« | Daniel 8 | » |
1 In the third yere of the raigne of king Balthasar, there appeared a vision vnto me [euen] vnto me Daniel, after that which I had seene in the beginning.
2 I saw in a vision (and when I saw it, I was in the palace of Susis, which is in the prouince of Elam) and in the vision me thought I was by the riuer of Ulai.
3 Then I loked vp and saw, & beholde, there stoode before the riuer a ramme which had two hornes: and these two hornes were hye, but one was hyer then the other, & the hyest came vp last.
4 I saw that this ramme pushed with his hornes against the west, against the north, and against the south: so that no beastes might stand before him, nor defend them from his power, but he did as him listed, and became great.
5 And as I considered, beholde there came a hee goate from the west, ouer the whole earth, and touched not the grounde: and this goate had a horne appeared betwixt his eyes.
6 And he came vnto the ramme that had the two hornes (whom I had seene standing by the riuer) and ranne fiercely vpon him with his might.
7 And I sawe him drawe nye vnto the ramme, being very fierce vpon him, yea he smote the ramme and brake his two hornes, neither had the ramme so much strength as to stande before him: but he cast him downe to the grounde, trode him vnder his feete, & there was none able to deliuer the ramme out of his power.
8 Therefore the goate waxed exceeding great, & when he was at the strongest, his great horne was broken: Then grew there other foure notable ones in the steade of it, towarde the foure windes of the heauen.
9 And out of one of them came foorth a litle horne, which waxed very great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the pleasaunt lande.
10 It grewe vp vnto the hoast of heauen, whereof it did cast some downe to the grounde, and of the starres also, and trode them vnder foote.
11 Yea, it grewe vp against the prince of the hoast, from whom the dayly [sacrifice] was taken away, and the places of his sanctuarie caste downe.
12 And power was geuen vnto it ouer the dayly [sacrifice] for the iniquitie, and it shall cast downe the trueth to the grounde: and thus shall it do, and prosper.
13 Upon this, I heard one of the sainctes speaking, and one of the sainctes spake vnto Palmoni, saying: how long shal the vision of the dayly [sacrifice] and of the iniquitie of desolation [endure,] to geue both the sanctuarie and the power to be troden vnder foote?
14 And he aunswered me: Unto the euening and the morning, two thousand and three hundred: then shal the sanctuarie be cleansed.
15 Now when I Daniel had seene this vision, and sought for the vnderstanding of it: beholde, there stoode before me like the similitude of a man.
16 And I heard a mans voyce betweene Ulai, which cryed, and saide: O Gabriel make this man vnderstande the vision.
17 So he came and stoode by me: but I was afraide at his comming, and fell downe vpo my face: Then said he vnto me, Understand O thou sonne of man: for at the time of the ende this vision [shalbe.]
18 Now as he was speaking vnto me, I fell in a slumber vpon my face to the grounde: but he touched me, and set me vp in my place.
19 And he saide, Beholde, I wyll shewe thee what shalbe in the last wrath: for in the time appoynted it shalbe fulfilled.
20 The ramme which thou sawest hauing two hornes, is the king of the Medes and Perses,
21 And the goate, is the king of Grecia: and the great horne that is betwixt his eyes, that is the first king.
22 But where as it brake, & foure other rose vp in the steade: [it signifieth,] that out of this people shall stande vp foure kingdomes, but not so mightie as it.
23 And in the ende of their kingdome, when the wicked are come to the full, a king of a fierce countenaunce, and vnderstanding harde sentences, shall stand vp.
24 His power shalbe mightie, but not in his strength, & he shall destroy wonderfully, he shall prosper & practise, and destroy the mightie and the holy people.
25 And through his policie also he shall cause craft to prosper in his handes, he shall extoll him selfe in his heart, and in prosperitie he shall destroy many, & many one shalbe put to death in his wealthinesse: he shall stande vp against the prince of princes, but he shalbe destroyed without hande.
26 And the vision of the euening and the morning, which is declared, is true: therfore seale thou vp the vision, for it shalbe after many dayes.
27 Upon this was I Daniel feeble, so that I lay sicke [certaine] dayes: but when I rose vp, I went about ye kinges busines, and was astonied at the vision, neuerthelesse, no man vnderstoode it.
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.