own sworn men, no not with thelicence of their own bishops and inquisitors. Yea, so unwilling they are tocommunicate the Scriptures to the people’s understanding in any sort, thatthey are not ashamed to confess that we forced them to translate it intoEnglish against their wills. This seemeth to argue a bad cause, or a bad con-science, or both. Sure we are that it is not he that hath good gold that isafraid to bring it to the touchstone, but he that hath the counterfeit; nei-ther is it the true man that shunneth the light, but the malefactor, lest hisdeeds should be reproved;9 neither is it the plain-dealing merchant that isunwilling to have the weights, or the meteyard brought in place, but he

1 Circa annum 900.2 Beatus Rhenanus, Rerum Germanicarum ([1531] 1552), 2:112.3 Matthaeus Beroaldus, Chronicum Scripturae Sacrae (1575), 4:8:265.4 Jacques-August de Thou (Thuan), Historiarum sui Temporis Pars Prima (1604).5 Ps. 48:8.6 Dw'ron a[dwron koujk ojnhvsimon. Sophocles, Ajax, 665.7 See the observation (set forth by Clement’s authority) upon the fourth rule of Pius IV’s making in

the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, p. 15, v. 5.8 Tertullian, De Resurrectione Mortuorum, 47:17 (CC 2:987; PL 2:863).9 John 3:20.

Theunwillingness ofour chiefadversaries thatthe Scripturesshould bedivulged in themother tongue,etc.







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A satisfaction toour brethren

The speeches andreasons, both ofour brethren, andof ouradversaries,against this work

that useth deceit. But we will let them alone for this fault, and return totranslation.

Many men’s mouths have been opened a good while (and yet are notstopped) with speeches about the translation so long in hand, or ratherperusals of translations made before: and ask what may be the reason, whatthe necessity, of the employment: ‘Hath the Church been deceived,’ saythey, ‘all this while? Hath her sweet bread been mingled with leaven, her sil-ver with dross, her wine with water, her milk with lime?’ (‘Lacte gypsummale miscetur’, saith St Irenaeus).1 We hoped that we had been in the rightway, that we had had the oracles of God delivered unto us, and that thoughall the world had cause to be offended and to complain, yet that we hadnone. Hath the nurse held out the breast, and nothing but wind in it? Haththe bread been delivered by the Fathers of the Church, and the same provedto be ‘lapidosus’, as Seneca speaketh?2 What is it to handle the word of Goddeceitfully, if this be not? Thus certain brethren. Also the adversaries ofJudah and Jerusalem, like Sanballat in Nehemiah, mock, as we hear, both atthe work and workmen, saying, ‘What do these weak Jews, etc., will theymake the stones whole again out of the heaps of dust which are burnt?Although they build, yet if a fox go up, he shall even break down their stonywall.’3 ‘Was their translation good before? Why do they now mend it? Was itnot good? Why then was it obtruded to the people? Yea, why did theCatholics (meaning Popish Romanists) always go in jeopardy for refusing togo to hear it? Nay, if it must be translated into English, Catholics are fittestto do it. They have learning, and they know when a thing is well, they can“manum de tabula”.’ We will answer them both briefly: and the former,being brethren, thus with St Jerome, ‘Damnamus veteres? Minime, sed postpriorum studia in domo Domini quod possumus laboramus’.4 That is, ‘Dowe condemn the ancient? In no case: but after the endeavours of them thatwere before us, we take the best pains we can in the house of God.’ As if hesaid, ‘Being provoked by the example of the learned that lived before mytime, I have thought it my duty to assay whether my talent in the knowl-edge of the tongues may be profitable in any measure to God’s Church, lestI should seem to have laboured in them in vain, and lest I should be thoughtto glory in men (although ancient) above that which was in them’. Thus StJerome may be thought to speak.

And to the same effect say we, that we are so far off from condemning anyof their labours that travailed before us in this kind, either in this land orbeyond sea, either in King Henry’s time, or King Edward’s (if there were anytranslation, or correction of a translation in his time), or Queen Elizabeth’sof ever-renowned memory, that we acknowledge them to have been raisedup of God for the building and furnishing of his Church, and that theydeserve to be had of us and of posterity in everlasting remembrance. Thejudgement of Aristotle is worthy and well known: ‘If Timothy had not been,we had not had much sweet music: but if Phrynis’ (Timothy’s master) ‘hadnot been, we had not had Timothy’.5 Therefore blessed be they, and most honoured be their name, that break the ice, and give the onset uponthat which helpeth forward to the saving of souls. Now what can be more

1 St Irenaeus, Contra Haereses, 3:17:4 (PG 7:932).2 [Seneca, De Beneficiis, 1:5:91.] 3 Neh. 4:2–3.4 St Jerome, Contra Rufinum, 2:25 (CC 79:63; PL 23:470).5 Aristotle, Metaphysics, 2:1:4.






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available thereto than to deliver God’s book unto God’s people in a tonguewhich they understand? Since of a hidden treasure, and of a fountain that issealed, there is no profit, as Ptolemy Philadelphus wrote to the rabbins ormasters of the Jews, as witnesseth Epiphanius:1 and as St Augustine saith, ‘Aman had rather be with his dog than with a stranger’ (whose tongue isstrange unto him).2 Yet for all that, as nothing is begun and perfected at thesame time, and the latter thoughts are thought to be the wiser: so, if webuilding upon their foundation that went before us, and being helped bytheir labours, do endeavour to make that better which they left so good, noman, we are sure, hath cause to mislike us; they, we persuade ourselves, ifthey were alive, would thank us. The vintage of Abiezer, that struck thestroke: yet the gleaning of grapes of Ephraim was not to be despised.3 Joashthe king of Israel did not satisfy himself till he had smitten the groundthree times; and yet he offended the Prophet for giving over then.4 Aquila,of whom we spoke before, translated the Bible as carefully and as skilfullyas he could; and yet he thought good to go over it again, and then it got thecredit with the Jews to be called kata; ajkrivbeian, that is, accurately done, asSt Jerome witnesseth.5 How many books of profane learning have been goneover again and again, by the same translators, by others? Of one and thesame book of Aristotle’s Ethics there are extant not so few as six or seven sev-eral translations. Now if this cost may be bestowed upon the gourd, whichaffordeth us a little shade, and which today flourisheth, but tomorrow iscut down, what may we bestow, nay, what ought we not to bestow upon thevine, the fruit whereof maketh glad the conscience of man, and the stemwhereof abideth for ever? And this is the word of God, which we translate.‘“What is the chaff to the wheat?” saith the Lord.’6 ‘Tanti vitreum, quantiverum margaritum?’ saith Tertullian,7 if a toy of glass be of that reckoningwith us, how ought we to value the true pearl?8 Therefore let no man’s eyebe evil because his Majesty’s is good; neither let any be grieved that we havea prince that seeketh the increase of the spiritual wealth of Israel (letSanballats and Tobiahs do so, which therefore do bear their just reproof);but let us rather bless God from the ground of our heart for working thisreligious care in him to have the translations of the Bible maturely consid-ered of and examined. For by this means it cometh to pass that whatsoeveris sound already (and all is sound for substance in one or other of our edi-tions, and the worst of ours far better than their authentic Vulgar), thesame will shine as gold more brightly, being rubbed and polished; also, ifanything be halting, or superfluous, or not so agreeable to the original, thesame may be corrected, and the truth set in place. And what can the Kingcommand to be done that will bring him more true honour than this? Andwherein could they that have been set a-work approve their duty to theKing, yea, their obedience to God, and love to his Saints more than by yield-ing their service, and all that is within them, for the furnishing of thework? But besides all this, they were the principal motives of it, and there-fore ought least to quarrel it: for the very historical truth is that upon theimportunate petitions of the Puritans at his Majesty’s coming to this crown,

1 St Epiphanius, De Mensuris et Ponderibus, 11 (PG 43:253).2 St Augustine, De Civitate Dei, 19:7. 3 Judg. 8:2. 4 2 Kgs 13:18–19.5 St Jerome, Commentarius in Ezechielem, 3:15 (PL 25:39).6 Jer. 23:28. 7 Tertullian, Ad Martyras, 4:9 (CC 1:7; PL 1:626).8 ‘Si tanti vilissimum vitrum, quanti pretiosissimum margaritam?’ Jerome, Ad Salvinam, Epistulae,

79:7:8 (PL 22:730).







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An answer to theimputations ofour adversaries

the conference at Hampton Court having been appointed for hearing theircomplaints, when by force of reason they were put from all other grounds,they had recourse at the last to this shift, that they could not with good con-science subscribe to the Communion Book, since it maintained the Bible asit was there translated, which was as they said, a most corrupted transla-tion. And although this was judged to be but a very poor and empty shift,yet even hereupon did his Majesty begin to bethink himself of the good thatmight ensue by a new translation, and presently after gave order for thistranslation which is now presented unto thee. Thus much to satisfy ourscrupulous brethren.

Now to the latter we answer, that we do not deny, nay, we affirm andavow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English set forth bymen of our profession (for we have seen none of theirs of the whole Bible asyet) containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God: as the King’sspeech which he uttered in Parliament, being translated into French,Dutch, Italian and Latin, is still the King’s speech, though it be not inter-preted by every translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly forphrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere. For it is confessed thatthings are to take their denomination of the greater part; and a naturalman could say, ‘Verum ubi multa nitent in carmine, non ego paucisoffendar maculis’, etc.1 A man may be counted a virtuous man though hehave made many slips in his life (else there were none virtuous, for, ‘inmany things we offend all’),2 also a comely man and lovely, though he havesome warts upon his hand, yea, not only freckles upon his face, but alsoscars. No cause therefore why the word translated should be denied to bethe word, or forbidden to be current, notwithstanding that some imperfec-tions and blemishes may be noted in the setting forth of it. For whateverwas perfect under the sun, where Apostles or apostolic men, that is, menendued with an extraordinary measure of God’s Spirit, and privileged withthe privilege of infallibility, had not their hand? The Romanists therefore inrefusing to hear, and daring to burn the word translated, did no less thandespite the spirit of grace, from whom originally it proceeded, and whosesense and meaning, as well as man’s weakness would enable, it did express.Judge by an example or two. Plutarch writeth that after that Rome had beenburnt by the Gauls, they fell soon to build it again: but doing it in haste,they did not cast the streets, nor proportion the houses in such comely fash-ion as had been most sightly and convenient.3 Was Catiline therefore anhonest man, or a good patriot, that sought to bring it to a combustion? orNero a good Prince, that did indeed set it on fire? So by the story of Ezra4

and the prophecy of Haggai it may be gathered that the temple built byZerubbabel after the return from Babylon was by no means to be comparedto the former built by Solomon (for they that remembered the former weptwhen they considered the latter): notwithstanding, might this latter eitherhave been abhorred and forsaken by the Jews, or profaned by the Greeks?The like we are to think of translations. The translation of the Seventy dis-senteth from the original in many places, neither doth it come near it forperspicuity, gravity, majesty; yet which of the Apostles did condemn it?Condemn it? Nay, they used it (as it is apparent, and as St Jerome and mostlearned men do confess), which they would not have done, nor by their

1 Horace, Ars Poetica, 351–2. 2 James 3:2.3 Plutarch, Camillus, 32:3. 4 Ezra 3:12.






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example of using of it so grace and commend it to the Church, if it had beenunworthy the appellation and name of the word of God. And whereas theyurge for their second defence of their vilifying and abusing of the EnglishBibles, or some pieces thereof, which they meet with, for that heretics for-sooth were the authors of the translations (heretics they call us by the sameright that they call themselves Catholics, both being wrong), we marvelwhat divinity taught them so. We are sure Tertullian was of another mind:‘Ex personis probamus fidem, an ex fide personas?’1 Do we try men’s faithby their persons? we should try their persons by their faith. Also StAugustine was of another mind: for he, lighting upon certain rules made byTychonius a Donatist for the better understanding of the word, was notashamed to make use of them, yea, to insert them into his own book, withgiving commendation to them so far forth as they were worthy to be com-mended, as is to be seen in St Augustine’s third book De Doctrina Christiana.2

To be short, Origen, and the whole Church of God for certain hundredyears, were of another mind: for they were so far from treading under foot(much more from burning) the translation of Aquila a proselyte, that is, onethat had turned Jew, of Symmachus, and Theodotion, both Ebionites, thatis, most vile heretics, that they joined them together with the Hebrew orig-inal, and the translation of the Seventy (as hath been before signified out ofEpiphanius), and set them forth openly to be considered of and perused byall. But we weary the unlearned, who need not know so much, and troublethe learned, who know it already.

Yet before we end, we must answer a third cavil and objection of theirsagainst us, for altering and amending our translations so oft; wherein trulythey deal hardly and strangely with us. For to whom ever was it imputed fora fault (by such as were wise) to go over that which he had done, and toamend it where he saw cause? St Augustine was not afraid to exhort StJerome to a ‘palinodia’ or recantation;3 the same St Augustine was notashamed to retractate, we might say, revoke, many things that had passedhim,4 and doth even glory that he seeth his infirmities.5 If we will be sons ofthe truth, we must consider what it speaketh, and trample upon our owncredit, yea, and upon other men’s too, if either be any way a hindrance to it.This to the cause: then to the persons we say that of all men they ought to bemost silent in this case. For what varieties have they, and what alterationshave they made, not only of their Service Books, Portesses, and Breviaries,but also of their Latin translation? The Service Book supposed to be made bySt Ambrose (Officium Ambrosianum) was a great while in special use andrequest: but Pope Adrian, calling a council with the aid of Charles theEmperor, abolished it, yea, burnt it, and commanded the Service Book ofSaint Gregory universally to be used.6 Well, Officium Gregorianum gets by thismeans to be in credit, but doth it continue without change or altering? No,the very Roman Service was of two fashions, the new fashion, and the old,the one used in one Church, and the other in another, as is to be seen inPamelius a Romanist, his preface before Micrologus.7 The same Pameliusreporteth out of Radulphus de Rivo that about the year of our Lord 1277

1 Tertullian, De Praescriptione Haereticorum, 3:15 (CC:1:188; PL 2:17).2 St Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, 3:30:42 (CC 32:102; PL 34:81).3 St Augustine, Epistulae, 40:7 (PL 33:157). 4 St Augustine, Retractions.5 ‘Video interdum vitia mea’. St Augustine, Epistulae, 28:4:6 (PL 33:114).6 Gulielmus Durandus, Rationale Divinorum Officiorum, 5:2.7 [Iacobus Pamelius Brugensis, Micrologus de Ecclesiasticis Observationibus (1565; PL 151:974).]







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Pope Nicholas the third removed out of the churches of Rome the moreancient books (of service) and brought into use the Missals of the FriarsMinorites, and commanded them to be observed there; insomuch thatabout a hundred years after, when the above named Radulphus happenedto be at Rome, he found all the books to be new, of the new stamp.1 Neitherwas there this chopping and changing in the more ancient times only, butalso of late: Pius Quintus himself confesseth that every bishopric almosthad a peculiar kind of service, most unlike to that which others had: whichmoved him to abolish all other Breviaries, though never so ancient, andprivileged and published by bishops in their dioceses, and to establish andratify that only which was of his own setting forth in the year 1568.2 Nowwhen the father of their Church, who gladly would heal the sore of thedaughter of his people softly and slightly, and make the best of it, findeth sogreat fault with them for their odds and jarring, we hope the children haveno great cause to vaunt of their uniformity. But the difference thatappeareth between our translations, and our often correcting of them, isthe thing that we are specially charged with; let us see therefore whetherthey themselves be without fault this way (if it be to be counted a fault tocorrect), and whether they be fit men to throw stones at us: ‘O tandemmaior parcas insane minori’:3 they that are less sound themselves ought notto object infirmities to others. If we should tell them that Valla, Stapulensis,Erasmus and Vives found fault with their Vulgar translation, and conse-quently wished the same to be mended, or a new one to be made, theywould answer peradventure that we produced their enemies for witnessesagainst them; albeit they were in no other sort enemies than as St Paul wasto the Galatians, for telling them the truth:4 and it were to be wished thatthey had dared to tell it them plainlier and oftener. But what will they say tothis, that Pope Leo the tenth allowed Erasmus’ translation of the NewTestament, so much different from the Vulgar, by his apostolic letter andBull? that the same Leo exhorted Pagninus to translate the whole Bible, andbore whatsoever charges was necessary for the work?5 Surely, as the Apostlereasoneth to the Hebrews, that ‘if the former Law and Testament had beensufficient, there had been no need of the latter’:6 so we may say that if theold Vulgar had been at all points allowable, to small purpose had labourand charges been undergone about framing of a new. If they say, it was onePope’s private opinion, and that he consulted only himself, then we are ableto go further with them, and to aver that more of their chief men of allsorts, even their own Trent champions, Paiva and Vega, and their owninquisitors, Hieronymus ab Oleastro, and their own Bishop Isidorus Clarius,and their own Cardinal Thomas a Vio Cajetan, do either make new transla-tions themselves, or follow new ones of other men’s making, or note theVulgar interpreter for halting; none of them fear to dissent from him, noryet to except against him. And call they this a uniform tenor of text andjudgement about the text, so many of their worthies disclaiming the nowreceived conceit? Nay, we will yet come nearer the quick: doth not theirParis edition differ from the Louvain, and Hentenius’ from them both, andyet all of them allowed by authority? Nay, doth not Sixtus Quintus confess

1 [Micrologus (PL 151:975).] 2 [Pius V, Breviarum Romanum (1568).]3 Horace, Satires, 2:3:326. 4 Gal. 4:16.5 Sisto da Siena, Bibliotheca Sancta (1566), 1:4:297.6 Heb. 7:11 and 8:7.






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that certain Catholics (he meaneth certain of his own side) were in such ahumour of translating the Scriptures into Latin, that Satan taking occasionby them, though they thought no such matter, did strive what he could, outof so uncertain and manifold a variety of translations, so to mingle allthings that nothing might seem to be left certain and firm in them, etc.?1

Nay further, did not the same Sixtus ordain by an inviolable decree, andthat with the counsel and consent of his cardinals, that the Latin edition ofthe Old and New Testament, which the Council of Trent would have to beauthentic, is the same without controversy which he then set forth, beingdiligently corrected and printed in the printing-house of Vatican? ThusSixtus in his preface before his Bible.2 And yet Clement the eighth, hisimmediate successor, publisheth another edition of the Bible, containing init infinite differences from that of Sixtus, and many of them weighty andmaterial; and yet this must be authentic by all means. What is to have thefaith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with yea and nay, if this be not?Again, what is sweet harmony and consent, if this be? Therefore, asDemaratus of Corinth advised a great king, before he talked of the dissen-sions among the Grecians, to compose his domestic broils (for at that timehis queen and his son and heir were at deadly feud with him), so all thewhile that our adversaries do make so many and so various editions them-selves, and do jar so much about the worth and authority of them, they canwith no show of equity challenge us for changing and correcting.

But it is high time to leave them, and to show in brief what we proposedto ourselves, and what course we held in this our perusal and survey of theBible. Truly, good Christian reader, we never thought from the beginningthat we should need to make a new translation, nor yet to make of a bad onea good one (for then the imputation of Sixtus had been true in some sort,that our people had been fed with gall of dragons instead of wine, withwhey instead of milk):3 but to make a good one better, or out of many goodones one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against, that hathbeen our endeavour, that our mark. To that purpose there were many cho-sen that were greater in other men’s eyes than in their own, and thatsought the truth rather than their own praise. Again, they came or werethought to come to the work, not ‘exercendi causa’, as one saith, but ‘exerci-tati’, that is, learned, not to learn: for the chief overseer and ejrgodiwvkth"nder his Majesty, to whom not only we but also our whole Church was muchbound, knew by his wisdom, which thing also Nazianzen taught so longago, that it is a preposterous order to teach first, and to learn after,4 yea thatto; ∆en pivqw/ keramivan manqavnein, to learn and practise together, is neithercommendable for the workman, nor safe for the work.5 Therefore such werethought upon as could say modestly with St Jerome, ‘Et Hebraeum ser-monem ex parte didicimus, et in Latino pene ab ipsis incunabulis, etc.,detriti sumus’. ‘Both we have learned the Hebrew tongue in part, and in theLatin we have been exercised almost from our very cradle.’6 St Jeromemaketh no mention of the Greek tongue, wherein yet he did excel, becausehe translated not the Old Testament out of Greek, but out of Hebrew. And inwhat sort did these assemble? In the trust of their own knowledge, or of

1 Sixtus V, Biblia Sacra Vulgatae (1590), 1r. 2 [Biblia Sacra Vulgatae, 1v.]3 [Biblia Sacra Vulgatae, 1r.]4 Gregory Nazianzen, Orationes, 42:13 (PG 36:472).5 Gregory Nazianzen, Orationes, 2:47 (PG 35:456).6 [St Jerome, preface to translation of Job.]

The purpose ofthe translators,with theirnumber,furniture, care,etc.







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their sharpness of wit, or deepness of judgement, as it were in an arm offlesh? At no hand. They trusted in him that hath the key of David, openingand no man shutting; they prayed to the Lord, the Father of our Lord, to theeffect that St Augustine did: ‘O let thy Scriptures be my pure delight, let menot be deceived in them, neither let me deceive by them’.1 In this confi-dence, and with this devotion, did they assemble together; not too many,lest one should trouble another; and yet many, lest many things haplymight escape them. If you ask what they had before them, truly it was theHebrew text of the Old Testament, the Greek of the New. These are the twogolden pipes, or rather conduits, wherethrough the olive branches emptythemselves into the gold. St Augustine calleth them precedent, or originaltongues;2 St Jerome, fountains.3 The same St Jerome affirmeth, and Gratianhath not spared to put it into his decree, that ‘as the credit of the old books’(he meaneth of the Old Testament) ‘is to be tried by the Hebrew volumes, soof the New by the Greek tongue’, he meaneth by the original Greek.4 If truthbe to be tried by these tongues, then whence should a translation be madebut out of them? These tongues therefore, the Scriptures, we say, in thosetongues, we set before us to translate, being the tongues wherein God waspleased to speak to his Church by his Prophets and Apostles. Neither did werun over the work with that posting haste that the Septuagint did, if that betrue which is reported of them, that they finished it in seventy-two days;5

neither were we barred or hindered from going over it again, having oncedone it, like St Jerome, if that be true which himself reporteth, that hecould no sooner write anything, but presently it was caught from him, andpublished, and he could not have leave to mend it:6 neither, to be short,were we the first7 that fell in hand with translating the Scripture intoEnglish, and consequently destitute of former helps, as it is written ofOrigen, that he was the first in a manner that put his hand to write com-mentaries upon the Scriptures, and therefore no marvel if he overshot him-self many times. None of these things: the work hath not been huddled upin seventy-two days, but hath cost the workmen, as light as it seemeth, thepains of twice seven times seventy-two days and more: matters of suchweight and consequence are to be speeded with maturity: for in a businessof moment a man feareth not the blame of convenient slackness.8 Neitherdid we think much to consult the translators or commentators, Chaldee,Hebrew, Syrian, Greek, or Latin, no, nor the Spanish, French, Italian, orDutch; neither did we disdain to revise that which we had done, and tobring back to the anvil that which we had hammered: but having and usingas great helps as were needful, and fearing no reproach for slowness, norcoveting praise for expedition, we have at the length, through the goodhand of the Lord upon us, brought the work to that pass that you see.

Some peradventure would have no variety of senses to be set in the margin, lest the authority of the Scriptures for deciding of controversies bythat show of uncertainty should somewhat be shaken. But we hold their

1 St Augustine, Confessions, 11:2:3.2 St Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, 3:3:7 (CC 32:81; PL 34:68).3 St Jerome, Ad Suniam et Fretelam, Epistulae, 106:2:3 (PL 22:838).4 St Jerome, Ad Lucinium, Epistulae, 71:5 (PL 22:671–2).5 Josephus, Antiquitates Judaicae, 12:107.6 St Jerome, Ad Pammachium, Epistulae, 48 [49]:2 (PL 22:511).7 Prwtovpeiroi.8 Filei' ga;r ojknei'n pra'gm j ajnh;r pravsswn mevga. Sophocles, Electra, 320.

Reasons movingus to set diversityof senses in themargin, wherethere is greatprobability foreach






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judgement not to be so sound in this point. For though ‘whatsoever thingsare necessary are manifest’, as St Chrysostom saith,1 and as St Augustine, ‘Inthose things that are plainly set down in the Scriptures all such matters arefound that concern faith, hope, and charity’:2 yet for all that it cannot bedissembled that partly to exercise and whet our wits, partly to wean thecurious from loathing of them for their everywhere plainness, partly also tostir up our devotion to crave the assistance of God’s Spirit by prayer, andlastly, that we might be forward to seek aid of our brethren by conference,and never scorn those that be not in all respects so complete as they shouldbe, being to seek in many things ourselves, it hath pleased God in his divineprovidence here and there to scatter words and sentences of that difficultyand doubtfulness, not in doctrinal points that concern salvation (for insuch it hath been vouched that the Scriptures are plain), but in matters ofless moment, that fearfulness would better beseem us than confidence, andif we will resolve, to resolve upon modesty with St Augustine (though not inthis same case altogether, yet upon the same ground), ‘Melius est dubitarede occultis, quam litigare de incertis’:3 it is better to make doubt of thosethings which are secret than to strive about those things that are uncertain.There be many words in the Scriptures which be never found there butonce4 (having neither brother nor neighbour, as the Hebrews speak), so thatwe cannot be helped by conference of places. Again, there be many rarenames of certain birds, beasts and precious stones, etc., concerning whichthe Hebrews themselves are so divided among themselves for judgementthat they may seem to have defined this or that, rather because they wouldsay something than because they were sure of that which they said, as StJerome somewhere saith of the Septuagint. Now in such a case doth not amargin do well to admonish the reader to seek further, and not to concludeor dogmatise upon this or that peremptorily? For as it is a fault ofincredulity to doubt of those things that are evident: so to determine ofsuch things as the Spirit of God hath left (even in the judgement of the judi-cious) questionable, can be no less than presumption. Therefore as StAugustine saith, that variety of translations is profitable for the finding outof the sense of the Scriptures:5 so diversity of signification and sense in themargin, where the text is not so clear, must needs do good, yea, is necessary,as we are persuaded. We know that Sixtus Quintus expressly forbiddeththat any variety of readings of their Vulgar edition should be put in themargin6 (which though it be not altogether the same thing to that we havein hand, yet it looketh that way), but we think he hath not all of his ownside his favourers for this conceit. They that are wise had rather have theirjudgements at liberty in differences of readings than to be captivated toone, when it may be the other. If they were sure that their high priest hadall laws shut up in his breast, as Paul the second bragged,7 and that he wereas free from error by special privilege as the dictators of Rome were made bylaw inviolable, it were another matter; then his word were an oracle, his

1 Pavnta ta; ajnagkai'a dh'la. St John Chrysostom, In Epistulam II ad Thessalonicenses 2, Homilia 3 (PG62:485).

2 St Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, 2:9:14 (CC 32:41; PL 34:42).3 St Augustine, De Genesi ad Litteram, 8:5 (PL 34:376).4 ”Apax legovmena.5 St Augustine, De Doctrina Christiana, 2:14:21 (CC 32:47; PL 34:45–6).6 Sixtus V, Biblia Sacra Vulgatae (1590), 4v.7 Platina, in Paulo Secundo, De Vitis et Moribus Summorum Pontificum Historia (1562 ed.), 250v.







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Reasons inducingus not to standcuriously uponan identity ofphrasing

opinion a decision. But the eyes of the world are now open, God be thanked,and have been a great while; they find that he is subject to the same affec-tions and infirmities that others be,1 that his skin is penetrable,2 and there-fore so much as he proveth, not as much as he claimeth, they grant andembrace.

Another thing we think good to admonish thee of, gentle reader, that wehave not tied ourselves to a uniformity of phrasing, or to an identity ofwords, as some peradventure would wish that we had done, because theyobserve that some learned men somewhere have been as exact as they couldthat way. Truly, that we might not vary from the sense of that which we hadtranslated before, if the word signified the same thing in both places (forthere be some words that be not of the same sense everywhere),3 we wereespecially careful, and made a conscience, according to our duty. But thatwe should express the same notion in the same particular word, as forexample, if we translate the Hebrew or Greek word once by ‘purpose’, neverto call it ‘intent’; if one where ‘journeying’, never ‘travelling’; if one where‘think’, never ‘suppose’; if one where ‘pain’, never ‘ache’; if one where ‘joy’,never ‘gladness’, etc.; thus to mince the matter, we thought to savour moreof curiosity than wisdom, and that rather it would breed scorn in the athe-ist than bring profit to the godly reader. For is the kingdom of God becomewords or syllables? why should we be in bondage to them if we may be free?use one precisely when we may use another no less fit as commodiously? Agodly Father in the primitive time showed himself greatly moved that oneof newfangleness called kravbbaton, skivmpou",4 though the difference be lit-tle or none; and another reporteth that he was much abused for turning‘cucurbita’ (to which reading the people had been used) into ‘hedera’.5 Nowif this happen in better times, and upon so small occasions, we might justlyfear hard censure, if generally we should make verbal and unnecessarychangings. We might also be charged (by scoffers) with some unequal deal-ing towards a great number of good English words. For as it is written of acertain great philosopher, that he should say that those logs were happythat were made images to be worshipped; for their fellows, as good as they,lay for blocks behind the fire: so if we should say, as it were, unto certainwords, ‘Stand up higher, have a place in the Bible always’, and to others oflike quality, ‘Get ye hence, be banished for ever’, we might be taxed perad-venture with St James’s words, namely, ‘To be partial in ourselves andjudges of evil thoughts’. Add hereunto that niceness in words6 was alwayscounted the next step to trifling,7 and so was to be curious about names too:also that we cannot follow a better pattern for elocution than God himself;therefore he using divers words in his holy writ, and indifferently for onething in nature,8 we, if we will not be superstitious, may use the same lib-erty in our English versions out of Hebrew and Greek, for that copy or store that he hath given us. Lastly, we have on the one side avoided thescrupulosity of the Puritans, who leave the old ecclesiastical words, andbetake them to others, as when they put ‘washing’ for ‘baptism’, and

1 ÔOmoiopaqhv". 2 Trwtov" g j oiJ crwv" ejsti. 3 Poluvshma.4 ‘A bed’. Nicephorus Callistus, Ecclesiastica Historia, 8:42 (PG 146:165).5 St Jerome, Commentarii in Ionam, 4:6 (CC 76:414; PL 25:1147). See St Augustine, Epistulae, 71:3:5 (PL

33:242).6 Leptologiva. 7 ∆Adolesciva.8 To; spoudavzein ejpi; ojnovmasi. See Eusebius, Preparation for the Gospel, 12:8:4 (PG 21:968), alluding to

Plato, Statesman (Politicus, 261e).






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‘Congregation’ in stead of ‘Church’: as also on the other side we haveshunned the obscurity of the Papists, in their ‘azymes’, ‘tunic’, ‘rational’,‘holocausts’, ‘praepuce’, ‘pasche’, and a number of such like whereof theirlate translation is full, and that of purpose to darken the sense, that sincethey must needs translate the Bible, yet by the language thereof it may bekept from being understood. But we desire that the Scripture may speaklike itself, as in the language of Canaan, that it may be understood even ofthe very vulgar.

Many other things we might give thee warning of, gentle reader, if we hadnot exceeded the measure of a preface already. It remaineth that we com-mend thee to God, and to the Spirit of his grace, which is able to build fur-ther than we can ask or think. He removeth the scales from our eyes, the veilfrom our hearts, opening our wits that we may understand his word, enlarg-ing our hearts, yea, correcting our affections, that we may love it above goldand silver, yea, that we may love it to the end. Ye are brought unto fountainsof living water which ye dug not; do not cast earth into them with thePhilistines,1 neither prefer broken pits before them with the wicked Jews.2

Others have laboured, and you may enter into their labours. O receive not sogreat things in vain, O despise not so great salvation! Be not like swine totread under foot so precious things, neither yet like dogs to tear and abuseholy things. Say not to our Saviour with the Gergesites, ‘Depart out of ourcoasts’,3 neither yet with Esau sell your birthright for a mess of pottage.4 Iflight be come into the world, love not darkness more than light; if food, ifclothing be offered, go not naked, starve not yourselves. Remember theadvice of Nazianzen, ‘It is a grievous thing’ (or dangerous) ‘to neglect a greatfair, and to seek to make markets afterwards’;5 also the encouragement of StChrysostom, ‘It is altogether impossible that he that is sober (and watchful)should at any time be neglected’;6 lastly, the admonition and menacing of StAugustine, ‘They that despise God’s will inviting them shall feel God’s willtaking vengeance of them’.7 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of theliving God;8 but a blessed thing it is, and will bring us to everlasting blessed-ness in the end, when God speaketh unto us, to hearken; when he setteth hisword before us, to read it; when he stretcheth out his hand and calleth, toanswer, ‘Here am I; here we are to do thy will, O God’. The Lord work a careand conscience in us to know him and serve him, that we may be acknowl-edged of him at the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with theHoly Ghost be all praise and thanksgiving. Amen.

1 Gen. 26:15. 2 Jer. 2:13.3 Matt. 8:34. 4 Heb. 12:16.5 Deino;n panhvgurin parelqei'n, kai; thnikau'ta pragmateivan ejpizhtei'n. Gregory Nazianzen, Orationes,

40:24 (PG 36:392).6 ∆Amhvcanon sfovdra ajmhvcanon. St John Chrysostom in Epistolam ad Romanos 14, Homilia, 26:4, in hjqik

(PG 60:642).7 St Augustine, answers to false charges against him, charge 16; in Prosper of Aquitaine, Pro Augustino

Responsiones ad Capitula Objectionum Vincentianarum (1539; PL 51:86).8 Heb. 10:31.






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THE NAMES AND ORDER of all the Books of the

Old and New Testamentand the Books called Apocrypha,

with the number of their chapters

the books of the old testamentGenesis (50 chapters) page 3Exodus (40) 67Leviticus (27) 123Numbers (36) 163Deuteronomy (34) 221Joshua (24) 271Judges (21) 303Ruth (4) 3371 Samuel (31) 3432 Samuel (24) 3851 Kings (22) 4212 Kings (25) 4611 Chronicles (29) 5012 Chronicles (36) 537

Ezra (10) 583Nehemiah (13) 597Esther (10) 617Job (42) 627Psalms (150) 677Proverbs (31) 819Ecclesiastes (12) 865The Song of

Solomon (8) 877Isaiah (66) 885Jeremiah (52) 983Lamentations (5) 1073Ezekiel (48) 1085Daniel (12) 1153

Hosea (14) 1173Joel (3) 1189Amos (9) 1195Obadiah (1) 1207Jonah (4) 1209Micah (7) 1213Nahum (3) 1223Habakkuk (3) 1227Zephaniah (3) 1233Haggai (2) 1239Zechariah (14) 1241Malachi (4) 1253

1 Esdras (9) page 12592 Esdras (16) 1281Tobit (14) 1315Judith (16) 1327The rest of Esther (7) 1347The Wisdom of

Solomon (19) 1353

Ecclesiasticus (51) 1373Baruch, with the Epistle

of Jeremiah (6) 1451The Song of the Three

Holy Children (1) 1463The History of

Susanna (1) 1467

Bel and the Dragon (1) 1471The Prayer of

Manasses (1) 14731 Maccabees (16) 14752 Maccabees (15) 1517

the books c alled apocrypha

the books of the new testament

Matthew (28) page 1549Mark (16) 1589Luke (24) 1615John (21) 1659The Acts of the

Apostles (28) 1691 Romans (16) 17331 Corinthians (16) 17492 Corinthians (13) 1765Galatians (6) 1777

Ephesians (6) 1783Philippians (4) 1789Colossians (4) 17931 Thessalonians (5) 17972 Thessalonians (3) 18011 Timothy (6) 18032 Timothy (4) 1809Titus (3) 1813Philemon (1) 1815Hebrews (13) 1817

James (5) 18291 Peter (5) 18332 Peter (3) 18381 John (5) 18412 John (1) 18453 John (1) 1846Jude (1) 1847Revelation (22) 1849






the new cambridge paragraph bible -...

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