Textus Receptus Bibles
John Wycliffe Bible 1382
| 28:1 | Siluer hath bigynnyngis of his veynes; and a place is to gold, in which it is wellid togidere. |
| 28:2 | Irun is takun fro erthe, and a stoon resolued, `ethir meltid, bi heete, is turned in to money. |
| 28:3 | God hath set tyme to derknessis, and he biholdith the ende of alle thingis. |
| 28:4 | Also a stronde departith a stoon of derknesse, and the schadewe of deth, fro the puple goynge in pilgrymage; it departith tho hillis, whiche the foot of a nedi man foryat, and hillis with out weie. |
| 28:5 | The erthe, wher of breed cam forth in his place, is destried bi fier. |
| 28:6 | The place of saphir ben stoonys therof, and the clottis therof ben gold. |
| 28:7 | A brid knewe not the weie, and the iye of a vultur, ethir rauenouse brid, bihelde it not. |
| 28:8 | The sones of marchauntis tretiden not on it, and a lyonesse passide not therbi. |
| 28:9 | God stretchide forth his hond to a flynt; he distriede hillis fro the rootis. |
| 28:10 | He hewide doun ryuers in stoonys; and his iye siy al precious thing. |
| 28:11 | And he souyte out the depthis of floodis; and he brouyte forth hid thingis in to liyt. |
| 28:12 | But where is wisdom foundun, and which is the place of vndurstondyng? |
| 28:13 | A man noot the prijs therof, nether it is foundun in the lond of men lyuynge swetli, `ether delicatli. |
| 28:14 | The depthe of watris seith, It is not in me; and the see spekith, It is not with me. |
| 28:15 | Gold ful cleene schal not be youun for wisdom, nether siluer schal be weied in the chaungyng therof. |
| 28:16 | It schal not be comparysound to the died colours of Iynde, not to the moost preciouse stoon of sardius, nether to saphir. |
| 28:17 | Nether gold, nether glas schal be maad euene worth therto; |
| 28:18 | and hiye and fer apperynge vessels of gold schulen not be chaungid for wisdom, nether schulen be had in mynde in comparisoun therof. Forsothe wisdom is drawun of pryuy thingis; |
| 28:19 | topasie of Ethiope schal not be maad euene worth to wisdom, and moost preciouse diyngis schulen not be set togidere in prijs, `ether comparisound, therto. |
| 28:20 | Therfor wherof cometh wisdom, and which is the place of vndurstondyng? |
| 28:21 | It is hid fro the iyen of alle lyuynge men; also it is hid fro briddis of heuene. |
| 28:22 | Perdicioun and deeth seiden, With oure eeris we herden the fame therof. |
| 28:23 | God vndurstondith the weye therof, and he knowith the place therof. |
| 28:24 | For he biholdith the endis of the world, and biholdith alle thingis that ben vndur heuene. |
| 28:25 | `Which God made weiyte to wyndis, and weiede watris in mesure. |
| 28:26 | Whanne he settide lawe to reyn, and weie to tempestis sownynge; |
| 28:27 | thanne he siy wisdom, and telde out, and made redi, and souyte out. |
| 28:28 | And he seide to man, Lo! the drede of the Lord, thilke is wisdom; and to go awei fro yuel, is vndurstondyng. |
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.