« | Ecclesiastes 10 | » |
1 A dead flye doth corrupt sweete oyntment, and maketh it to stinke: Euen so oft tymes he that hath ben had in estimation for wysdome and honour, is abhorred because of a litle foolishnesse.
2 A wyse mans heart is vpon his right hande, but a fooles heart vpon his left.
3 A foole wyll shewe him selfe when he goeth by the way, yet thinketh he that euery man doth as foolishly as him self.
4 If a principall spirite be geuen thee to beare rule, be not negligent then in thine office: for he that can take cure of him selfe, auoydeth great offences.
5 Another plague is there whiche I haue seene vnder the sunne, namely, the ignoraunce that is commonly among princes: in that a foole sitteth in great dignitie, and the riche are set downe beneath.
6 (10:5) in that a foole sitteth in great dignitie, and the riche are set downe beneath.
7 (10:6) I haue seene seruauntes ride vpon horses, and princes goyng vpon their feete as it were seruauntes.
8 (10:7) But he that diggeth vp a pitte, shall fall therin hym selfe: and who so breaketh downe the hedge, a serpent shall byte hym.
9 (10:8) Who so remoueth stones, shall haue trauayle withall: and he that heweth wood, shalbe hurt therwith.
10 (10:9) When an iron is blunt and the poynt not sharpened, it must be whet agayne, and that with might: Euen so doth wisdome folowe diligence.
11 (10:10) A backbiter is no better then a serpent that stingeth without hissing.
12 (10:11) The wordes out of a wyse mans mouth are gratious: but the lippes of a foole wyll destroy him selfe.
13 (10:12) The beginning of his talking is foolishnesse: & the last worde of his mouth is starke madnesse.
14 (10:13) A foole is full of wordes, and a man can not tell what shall come to passe: who wyll then warne hym of it that shall folowe after hym?
15 (10:14) The labour of the foolishe is greeuous vnto them, whyle they know not howe to go into the citie.
16 (10:15) Wo be vnto thee O thou lande, whose kyng is but a chylde, and whose princes are early at their bankettes.
17 (10:16) But well is thee O thou lande, whose kyng is come of nobles, and whose princes eate in due season for necessitie, and not for lust.
18 (10:17) Thorowe slouthfulnesse the balkes fall downe, and thorowe idle handes it rayneth in at the house.
19 (10:18) Meate maketh men to laugh, and wine maketh them merie: but vnto money are all thinges obedient.
20 (10:19) Wishe the king no euil in thy thought, and speake no hurt of the riche in thy priuie chaumber: for a byrde of the ayre shall betray thy voyce, and with her fethers shall she bewray thy wordes.
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.