Textus Receptus Bibles
The Great Bible 1539
| 1:1 | This is the heuy burthen, which the Prophet Abacuk dyd se. |
| 1:2 | O Lorde, how longe shall I crie, & thou wylt not heare? How longe shall I complayne vnto the, suffrynge wronge, & thou wylt not helpe? |
| 1:3 | Why lettest thou me se werynesse and laboure? Tyranny & violence are before me, power ouergoeth right: |
| 1:4 | for the lawe is toarne in peces, & there can not right iudgement go forth And why? the vngodly is more set by then the ryghtuous: this is the cause, that wronge iudgement procedeth. |
| 1:5 | Beholde, amonge the Heathen, and loke well, wondre at it, and be abashed: for I wyll do a thynge in your tyme, whych though it be tolde you, ye shall not beleue. |
| 1:6 | For lo, I wil rayse vp the Caldees, that bitter and swyfte people: which shall go as wyde as the land is, to take possession of dwelling places, that be not their awne. |
| 1:7 | A grymme and boysterous people is it, these shall sit in iudgement & punishe. |
| 1:8 | Their horses are swyfter then the cattes of the mountayne, & byte sorer then the wolues in the euening. Their horsemen come by greate heapes from farre, they fle hastely to deuour as the Aegle. |
| 1:9 | They come all to spoyle: out of them commeth an east wynde, whych bloweth and gathereth their captiues, lyke as the sande. |
| 1:10 | They shal mocke the kynges, and laughe the princes to scorne. They shall not set by eny stronge holde, for they shall laye ordinaunce agaynst it, and take it. |
| 1:11 | Then shall they take a fresh corage vnto them, to go forth & to do more euel, and so ascribe the power vnto their God. |
| 1:12 | But thou O Lorde my God my holy one, thou art from the begynninge, therfore shal we not dye. O Lord, thou hast ordened them for a punishement, and sett them to reproue the myghtye. |
| 1:13 | Thyne eyes are clene, thou mayest not se euel, thou canst not beholde, the thinge that is wycked. Wherfore then dost thou loke vpon the vngodly, and holdest thy tunge, when the wycked deuoureth the man that is better then him selfe? |
| 1:14 | Thou makest men as the fishe in the see, and lyke as the crepyng beastes, that haue no gyde, |
| 1:15 | they take vp all with their angle, they catch it in their net, & gather it in their yarne: wherof they reioice and are glad. |
| 1:16 | Therfore offre they vnto their net, & do sacrifice vnto their yarne: because that thorowe it their porcyon is become so fat, & their meate so plenteous. |
| 1:17 | Wherfore, they cast out their net agayne, & neuer cease to slaye the people. |
The Great Bible 1539
The Great Bible of 1539 was the first authorized edition of the Bible in English, authorized by King Henry VIII of England to be read aloud in the church services of the Church of England. The Great Bible was prepared by Myles Coverdale, working under commission of Thomas, Lord Cromwell, Secretary to Henry VIII and Vicar General. In 1538, Cromwell directed the clergy to provide "one book of the bible of the largest volume in English, and the same set up in some convenient place within the said church that ye have care of, whereas your parishioners may most commodiously resort to the same and read it."