« | Ecclesiastes 4 | » |
1 So I turned me, and considered all the violent wrong that is done vnder the sunne: and beholde the teares of such as were oppressed, and there was no man to comfort them, or that woulde deliuer and defende them from the violence of their oppressours.
2 Wherfore I iudged those that are dead, to be more happy then those that be alyue?
3 Yea him that is yet vnborne, to be better at ease then they both: because he seeth not the miserable workes that are done vnder the sunne.
4 Agayne, I sawe that all trauayle and diligence of labour that euery man taketh in hande, was done of enuie agaynst his neighbour: This is also a vayne thyng, and a vexation of mynde.
5 The foole foldeth his handes together, and eateth vp his owne fleshe.
6 One handfull [saith he] is better with rest, then both the handes full with labour and trauayle of mynde.
7 Moreouer I turned me, and beholde yet another vanitie vnder the sunne.
8 There is one man, no mo but himselfe alone, hauing neither childe nor brother, yet is there no ende of his carefull trauayle, his eyes can not be satisfied with riches: [yet saith he not] for whom do I take such trauayle? For whose pleasure do I thus consume away my life? This is also a vayne and miserable thyng.
9 Therfore two are better then one, for they may well enioy the profite of their labour: For yf one of them fall, his companion helpeth him vp agayne.
10 But wo is him that is alone: for yf he fal, he hath not another to helpe him vp.
11 Agayne, when two sleepe together they are warme: but howe can a body be warme alone?
12 One may be ouercome, but two may make resistaunce: A three folde gable is not lightly broken.
13 A poore chylde beyng wise, is better then an olde kyng that doteth, and can not beware in tyme to come.
14 Some one commeth out of prison, and is made a kyng: and another which is borne in the kyngdome, commeth vnto pouertie.
15 And I perceaued that all men lyuyng vnder the sunne, go with the seconde childe that shall stande vp in the steade of the other.
16 As for the people that haue ben before him, and that come after him, they are innumerable, and they that come after him shall not reioyce in him: This is also a vayne thyng, and vexation of mynde.
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.