The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Old Testament — Part 2

Part 1

Produced by Dennis McCarthy and Tad Book

THE HOLY BIBLE

Translated from the Latin Vulgate

Diligently Compared with the Hebrew, Greek, and Other Editions in Divers Languages

THE OLD TESTAMENT First Published by the English College at Douay A.D. 1609 & 1610

and

THE NEW TESTAMENT First Published by the English College at Rheims A.D. 1582

With Annotations

The Whole Revised and Diligently Compared with the Latin Vulgate by Bishop Richard Challoner A.D. 1749-1752

VOLUME II: THE SECOND PART OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

CREDITS

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HISTORY

This three volume e-text set comes from multiple editions of Challoner's revised Douay-Rheims Version of the Holy Bible. The division of the Old Testaments into two parts follows the two tome format of the 1609/1610 printing of the Old Testament. In 1568 English exiles, many from Oxford, established the English College of Douay (Douai/Doway), Flanders, under William (later Cardinal) Allen. In October, 1578, Gregory Martin began the work of preparing an English translation of the Bible for Catholic readers, the first such translation into Modern English. Assisting were William Allen, Richard Bristow, Thomas Worthington, and William Reynolds who revised, criticized, and corrected Dr. Martin's work. The college published the New Testament at Rheims (Reims/Rhemes), France, in 1582 through John Fogny with a preface and explanatory notes, authored chiefly by Bristol, Allen, and Worthington. Later the Old Testament was published at Douay in two parts (1609 and 1610) by Laurence Kellam through the efforts of Dr. Worthington, then superior of the seminary. The translation had been prepared before the appearance of the New Testament, but the publication was delayed due to financial difficulties. The religious and scholarly adherence to the Latin Vulgate text led to the less elegant and idiomatic words and phrases often found in the translation. In some instances where no English word conveyed the full meaning of the Latin, a Latin word was Anglicized and its meaning defined in a glossary. Although ridiculed by critics, many of these words later found common usage in the English language. Spellings of proper names and the numbering of the Psalms are adopted from the Latin Vulgate.

In 1749 Dr. Richard Challoner began a major revision of the Douay and Rheims texts, the spellings and phrasing of which had become increasingly archaic in the almost two centuries since the translations were first produced. He modernized the diction and introduced a more fluid style, while faithfully maintaining the accuracy of Dr. Martin's texts. This revision became the 'de facto' standard text for English speaking Catholics until the twentieth century. It is still highly regarded by many for its style, although it is now rarely used for liturgical purposes. The notes included in this electronic edition are generally attributed to Bishop Challoner.

The 1610 printing of the second tome of the Old Testament includes an appendix containing the non-canonical books 'Prayer of Manasses,' 'Third Booke of Esdras,' and 'Fourth Booke of Esdras.' While not part of Challoner's revision, the 1610 texts are placed in the appendices of Vol. II of this e-text set. Also included are the original texts of two short books, 'The Prophecie of Abdias' (Vol. II) and 'The Catholike Epistle of Iude the Apostle' (Vol. III), to give the reader a sense of the language of the first editions in comparison to the Challoner revision. Further background on the Douay-Rheims version may be found in a selection from the preface to the 1582 edition and the original glossary included in the appendices of Vol. III.

CONTENTS

The Second Part of the Old Testament

Book of Psalms Book of Proverbs Ecclesiastes Solomon's Canticle of Canticles Book of Wisdom Ecclesiasticus Prophecy of Isaias Prophecy of Jeremias Lamentations of Jeremias Prophecy of Baruch Prophecy of Ezechiel Prophecy of Daniel Prophecy of Osee Prophecy of Joel Prophecy of Amos Prophecy of Abdias Prophecy of Jonas Prophecy of Micheas Prophecy of Nahum Prophecy of Habacuc Prophecy of Sophonias Prophecy of Aggeus Prophecy of Zacharias Prophecy of Malachias First Book of Machabees Second Book of Machabees

Appendices

The Prayer of Manasses The Third Booke of Esdras The Fourth Booke of Esdras

The Prophecie of Abdias

THE BOOK OF PSALMS

The psalms are called by the Hebrews TEHILLIM, that is, Hymns of Praise. The author, of a great part of them at least, was king David: but many are of opinion that some of them were made by Asaph, and others whose names are prefixed in the titles.

Psalms Chapter 1

Beatus vir.

The happiness of the just and the evil state of the wicked.

1:1. Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence:

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1:2. But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night.

1:3. And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season. And his leaf shall not fall off: and all whatsoever he shall do shall prosper.

1:4. Not so the wicked, not so: but like the dust, which the wind driveth from the face of the earth.

1:5. Therefore the wicked shall not rise again in judgment: nor sinners in the council of the just.

1:6. For the Lord knoweth the way of the just: and the way of the wicked shall perish.

Psalms Chapter 2

Quare fremuerunt.

The vain efforts of persecutors against Christ and his church.

2:1. Why have the Gentiles raged, and the people devised vain things?

2:2. The kings of the earth stood up, and the princes met together, against the Lord, and against his Christ.

2:3. Let us break their bonds asunder: and let us cast away their yoke from us.

2:4. He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh at them: and the Lord shall deride them.

2:5. Then shall he speak to them in his anger, and trouble them in his rage.

2:6. But I am appointed king by him over Sion, his holy mountain, preaching his commandment.

2:7. The Lord hath said to me: Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.

2:8. Ask of me, and I will give thee the Gentiles for thy inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy possession.

2:9. Thou shalt rule them with a rod of iron, and shalt break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

2:10. And now, O ye kings, understand: receive instruction, you that judge the earth.

2:11. Serve ye the Lord with fear: and rejoice unto him with trembling.

2:12. Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.

2:13. When his wrath shall be kindled in a short time, blessed are all they that trust in him.

Psalms Chapter 3

Domine, quid multiplicati.

The prophet's danger and delivery from his son Absalom: mystically, the passion and resurrection of Christ.

3:1. The psalm of David when he fled from the face of his son Absalom.

3:2. Many say to my soul: There is no salvation for him in his God.

3:4. But thou, O Lord, art my protector, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.

3:5. I have cried to the Lord with my voice: and he hath heard me from his holy hill.

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3:6. I have slept and have taken my rest: and I have risen up, because the Lord hath protected me.

3:7. I will not fear thousands of the people surrounding me: arise, O Lord; save me, O my God.

3:8. For thou hast struck all them who are my adversaries without cause: thou hast broken the teeth of sinners.

3:9. Salvation is of the Lord: and thy blessing is upon thy people.

Psalms Chapter 4

Cum invocarem.

The prophet teacheth us to flee to God in tribulation, with confidence in him.

4:1. Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.

Unto the end. . .Or, as St. Jerome renders it, victori, to him that overcometh: which some understand of the chief musician; to whom they suppose the psalms, which bear that title, were given to be sung: we rather understand the psalms thus inscribed to refer to Christ, who is the end of the law, and the great conqueror of death and hell, and to the New Testament.--Ibid. In verses, in carminibus. . .In the Hebrew, it is neghinoth, supposed by some to be a musical instrument, with which this psalm was to be sung.--Ibid. For David, or to David. . .That is, inspired to David himself, or to be sung.

4:2. When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.

4:3. O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?

4:4. Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.

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