« | Hebrews 13 |
1 Let brotherly loue continue.
2 Be not forgetfull to lodge straungers: For therby some hauyng lodged Angels, were vnawares therof.
3 Remember them that are in bondes, as bounde with them: And them which suffer aduersitie, as also ye your selues beyng in the body [suffered aduersitie].
4 Wedlocke is honorable among all men, and the bed vndefiled: But whoremongers and adulterers God wyll iudge.
5 Let your conuersation be without couetousnesse, beyng content with such thynges as ye haue. For he hath sayde: I wyll not fayle thee, neither forsake thee.
6 So that we may boldely saye, the Lorde is my helper, and I wyll not feare what man way do vnto me.
7 Remember them which haue the ouersyght of you, which haue spoken vnto you the worde of God: Whose ende of conuersation ye consideryng, folowe their fayth.
8 Iesus Christe yesterday and to day, and the same for euer.
9 Be not caryed about with diuers & strange doctrines: For it is a good thing that the heart be stablisshed with grace, & not with meates, which haue not profited the that haue ben occupied therin.
10 We haue an aulter, wherof they haue no ryght to eate which serue in the tabernacle.
11 For the bodyes of those beastes whose blood is brought into the holy place by the hie priest for sinne, are burnt without the tentes.
12 Therfore Iesus also, that he myght sanctifie ye people with his owne blood, suffered without the gate.
13 Let vs go foorth therfore vnto hym out of the tentes, bearyng his reproche.
14 For here haue we no continuyng citie: but we seke one to come.
15 By hym therfore, do we offer sacrifice of laude alwayes to God: that is, the fruite of lippes confessyng his name.
16 To do good & to distribute forget not, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.
17 Obey them that haue the ouersight of you, and submit your selues: for they watche for your soules, as they that must geue accomptes, that they may do it with ioy, and not with griefe: for that is vnprofitable for you.
18 Pray for vs: For we trust we haue a good conscience, in all thynges wyllyng to lyue honestlie.
19 But I desire you the more earnestlie that ye so do, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
20 The God of peace, that brought agayne from the dead our Lorde Iesus the great sheephearde of the sheepe, through the blood of the euerlasting couenaunt,
21 Make you perfect in all good workes to do his wyll, workyng in you that which is pleasaunt in his sight, through Iesus Christe, to whom be prayse for euer and euer. Amen.
22 And I beseche you brethren, suffer the worde of exhortation: for I haue written vnto you in fewe wordes.
23 Knowe ye, that brother Timothe is delyuered: With whom (yf he come shortly) I wyll see you.
24 Salute all them that haue the ouersight of you, and all the saintes. They of Italie salute you.
25 Grace be with you all. Amen. [Written from Italie by Timotheus.]
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.