Textus Receptus Bibles
John Wycliffe Bible 1382
| 4:1 | Forsothe Isbosech, the sone of Saul, herde that Abner hadde falde doun in Ebron; and `hise hondis weren discoumfortid, and al Israel was disturblid. |
| 4:2 | Forsothe twei men, princes of theues, weren to the sone of Saul; name to oon was Baana, and name to the tother was Rechab, the sones of Remmon Berothite, of the sones of Beniamyn; for also Beroth is arettid in Beniamyn. |
| 4:3 | And men of Beroth fledden in to Gethaym; and thei weren comelyngis there `til to that tyme. |
| 4:4 | Forsothe a sone feble in feet was to Jonathas, the sone of Saul; forsothe he was fyue yeer eld, whanne the messanger cam fro Saul and Jonathas, fro Jezrael. Therfor his nurse took hym, and fledde; and whanne sche hastide to fle, sche felde doun, and the child was maad lame; and `he hadde a name Myphibosech. |
| 4:5 | Therfor Rechab and Baana, sones of Remmon of Beroth, camen, and entriden in the hoot dai in to the hows of Isbosech, that slepte on his bed in myd dai, `and the womman oischer of the hous clensynge wheete, slepte strongli. |
| 4:6 | Forsothe thei entriden into the hows pryueli, and token eeris of whete; and Rechab, and Baana, his brother, smytiden Isbosech in the schar, and fledden. |
| 4:7 | Sotheli whanne thei hadden entrid in to the hous, he slepte on his bedde in a closet; and thei smytiden and killiden hym; and whanne `his heed was takun, thei yeden bi the weie of deseert in al the nyyt. |
| 4:8 | And thei brouyten the heed of Isbosech to Dauid, in Ebron, and thei seiden to the kyng, Lo! the heed of Isbosech, sone of Saul, thin enemy, that souyte thi lijf; and the Lord yaf to dai to oure lord the kyng veniaunce of Saul and of his seed. |
| 4:9 | Forsothe Dauid answeride to Rechab, and Baana, his brother, the sones of Remmon of Beroth, and seide to hem, The Lord lyueth, that delyueride my lijf fro al angwisch; |
| 4:10 | for Y helde hym that telde to me, and seide, Saul is deed, which man gesside hym silf to telle prosperitees, and Y killide hym in Sichelech, to whom it bihofte me yyue meede for message; |
| 4:11 | hou myche more now, whanne wickid men han slayn a giltles man in his hows on his bed, schal I not seke his blood of youre hond, and schal Y do awey you fro erthe? |
| 4:12 | Therfor Dauid comaundide to his children, and thei killiden hem; and thei kittiden awei the hondis and `feet of hem, and hangiden hem ouer the cisterne in Ebron. Forsothe thei token the heed of Isbosech, and birieden in the sepulcre of Abner, in Ebron. |
John Wycliffe Bible 1382
The Wycliffe Bible is the only Bible here that was not translated from the Textus Receptus. Its inclusion here is for the Bible's historic value and for comparison in the English language.
John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor produced the first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts in the 1380's. While it is doubtful Wycliffe himself translated the versions that bear his name, he certainly can be considered the driving force behind the project. He strongly believed in having the scriptures available to the people.
Wycliffe, was well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers (called Lollards), Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings and his translation of the Bible into English, that 44 years after Wycliffe died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river.