« | 1 Thessalonians 5 |
1 But of the tymes & seasons brethre, ye haue no neede that I write vnto you.
2 For ye your selues knowe perfectlye that the day of the Lord shall so come euen as a theefe in the nyght.
3 For when they shal say peace & safetie, then shall sodeyne destruction come vppon them, as sorowe vpon a woman with chylde, and they shall not escape.
4 But ye brethren are not in darknesse, that that day shoulde ouertake you as a theefe.
5 Ye are all the chyldren of lyght, and the chyldren of the daye: We are not of the nyght, neither of darkenesse.
6 Therefore let vs not sleepe, as [do] other: but let vs watche and be sober.
7 For they that sleepe, sleepe in the night: and they that be druncken, are druncken in the nyght.
8 But let vs which are of the day, be sober, puttyng on the brest plate of fayth and loue, and a helmet, the hope of saluation.
9 For God hath not appoynted vs to wrath: but to obtayne saluation, by our Lorde Iesus Christe,
10 Whiche dyed for vs, that whether we wake or sleepe, we shoulde lyue together with hym.
11 Wherefore comfort your selues together, and edifie euery one another, euen as ye do.
12 And we beseche you brethren to know them whiche labour among you, and haue the ouersight of you in the Lorde, and admonishe you:
13 That ye haue them in hye reputation, in loue for their worke, and be at peace among your selues.
14 We exhort you brethren, warne them that are vnruly, comfort the feeble mynded, lyft vp the weake, be pacient towarde all men.
15 See that none recompence euyll for euyll vnto any man: but euer folowe that whiche is good, both among your selues, and to all men.
16 Reioyce euer.
17 Pray continually.
18 In all thinges geue thankes. For this [is] the wyl of God in Christe Iesus towarde you.
19 Quenche not the spirite.
20 Despise not prophesiynges.
21 Examine all thynges, holde fast that which is good.
22 Abstayne from all appearaunce of euyll.
23 And the very God of peace santifie you throughout [And I pray God] that your whole spirite, and soule, and body, may be preserued blamelesse in the comming of our Lorde Iesus Christe.
24 Faythfull is he whiche called you, whiche wyll also do it.
25 Brethren, pray for vs.
26 Greete all the brethren in an holy kysse.
27 I charge you in the Lorde, that this epistle be read vnto al the holy brethren.
28 The grace of our Lord Iesus Christ be with you. Amen. [The first (epistle) vnto the Thessalonians, written from Athens.]
The Bishop’s Bible (BB)
The Bishop’s Bible (BB) is a significant English translation of the Bible that was first published in 1568 during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. It was commissioned by the Church of England as a revision of the Great Bible and as a response to the Geneva Bible, which was popular among the Puritans but contained marginal notes that were considered politically and theologically contentious by the Anglican establishment. The primary goal of the Bishop’ s Bible was to create a translation that would be more acceptable to the ecclesiastical authorities and suitable for use in Anglican churches.
One of the distinguishing features of the Bishop’s Bible is its effort to maintain a high level of accuracy and scholarly integrity while also ensuring that the language used was dignified and appropriate for public reading. The translation was undertaken by a team of bishops and other scholars, hence its name. The translators aimed to preserve the poetic and literary qualities of the original texts, drawing on previous translations such as the Tyndale Bible, the Coverdale Bible, and the Great Bible, while also incorporating their scholarly insights and linguistic refinements.
The Bishop’s Bible was notable for its large, folio format, which was designed to be read from the pulpit. It included extensive marginal notes, though these were more restrained and less controversial than those found in the Geneva Bible. The translation also featured elaborate illustrations and maps, as well as a comprehensive introduction and various prefaces that provided context and guidance for readers. Despite its grandeur and scholarly merit, the Bishop’s Bible did not achieve the widespread popularity of the Geneva Bible among the general populace.
Although the Bishop’s Bible played an essential role in the religious and cultural life of Elizabethan England, it was eventually overshadowed by the King James Version (KJV), which was commissioned in 1604 and published in 1611. The KJV drew heavily on the Bishop’ s Bible, as well as other earlier translations, but ultimately surpassed it in both scholarly rigor and literary quality. Nonetheless, the Bishop’s Bible remains an important milestone in the history of English Bible translations, reflecting the theological and political currents of its time and contributing to the development of subsequent translations.