« | Ezekiel 14 | » |
1 There resorted vnto me certayne of the elders of Israel, and sate downe by me.
2 Then came the word of the Lorde vnto me, saying:
3 Thou sonne of man, these men haue set vp their idols in their heartes, and put the stumbling blocke of iniquitie before their face: shoulde I then aunswere them at their request?
4 Therefore speake vnto them, and say vnto them, thus saith the Lorde God: Euery man of the house of Israel that setteth vp his idols in his heart, & putteth the stumbling blocke of his iniquitie before his face, and commeth to the prophete: vnto that man wyll I the Lord my selfe geue aunswere when he commeth, according to the multitude of his idols.
5 That the house of Israel may be snared in their owne heartes, because they be cleane gone from me all of them thorowe their idols.
6 Wherefore tell the house of Israel, thus saith the Lorde God: Returne and cause to returne from your idols, and turne your faces from all your abhominations.
7 For euery man, whether he be of the house of Israel, or a straunger that soiourneth in Israel, whiche departeth from me, and setteth vp his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling blocke of his wickednesse before his face, and commeth to a prophete for to aske counsell at me through hym: vnto that man wyll I the Lorde geue aunswere by mine owne selfe.
8 I wyll set my face against that man, and wyll make hym to be an example for other, yea and a common byworde, and wyll roote hym out of my people, that ye may knowe howe that I am the Lorde.
9 And if that prophete be deceaued when he telleth a thing, then I the Lorde my selfe haue deceaued that prophete, and wyll stretche out my hande vpon him, to destroy him out of my people of Israel:
10 And they shalbe punished for their wickednesse, according to the sinne of hym that asketh, shall the sinne of the prophete be:
11 That the house of Israel be led no more from me through errour, and be no more defiled in all their transgressions: but that they may be my people, and I their God, saith the Lorde God.
12 And the worde of the Lorde came vnto me, saying:
13 Thou sonne of man, when the lande sinneth against me by committing a trespasse, I wyll stretche out my hande vpon it, and breake their staffe of bread, and sende dearth vpon them, to destroy man and beast foorth of it.
14 And though Noe, Daniel, and Iob, these three men were among them: yet shal they in their righteousnesse deliuer but their owne soules, saith the Lorde God.
15 If I bryng noysome beastes into the lande, and they spoyle it, and it be so desolate that no man may passe through it for beastes,
16 If these three men were also in the land: as truely as I liue saith the Lord God, they shall saue neither sonnes nor daughters, but be onlye deliuered them selues: & as for the land, it shalbe waste.
17 Or if I bryng a sworde vpon this lande, and say, sworde go through the lande, so that I slay downe man and beast in it,
18 And if these three men were therein: as truely as I liue saith the Lord God, they shall deliuer neither sonnes nor daughters, but only be saued theselues.
19 If I sende a pestilence into this lande, and powre out my sore indignation vppon it in blood, so that I roote out of it both man and beast,
20 And if Noe, Daniel, and Iob were therein, as truely as I liue saith the Lorde God, they shall deliuer neither sonne nor daughter, but saue their owne soules in their righteousnesse.
21 Moreouer thus saith the Lorde God, Howe much more when I sende my foure troublous plagues vpon Hierusalem, the sworde, hunger, perillous beastes, and pestilence, to destroy man and beast out of it?
22 Beholde, there shalbe a remnaunt saued therein, whiche shall bryng foorth their sonnes and daughters, beholde, they shall come foorth vnto you, and ye shall see their way and their enterprise, and ye shalbe comforted concerning the euyll that I haue brought vpon Hierusalem [euen] concerning all that I haue brought vpon it.
23 They shall comfort you when ye shal see their way and workes: and ye shall knowe howe that it is not without a cause that I haue done all against Hierusalem as I dyd, saith the Lorde God.
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.