Textus Receptus Bibles
John Wycliffe Bible 1382
| 7:1 | The wisdom of a man schyneth in his cheer; and the myytieste schal chaunge his face. |
| 7:2 | A good name is betere than preciouse oynementis; and the dai of deth is betere than the dai of birthe. |
| 7:3 | It is betere to go to the hous of morenyng, than to the hous of a feeste; for in that hous `of morenyng the ende of alle men is monestid, and a man lyuynge thenkith, what is to comynge. |
| 7:4 | Yre is betere than leiyyng; for the soule of a trespassour is amendid bi the heuynesse of cheer. |
| 7:5 | The herte of wise men is where sorewe is; and the herte of foolis is where gladnesse is. |
| 7:6 | It is betere to be repreued of a wijs man, than to be disseyued bi the flateryng of foolis; |
| 7:7 | for as the sown of thornes brennynge vndur a pot, so is the leiyyng of a fool. But also this is vanyte. |
| 7:8 | Fals chalenge disturblith a wijs man, and it schal leese the strengthe of his herte. |
| 7:9 | Forsothe the ende of preyer is betere than the bigynnyng. A pacient man is betere than a proud man. |
| 7:10 | Be thou not swift to be wrooth; for ire restith in the bosum of a fool. |
| 7:11 | Seie thou not, What gessist thou is of cause, that the formere tymes weren betere than ben now? for whi siche axyng is fonned. |
| 7:12 | Forsothe wisdom with richessis is more profitable, and profitith more to men seynge the sunne. |
| 7:13 | For as wisdom defendith, so money defendith; but lernyng and wisdom hath this more, that tho yyuen lijf to `her weldere. |
| 7:14 | Biholde thou the werkis of God, that no man may amende hym, whom God hath dispisid. |
| 7:15 | In a good day vse thou goodis, and bifore eschewe thou an yuel day; for God made so this dai as that dai, that a man fynde not iust playnyngis ayens hym. |
| 7:16 | Also Y siy these thingis in the daies of my natyuyte; a iust man perischith in his riytfulnesse, and a wickid man lyueth myche tyme in his malice. |
| 7:17 | Nyle thou be iust myche, nether vndurstonde thou more than is nedeful; lest thou be astonyed. |
| 7:18 | Do thou not wickidli myche, and nyle thou be a fool; lest thou die in a tyme not thin. |
| 7:19 | It is good, that thou susteyne a iust man; but also withdrawe thou not thin hond from hym; for he that dredith God, is not necligent of ony thing. |
| 7:20 | Wisdom hath coumfortid a wise man, ouer ten pryncis of a citee. |
| 7:21 | Forsothe no iust man is in erthe, that doith good, and synneth not. |
| 7:22 | But also yyue thou not thin herte to alle wordis, that ben seid; lest perauenture thou here thi seruaunt cursynge thee; |
| 7:23 | for thi conscience woot, that also thou hast cursid ofte othere men. |
| 7:24 | I asayede alle thingis in wisdom; Y seide, I schal be maad wijs, and it yede awei ferthere fro me, myche more than it was; |
| 7:25 | and the depthe is hiy, who schal fynde it? |
| 7:26 | I cumpasside alle thingis in my soule, to kunne, and biholde, and seke wisdom and resoun, and to knowe the wickidnesse of a fool, and the errour of vnprudent men. |
| 7:27 | And Y foond a womman bitterere than deth, which is the snare of hunteris, and hir herte is a net, and hir hondis ben boondis; he that plesith God schal ascape hir, but he that is a synnere, schal be takun of hir. |
| 7:28 | Lo! Y foond this, seide Ecclesiastes, oon and other, that Y schulde fynde resoun, which my soule sekith yit; |
| 7:29 | and Y foond not. I foond o man of a thousynde; Y foond not a womman of alle. |
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.