« | Deuteronomy 27 | » |
1 And Moyses with the elders of Israel commaunded the people, saying: Kepe al ye commaundements which I commaunde you this day.
2 And in that day when you shall passe ouer Iordane vnto the lande whiche the Lord thy God geueth thee, thou shalt set thee vp great stones, and plaster them with plaster:
3 And wryte vpon them all the wordes of this lawe when thou art come ouer, because thou art come into the lande whiche the Lord thy God geueth thee, a lande that floweth with mylke and honie, as the Lorde God of thy fathers hath promised thee.
4 Therfore when ye be come ouer Iordane, ye shal set vp these stones which I commaunde you this day in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster.
5 And there shalt thou buylde vnto the Lorde thy God an aulter of stones, and lift vp no iron vpon them.
6 Thou shalt make the aulter of the Lorde thy God of whole stones, and offer burnt offeringes thereon vnto the Lorde thy God.
7 And thou shalt offer peace offeringes, and shalt eate there, and reioyce before the Lorde thy God.
8 And thou shalt wryte vpon the stones all the wordes of this lawe, manifestly and well.
9 And Moyses and the priestes the Leuites spake vnto all Israel, saying: Take heede and heare O Israel, this day thou art become the people of the Lorde thy God.
10 Thou shalt hearken therfore vnto the voyce of the Lorde thy God, and do his commaundementes, and his ordinaunces which I commaunde thee this day.
11 And Moyses charged the people the same day, saying:
12 These shall stande vpon mount Garizim to blesse the people, when ye are come ouer Iordane, Simeon, Leui, Iuda, Isachar, Ioseph, & Beniamin.
13 And these shall stande vpon mount Ebal to curse, Ruben, Gad, Aser, Zabulon, Dan, Nephthali.
14 And the Leuites shall aunswere and say vnto all the men of Israel with a loude voyce:
15 Cursed be the man that maketh any carued or moulten image, an abhomination vnto the Lorde, the worke of the handes of the craftesman, and putteth it in a secrete place: and all the people shall aunswere and say, Amen.
16 Cursed be he that curseth his father and his mother: and all the people shall say, Amen.
17 Cursed be he that remoueth his neighbours marke: and all the people shall say, Amen.
18 Cursed be he that maketh the blynde to go out of his way: and all the people shall say, Amen.
19 Cursed be he that hindreth the ryght of the straunger, fatherlesse, and widdowe: & all the people shall say, Amen.
20 Cursed be he that lyeth with his fathers wyfe, and vnhealeth his fathers couering: and all the people shall say, Amen.
21 Cursed be he yt lieth with any maner of beast: & all the people shal say, Amen.
22 Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or ye daughter of his mother: and al the people shal say, Amen.
23 Cursed be he that lieth with his mother in lawe: and al the people shall say, Amen.
24 Cursed be he that smyteth his neighbour secretly: and all the people shall say, Amen.
25 Cursed be he that taketh a rewarde to slay the soule of innocent blood, and all the people shall say, Amen.
26 Cursed be he that continueth not in all the wordes of this lawe to do them, and all the people shall say, Amen.
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.