John Wycliffe

The author tells of John Wycliffe, the famous Oxford teacher, preacher who translated the Bible and made his translation available to the poor of the land.

The Revolt #3, in the Wycliffe's England Heros of Reformation series, by Douglas Bond

As the battle of Crecy rages, Hugh, secretary to the first Earl of Oxford, fights with his pen. Willard, a serf, wields his bow. Little do they realize that they will meet again under very different but equally dangerous circumstances. A historically accurate, fast-paced novel about the translation of the Bible into English.

The Wycliffe's Bible is a fair and accurate representation of John Wycliffe's and John Purvey's 14th century translation of the very first English vernacular Bible. This is their Bible with modern spelling, not simply a 21st century variation on a medieval theme. The melodies and harmonies are distinctly Wycliffe's and Purvey's, only now they are sung with words that we all can understand.

Six centuries later you can now read what those common folk were at long last able to read for themselves (or more likely, have read to them). Simple, direct words, with their own charm and rhythm, their own humble, cogent beauty. Sophisticated and graceful words, their originality and newness making the well-known and fondly remembered fresh and alive once again. All because John Wycliffe and John Purvey cared so deeply, and sacrificed so dearly. Today there are scores of modern translations of the Bible in English, available at the public library, in bookstores, and on the internet. But once there was just one. This one. Try to imagine the impact upon hearing (or reading) these words for the very first time:

Ecclesiastes, Chapter 3:
"All things have (a) time, and all things under [the] sun pass by their spaces.
Time of birth, and time of dying; time to plant, and time to draw up that that is planted.
Time to slay, and time to make whole; time to destroy, and time to build.
Time to weep, and time to laugh; time to bewail, and time to dance.
Time to scatter stones, and time to gather (them) together: Time to embrace, and time to be far from embracings.
Time to get, and time to lose; time to keep, and time to cast away.
Time to cut, and time to sew together; time to be still, and time to speak.
Time to love, and time of hatred; time of battle, and time of peace.

Here is John Wycliffe's greatest accomplishment: the translation of the Holy Scriptures into Middle English. Producing the first complete English Bible, Wycliffe was the first to set aside Latin as the language of the Scriptures and reach the English people in their own tongue. Working from contemporary manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate, he sought "no strange English," but only the easiest, most common - albeit the most Latin-like language possible. (Latin constructions and word order were preserved even where they conflicted with English idiom.)

His work was used by the Lollards, a group of itinerant preachers ("poor priests") who went about preaching, reading, and teaching from this new English Bible. Wycliffite translations of the New Testament (1380) and Old Testament (1388), which was actually completed by Nicholas of Hereford, opened a new epoch in the history of the Bible. After the inital translation was completed, John Purvey reworked the text again for greater 14th Century -contemporary readability and clarity.

In this new edition, the LAMP POST has taken a 600-year-old ancient translation and made a modern, clean, readable version - a simple yet fun dichotomy - creating a project that all book- and Bible-lovers are sure to appreciate and enjoy!