THE Holy Bible, CONTAINING The OLD and NEW TESTAMENTS Newly Tranflated out of the Original Tongues : AND With the Former TRANSLATIONS By His Majesty's Special Command. Appointed to be Kead in Churches. OXFORD: Printed by the UNIVERSITY- To the most High and Mighty Prince, JAMES, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, &c. The Tranflatours of the Bible with Grace, Mercy, and Peace, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. G Reat and manifold were the Blessings (meft dread Sovereign) which, Almighty God, the Father of all Mercies, beltowed upon as the People of England, when he fent your Majefty's Royal Perfon to Rule and Reign over us. For whereas it was the Expellation of many, who wished not well unto our Sion, that upon the fetting of that bright Occidental Star Queen Elizabeth, of most happy Memory, fome thick and palpable Clouds of Darkness would fo have overshadowed this Land, that Men should have been in doubt which way they were to walk, and that it should hardly be known, who was to direct the unfettled State: The Appearance of your Majefty, as of the Sun in his strength, inflantly dispelled thofe fuppofed and furmifed taifts, and gave unto all that were well affected, exceeding cause of Comfort; epecially when we beheld the Government established in your Highneß, and your hopeful Seed, by an undoubted Title, and, this also accompanied with Peace and Tranquility at Home and Abroad. But among all our Joys there was no one that more filled our Hearts, than the bleed continu ance of the Preaching of God's Sacred Word amongst us; which is that inestimable Treasure, which excelleth all the Riches of the Earth, because the fruit thereof extendeth it self, not only to the time spent in this tranfitory World, but directeth and difpofeth Men unto that eternal Happines which is above in Heaven. Then not to fuffer this to fall to the ground, but rather to take it up, and to continue it in that State, wherein the famous Predeceffour of your Highnes did leave it: Nay, to go forward with the Confidence and Refolution of a Man, in maintaining the Truth of Christ, and propagating it fer and near, that which hath so bound 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 bleß you in their Hearts, as that fanctified Perfon, who under God in the immediate Author of their true Happineß. And this their Contentment doth not diminish or decay, but every Day increaseth and taketh ftrength, when they obferve that the Zeal of your Majesty towards the House of God, doth not flack or go backward, but is more and more kindled, manifefling it self abroad in the furthest part of Christendom, by Writing in Defence of the Truth (which hath given Juch & Blow unto that Man of Sin, as will not be healed) and every Day at Home by Religions and Learned Difcourfe, by Frequenting the House of God, by Hearing the Word Preached, Ly Cherishing the Teachers thereof, by Caring for the Church, as a most Tender and Loving Nurfing Father. There are infinite Arguments of this right Chriftian and Religious Affection in your Majefty; But mone is more forcible to declare it to others, than the vehement and perpetuated Defire of the Accomplbing and Publishing of this Work, which now with all Humility we prefent unto your Majefty. For when your Highneß had once out of deep Judgment a prehended how convenient it was, That out of the Original Sacred Tongues, together with comparing of the Labours, both in our own, and other Foreign Languages, of many worthy Men who went before us, there should be one more exalt Transla Bon of the holy Scriptures into the English Tongue; your Majefty did never defift to urge and so excite thefe to whom it was commended, that the Work might be hained, and that the Busines might be expedited in fo decent a Manner, as a Matter of fuch Importance might justly require. And now at last, by the Mercy of God, and the Continuance of our Labours, it being brought unto Juch a Conclufion, as that we have great hope that the Church of England fall reap good frutt thereby We bold it our Duty to offer it to your Majefty, not only as to our King and Socereign, bat as to the principal Mover and Author of the Work Humbly craving of your most Sacred Maicfty, that face things of this Quality have ever been subject to the Cenfures of ill-meaning and difcon tented Perfon, it may receive Aprobation and Patronage from fo Learned and Judicions a Prince as your Highneß ie, whofe Allowance and Acceptance of our Labours shall more Honour and Incourage , than all the Calummiations and bard Interpretations of other Men shall difmay us. So that if un the one fide we shall be traduced by Popish Perions at Home or Abroad, who therefore will malign , because we are poor Infruments to make God's holy Truth to be yet more and more known unto the People, whom they defire ftill to keep in Ignorance and Darkness: Or if on the other fide we shall be maligned by felf-conceited Brethren, who run their own ways, and give liking unto nothing but what in framed by themselves, and hammered on their Anvil; we may reft fecure, fupported within by the Truth and Innocency of a good Confcience, having walked the Ways of Simplicity and Integrity, as before the Lord; and fuftained without, by the powerful Protection of your Majefys Grace and Favour, which will ever give Countenance to Honeft and Christian Endeavours, against Bitter Cenfures, and Uncharitable Imputations. The Lord of Heaven and Earth bless your Majefly with many and havpy Days, that as his heavenly Hand hath enriched your Highnes with many fingular and extraordinary Graces; fo you may be the Wonder of the World in this latter Age, for Happines and true Felicity, to the Honour of that Greas GOD, and the good of his Church, through Jefus Christ our Lord and only Sautour. |