The Pentateuch first translated from Hebrew to English by William Tyndale, published in 1530. This edition has the same wording, but modernized spelling. Words found in {[Braquets]} are variants from either Coverdale 1535 or Matthew's Bible 1537.
CONTENTS TO GO STRAIGHT TO
The First Book of Moses, called Genesis
Chapter .j.
In the beginning God created heaven and earth. The earth was void and empty, and darkness was upon the deep, and the spirit of god moved upon the water. Then God said: let there be light and there was light. And God saw the light that it was good: and divided the light from the darkness, and called the light day, and the darkness night: and so of the evening and morning was made the first day. And God said: let there be a firmament between the waters, and let it divide the waters asunder. Then God made the firmament and parted the waters which were under the firmament, from the waters that were above the firmament: And it was so. And God called the firmament heaven. And so of the evening and morning was made the second day. And God said, let the waters that are under heaven gather them selves unto one place, that the dry land may appear: And it came so to pass. And God called the dry land the earth and the gathering together of waters called he the sea. And God saw that it was good. And God said: let the earth bring forth herb and grass that sow seed, and fruitful trees that bear fruit every one in his kind, having their seed in themselves upon the earth. And it came so to pass: And the earth brought forth herb and grass sowing seed every one in his kind and trees bearing fruit and having their seed in them selves, every one in his kind. And God saw that it was good: and then of the evening and morning was made the third day. Then said God: let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from the night, that they may be unto signs, seasons, days and years. And let them be lights in the firmament of heaven, to shine upon the earth: and so it was. And God made two great lights: A greater light to rule the day, and a less light to rule the night, and he made stars also. And God put them in the firmament of heaven to shine upon the earth, and to rule the day and the night, and to divide the light from darkness. And God saw that it was good: and so of the evening and morning was made the fourth day. And God said, let the water bring forth creatures that move and have life, and fowls for to flee {fly} over the earth under the firmament of heaven. And God created great whales and all manner of creatures that live and move, which the waters brought forth in their kinds, and all manner of feathered fowls in their kinds. And God saw that it was good: and God blessed them saying: Grow and multiply and fill the waters of the seas, and let the fowls multiply upon the earth. And so of the evening and morning was made the fifth day. And God said: let the earth bring forth living creatures in their kinds: cattle and worms and beasts of the earth in their kinds, and so it came to pass. And God made the beasts of the earth in their kinds, and cattle in their kinds, and all manner worms of the earth in their kinds: and God saw that it was good. And God said: let us make man in our similitude and after our likeness: that he may have rule over the fish of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over all worms that creep on the earth. And God created man after his likeness, after the likeness of God created he him: male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them: Grow and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the fowls of the air, and over all the beasts that move on the earth. And God said: see, I have given yow all herbs that sow seed which are on all the earth, and all manner trees that have fruit in them and sow seed: to be meat for yow and for all beasts of the earth, and unto all fowls of the air, and unto all that creepeth on the earth where in is life, that they may have all manner herbs and grass for to eat, and even so it was. And God beheld all that he had made, and lo they were exceeding good: and so of the evening and morning was made the sixth day.
Chapter .ij.
Thus was heaven and earth finished with all their apparel: and in the seventh day God ended his work which he had made and rested in the seventh day from all his works which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, for in it he rested from all his works which he had created and made. These are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created, in the time when the LORD God created heaven and earth and all the shrubs of the field before they were in the earth. And all the herbs of the field before they sprang: for the LORD God had yet sent no rain upon the earth, neither was there yet any man to till the earth. But there arose a mist out of the ground and watered all the face of the earth: Then the LORD God shope man, even of the mould of the earth and breathed into his face the breath of life. So man was made a living soul. The LORD God also planted a garden in Eden from the beginning, and there he set man whom he had formed. And the LORD God made to spring out of the earth, all manner trees beautiful to the sight and pleasant to eat, and the tree of life in the midst {middes} of the garden: and also the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And there sprong a river out of Eden to water the garden, and thence divided itself, and grew into four principal waters. The name of the one is Phison, he it is that compasseth all the land of Hevila, where gold groweth. And the gold of that country is precious, there is found bedellion and a stone called Onyx. The name of the second river is Gihon, which compasseth all the land of Inde. And the name of the third river is Hidekell, which runneth on the east side of the Assyrians; And the fourth river is Euphrates. And the LORD God took Adam and put him in the garden of Eden, to dress it and to keep it: And the LORD God commanded Adam saying: Of all the trees of the garden see thou eat: But of the tree of knowledge of good and bad see that thou eat not: For even the same day thou eatest of it, thou shalt surely die. {die the death} And the LORD God said: It is not good that man should be alone, I will make him an helper to bear him company: And after that the LORD God had made of the earth all manner beasts of the field, and all manner fowls of the air, he brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them. And as Adam called all manner living beasts: even so are their names. And Adam gave names unto all manner cattle, and unto the fowls of the air, and unto all manner beasts of the field. But there was no help found unto Adam to bear him company. Then the LORD God cast a slumber on Adam, and he slept. And then he took out one of his ribs, and in stead thereof he filled up the place with flesh. And the LORD God made of the rib which he took out of Adam, a woman, and brought her unto Adam. Then said Adam: This is once bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh. This shall be called woman: because she was taken of the man. For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. And they were either of them naked, both Adam and his wife, and were not ashamed.
Chapter .iij.
But the serpent was subtler than all the beasts of the field which the LORD God had made, and said unto the woman: Ah sir, {Yee} that God hath said, {[indeed]} ye shall not eat of all manner trees in the garden. And the woman said unto the serpent, of the fruit of the trees in the garden we may eat, but of the fruit of the tree that {yt} is in the midst {myddes} of the garden (said God) see that ye eat not, and see that ye touch it not: lest ye die. Then said the serpent unto the woman: tush ye shall not die: but God doth know, that whensoever ye should eat of it, your eyes should be opened and ye should be as God and know both good and evil. And the woman saw that it was a good tree to eat of and lusty unto the eyes and a pleasant tree for to make wise. And took of the fruit of it and ate, and gave unto her husband also with her, and he ate. And the eyes of both them were opened, that they understood how that they were naked. Then they sewed fig leaves together and made them aprons. And they heard the voice of the LORD God as he walked in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam hid himself and his wife also from the face of the LORD God, among the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called Adam and said unto him where art thou? And he answered: Thy voice I heard in the garden, but I was afraid because I was naked, and therefore hid myself. And he said: Who told thee that thou wast naked? hast thou eaten of the tree, of which I bade thee that thou shouldest not eat? And Adam answered: The woman which thou gavest to bear me company, she took me of the tree, and I ate. And the LORD God said unto the woman: Wherefore didst thou so? And the woman answered: The serpent deceived me and I ate. And the LORD God said unto the serpent because thou hast so done most cursed be thou of all cattle and of all beasts of the field: upon thy belly shalt thou go: and earth shalt thou eat all days of thy life. Moreover I will put hatred between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. And that seed shall tread thee on the head, and thou shalt tread it {hit} on the heel. And unto the woman he said: I will surely increase thy sorrow and make thee oft with child, and with pain shalt thou be delivered: And thy lusts shall pertain unto thy husband and he shall rule thee. And unto Adam he said: Forasmuch as thou hast obeyed the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying: See thou eat not thereof: cursed be the earth for thy sake. In sorrow shalt thou eat thereof all days of thy life: And it shall bear thorns and thistles unto thee. And thou shalt eat the herbs of the field: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, until thou return unto the earth whence thou wast take: for earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return. And Adam called his wife Heva, because she was the mother of all that liveth. And the LORD God made Adam and his wife garments of skins, and put them on them. And the LORD God said: Lo, Adam is become as it were one of us, in knowledge of good and evil. But now lest he stretch forth his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live ever. And the LORD God cast him out of the garden of Eden, to till the earth whence he was taken. And he cast Adam out, and set at the entering of the garden Eden, Cherubim with a naked sword moving in and out, to keep the way to the tree of life.
Chapter .iiij.
And Adam lay with Heva is wife, which conceived and bare Cain, and said: I have gotten a man of the LORD. And she proceeded forth and bare his brother Abel: And Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a plowman. And it fortuned in process of time, that Cain brought of the fruit of the earth: an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he brought also of the firstlings of his sheep and of the fat of them. And the LORD looked unto Abel and to his offering: but unto Cain and unto his offering, looked he not. And Cain was wroth exceedingly, and lowered. And the LORD said unto Cain: why art thou angry, and why lowerest thou? Wotest thou not if thou dost well thou shalt receive it? But and if thou dost evil, by and by thy sin lieth open in the door. Notwithstanding let it be subdued unto thee, and see thou rule it. And Cain talked with Abel his brother. And as soon as they were in the fields, Cain fell upon Abel his brother and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain: where is Abel thy brother? And he said: I can not tell, am I my brother's keeper? And he said: What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood cryeth unto me out of the earth. And now cursed be thou as pertaining to the earth, which opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood of thine hand. For when thou tillest the ground she shall henceforth not give her power unto thee. A vagabond and a renegade shalt thou be upon the earth. And Cain said unto the LORD: my sin is greater, than that it may be forgiven. Behold thou castest me out this day from off the face of the earth, and from thy sight must I hide myself, and I must be wandering and a vagabond upon the earth: Moreover whosoever findeth me, will kill me. And the LORD said unto him: Not so, but whosoever slayeth Cain shall be punished sevenfold. And the LORD put a mark upon Cain that no man that found him should kill him. And Cain went out from the face of the LORD, and dwelt in the land Nod, on the east side of Eden. And Cain lay with his wife, which conceived and bare Henoch. And he was building a city and called the name of it after the name of his son, Henoch. And Henoch begat Irad. And Irad begat Mahuiael. And Mahuiael begat Mathusael. And Mathusael begat Lamech. And Lamech took him two wives: the one was called Ada, and the other Zilla: And Ada bare Iabal, of whom came they that dwell in tents and possess cattle. And his brother's name was Iubal: of him came all that exercise them selves on the harp and on the organs. And Zilla she also bare Tubalcain a worker in metal and a father of all that grave in brass and iron. And Tubalcain's sister was called Naema. Then said Lamech unto his wives Ada and Zilla: hear my voice ye wives of Lamech and hearken unto my words, for I have slain a man and wounded myself, and have slain a young man, and got myself stripes: For Cain shall be avenged sevenfold: but Lamech seventy times sevenfold. Adam also lay with his wife yet again, and she bare a son and called his name Seth For God (said she) hath given me another son for Abel whom Cain slew. And Seth begat a son and called his name Enos. And in that time began men to call on the name of the LORD.
Chapter .v.
This is the book of the generation of man, in the day when God created man and made him after the similitude of God. Male and female made he them, and called their names man, in the day when they were created. And when Adam was an hundred and thirty years old, he begat a son after his likeness and similitude: and called his name Seth. And the days of Adam after he begat Seth, were eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Adam which he lived, were nine hundred and thirty years, and then he died. And Seth lived an hundred and five years, and begat Enos. And after he had begot Enos he lived eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and died. And Enos lived ninety years, and begat Kenan. And Enos after he begat Kenan, lived eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Enos were nine hundred and five years, and then he died. And Kenan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalaliel. And Kenan after he had begot Mahalaliel, lived eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and then he died. And Mahalaliel lived sixty five years, and begat Iared. And Mahalaliel after he had begot Iared lived eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters: and all the days of Mahalaliel were eight hundred ninety and five years, and then he died. And Iared lived an hundred and sixty two years, and begat Henoch: and Iared lived after he begat Henoch, eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Iared were nine hundred and sixty two years, and then he died. And Henoch lived sixty five years, and begat Mathusala. And Henoch walked with God after he had begot Mathusalah, three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Henoch were three hundred and sixty five years, and then Henoch lived a godly life, and was no more seen, for God took him away. And Mathusala lived an hundred and eighty seven years and begat Lamech: and Mathusala after he had begot Lamech, lived seven hundred and eighty two years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Mathusala were nine hundred sixty nine years, and then he died. And Lamech lived an hundred eighty two years and begat a son, and called him Noe saying: This same shall comfort us: as concerning our work and sorrow of our hands which we have about the earth that the LORD hath cursed. And Lamech lived after he had begot Noe, five hundred, ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy seven years, and then he died. And when Noe was five hundred years old, he begat Sem, Ham and Iapheth.