« | Genesis 4 | » |
1 And Adam knewe Heua his wyfe, who conceauing bare Cain, saying: I haue gotten a man of the Lorde.
2 And she proceading, brought foorth his brother Habel, and Habel was a keper of sheepe, but Cain was a tyller of the grounde.
3 And in processe of dayes it came to passe, that Cain brought of the fruite of the grounde, an oblation vnto ye lorde:
4 Habel also brought of the firstlynges of his sheepe, & of the fatte thereof: and the Lorde had respect vnto Habel, and to his oblation.
5 But vnto Cain and to his offeryng he had no respect: for the whiche cause Cain was exceedyng wroth, and his countenaunce abated.
6 And the Lorde saide vnto Cain: why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenaunce abated?
7 If thou do well, shalt thou not receaue? and yf thou doest not well, lyeth not thy sinne at the doores? Also vnto thee shall his desire be, and thou shalt haue dominion ouer hym.
8 And Cain talked with Habel his brother: and it came to passe when they were in the fielde, Cain rose vp agaynst Habel his brother, & slewe him.
9 And the Lorde said vnto Cain: where is Habel thy brother? Which sayde I wote not: Am I my brothers keper?
10 And he sayde: What hast thou done? the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me out of the grounde.
11 And nowe art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receaue thy brothers blood from thy hande.
12 If thou tyll the grounde, she shall not yeelde vnto thee her strength. A fugitiue and a vacabound shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain sayde vnto the Lord: My iniquitie is more then that it may be forgeuen.
14 Beholde, thou hast cast me out this day from the vpper face of the earth, & from thy face shall I be hyd, fugitiue also and a vacabounde shall I be in the earth: and it shall come to passe, that euery one that fyndeth me shal slay me.
15 And the Lorde said vnto him: Uerely whosoeuer slayeth Cain, he shalbe punished seuen folde. And the Lorde set a marke vpon Cain, lest any man fyndyng hym shoulde kyll hym.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the Lorde, & dwelt in the lande of Nod, eastwarde from Eden.
17 Cain also knewe his wyfe, whiche conceaued and bare Henoch, and buyldyng a citie, he called the name of the same citie after the name of his sonne Henoch.
18 Unto ye same Henoch was borne Irad: Irad begat Mehuiael, Mehuiael begat Methusael, Methusael begat Lamech.
19 And Lamech toke vnto hym two wyues, the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the other was Sella.
20 And Ada bare Iabel, which was the father of such as dwel in the tentes, and of such as haue cattell.
21 His brothers name was Iubal, which was the father of such as handle Harpe and Organ.
22 And Sella also bare Thubalcain, which wrought cunnyngly euery craft of brasse and of iron, the sister of Thubalcain was Noema.
23 And Lamech saide vnto his wiues Ada and Sella: Heare my voyce ye wyues of Lamech, hearken vnto my speache: for I haue slayne a man to the woundyng of my selfe, & a young man to myne owne punishment.
24 If Cain shalbe auenged seuen folde, truely Lamech seuentie tymes & seuen tymes.
25 Adam knewe his wyfe agayne, and she bare a sonne, and called his name Seth: For God [sayde she] hath appoynted me another seede in steade of Habel whom Cain slewe.
26 And vnto the same Seth also there was borne a sonne, and he called his name Enos: then began men to make inuocation in the name of 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.