Deuteronomy 25 Comparison: Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version
Deuteronomy 25
1If cause is bitwixe ony men, and thei axen iugis, thei schulen yyue the victorie of riytfulnesse to him, whom thei perseyuen to be iust, thei schulen condempne hym of wickidnesse, whom thei perseyuen to be wickid.
2Sotheli if thei seen hym that synnede, worthi of betyngis, thei schulen caste him doun, and make to be betun bifor hem; also the maner of betyngis schal be for the mesure of synne,
3so oneli that tho passe not the noumbre of fourti, lest thi brother be to-rent viliche bifore thin iyen, and go awei.
4Thou schalt not bynde the `mouth of the oxe tredynge thi fruytis in the corn floor.
5Whanne britheren dwellen to gidere, and oon of hem is deed with out fre children, the wijf of the deed brother schal not be weddid to anothir man, but his brothir schal take hir, and schal reise seed of his brother.
6And he schal clepe the firste gendrid sone `of hir bi the name `of hym, `that is, of the deed brothir, that his name be not don awei fro Israel.
7Forsothe if he nyle take the wijf of his brother, which is due to hym bi lawe, the womman schal go to the yate of the citee; and sche schal axe the grettere men in birthe, and sche schal seie, `The brother of myn hosebonde nyle reise seed of his brother in Israel, nethir wole take me in to mariage.
8And anoon thei schulen make hym to be clepid, and thei schulen axe. If he answerith, Y nyle take hir to wijf;
9the womman schal go to hym bifor the eldre men of Israel, and sche schal take awei the schoo, and sche schal spete in to his face, and schal seie, So it schal be doon to the man, that bildith not `the hows of his brother;
10and `the name of hym schal be clepid in Israel, The hows of the man vnschood.
11If twei men han strijf bitwixe hem silf, and oon bigynneth to stryue ayens another, and the wijf of `the tother man wole delyuere hir hosebonde fro the hond of the strongere man, and puttith hond, and `takith the schamefast membris `of hym,
12thou schalt kitte awei `the hond of hir, nether thou schalt be bowid on hir bi ony mercy.
13Thou schalt not haue in the bagge dyuerse weiytis,
14a grettere and a lesse, nether a buyschel more and lesse schal be in thin hows.
15Thou schalt haue a iust weiyte and trewe, and an euene buyschel `and trewe schal be to thee, that thou lyue in myche tyme on the lond which thi Lord God schal yyue to thee.
16For the Lord schal haue hym abhomynable that doith these thingis, and he wlatith, `ethir cursith, al vnriytfulnesse.
17Haue thou mynde what thingis Amalech dide to thee in the weie, whanne thou yedist out of Egipt;
18hou he cam to thee, and killide the laste men of thin oost, that saten wery, whanne thou were disesid with hungur and trauel, and he dredde not God.
19Therfor whanne thi Lord God hath youe reste to thee, and hath maad suget alle naciouns `bi cumpas, in the lond which he bihiyte to thee, thou schalt do awei `the name of hym vndur heuene; be thou war lest thou foryete.
Deuteronomy 25
1If there be a controversy between men, and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them; then they shall justify the righteous, and condemn the wicked.
2And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.
3Forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed: lest, if he should exceed, and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.
4Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
5If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.
6And it shall be, that the firstborn which she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother which is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.
7And if the man like not to take his brother’s wife, then let his brother’s wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, My husband’s brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel, he will not perform the duty of my husband’s brother.
8Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak unto him: and if he stand to it, and say, I like not to take her;
9Then shall his brother’s wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother’s house.
10And his name shall be called in Israel, The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.
11When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near for to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand, and taketh him by the secrets:
12Then thou shalt cut off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her.
13Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.
14Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.
15But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
16For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God.
17Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;
18How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.
19Therefore it shall be, when the Lord thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.
Understanding Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version in Deuteronomy 25
Wycliffe Bible (1395) (Wycliffe)
The first complete English translation of the Bible (1395) by John Wycliffe and his followers. Translated from the Latin Vulgate. A landmark in English history and the Reformation.
King James Version (KJV)
The classic 1611 English translation known for its majestic prose and literary influence. Ideal for traditional study and memorization thanks to its formal style. A foundational English Bible used for centuries.
You are viewing a side-by-side comparison of Deuteronomy 25 in the Wycliffe Bible (1395) and King James Version. Comparing these two versions can help shed light on the nuances of the original text.
Key Comparison: Deuteronomy 25:16
"For the Lord schal haue hym abhomynable that doith these thingis, and he wlatith, `ethir cursith, al vnriytfulnesse."
"For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God."





