John Wycliffe

The first translation of the complete Bible into English was made under the inspiration and leadership of John Wycliffe(c. 1320-1384). Wycliffe was active in the late 14th century and believed that the people should have access to God's Word in their native language. It was under his leadership that a translation from the Latin Vulgate was made about 1380 (probably by Nicholas de Hereford). The "early" version was very close to the Latin. It was followed by a more idiomatic version about 1388 by John Purvey. This version was produced before the invention of the printing press and hence all original copies are hand written. The first printed edition was produced in 1731 and a version appeared in the English Hexapla published in 1841. In 1850, Rev. Josiah Forshall and Sir Frederic Madden collated the existing manuscripts and produced a definitive edition of the complete Bible which contains the early and later versions in parallel columns.

While persecuted for his views Wycliffe died a natural death on December 31, 1384. However, his translation was banned in England and a law was passed that made it illegal to posess an English Bible or translate the Bible into English.

Because Wycliffe's English is so far removed from modern English, several modern speech version of Wycliffe's translation have been produced. A facsimile edition of a manuscript copy of Wycliffe's New Testament was produced in 1986.

Manuscripts

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Title: Wycliffite Bible [manuscript] : ms., [ca. 1425]
Date: ca. 1425
Publisher: Manuscript
Contents: New Testament Portions: Acts. - James. - Peter. - John. - Jude. - Revelation (107 leaves)
References: Described in Sotheby's 08/1985 Catalog.
Location: Internet Archive Digital Library hosts The UNC Library microfilm scan of the Manuscript.
Images: Microfilm Title page

In addition to the publications listed below, text of the Gospels from Wycliffe's earlier version of 1389 was reprinted in parallel with the Gothic, Anglo-Saxon, and Tyndale version in Bosworth's parallel Gospels first printed in 1865.

John Lewis Edition - 1731

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Title: The / New Testament / With the / Lessons / Taken out of the / Old Law, / Read in Churches according to the Use of Sarum, / Translated / Into English from the Vulgar Latin. / By John Wiclif, D.D. Rector of Lutterworth, 1380.
Date: 1731
Publisher: Sold by Thomas Page and William Mount on Tower-Hill; and William Parker / at the King's-Head in St. Paul's Church-Yard, M,DCC,XXXI, London
Contents: Wycliffe's New Testament Text plus the first edition of Lewis' History
References: Chamberlin 526-7, Herbert 1011, Taliaferro-EELBV see 7000
Images: Title page.
Comments The first printed edition of Wycliffe's New Testament

Henry Baber Edition - 1810

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Title: The New Testament, Translated from the Latin, In the Year 1380, by John Wiclif, D.D. to which are prefixed, Memoirs of the Life, Opinions, and Writings of Dr. Wiclif; and an Historical Account of the Saxon and English Versions of the Scriptures, previous to the Opening of the Fifteenth Century. By The Rev. Henry Hervey Baber, M.A. an assistant librarian of the British Museum, and assistant preacher at Lincolns Inn.
Date: 1810
Publisher: London: Printed by Richard Edwards
Contents: New Testament (A portrait of Wycliffe stands as frontispiece. Preliminary matter, lxxii pp. Text with Glossary, 275 pp.)
References: Chamberlin 527-7, Herbert 1537, Taliaferro-EELBV see 7000.
Images: General Title page, New Testament Title page.
Comments: This is a reprint of the later Wycliffite version, as edited by Lewis, and published in 1731 (see above). It was edited with new preliminary matter by H.H. Baber.
Facsimile: A pdf facsimile is available at archive.org.

William Pickering Edition - 1848

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Title: The New Testament in English Translated by John Wycliffe circa MCCCLXXX. Now first printed from a contemporary Manuscript formerly in the Monestery of Sion Middlesex late in the Collection of Lea WIlson FSA
Date: 1848
Publisher: Printed at Chitwick by Charles Whittingham for William Pickering Piccadilly London
Contents: New Testament
References: Chamberlin 527-7, Herbert 1868, Taliaferro-EELBV see 7000.
Images: Title page
Facsimile: A PDF facsimile is available at books.google.com
Comments: A copy sold in March 2012 for $811.00 on eBay (item number 310387762148). A copy sold in June 2012 for GBP 699.95 (approximately $1,094.93) on eBay (item number 370620424956).

Forshall & Madden Edition - 1850

Complete Bible

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Title: The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal Books, in the Earliest English Versions made from the Latin Vulgate by John Wycliffe and his Followers; edited by The Rev. Josiah Forshall, F.R.S. etc. late fellow of Exeter College, and Ser Frederic Madden, K.H. F.R.S. etc. Keeper of the Mss. in the British Museum. Volume I.
Date: 1850
Publisher: Oxford at the University Press
Contents: Bible + Apocrypha
References: Chamberlin 1-2, 25-2, Herbert 1876, Taliaferro-EELBV 7000.115
Images: Volume I Title page, Volume II title page, Volume III Title page, Volume IV Title page (all from the online facsimile).
Facsimile: The complete four-volumes of Forshal & Madden's edition is available at www.archive.org. Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3, Volume 4

New Testament Reprint

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Title: The New Testament in English according to the version of John Wycliffe about A.D. 1380 and revised by John Purvey about A.D. 1388. Formerly edited by the Rev. Josiah Forshall and Sir Frederic Madden
Date: 1879
Publisher: Clarendon Press: Oxford
Contents: New Testament
References: Chamberlin 527-7, 25-2; Herbert 2011, Taliaferro-EELBV 7000.115
Facsimile: A pdf facsimile is available at archive.org.
Images: Title page

Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes Reprint

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Title: The Books of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon according to the Wycliffite Version made by Nicholas de Hereford about A.D. 1384 and revised by John Purvey about A.D. 1388. Formerly edited by The Rev. Josiah Forshall and Sir Frederic Madden.
Date: 1881
Publisher: Clarendon Press: Oxford
Contents: Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
References: Chamberlin 1-2, 25-2; Herbert 2015, Taliaferro-EELBV 7000.115
Images: Title page
Facsimile: A pdf facsimile is available at archive.org.

Facsimile Edition - 1986

The book is a copy of the Rawlinson 259 MSS. in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, England. It was produced by Donald Brake in an edition limited to 1000 copies.

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Title: The New Testament in English Translated by John Wycliffe MCCCLXXXII Revised by John Purvey MCCCLXXXVIII Sexcentenary Edition
Date: 1986
Publisher: International Bible Publications: Portland, OR
Contents: New Testament
References: Chamberlin 527-7, Taliaferro-EELBV 7000.110
Images: Title page
Comments: Includes an introduction by Donald L. Brake, the New Testament, "Lessons and piths of the oolde law", and a calendar with a list of holy days and readings therein. Uses the Rawlinson 259 manuscript. A copy sold on ebay (item 140266478889) for $228.76 in September 2008.

Conrad Lindberg Edition

Volume 1: Genesis-Exodus

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Title: MS. Bodley 959 Genesis-Baruch 3.20 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible Volume 1: Genesis-Exodus Edited by Conrad Lindberg Fil.Lic.
Date: 1959
Publisher: Almquist & Wiksells Boktryckeri AB: Uppsala.
Contents: Genesis and Exodus
References: Chamberlain 161-4, 1-2.
Images: Title page

Volume 2: Leviticus-Judges 7.13

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Title: MS. Bodley 959 Genesis-Baruch 3.20 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible Volume 2: Leviticus-Judges 7.13 Edited by Conrad Lindberg
Date: 1961
Publisher: Almquist & Wiksells: Stockholm.
Contents: Leviticus-Judges 7.13
References: Chamberlain 161-4, 1-2.
Images: Title page

Volume 3: Judges 7.13-II Paralipomenon

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Title: MS. Bodley 959 Genesis-Baruch 3.20 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible Volume 3: Judges 7.13-II Paralipomenon Edited by Conrad Lindberg
Date: 1963
Publisher: Almquist & Wiksells: Stockholm
Contents: Judges 7.13-II Paralipomenon
References: Chamberlain 161-4, 1-2.
Images: Title page

Volume 4: Esdras-Ecclesiasticus 48.6

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Title: MS. Bodley 959 Genesis-Baruch 3.20 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible Volume 4: Esdras-Ecclesiasticus 48.6 Edited by Conrad Lindberg
Date: 1964
Publisher: Almquist & Wiksells: Stockholm
Contents: Esdras-Ecclesiasticus 48.6
References: Chamberlain 161-4, 1-2.
Images: Title page

Volume 5: Ecclesiasticus 48.6-Baruch 3.20

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Title: MS. Bodley 959 Genesis-Baruch 3.20 in the Earlier Version of the Wycliffite Bible Volume 5: Ecclesiasticus 48.6-Baruch 3.20 Edited by Conrad Lindberg
Date: 1969
Publisher: Almquist & Wiksells: Stockholm
Contents: Ecclesiasticus 48.6-Baruch 3.20
References: Chamberlain 161-4, 1-2.
Images: Title page

Baruch

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Title: The Middle English Bible The Book of Baruch by Conrad Lindberg
Date: 1985
Publisher: Universitetsforlaget: Oslo
Contents: Baruch
Images: Title page, Cover
Comments: This book presents the Book of Baruch from Wycliffe's Middle English Bible. It contains parallel texts showing the early literal version and the later idiomatic version. It also contains the Latin text on which the translation is based.

Modern Spelling Editions

Terence Noble

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Title: Wycliffe's New Testament Translated by John Wycliffe and John Purvey. A modern-spelling edition of their 14th century Middle English translation, the first complete English vernacular version, with an Introduction by Terence P. Noble.
Date: 2001
Publisher: Terence P. Noble: Vancouver
Contents: New Testament
References: Chamberlin 527-7, Taliaferro-EELBV 8755.100.
Images: Cover, Title page

W.R. Cooper

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Title: The Wycliffe New Testament (1388) An edition in modern spelling with an introduction, the prologues and the Epistle to the Laodiceans. Edited for the Tyndale Society by W. R. Cooper
Date: 2002
Publisher: The British Library: London
Contents: New Testament
References: Chamberlin 527-7, Taliaferro-EELBV 8805.
Images: Jacket, Title page


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