From the Translators Introduction to the 1611 King James Bible

[Sleeping in EQ]

“wee doe not deny, nay wee affirme and auow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set foorth by men of our profession (for wee haue seene none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the word of God, nay, is the word of God. As the Kings Speech which hee vttered in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian and Latine, is still the Kings Speech, though it be not interpreted by euery Translator with the like grace, nor peraduenture so fitly for phrase, nor so expresly for sense, euery where. For it is confessed, that things are to take their denomination of the greater part; and a naturall man could say, Verum vbi multi nitent in carmine, non ego paucis offendor maculis, &c. A man may be counter a vertuous man, though hee haue made many slips in his life, (els, there were none vertuous, for in many things we offend all) also a comely man and louely, though hee haue some warts vpon his hand, yea, not onely freakles vpon his face, but also skarres. No cause therefore why the word translated should bee denied to be the word, or forbidden to be currant, notwithstanding that some imperfections and blemishes may be noted in the setting forth of it. For what euer was perfect vnder the Sunne, where Apostles or Apostolike men, that is, men indued with an extraordinary measure of Gods spirit, and priuiledged with the priuiledge of infallibilitie, had not their hand?"

and later on...

"Now through the Church were thus furnished with Greeke and Latine Translations, euen before the faith of CHRIST was generally embraced in the Empire : (for the learned know that even in S. Hieroms time, the Consul of Rome and his wife were both Ethnicks, and about the same time the greatest part of the Senate also) yet for all that the godly-learned were not content to haue the Scriptures in the Language which themselues vnderstood, Greeke and Latine, (as the good Lepers were not content to fare well themselues, but acquainted their neighbours with the store that God had sent, that they also might prouide for themselues) but also for the behoofe and edifying of the vnlearned which hungered and thirsted after Righteousnesse, and had soules to be saued as well as they, they prouided Translations into the vulgar for their Countreymen, insomuch that most nations vnder heauen did shortly after their conuersion, heare CHRIST speaking vnto them in their mother tongue, not by the voyce of their Minister onely, but also by the written word translated."

[Indy Coug]

Can you translate that for me?

[MikeWaters]

"It's not a perfect translation, but it's good that the common man be able to read the Bible in his own language."

What it didn't say is "Old English, as our tongue will be known one day, is the most respectful way to think of and address deity from now until evermore."

[Solon]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

"It's not a perfect translation, but it's good that the common man be able to read the Bible in his own language."

What it didn't say is "Old English, as our tongue will be known one day, is the most respectful way to think of and address deity from now until evermore."

Verum vbi multi nitent in carmine, non ego paucis offendor maculis

=

In truth, while many men shine in verse, I offend not a few with blemishes.

It's a statement of the translator's humility.

[Tex]

Originally Posted by Solon

Verum vbi multi nitent in carmine, non ego paucis offendor maculis

And here all this time I thought it meant "One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them ... "