« | 2 Chronicles 17 | » |
1 And Iehosaphat his sonne raigned in his steade, and preuailed against Israel.
2 And he put souldiers in all the strong cities of Iuda, and set rulers in the lande of Iuda, and in the cities of Ephraim which Asa his father had wonne.
3 And the Lorde was with Iehosaphat, because he walked in the olde wayes of his father Dauid, and sought not Baalim,
4 But sought the Lorde God of his father, and walked in his commaundementes, and not after the doinges of Israel.
5 And the Lorde stablished the kingdome in his hande, & all they that were in Iuda brought him presentes, so that he had aboundaunce of richesse and honour.
6 And he lyft vp his heart vnto the wayes of the Lorde, and he put downe yet more of the high places and groues out of Iuda.
7 In the third yere of his raigne he sent to his lordes, euen to Benhail, Obadia, Zacharia, Nethanel, and to Michaiahu, that they shoulde teache in the cities of Iuda:
8 And with them he sent Leuites, euen Semeiahu, Nethaniahu, Zebadiahu, Asael, Semiramoth, Iehonathan, Adoniahu, Tobiahu, & Tob adoniahu, & with them Elisama, and Iehoram, priestes.
9 And they taught in Iuda, and had the booke of the lawe of God with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Iuda, and taught the people.
10 And the feare of the Lorde fell vpon all the kingdomes of the landes that were rounde about Iuda, and they fought not against Iehosaphat.
11 And some of the Philistines brought Iehosaphat giftes, and tribute siluer, and therto the Arabians brought him cattaile, euen seuen thousand and seuen hundred rammes, and seuen thousand and seuen hundred hee goates.
12 And so Iehosaphat prospered, and grew vp an hie: And he built in Iuda castels and cities of store.
13 And he had great substaunce in the cities of Iuda: but the men of armes and strongest souldiers were in Hierusalem.
14 And these are the offices of them in the house of their fathers: the captaines ouer thousandes in Iuda, Adna the captayne, and with him of fighting men three hundred thousand.
15 And next to his hand was Iehohanan a captayne, and with him two hundred and fourescore thousand.
16 And next him was Amazia the sonne of Zichri, which of his owne good wyll offered him selfe vnto the Lorde, and with him two hundred thousand mightie men of warre.
17 And of the children of Beniamin, Eliada a man of might, and with him armed men with bowe and shielde two hundred thousand.
18 And next him was Iehosabad, and with him an hundred and fourescore thousand, that were prepared for the warre.
19 These wayted on the king, besides those which the king put in the strong cities throughout all Iuda.
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.