« | Ephesians 6 |
1 Chyldren, obey your fathers and mothers in the Lorde: for this is ryght.
2 Honour thy father and mother (whiche is the first commaundement in promise)
3 That thou mayest prosper, and lyue long on earth.
4 Fathers prouoke not your children to wrath: but bring them vp in instruction and information of the Lorde.
5 Seruauntes obey them that are your bodyly maisters, with feare and tremblyng, in singlenesse of your heart, as vnto Christe.
6 Not with seruice vnto the eye, as men pleasers: but as the seruautes of Christ.
7 Doyng the wyll of God fro the heart, with good wyll seruyng the Lorde, and not men:
8 Knowyng, that whatsoeuer good thyng any man doeth, that shall he receaue agayne of the Lorde, whether [he be] bonde or free.
9 And ye maisters do the same thynges vnto them, puttyng away threatnyng: knowyng that your maister also is in heauen, neither is respecte of person with hym.
10 Finally my brethren, be strong in the Lorde, & in the power of his might.
11 Put on all the armour of God, that ye may stande agaynst the assaultes of the deuyll.
12 For we wrastle not agaynst blood & flesshe: but agaynst rule, agaynst power, agaynst worldly gouernours of the darknesse of this worlde, agaynst spirituall craftynesse in heauenly [places.]
13 Wherfore take vnto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to resist in the euyll day, and hauing finished all thynges, to stande fast.
14 Stande therfore, hauyng loynes girt about with the trueth, and puttyng on the brest plate of righteousnesse,
15 And hauyng your feete shodde, in the preparation of the Gospell of peace.
16 Aboue all, takyng the shielde of fayth, wherwith ye may quenche all the fierie dartes of the wicked:
17 And take the helmet of saluation, and the sworde of the spirite, whiche is the worde of God.
18 Praying alwayes in all prayer and supplication in the spirite, and watche thervnto with all instaunce and supplication, for all saintes,
19 And for me, that vtteraunce may be geue vnto me, yt I may open my mouth freely, to vtter ye secretes of the Gospell.
20 Whereof I am messenger in bondes, that therein I may speake freely, as I ought to speake.
21 But yt ye may also knowe my affaires, and what I do, Tichicus a deare brother and faythfull minister in the Lord, shall shewe you all thynges:
22 Whom I haue sent vnto you for the same purpose, that ye myght knowe of our affaires, and that he myght comfort your heartes.
23 Peace [be] vnto the brethren, and loue, with fayth, from God the father, and from the Lorde Iesus Christe.
24 Grace be with all them whiche loue our Lorde Iesus Christe in sinceritie. Amen. [Sent from Rome vnto the Ephesians, by Tichicus.]
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.