« | Daniel 10 | » |
1 In the third yere of Cyrus king of Persia, there was shewed vnto Daniel, otherwyse called Baltassar, a matter, yea a true matter, but it is yet a long time vnto it: he vnderstoode the matter, and perceaued what the vision was.
2 At the same time, I Daniel mourned for the space of three weekes of dayes.
3 I ate no pleasaunt bread, as for flesh and wine there came none within my mouth: no, I did not once annoynt my selfe till the whole three weekes of dayes were fulfilled.
4 Upon the foure & twentith day of the first moneth, I was by the side of that great riuer, [euen] Hiddekel.
5 I lift vp myne eyes, and loked: and beholde a man clothed in linnen, whose loynes were girded vp with fine golde of Uphaz.
6 His body was lyke the thurkis stone, his face to loke vpon was lyke lightening, his eyes as lampes of fire, his armes and feete were lyke in colour to pullished brasse, and the voyce of his wordes was lyke the voyce of a multitude.
7 And I Daniel alone sawe this vision, for the men that were with me saw not the vision: but a great fearefulnes fell vpon them, so that they fled away and hid them selues.
8 Therefore I was left alone, and saw this great vision, and there remayned no strength in me: for my colour was turned in me into corruption, and I reteyned no strength.
9 Yet heard I the voyce of his wordes: and when I heard the voyce of his words, I fell astonied vpon my face and my face toward the earth.
10 And beholde a hande touched me, which set me vp vpon my knees, and vpon the paulmes of my handes.
11 And he saide vnto me: O Daniel, thou welbeloued man, take good heede to the wordes that I say vnto thee, and stand in thy place: for vnto thee am I nowe sent. And when he had said these words vnto me, I stoode vp trembling.
12 Then saide he vnto me, Feare not Daniel: for since the first day that thou didst set thyne heart to vnderstand, and to chasten thy selfe before thy God, thy wordes were hearde, and I am come for thy wordes.
13 But the prince of the kingdome of Persia withstoode me one and twentie dayes: but lo, Michael one of the chiefe princes came to helpe me, & I remained there by the kinges of Persia.
14 And I am come to shew thee what shall come vnto thy people in the latter dayes: for it wyll be long yet or the vision be fulfilled.
15 Now whe he had spoken these words vnto me, I cast downe my head to the grounde, and held my tongue.
16 And beholde, there touched my lippes one very lyke vnto a man: then opened I my mouth and spake, and saide vnto him that stoode before me, O my lorde, by the vision my ioyntes are turned out of [their] place, and I haue reteyned no strength.
17 For howe can the seruaunt of this my Lorde, talke with my Lorde [being] such a one? And as for me, straight way there remayned no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me.
18 Then there came againe and touched me one lyke the appearaunce of a man, and he strengthened me:
19 And saide, O man greatly beloued feare not, peace be vnto thee, be strong and of good courage. So when he had spoken vnto me, I was strengthened and saide, Speake on my Lorde: for thou hast strengthened me.
20 Thus saide he: Knowest thou wherefore I am come vnto thee? now wyll I returne to fight with the prince of the Perses: assoone as I go foorth, lo, the prince of Greke lande shall come.
21 Neuerthelesse, I wyll shew thee that that is noted in the scripture of trueth: and there is none that helpeth me in these thinges, but Michael your prince.
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.