« | Colossians 3 | » |
1 If ye then be rysen agayne with Christ, seke those things which are aboue, where Christe sitteth on the ryght hande of God.
2 Set your affection on thynges aboue, not on thinges on the earth.
3 For ye are dead, and your lyfe is hyd with Christe in God.
4 When soeuer Christe which is our life, shall appeare, then shall ye also appeare with hym in glorie.
5 Mortifie therefore your members which are vpon the earth: fornication, vncleannesse, inordinate affection, euyll concupiscence, and couetousnesse, which is worshippyng of images:
6 For which thynges sake, the wrath of God commeth on the children of disobedience,
7 In the which ye walked sometyme, when ye lyued in them.
8 But nowe put ye of also all, wrath, fiercenesse, maliciousnesse, blasphemie, filthie comunication out of your mouth.
9 Lye not one to another, seyng that ye haue put of ye olde man with his workes:
10 Hauyng put on the newe man, which is renued into the knowledge after the image of hym that made hym,
11 Where is neither Greke nor Iewe, circumcision nor vncircumcision, Barbarian, Sythian, bonde, free: but Christe is all, and in all.
12 Put on therfore (as the elect of God, holy and beloued) bowels of mercie, kyndenesse, humblenesse of mynde, mekenesse, long sufferyng,
13 Forbearyng one another, and forgeuyng one another, yf any man haue a quarel agaynst any: euen as Christe forgaue you, so also [do] ye.
14 And aboue all thynges [put on] loue, which is the bonde of perfectnesse.
15 And let the peace of God haue the victorie in your heartes, to the which also we are called in one body: And see that ye be thankefull.
16 Let the worde of God dwell in you richly in all wisdome, teachyng and admonisshyng your owne selues, in psalmes, and hymmes, and spirituall songes, singyng with grace in your heartes to the Lorde.
17 And whatsoeuer ye do in worde or deede, [do] all in the name of the Lorde Iesus, geuyng thankes to God and the father by hym.
18 Wiues, submit your selues vnto your owne husbandes, as it is comely in the Lorde.
19 Husbandes, loue your wyues, and be not bitter agaynst them:
20 Chyldren, obey your fathers and mothers in all thynges, for that is well pleasyng vnto the Lorde.
21 Fathers, prouoke not your chyldren [to anger], lest they be discouraged.
22 Seruauntes, obey in all thynges to your bodyly maisters: not with eye seruice, as men pleasers, but in singlenesse of heart, fearyng God.
23 And whatsoeuer ye do, do it heartilie, as to the Lorde, and not vnto men:
24 Knowyng, that of the Lorde ye shall receaue the rewarde of inheritaunce, for ye serue the Lorde Christe:
25 But he that doth wrong, shall receaue for the wrong he hath done: And there is no respect of persons.
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.