« | 2 Kings 22 | » |
1 Iosia was eight yeres olde when he began to raigne, & he raigned thirtie & one yeres in Hierusalem: His mothers name also was Iedida the daughter of Adaia of Bozcath.
2 He dyd that which is right in the sight of the Lorde, & walked in all the wayes of Dauid his father, and bowed neither to the right hande or to the left.
3 And it came to passe, that in the eyghtteenth yere of the raigne of king Iosia, the king sent Saphan the sonne of Azalia the sonne of Mesulam the scribe to the house of the Lord, saying:
4 Go vp to Helkia the hye priest, that he may summe the siluer whiche is brought into the house of the Lorde, which the kepers of the porche haue gathered of the people:
5 And let them deliuer it into the hande of them that do the worke, and that haue the ouersight of the house of the Lord: and let them geue it to them that worke in the house of the Lorde, to repaire the decayed places of the temple,
6 Euen vnto carpenters and masons, and workers vpon the walles, and for to bye tymber and free stone, to repaire the temple.
7 Howbeit, let no reckenyng be made with them of the money that is deliuered into their hande, for their vse is to deale faithfully.
8 And Helkia the hie priest said vnto Saphan the scribe: I haue founde the booke of the lawe in the house of the Lorde. And Helkia gaue the booke to Saphan, and he read in it.
9 And Saphan the scribe came to the king, and brought him worde againe, and sayde: Thy seruauntes haue gathered the money that was founde in the temple, and haue deliuered it vnto them that do the worke, and that haue the ouersight of the house of the Lorde.
10 And Saphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Helkia the priest hath deliuered me a booke: And Saphan read in it before the king.
11 And it fortuned, that when the king had hearde the wordes of the booke of the lawe, he rent his clothes.
12 And the king commaunded Helkia the priest, and Ahikan the sonne of Saphan, and Achbor the sonne of Michaia, and Saphan the scribe, and Asahia a seruaunt of the kinges, saying:
13 Go ye and enquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for al Iuda, concerning the wordes of this booke that is founde: For great is the wrath of the Lord that is kyndled against vs, because our fathers haue not hearkened vnto the wordes of this booke, to do according vnto al that which is written therin for vs.
14 So Helkia the hye priest and Ahikam, Achbor, and Saphan, and Asahia, went vnto Hulda the prophetisse the wyfe of Sallum the sonne of Thikua the sonne of Harhas keper of the wardrope: (which prophetisse dwelt in Hierusalem in the house of the doctrine:) & they communed with her.
15 And she aunswered them: thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,
16 Thus sayth the Lorde: Behold, I wil bring euyll vpon this place, and on the inhabiters therof, euen all the wordes of the booke whiche the king of Iuda hath read:
17 Because they haue forsaken me, and haue burnt incense vnto other gods, to anger me with all the workes of their handes: My wrath also shalbe kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.
18 But to the king of Iuda whiche sent you to aske counsell of the Lord, so shall ye say: Thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel, as touching the wordes whiche ye haue hearde:
19 Because thyne heart dyd melt, and because thou hast humbled thy selfe before me the Lorde, when thou heardest what I spake against this place, and against the inhabiters of the same, howe that they should be destroyed and accursed: and hast rent thy clothes and wept before me, of that also haue I hearde sayth the Lorde:
20 Beholde therefore I wyll receaue thee vnto thy fathers, and thou shalt be put into thy graue in peace, and thyne eyes shall not see all the euill which I wyll bryng vpon this place. And they brought the king worde againe.
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.