Wycliffe's Bible 1Why gnashed with teeth heathen men; and peoples thought vain things? (Why do the heathen gnash with their teeth? and the peoples think up useless plans?) 2The kings of earth stood together; and princes came together against the Lord, and against his Christ. (The kings of the earth stood together; yea, the rulers came together against the Lord, and against his anointed king.) 3Break we the bonds of them; and cast we away the yoke of them from us. (And they said, Let us break their bonds, that is, their rule over us; yea, let us throw off their yoke from us.) 4He that dwelleth in heavens shall scorn them; and the Lord shall bemock them. (But he who liveth in heaven shall scorn them; yea, the Lord shall mock them.) 5Then he shall speak to them in his wrath; and he shall trouble them in his strong vengeance. (And then he shall speak to them in his anger; and he shall trouble them with his fury.) 6Soothly I am ordained of him a king upon Zion, his holy hill; (And the Lord saith of me, I have set my king upon Zion; upon my holy hill.) 7preaching his commandment. The Lord said to me, Thou art my son; I have begotten thee today. (And I said, I shall tell out his decree. Then the Lord said to me, Thou art my son; and today I have become thy father.) 8Ask thou of me, and I shall give to thee heathen men (for) thine heritage; and (for) thy possession the terms of earth. (Ask thou of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thy inheritance; and the ends of the earth for thy possession.) 9Thou shalt govern them in an iron rod; and thou shalt break them together as the vessel of a potter. (Thou shalt govern them with an iron rod; and thou shalt break them in pieces, like a clay pot.) 10And now, ye kings, understand; ye that deem the earth, be ye learned. (And so now, ye kings, understand; ye who judge, or who rule, the earth, learn your lesson!) 11Serve ye the Lord with dread; and make ye full out joy to him with trembling. (Serve ye the Lord in fear/Serve ye the Lord with reverence; and bow down before him with trembling.) 12Take ye lore of chastising; lest the Lord be wroth sometime, and ye perish from the just way. When his wrath shall burn out in short time; blessed be all they, that trust in him. (Kiss ye the King, that is, worship and serve him; lest sometime, the Lord be angry. And then, ye perish on the way; when, in a moment of time, his anger flareth up. Happy be all they, who trust in him.) WYCLIFFE’S BIBLE Comprising of Wycliffe’s Old Testament and Wycliffe’s New Testament (Revised Edition) 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 Used by Permission Bible Hub |