Numbers 19 Comparison: Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version
Numbers 19
1And the Lord spak to Moises and to Aaron,
2and seide, This is the religioun of sacrifice, which the Lord ordeynede. Comaunde thou to the sones of Israel, that thei brynge to thee a reed cow of hool age , in which is no wem, nether sche hath bore yok.
3And ye schulen bitake hir to Eleazar, preest, which schal offre `the cow, led out of the tentis, in the siyt of alle men.
4And he schal dippe his fyngur in the blood therof, and schal sprynge seuene sithis ayens the yatis of the tabernacle.
5And he schal brenne that cow, while alle men sien; and he schal yyue as wel the skyn and fleischis therof as the blood and dung to flawme.
6Also the preest schal `sende a tre of cedre, and ysope, and reed threed died twies, into the flawme that deuourith the cow.
7And thanne at the laste, whanne hise clothis `and bodi ben waischun, he schal entre in to the tentis, and he schal be defoulid `til to euentid.
8But also he that brente the cow, schal waische hise clothis, and bodi, and he schal be vncleene `til to euentid.
9Forsothe a cleene man schal gadere the aischis of the cow, and schal schede out tho with out the tentis, in a place moost cleene, that tho be to the multitude of the sones of Israel in to keping, and in to watir of spryngyng; for the cow is brent for synne.
10And whanne he that bar the aischis of the cow, hath waische hise clothis, he schal be vncleene `til to euentid. And the sones of Israel, and comelyngis that dwellen among hem, schulen haue this hooli bi euerlastynge lawe.
11He that touchith a deed bodi of man, and is vncleene for this bi seuene daies,
12schal be spreynt of this watir in the thridde, and in the seuenthe dai; and so he schal be clensid. If he is not spreynt in the thridde dai, he schal not mow be clensid in the seuenthe dai.
13Ech that touchith the deed bodi bi it silf of mannus soule, and is not spreynt with this medlyng, defoulith the `tabernacle of the Lord, and he schal perische fro Israel; for he is not spreynt with the wateris of clensyng, he schal be vncleene, and his filthe schal dwelle on hym.
14This is the lawe of a man that dieth in the tabernacle; alle that entren in to his tente, and alle vessels that ben there, schulen be defoulid bi seuene daies.
15A vessel that hath not an hilyng, nethir a byndyng aboue, schal be vncleene.
16If ony man touchith the deed bodi of man slayn in the feeld, ether deed bi hym silf, ether a boon, ether the sepulcre `of hym, he schal be vncleene bi seuene daies.
17And thei schulen take `of the aischis of the brennyng, and of the synne, and thei schulen sende quyk watris in to a vessel on tho aischis;
18in whiche whanne `a cleene man hath dippid ysope, he schal spreynge therof the tente, and al the purtenaunce of howshold, and men defoulid bi sich defoulyng.
19And in this maner a cleene man schal clense an vncleene, in the thridde and in the seuenthe dai; and he schal be clensid in the seuenthe dai. And he schal waische hym silf, and hise clothis, and he schal be vncleene `til to euentid.
20If ony man is not clensid bi this custom, the soule of hym schal perische fro the myddis of the chirche; for he defoulith the `seyntuarie of the Lord, and is not spreynt with the watir of clensyng.
21This comaundement schal be a lawful thing euerlastynge. Also he that schal sprenge the watris schal waische his clothis; ech man that touchith the watris of clensyng, schal be vncleene `til to euentid.
22What euer thing an vncleene man touchith, he schal make it vncleene; and a soule that touchith ony of these thingis `defoulid so, schal be vncleene `til to euentid.
Numbers 19
1And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
2This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke:
3And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth without the camp, and one shall slay her before his face:
4And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times:
5And one shall burn the heifer in his sight; her skin, and her flesh, and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn:
6And the priest shall take cedar wood, and hyssop, and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.
7Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the even.
8And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water, and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the even.
9And a man that is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer, and lay them up without the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.
10And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even: and it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.
11He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.
12He shall purify himself with it on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean: but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.
13Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man that is dead, and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the Lord; and that soul shall be cut off from Israel: because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.
14This is the law, when a man dieth in a tent: all that come into the tent, and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
15And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.
16And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.
17And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel:
18And a clean person shall take hyssop, and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent, and upon all the vessels, and upon the persons that were there, and upon him that touched a bone, or one slain, or one dead, or a grave:
19And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day, and on the seventh day: and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at even.
20But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord: the water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean.
21And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until even.
22And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean; and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until even.
Understanding Wycliffe Bible (1395) vs King James Version in Numbers 19
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 Numbers 19 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: Numbers 19:16
"If ony man touchith the deed bodi of man slayn in the feeld, ether deed bi hym silf, ether a boon, ether the sepulcre `of hym, he schal be vncleene bi seuene daies."
"And whosoever toucheth one that is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days."





