TO THE [VARIOUS English Tranflations of beftowed upon us the people of England, the Bible were extant at the clofe of the when firft he fent your Majefty's Royal fixteenth century: In fome of them the Perfon to rule and reign over us. For Old Testament was made from the Sep-whereas it was the expectation of many, tuagint, (that is, from a Greek tranflation who wifhed not well unto our Sion, that of the Hebrew executed by order of upon the setting of that bright Occidental holemy Philadelphus, 284 years before Star, Queen Elizabeth, of moft happy the Chriftian Era) in others, immediately memory, fome thick and palpable clouds from the Hebrew Text, except a few of darknefs would fo have overshadowed paffages which were rendered from the this land, that men fhould have been in Septuagint-and in others, both the Old doubt which way they were to walk; and New Teftament were made from the and that it should hardly be known who Latin of the Vulgate. Thefe tranflations was to direct the unfettled State: The in feveral infiances differed from each appearance of your Majefty, as of the other, which induced King James 1. to Sun in his ftrength, inftantly difpelled felect fifty four men, eminent for their pi- thofe fuppofed and furmifed mifts, and ety and learning, and particularly fkilled gave unto all that were well affected, exin the original languages of the Scriptures, ceeding caufe of comfort; efpecially when to make an entire new tranflation of the we beheld the Government established in Bible-the Old Testament from the ori- your Highnefs, and your hopeful feed, ginal Hebrew Text, and the new from the by an undoubted title, and this also acoriginal Greek. Fortyfeven of thefe em-companied with peace and tranquillity at inent men commenced the important bu- home and abroad. finels in the beginning of the year 1607. "But among all our joys, there was They arranged themfelves into feparate no one that more filled our hearts, than the claffes, and to expedite the work, each bleffed continuance of the Preaching of clafs took a separate portion of the Bible. God's facred Word among us; which is After three years clofe application, the that ineftimable Treafure, which excelleth feveral claffes had completed the parts all the riches of the earth; becauf the affigned them. The whole number then fruit thereof extendeth itself, not only to Qaffembled in a body, and critically com-the time fpent in this tranfitory world, but pared the copies of each clafs with the directeth and difpofeth men unto that eoriginal, and with other tranflations; and ternal happinets which is above in heaven. no fentence was finally accepted till, in the "Then no to fuffer this to fall to the general opinion, it expreffed the fenfe of ground, but rather to take it up, and to the infpired original: Nearly another continue it in that ftate, wherein the famyear, it is faid, was fpent in this bufinefs; ous predeceffor of your Highness did leave And in the year 1611, this tranflation was by authority first published. As it was executed by the order, and at the expenfe of the crown, the copyright became the property of the King, whofe it has ever fince continued. it: "Nay, to go forward with the confidence and refolution of a man in maintaining the Truth of Chrift, and propagating it farand near, is that which hath fobound and firmly knit the hearts of all your Majesty's loyal and religious people unto you, that your very name is precious among them; their eye doth behold you with comfort, and they blefs you in their hearts, as that fanctified perfon, who under God, is the immediate author of their true happiness. And this their contentment doth not diWith their copy the Tranflators pre-minifh or decay, but every day increaseth sed to King Jaines the following AD-and taketh ftrength when they obferve DRESS, which has ever fince been pre- that the zeal of your Majesty toward the fixed to all British editions of the Holy houfe of God doth not flick or go backScriptures, viz.] This is univerfally acknowledged to be the mott correct English tranflation of the Bible that has yet been publifhed to the world-and it is generally ufed in Churchs and private Families throughout Great-Barain and America. "To the Most High and Mighty Prince ward, but is more and more kindled, manifesting itfelf abroad in the fartheft parts of Christendom, by writing in defence of the Truth, which hath given fuch a blow unto that man of fin, as will not be healThe TRANSLATORS of the BIBLE with ed, and every day at home, by religious Grace, Mercy, and Peace, through Je-and learned difcourie, by frequenting the fus Chrift our Lord. GREAT and manifold were the bleings, molt dread Sovereign,which Alnighty God, the Father of all mercies, Houfe of God, by hearing the Word preached, by cherishing the teachers thereof, by caring for the Church, as a moft tender and loving nurfing tather. There ACCOUNT OF dates. "There are infinite arguments of this and judicious a Prince as your Highness "The Lord of heaven and earth bless ACCOUNT OF THE DATES OR TIME OF WRITING THE BOOKS The NAMES and ORDER of all the BOOKS of the OLD and NEW TESTA Piece of Silver (Drachm). 0 0 6,8 Penny (Denarius) 0 0 1,4 Farthing (Affarium) 100 20th Den 140:b Sterling. 5464 5 8,6 1 110,5 S. D F. 07 S Note, Silver is here reckoned at 5s. Sterling---Gold at 41. per ox. A TABLE OF TIME. 1 Nifan, or 7 Marcb. 5 Ab. 13 Abib. S April. 7. Tifri, or E- September, 8 Marchef- October. Hours of the Day. Watches. The 1ft watch, from funfette ing, from the 6th to the 9th. THE OLD TESTAMENT. THE FIRST BOOK OF MOSES, CALLED GENESIS. СНАР. 1. the tree yielding fruit, whofe feed was in itself, after his kind: and God faw that it was good, 18 And the evening and the morning were the third day. 1 The creation of heaven and earth, 3 of the light, 6 of the firmament, 9 of the earth separated from the waters, 11 and made fruitful, 14 of the fun, moon, and flars, 20 of fift and fowl, 24 of 14 ¶ And God faid, Let there be lights beafts and cattle, 26 of man in the im-in the firmament of the heaven to divide age of God. 29 Also the appointment the day from the night; and let them be of food. fer figns, and for feafons, and for days, and years: IN the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God faid, Let there be light and there was light. 4 And God faw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. 5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. 6 And God faid, Let there be a firmament in the midft of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was fo. 16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the leffer light to rule the night: be made the ftars alfo. 11 And God fet them in the firmament of the heaven to give light uponthe earth: 18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness and God faw that it was good. 19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day. 20 And God faid, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven. 7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were 21 And God created great whales, and above the firmament: and it was fo. every living creature that moveth, which 8 And God called the firmament heav-the waters brought forth abundantly, after en. And the evening and the morning their kind, and every winged fowl after were the fecond day. his kind: and God faw that it was good. 9 ¶ And God faid, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear and it was fo. : 10 And God called the dry land Earth and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas; and God faw that it was good. 11 And God faid, Let the earth bring forth grafs, the herb yielding feed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whole feed is in itfelf, upon the earth and it was fo. 22 And God bleffed them, faying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the feas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. 23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day. 24 And God faid, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beaft of the earth after his kind and it was fo. 25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon 12 And the earth brought forth grafs, the earth after his kind; and God faw and herb yielding feed after his kind, and] that it was good. |