Biblia, Piibli, Paipera

The whole Byble that is the holy scripture of the Olde and Newe testament faythfully translated into Englyshe ... [Zurich]: Printed for Andrewe Hester, 1550.

In 1535, Myles Coverdale (ca. 1488-1569) produced the first complete printed Bible in English. Coverdale made his translation from German and Latin, rather than directly from the Hebrew and Greek as did Tyndale.

The Bible was dedicated to Henry VIII, whom Coverdale invited to correct, improve or reject his translation as the King saw fit. Its printing coincided with the ecclesiastical reforms of Henry, who allowed Coverdale’s Bible to circulate freely in England, though it was not authorised for use in churches.

This edition of 1550 was the last reprint of Coverdale’s 1535 Bible issued during the translator’s lifetime. The Library also holds a single leaf from the 1535 edition.

The whole Byble that is the holy scripture of the Olde and Newe testament faythfully translated into Englyshe ... [Zurich]: Printed for Andrewe Hester, 1550.
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The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better understanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations … Rhemes: Iohn Fogny, 1582.

The Rheims New Testament is the editio princeps of the Roman Catholic New Testament in English. It was translated from the Vulgate by the Catholic priest Gregory Martin (ca. 1542-1582) under the supervision of William Allen (later Cardinal Allen) and Richard Bristow. Their intention was to give English Catholics a text with which they could counter Protestant arguments against the Roman Catholic Church.

The translation stays very close to the Latin but shows signs of careful comparison with the Greek. Martin was also influenced by existing English translations, especially the 1838 diglot. Along with the Old Testament portion printed at Douai in 1609-1610, this work is the foundation upon which almost all subsequent Catholic editions of the Bible are based.

The Nevv Testament of Iesus Christ, translated faithfully into English, out of the authentical Latin, according to the best corrected copies of the same, diligently conferred vvith arguments of bookes and chapters, annotations, and other necessarie helpes, for the better understanding of the text, and specially for the discouerie of the corruptions of diuers late translations … Rhemes: Iohn Fogny, 1582.
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