« | Ezekiel 13 | » |
1 The worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying:
2 Thou sonne of man, prophecie against chose prophetes of Israel whiche prophecie, and say vnto them that prophecie out of their owne heartes, Heare the worde of the Lorde,
3 Thus saith the Lord God, wo be vnto those foolishe prophetes that folowe their owne spirit, & haue seene nothing.
4 O Israel, thy prophetes are lyke the fores in desert places.
5 For ye haue not stand vp in the gappes, nor made a hedge for the house of Israel, to stande in the battayle in the day of the Lorde.
6 They haue seene vanitie and lying diuination, saying: the Lorde saith it, and the Lorde hath not sent them, and they haue made me hope that they woulde confirme the worde.
7 Haue ye not seene vayne visions, and spoken false prophecies, when ye say, the Lorde hath spoken it, whereas I neuer sayde it.
8 Therfore thus saith the Lorde God, Because ye haue spoken vanitie, and haue seene lies: therfore beholde I am against you, saith the Lorde God:
9 Mine handes shal come vpon the prophetes that see vanities, and deuine lies: they shall not be in the counsell of my people, nor written in the booke of the house of Israel, neither shal they come in the lande of Israel, that ye may know howe that I am the Lord God:
10 And that for because they haue deceaued my people, and told them of peace where no peace was: one setteth vp a wall, and they daube it with vntempered clay.
11 Therfore tell them which daube with vntempred morter, that it shall fall: for there shal come a great showre of raine, I will sende haylestones to cause it to fall, and a great storme of winde shall breake it.
12 And lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not then be sayd vnto you, Where is nowe your morter that ye daubed it withall?
13 Therfore thus saith the Lorde God: I wyll cause a stormie winde to breake out in my wrathfull displeasure, so that in mine anger there shall come a mightie showre of raine, and haylestones in my wrath to destroy it.
14 As for the wall that ye haue daubed with vntempered morter, I wil breake it downe, and make it euen with the grounde, so that the foundation therof shalbe discouered, and it shall fall: yea and ye your selues shall perishe in the middes therof, and ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde.
15 Thus wyll I perfourme my wrath vpon this wall, and vpon them that haue daubed it with vntempred morter, and then wyl I say vnto you, The wall is gone, and the daubers of it.
16 [To wit] the prophetes of Israel, whiche prophecie vnto Hierusalem, and looke out visions of peace for it, wheras no peace is, saith the Lorde God.
17 Wherefore O thou sonne of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, whiche prophecie out of their owne heartes, and prophecie against them:
18 And say, thus saith the Lorde God: Wo be vnto them that sowe pillowes vnder all arme holes, and put kirchifes vpon the heades of euery stature to hunt soules. Wyll ye hunt the soules of my people, and geue life to the soules that [come] vnto you?
19 And wyll ye pollute me to my people for handfuls of barly, and for peeces of bread, to kyll the soules of them that dye not, and promise life to them that liue not, in lying to my people that heareth your lyes?
20 Wherfore thus saith the Lorde God: Beholde, I wyll vpon your pillowes wherwith ye hunt the soules, to make them flee, and I will teare them from your armes, and wyll let the soules go, [euen] the soules that ye hunt to make them to flee.
21 Your kirchifes also wyll I teare in peeces, and deliuer my people out of your handes, so that they shall come no more in your handes to be hunted: and ye shall knowe that I am the Lorde.
22 Seeing that with your lyes you discomfort the heart of the righteous, who I haue not discomforted: Againe, forsomuche as ye encourage the hande of the wicked, so that he may not turne from his wicked way in promising hym life:
23 Therfore shall ye see no more vanitie, neither shall ye deuine diuinations, for I wyll deliuer my people out of your hande, that ye may knowe howe that I am the Lorde.
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.