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Printed by GEORGE EYRE AND ANDREW SPOTTISWOODE,
Printers to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty;

FOR THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY,
Depository, 56, Paternoster-Row, and 65, St. Paul's Churchyard;
AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS.

15.

PREFACE

ΤΟ

THE PARAGRAPH BIBLE.

THE edition of the English Bible now presented to the reader, is a correct reprint of the Authorized version in general use; but it differs from other editions in two particulars, namely: - First, it is divided into paragraphs, according to the changes or divisions in the subjects treated of, and the pauses in the narrative; but the numbers of the chapters and verses are retained in the margin for the sake of easy reference, and also that it may correspond with other editions. Secondly, the metrical parts, such as the Psalms and Prophetical Books, are printed in parallelisms; according to the natural order of the original. These parallelisms give the reader a more accurate impression of the spirit and beauty of the inspired writings, and often assist materially in the correct understanding of their meaning. The advantages of presenting the poetical parts of Scripture to the reader in this form, have been fully shown by Lowth, Jebb, and many other writers, and will be seen at once on reference to these portions. Let it, therefore, be clearly understood, that this edition of the Bible has all the advantages of those in general use, with the additional one of being so printed, as to be read with more clearness and with a more perfect connexion as to the sense.

It may be well to state, that the divisions into chapters and verses in our common Bibles are no way connected with the original form, in which the inspired writings were given. The present division into chapters was made by Cardinal Hugo de Sancto Charo, about the year 1250. The present arrangement of verses appears to have originated with Robert Stephens, a celebrated printer of Paris, who thus divided an edition of the Greek Testament, printed by him, A. D. 1551; but he placed the figures in the margin, as in the present edition, which is a better plan than to break every verse into

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