« | 2 Chronicles 7 | » |
1 And when Solomon had made an ende of praying, there came downe fire from heauen, and consumed the burnt offring and the sacrifices: & the house was filled with the glorie of the Lorde,
2 And the priestes coulde not go into the house of the Lorde, because the glorie of the Lord had filled the lordes house.
3 And when al the children of Israel saw howe the fire and the glorie of the Lord came downe vpon the house, they fell downe flat vpon their faces to the earth vpon the pauement, and worshipped and confessed vnto the lord, That he is gracious, and that his mercie lasteth euer.
4 And the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lorde.
5 And king Solomon offered a sacrifice of twentie and two thousande oxen, and an hundred and twentie thousande sheepe: and so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 And the priestes wayted on their offices, & the Leuites had the instrumentes of musicke of the Lord, which king Dauid had made to confesse vnto the Lord, that his mercie lasteth euer, Dauid praysing God by the: And the priestes blew with trumpettes before them, and all they of Israel stoode.
7 Moreouer, Solomon halowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the Lorde, for there he offred burnt offringes: & the fat of the peace offringes, because the brasen aulter which Solomon had made, was not able to receaue the burnt offringes, and the meate offringes, and the fat.
8 So at the same time Solomon kept a feast of seuen dayes, and al they of Israel with him, an exceeding great congregation, euen from the entring in of Hamath vnto the riuer of Egypt.
9 And in the eyght day they made an assemblie: For they kept the dedication of the aulter seuen dayes, & the feast seuen dayes.
10 And the three and twentie day of the seuenth moneth he let the people depart into their tentes glad and mery in heart, for the goodnesse that the Lorde had shewed to Dauid and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
11 And so Solomon finished the house of the Lorde, and the kinges house: and all that came in his heart to make in the house of the Lorde, & in his owne house, went prosperously forwarde.
12 And the Lorde appeared to Solomon by night, and sayd to him: I haue heard thy petition, and haue chosen this place for my selfe to be an house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut vp heauen that there be no rayne, or if I commaund the locustes to deuour the lande, or if I sende pestilence among my people:
14 And if they that are of my people, among whom my name is called vpon, do humble them selues, and make intercession, and seke my presence, and turne from their wicked wayes: then will I heare from heauen, and be mercifull to their sinne, and will heale their lande.
15 And from hencefoorth myne eyes shalbe open, and myne eares attent vnto the prayer that is made in this place.
16 And therfore nowe I haue chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for euer: and myne eyes and myne heart shalbe there perpetually.
17 And if thou wilt walke before me, as Dauid thy father walked, to do all that I haue commaunded thee, and shalt obserue my statutes and my lawes:
18 Then will I stablishe the seate of thy kingdome, according as I made the couenaunt with Dauid thy father, saying: Thou shalt not be without a man to be ruler in Israel.
19 But and if ye turne away, and forsake my statutes & my commaundementes which I haue set before you, and shall go and serue other gods, and worship them:
20 Then will I plucke them vp by the rootes, out of my lande whiche I haue geuen them, and this house whiche I haue sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a prouerbe and a iest among all nations.
21 And this house whiche is most high, shalbe an astonishement to euery one that passeth by, and shal say: Why hath the Lorde dealt on this fashion with this lande, and with this house?
22 And they shal aunswere: Because they forsoke the Lorde God of their fathers which brought them out of the lande of Egypt, and caught holde on other gods, and worshipped them, and serued them: euen therefore hath he brought all this euyll vpon them.
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.