Coverdale’s prologue to the reader — The Coverdale Bible (1535)

Coverdale’s prologue explains how he made the translation from “sondrye translacions, not onely in latyn, but also of the Douche interpreters,” defends the use of varied English words for one original, and teaches how scripture should be read.

COnsiderynge how excellent knowlege and lernynge an interpreter of scripture oughte to haue in the tongues, and ponderyng also myne owne insufficiency therin, & how weake I am to perfourme yᵉ office of a translatoure, I was the more lothe to medle with this worke Notwithstondynge whan I cōsydered how greate pytie it was that we shulde wante it so longe, & called to my remembraunce yᵉ aduersite of them, which were not onely of rype knowlege, but wolde also with all theyr hertes haue perfourmed yᵗ they beganne, yf they had not had impediment: considerynge (I saye) that by reason of theyr aduersyte it coulde not so soone haue bene broughte to an ende, as oure most prosperous nacyon wolde fayne haue had it: these and other reasonable causes consydered, I was the more bolde to take it in hande. And to helpe me herin, I haue had sondrye translacions, not onely in latyn, but also of the Douche interpreters: whom (because of theyr synguler gyftes & speciall diligence in the Bible) I haue ben the more glad to folowe for the most parte, accordynge as I was requyred. But to saye the trueth before God, it was nether my laboure ner desyre, to haue this worke put in my hande: neuertheles it greued me yᵉ other nacyōs shulde be more plenteously prouyded for with yᵉ scripture in theyr mother tongue, then we: therfore whan I was instantly requyred, though I coulde not do so well as I wolde, I thought it yet my dewtye to do my best, and that with a good wyll.

Where as some men thynke now yᵗ many translacyons make diuisyon in yᵉ fayth and in the people of God, yᵗ is not so: for it was neuer better with the congregacion of god, then whan euery church allmost had yᵉ Byble of a sondrye trāslacion. Amonge the Grekes had not Origen a specyall translacyon? Had not Vulgarius one peculyar, & lykewyse Chrysostom? Besyde the seuentye interpreters, is there not the translacyon of Aquila, of Theodotio, of Symachus, and of sondrye other? Agayne amonge the Latyn men, thou findest yᵗ euery one allmost vsed a specyall & sondrye translacyon: for in so moch as euery bysshoppe had the knowlege of yᵉ tongues, he gaue his diligence to haue the Byble of his awne translacion. The doctours, as Hireneus, Cyprianus, Tertullian, S. Iherome, S. Augustine, Hylarius & S. Ambrose vpon dyuerse places of the scripture, reade not yᵉ texte all alyke.

Therfore oughte it not to be taken as euel, yᵗ soch men as haue vnderstondynge now in oure tyme, exercyse them selues in yᵉ tongues, & geue their diligence to translate out of one language in to another. Yee we ought rather to geue god hye thankes therfore, which thorow his sprete stereth vp mēs myndes, so to exercise them selues therin. wolde god it had neuer bene left of after yᵉ tyme of S. Augustine, then shulde we neuer haue come in to soch blindnes & ignoraūce, in to soch erroures & delusyons. For as soone as the Byble was cast asyde, & nomore put in exercyse, then beganne euery one of his awne heade to wryte what so euer came in to his brayne and yᵗ semed to be good in his awne eyes: and so grewe yᵉ darknes of mēs tradiciōs And this same is yᵉ cause yᵗ we haue had so many wryters, which seldome made mēcyon of yᵉ scripture of the Byble: & though they some tyme aleged it, yet was it done so farre out of season & so wyde from yᵉ purpose, that a mā maye well perceaue, how that they neuer sawe the oryginall.

Seynge then yᵗ this diligent exercyse of translatynge doth so moch good & edifyeth in other languages, why shulde it do euell in oures? Doutles lyke as all nacyons in yᵉ dyuersite of speaches maye knowe one God in the vnyte of faith, and be one in loue: euen so maye dyuerse translacyons vnderstonde one another, & that in the head articles & grounde of oure most blessed faith, though they vse sondrye wordes. wherfore me thynke we haue greate occasyon to geue thankes vnto God, that he hath opened vnto his church the gyfte of interpretacyon & of pryntyng, and that there are now at this tyme so many▪ which with soch diligēce and faithfulnes interprete yᵉ scripture to the honoure of god and edifyenge of his people, where as (lyke as whan many are shutynge together) euery one doth his best to be nyest the marke. And though they can not all attayne therto, yet shuteth one nyer then another, and hytteth it better then another, yee one can do it better thē another. who is now then so vnreasonable, so despytefull, or enuyous, as to abhorre him yᵗ doth all his diligence to hytte yᵉ prycke, and to shute nyest it, though he mysse & come not nyest the mark? Ought not soch one rather to be commēded, and to be helped forwarde, that he maye exercyse himselfe the more therin?

For the which cause (acordyng as I was desyred) I toke the more vpon me to set forth this speciall translacyon, not as a checker, not as a reprouer, or despyser of other mens translacyons (for amonge many as yet I haue founde none without occasyon of greate thankesgeuynge vnto god) but lowly & faythfully haue I folowed myne interpreters, & that vnder correccyon. And though I haue fayled eny where (as there is noman but he mysseth in some thynge) loue shall constyrre all to yᵉ best without eny peruerse iudgment. There is noman lyuynge yᵗ cause all thynges, nether hath god geuen eny man to knowe euery thynge. One seyth more clearly then another, one hath more vnderstondyng then another, one can vtter a thynge better then another, but noman ought to enuye, or dispyse another. He that can do better then another, shulde not set him at naught yᵗ vnderstondeth lesse: Yee he that hath yᵉ more vnderstondyng, ought to remembre that the same gyfte is not his but Gods, and yᵗ God hath geuē it him to teach & enfourme the ignoraunt. Yf thou hast knowlege therfore to iudge where eny faute is made, I doute not but thou wilt helpe to amende it, yf loue be ioyned with thy knowlege. Howbeit wherin so euer I can perceaue by my selfe, or by the informacyon of other, that I haue fayled (as it is no wonder) I shall now by the helpe of God ouerloke it better & amende it.

Now wil I exhorte the (who so euer thou be yᵉ readest scripture) yf thou fynde oughte therin yᵗ thou vnderstondest not, or that apeareth to be repugnaunt, geue no temerarious ner haystye iudgmēt therof: but ascrybe it to thyne awne ignoraunce, not to the scrypture, thynke yᵗ thou vnderstondest it not, or yᵗ it hath some other meanynge, or yᵗ it is happlye ouersene of yᵉ interpreters, or wronge prynted. Agayne, it shall greately helpe yᵗ to vnderstonde scripture, yf thou marke not onely what is spoken or wrytten, but of whom, & vnto whom, with what wordes, at what tyme where, to what intent, with what circumstaunce, consyderynge what goeth before, and what foloweth after. For there be some thynges which are done & wryttē, to the intente yᵗ we shulde do lykewyse: as whan Abraham beleueth God, is obedient vnto his worde, & defendeth Loth his kynsman from violent wronge. There be some thynges also which are wryttē, to the intente yᵗ we shulde eschue soch lyke. As whan Dauid lyeth with Vrias wyfe, & causeth him to be slayne. Therfore (I saye) whan thou readest scripture, be wyse & circumspecte: & whan thou commest to soch straunge maners of speakynge & darke sentences, to soch parables & similitudes, to soch dreames or vysions as are hyd from thy vnderstondynge, cōmytte them vnto God or to the gyfte of his holy sprete in them yᵗ are better lerned then thou.

As for the commendacyon of Gods holy scripture, I wolde fayne magnifye it as it is worthy, but I am farre vnsufficiēt therto. & therfore I thoughte it better for me to holde my tonge, then with few wordes to prayse or commēde it: exhortynge yᵉ (most deare reader) so to loue it, so to cleue vnto it, & so to folowe it in thy daylye conuersacyon, yᵗ other men seynge thy good workes & the frutes of yᵉ holy goost in the, maye prayse the father of heauen, & geue his worde a good reporte: for to lyue after the lawe of God, & to leade a vertuous conuersacyon, is the greatest prayse yᵗ thou canst geue vnto his doctryne.

But as touchynge the euell reporte and disprayse that the good worde of God hath by the corrupte and euell conuersacyon of some, yᵗ daylye heare it and professe it outwardly with theyr mouthes, I exhorte yᵉ (most deare reader) let not yᵗ offende the ner withdrawe thy mynde frō the loue of yᵉ trueth, nether moue yᵉ to be partaker in lyke vnthankfulnes: but seynge yᵉ lighte is come in to the worlde, loue nomore the workes of darknes, receaue not the grace of god in vayne. Call to thy remembraunce how louynge & mercifull God is vnto the, how kyndly and fatherly he helpeth the in all trouble, teacheth thyne ignoraunce, healeth the in all thy sycknesse, forgeueth the all thy synnes, fedeth yᵉ, geueth the drynke, helpeth yᵉ out of preson, norysheth the in straunge countrees, careth for the, & seyeth yᵗ thou wante nothynge. Call this to mynde (I saye) & that earnestly, and consydre how thou hast receaued of god all these benefites (yee and many mo then thou canst desyre) how thou art bounde lykewise to shewe thy selfe vnto thy neghboure as farre as thou canst, to teach him yf he be ignoraunt, to helpe him in all his trouble, to heale his sycknes, to forgeue him his offences, and that hartely, to fede him, to cherish him, to care for him, and to se yᵗ he wante nothyng· And on this behalfe I beseke the (thou yᵗ hast yᵉ ryches of this worlde, and louest God with thy harte) to lyfte vp thyne eyes, and se how greate a multitude of poore people renne thorow euery towne: haue pitie on thyne awne flesh, helpe them with a good harte, and do with thy councell all that euer thou canst, that this vnshamefast beggynge maye be put downe, that these ydle folkes maye be set to laboure, & that soch as are not able to get theyr lyuynge, maye be prouyded for. At the leest thou yᵗ art of councell with soch as are in auctoryte, geue them some occasyon to cast theyr heades together, and to make prouysyon for the poore. Put the in remembraunce of those noble cityes in other countrees, that by the auctoryte of theyr prynces haue so rychely ād well prouided for theyr poore people, to the greate shame & deshonestye of vs, yf we lykewyse receauynge yᵉ worde of God, shewe not soch lyke frutes therof. wolde God yᵗ those men (whose office is to maynteyne yᵉ comon welth) were as diligent in this cause as they are in other. Let vs bewarre by tymes, for after vnthankfulnes there foloweth euer a plage: the mercyful hande of God be with vs, & defende vs that we be not partakers therof.

Go to now (most deare reader) & syt the downe at the Lordes fete and reade his wordes, & (as Moses teacheth the Iewes) take them in to theyr herte, & let thy talkynge & communicacion be of them whan thou syttest in thyne house,⁽¹⁾ or goest by yᵉ waye, whan thou lyest downe, & whan thou ryseth vp. And aboue all thynges fasshyon thy lyfe, & cōuersacion acordyng to the doctryne of the holy goost therin, that thou mayest be partaker of yᵉ good promyses of god in the Byble, & be heyre of his blessynge in Christ. In whom yf thou put thy trust, & be an vnfayned reader or hearer of hys worde with thy hert, thou shalt fynde swetenesse theryn, & spye wōderous thynges, to thy vnderstondynge, to the auoydynge of all sedicyous sectes, to the abhorrynge of thy olde synfull lyfe, & to the stablyshynge of thy godly conuersacyon.

In the first boke of Moses (called Genesis) thou mayest lerne to knowe the almightye power of god in creatynge all of naught, his infinite wysdome in ordryng the same, his ryghteousnes in punyshynge yᵉ vngodly, his loue & fatherly mercy in comfortynge the righteous with his promes. &c.

In the seconde boke (called Exodus) we se the myghtye arme of god, in delyuerynge his people from so greate bondage out of Egypte, and what prouysyon he maketh for them in the wildernes, how he teacheth them with his wholsome worde and how the Tabernacle was made and set vp.

In the thyrde boke (called Leuiticus) is declared what sacrifices the prestes & Leuites vsed, and what theyr office & ministracyon was.

In the fourth boke (called Numerus) is declared how the people are nombred and mustred, how the captaynes are chosen after yᵉ trybes & kynreds, how they wēte forth to yᵉ battayll, how they pitched theyr tentes, & how they brake vp.

The fyfth boke (called Deuteronomium) sheweth how that Moses now beynge olde, rehearseth the lawe of god vnto yᵉ people, putteth them in remembraunce agayne of all the wonders & benefices that god had shewed for them, and exhorteth them earnestly to loue yᵉ Lorde theyr god, to cleue vnto him, to put their trust in him and to herken vnto his voyce.

After the death of Moses doth Iosue brynge the people in to the lōde of promes where God doth wonderous thynges for his people by Iosue, which distributeth yᵉ londe vnto them, vnto euery trybe theyr possession. But in theyr wealth they forgat the goodnes of God, so that oft tymes he gaue thē ouer in to the hande of theyr enemies. Neuertheles whan so euer they called faithfully vpon him, and conuerted, he delyuered them agayne, as the boke of Iudges declareth.

In the bokes of the kynges, is descrybed the regiment of good and euell prynces, and how the decaye of all nacions commeth by euel kynges. For in Ieroboam thou seyst what myschefe, what ydolatrye & soch like abhominacyon foloweth, whā the kynge is a maynteyner of false doctryne, ād causeth the people to synne agaynst God, which fallinge awaye from gods worde, increased so sore amonge them, that it was the cause of all theyr sorowe and misery, & the very occasion why Israel first and then Iuda, were caryed awaye in to captyuite. Agayne, in Iosaphat, in Ezechias and in Iosias thou seyst the nature of a vertuous kynge.⁽²⁾ He putteth downe the houses of ydolatrye, seyth that his prestes teach nothynge but yᵉ lawe of God, cōmaundeth his lordes to go with them, and to se that they teach the people. In these kynges (I saye) thou seyst the cōdicyon of a true defender of yᵉ fayth, for he spareth nether cost ner laboure, to manteyne the lawes of God, to seke the welth & prosperite of his people, and to rote out the wicked. And where soch a prince is, thou seyst agayne, how God defendeth him and his people, though he haue neuer so many enemyes. Thus wente it with thē in the olde tyme, and euen after yᵉ same maner goeth it now with vs: God be praysed therfore, ād graunte vs of his fatherly mercy, that we be not vnthankfull: lest where he now geueth vs a Iosaphat, an Ezechias, yee a very Iosias, he sende vs a Pharao, a Ieroboam, or an Achab.

In the two first bokes of Esdras & in Hester thou seyst the delyueraunce of the people, which though they were but fewe, yet is it vnto vs all a speciall cōforte, for so moch as God is not forgetfull of his promes, but bryngeth them out of captiuite, acordynge as he had tolde them before.

In the boke of Iob we lerne comforte and pacience, in that God not onely punysheth the wicked, but proueth & tryeth the iust and righteous (howbeit there is noman innocent in his sighte) by dyuerse troubles in this lyfe, declaryng therby, yᵗ they are not his bastardes, but his deare sonnes, and that he loueth them.

In the Psalmes we lerne how to resorte onely vnto God in all oure troubles, to seke helpe at him, to call onely vpon him, to satle oure myndes by paciēce, & how we ought in prosperite to be thankfull vnto him,

The Prouerbes and the Preacher of Salomon teach vs wysdome, to knowe God, oure owne selues, and the worlde, and how vayne all thynges are, saue onely to cleue vnto God.

As for the doctryne of the Prophetes, what is it els, but an earnest exhortacion to eschue synne, & to turne vnto God? a faythfull promes of the mercy ād pardon of God, vnto all them yᵗ turne vnto him, and a threatenyng of his wrath to the vngodly? sauynge that here and there they prophecye also manifestly of Christ, of yᵉ expulsion of the Iewes, and callynge of the Heythen.

Thus moch thought I to speake of yᵉ olde Testament, wherin almyghtie God openeth vnto vs his myghtye power, his wysdome, his louynge mercy & righteousnesse: for the which cause it oughte of no man to be abhorred, despysed, or lyghtly regarded, as though it were an olde scripture yᵗ nothyng belōged vnto vs, or yᵗ now were to be refused. For it is Gods true scripture & testimony, which the Lorde Iesus commaundeth the Iewes to search. who so euer beleueth not the scripture,⁽³⁾ beleueth not Christ, and who so refuseth it, refuseth God also.

The New Testament or Gospell, is a manyfest and cleare testymony of Christ how God perfourmeth his ooth and promes made in the olde Testament, how the New is declared and included in the Olde, and the Olde fulfylled and verifyed in the New.

Now where as the most famous interpreters of all geue sondrye iudgmentes of the texte (so farre as it is done by yᵉ sprete of knowlege in the holy goost) me thynke noman shulde be offended there at, for they referre theyr doinges in mekenes to the sprete of trueth in the congregacyon of god: & sure I am, that there commeth more knowlege and vnderstondinge of the scripture by theyr sondrie translacyons, then by all the gloses of oure sophisticall doctours. For that one interpreteth somthynge obscurely in one place, the same trans⟨illegible⟩ateth another (or els he him selfe) more manifestly by a more playne vocable of the same meanyng in another place. Be not thou offended therfore (good Reader) though one call a scrybe, that another calleth a lawyer: or elders, that another calleth father & mother: or repentaunce, that another calleth pennaunce or amendment. For yf thou be not disceaued by mens tradiciōs, thou shalt fynde nomore dyuersite betwene these termes then betwene foure pens and a grote. And this maner haue I vsed in my translacyon, callyng it in some place pennaunce, that in another place I call repentaunce, and that not onely because the interpreters haue done so before me, but that the aduersaries of the trueth maye se, how that we abhorre not this worde pēnaunce (as they vntruly reporte of vs) no more then the interpreters of latyn abhorre penitere, whan they reade resipiscere. Onely oure hertes desyre vnto God, is, that his people be not blynded in theyr vnderstondyng, lest they beleue pennaunce to be ought saue a very repētaunce, amēdment, or conuersyon vnto God, and to be an vnfayned new creature in Christ, and to lyue acordyng to his lawe. For els shall they fal in to the olde blasphemy of Christes bloude, and beleue, that they thē selues are able to make satisfaccion vnto God for theyr awne synnes, from the which erroure god of his mercy and plēteous goodnes preserue all his.

Now to conclude: for so moch as all the scripture is wrytten for thy doctryne & ensample, it shalbe necessary for the, to take holde vpon it, whyle it is offred the, yee and with ten handes thankfully to receaue it. And though it be not worthely ministred vnto the in this translacyon (by reason of my rudnes) Yet yf thou be feruēt in thy prayer, God shal not onely sende it the in a better shappe, by the mynistracyon of other that beganne it afore, but shall also moue the hertes of them, which as yet medled not withall, to take it in hande, and to bestowe the gifte of theyr vnderstondynge theron, as well in oure language as other famous interpreters do in other languages. And I praye God, that thorow my poore ministracyon here in, I maye geue them that can do better, some occasyon so to do: exhortyng the (most deare reader) in the meane whyle on Gods behalfe, yf thou be a heade, a Iudge, or ruler of yᵉ people, that thou let not the boke of this lawe departe out of thy mouth, but exercise thyselfe therin both daye and nyghte,⁽⁴⁾ and be euer readyng in it as longe as thou lyuest: that thou mayest lerne to feare the Lorde thy God, & not to turne asyde from the commaundement, nether to the right hande ner to the lefte: left thou be a knower of personnes in iudgmēt, and wrest the righte of the straunger, of the fatherles or of the wedowe,⁽⁵⁾ and so yᵉ curse to come vpon the. But what office so euer thou hast wayte vpon it, and execute it, to the mayntenaunce of peace, to the welth of thy people, defendynge the lawes of God, and the louers therof, and to the destruccyon of the wicked.

Yf thou be a preacher, and hast the ouersighte of the flocke of Christ, awake and fede Christes shepe with a good herte, & spare no laboure to do them good, seke not thy selfe, & bewarre of fylthy lucre / but be vnto yᵉ flocke an ensample, in yᵉ worde, in cōuersacyon, in loue, in feruentnes of yᵉ sprete, and be euer readynge, exhortynge, & teachynge in Gods worde, that the people of God renne not vnto other doctrynes and lest thou thy selfe (whan thou shuldest teach other) be founde ignoraunt therin And rather then thou woldest teach the people eny other thynge then Gods worde take the boke in thyne hande, & reade the wordes euē as they stonde therin (for it is no shame so to do, it is more shame to make a lye) This I saye for soch, as are not yet experte in the scripture, for I reproue no preachyng without the boke as longe as they saye the trueth.

Yf thou be a man that hast wyfe and childrē, first loue thy wyfe,⁽⁶⁾ acordynge to the ensample of the loue, wherwith Christ loued the cōgregacion, and remembre that so doynge, thou louest euen thyselfe: yf thou hate her, thou hatest thine awne flesh: yf thou cherishe her and make moch of her, thou cherisest & makest moch of thyselfe for she is bone of thy bones, & flesh of thy flesh. And who so euer thou be that hast children, bryng them vp in the nurtour and informacion of the Lorde.⁽⁷⁾ And yf thou be ignoraunt, or art otherwyse occupied laufully that thou canst not teach them thy selfe, then be euen as diligent to seke a good master for thy childrē, as thou wast to seke a mother to beare them: for there lieth as great weight in the one as in yᵉ other. Yee better it were for thē to be vnborne, then not to feare God, or to be euel brought vp. which thynge (I meane bryngynge vp well of children) yf it be diligently loked to, it is the vpholdinge of all comon welthes: and the negligence of the same, the very decaye of all realmes.

Fynally, who so euer thou be, take these wordes of scripture in to thy herte, and be not onely an outwarde hearer, but a doer therafter, and practyse thyselfe therin: that thou mayest fele in thine hert, the swete promyses therof for thy consolacion in all trouble, & for the sure stablyshinge of thy hope in Christ, and haue euer an eye to yᵉ wordes of scripture, that yf thou be a teacher of other thou mayest be within the boundes of the trueth, or at the leest though thou be but an hearer or reader of another mans doynges, thou mayest yet haue knowlege to iudge all spretes, and be fre from euery erroure, to the vtter destruccion of all sedicious sectes & straunge doctrynes, that the holy scrypture maye haue fre passage, and be had in reputacion, to the worshippe of the author therof, which is euen God himselfe: to whom for his most blessed worde be glory & domynion now & euer. Amen.

Notes

⁽¹⁾ Deute. 6. a.

⁽²⁾ 2. Par. 17. b.

⁽³⁾ Io. 5. d

⁽⁴⁾ Ios. 1. a Deute. 17. d

⁽⁵⁾ Deute. 24. Roma. 12. b. 1. Pet. 4. b. Actu. 20. d 1. Petr. 5. a. 1. Tim. 4. b. Ti. 2. a

⁽⁶⁾ Ephe. 5, c.

⁽⁷⁾ Ephe. 6. a.

Colophon

This page is an archival transcription of the printed text, not a Good Works Translation. Source: Biblia the Byble, that is, the holy Scrypture of the Olde and New Testament, faithfully translated in to Englyshe (M.D.XXXV; STC 2063.3), translated by Myles Coverdale, the copy in Cambridge University Library, keyed and encoded by the Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP Phase I, text A10349, 2005) and released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 public-domain dedication.

3 places illegible in the Cambridge copy were filled from Samuel Bagster’s 1838 reprint, as listed on this room’s Supplied Readings page; 1 place is still marked ⟨illegible⟩.

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