« | 2 Chronicles 19 | » |
1 And Iehosaphat the king of Iuda came home againe in peace to Hierusalem.
2 And Iehu the sonne of Hanani the sear went out to meete him, and sayd to king Iehosaphat: Wouldest thou helpe the vngodly, and loue them that hate the Lorde? Therfore is wrath come downe vpon thee from before the Lorde:
3 Neuerthelesse, there are some good actes founde in thee, in that thou hast hewen downe the groues out of the lande, and hast prepared thyne heart to seke God.
4 And Iehosaphat dwelt at Hierusalem, and turned and went out to the people from Beerseba to mount Ephraim, and brought them againe vnto the Lorde God of their fathers.
5 And he set iudges in the lande throughout all the strong cities of Iuda, citie by citie:
6 And sayde to the iudges, Take heede what ye do: for ye execute not the iudgementes of man, but of God, whiche is with you in the iudgement.
7 Wherfore now let the feare of the Lord be vpon you, and take heede, & be doyng [the thing that pleaseth hym] for there is no vnrighteousnes with the Lorde our God, that he shoulde haue any respect of persons, or take rewardes.
8 Moreouer, in Hierusalem did Iehosaphat set of the Leuites, & of the priestes, and of the auncient fathers, ouer Israel in the iudgement and cause of the Lord: And they returned againe to Hierusale.
9 And he charged them, saying, Thus shal ye do in the feare of the Lord faythfully, and with a pure heart:
10 What cause soeuer come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, betweene blood and blood, betweene lawe and commaundemet, betweene statutes and ordinaunces: ye shall warne them that they trespasse not against ye Lorde, and so wrath come vpon you and your brethren: Thus do, & ye shal not offende.
11 And beholde, Amaria the hie priest is among you in all matters of the Lorde, and Zebadia the sonne of Ismael, a ruler of the house of Iuda for all the kinges matters: There be officers of the Leuites also before you, Take courage to you therfore, and be doyng [manfully] and the Lorde shalbe with such as be good.
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.