« | 2 Corinthians 12 | » |
1 It is not expedient doubtles, for me to glorie, I wyl come to visions & reuelations of the Lorde.
2 For I knew a ma in Christe, aboue xiiij. yeres ago, (whether [he were] in the body I can not tell, or whether [he were] out of the body, I can not tell, God knoweth) that he was taken vp into the thirde heauen:
3 And I knewe the same man (whether in the body or out of the body, I can not tell, God knoweth)
4 Howe that he was take vp into paradise, & hearde vnspeakeable wordes, which is not lawfull for man to vtter.
5 Of such a man wyll I glorie, yet of my selfe wyll I not glorie, but in myne infirmities.
6 For though I woulde desire to glorie, I shall not be a foole, for I wyll say the trueth: but I nowe refrayne, lest any man shoulde thynke of me, aboue that which he seeth me to be, or yt he heareth of me.
7 And lest I shoulde be exalted out of measure through the aboundaunce of the reuelations, there was geuen vnto me a pricke to the fleshe, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, because I should not be exalted out of measure.
8 For this thyng besought I the Lorde thryse, that it myght depart from me.
9 And he sayde vnto me: My grace is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect in weakenesse. Most gladly therfore, I wyll rather glorie in my infirmities, that the power of Christ myght dwell in me.
10 Therfore haue I delectation in infirmities, in rebukes, in necessities, in persecutions, in anguishes for Christes sake: For when I am weake, then am I strong.
11 I am become a foole [in] gloriyng. Ye haue compelled me: for I ought to haue ben commended of you. For nothyng was I inferiour vnto the chiefe Apostles, though I be nothyng,
12 Truely the signes of an Apostle were wrought among you, in all patience, and signes, and wonders, and myghtie deedes.
13 For what is it, wherin ye were inferiour vnto other Churches, except [it be] that I was not chargeable vnto you? Forgeue me this wrong.
14 Beholde, nowe the thirde tyme I am redy to come vnto you, and yet wyll I not be chargeable vnto you: For I seke not yours, but you. For the children ought not to lay vp for the fathers and mothers: but the fathers and mothers for the chyldren.
15 I wyll very gladly bestowe, & wylbe bestowed for your sakes, though the more aboundauntly I loue you, the lesse I am loued agayne.
16 But be it, [that] I was not chargeable vnto you: Neuerthelesse, when I was craftie, I caught you with guile.
17 Dyd I pyll you by any of them who I sent vnto you?
18 I desired Titus, and with hym I sent a brother: Dyd Titus defraude you of any thyng? Haue we not walked in the same spirite? not in the same steppes?
19 Agayne, thynke you that we excuse our selues vnto you? We speake in Christ in the syght of God: but [we do] all thinges dearely beloued, for your edifiyng.
20 For I feare lest when I come, I shall not fynde you such as I woulde: and that I shalbe founde vnto you, such as ye woulde not: lest there be debates, enuyinges, wrathes, strifes, backbitinges, whisperinges, swellinges, & seditions:
21 And that when I come agayne, my God bryng me lowe among you, and I shall bewayle many of the which haue sinned alredy, and haue not repented of the vncleannesse, and fornication, and wantonnes, which they haue comitted.
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.