« | Ezekiel 15 | » |
1 The worde of the Lord came vnto me, saying:
2 Thou sonne of man, what commeth of the vine tree, more then of euery other tree, & of the wylde vine stocke among other trees of the forest?
3 Do men take wood of it to make any worke withall? or wyll men take a pin of it to hang any vessell theron?
4 Behold, it is cast in the fire to be brent, the fire consumeth both the endes of it, the middes of it is brent: is it meete then for any worke?
5 Seeing then that it was meete for no worke beyng whole, muche lesse may there any thing be made of it when the fire hath consumed and brent it.
6 And therefore thus saith the Lorde god, As the vine tree [that is] among the trees of the forest, which I haue geuen to the fire to be consumed: so wyll I geue the inhabitauntes of Hierusalem.
7 And I wyll set my face against them, they shall go out from the fire, and yet the fire shall consume them: then shall ye knowe that I am the Lorde, when I set my face against them,
8 And when I make the lande waste, because they haue so sore offended, 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.