« | Esther 7 | » |
1 And the king and Haman came to bancket with the queene Esther.
2 And the king saide againe vnto Esther on the seconde day at the bancket of wine: What is thy petition queene Esther, that it may be geuen thee? And what requirest thou? if it be euen to the halfe of the empire, it shalbe done.
3 And Esther the queene aunswered, and saide: If I haue found grace in thy sight O king, and if it please the king, then graunt me my lyfe at my desire, and my people for my petitions sake.
4 For we are solde I and my people to be destroyed, to be slaine, and to perishe: And would God that we were solde to be bondmen and bondwomen, then would I holde my tongue: although the enemie coulde not recompence the kinges losse.
5 The king Ahasuerus aunswered and saide vnto queene Esther: Who is he? And where is he, that dare presume in his minde to do after that maner?
6 And Esther saide: the enemie and aduersarie is this wicked Haman. Then Haman was exceedingly afrayde before the king and the queene.
7 And the king arose from the bancket and from the wine in his displeasure, and went into the palace garden: And Haman stoode vp, and besought queene Esther for his lyfe: for he saw that there was a mischiefe prepared for him of the king alreadie.
8 And when the king came againe out of the palace garde into the place where they dranke wine: Haman had layde him vpon the bed that Esther sate vpon. Then saide the king: wil he force the queene also before me in the house? As soone as that worde went out of the kinges mouth, they couered Hamans face.
9 And Harbona one of the chamberlaynes that stoode before the king, said: Beholde, there standeth yet a galous in Hamans house, fiftie cubites hye, which he had made for Mardocheus, that spake good for the king. Then the king saide, Hang him thereon.
10 So they hanged Haman on the galous that he had made for Mardocheus: Then was the kinges wrath pacified.
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.