Textus Receptus Bibles
John Wycliffe Bible 1382
| 7:1 | Knyythod is lijf of man on erthe, and his daies ben as the daies of an hired man. |
| 7:2 | As an hert desireth schadowe, and as an hirede man abideth the ende of his werk; |
| 7:3 | so and Y hadde voide monethis, and Y noumbrede trauailous niytes to me. |
| 7:4 | If Y schal slepe, Y schal seie, Whanne schal Y rise? and eft Y schal abide the euentid, and Y schal be fillid with sorewis `til to derknessis. |
| 7:5 | Mi fleisch is clothid with rot, and filthis of dust; my skyn driede vp, and is drawun togidere. |
| 7:6 | My daies passiden swiftliere thanne a web is kit doun `of a webstere; and tho daies ben wastid with outen ony hope. |
| 7:7 | God, haue thou mynde, for my lijf is wynde, and myn iye schal not turne ayen, that it se goodis. |
| 7:8 | Nethir the siyt of man schal biholde me; but thin iyen ben in me, and Y schal not `be in deedli lijf. |
| 7:9 | As a cloude is wastid, and passith, so he that goith doun to helle, schal not stie; |
| 7:10 | nether schal turne ayen more in to his hows, and his place schal no more knowe hym. |
| 7:11 | Wherfor and Y schal not spare my mouth; Y schal speke in the tribulacioun of my spirit, Y schal talke togidere with the bitternesse of my soule. |
| 7:12 | Whether Y am the see, ethir a whal, for thou hast cumpassid me with prisoun? |
| 7:13 | If Y seie, My bed schal coumfort me, and Y schal be releeuyd, spekynge with me in my bed; |
| 7:14 | thou schalt make me aferd bi dremys, and thou schalt schake me with `orrour, ethir hidousnesse, `bi siytis. |
| 7:15 | Wherfor my soule `chees hangyng, and my boonys cheesiden deth. |
| 7:16 | `Y dispeiride, now Y schal no more lyue; Lord, spare thou me, for my daies ben nouyt. |
| 7:17 | What is a man, for thou `magnifiest hym? ether what settist thou thin herte toward hym? |
| 7:18 | Thou visitist hym eerly, and sudeynli thou preuest hym. |
| 7:19 | Hou long sparist thou not me, nether suffrist me, that Y swolowe my spotele? |
| 7:20 | Y haue synned; A! thou kepere of men, what schal Y do to thee? Whi hast thou set me contrarie to thee, and Y am maad greuouse to my silf? |
| 7:21 | Whi doist thou not awei my sinne, and whi takist thou not awei my wickidnesse? Lo! now Y schal slepe in dust, and if thou sekist me eerli, Y schal not abide. |
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.