« | Hebrews 4 | » |
1 Let vs feare therfore, lest at any tyme, by forsakyng the promise of entryng into his reste, any of you shoulde be defrauded.
2 For vnto vs was the Gospell preached, aswell as vnto them: But the worde whiche they hearde dyd not profite them, not beyng coupled with fayth to them that hearde.
3 For we which haue beleued, do enter into his rest, as he sayde: Euen as I haue sworne in my wrath, if they shal enter into my rest. Although the workes were made perfecte from the foundation of the worlde.
4 For he spake in a certayne place of the seuenth daye on this wyse: And God dyd rest the seuenth daye from all his workes.
5 And in this place againe: yf they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seing therfore it foloweth, that some must enter there into, and they to who the Gospell was first preached entred not therin for vnbeliefe.
7 Againe, he appoynteth a certaine day, by to day, saying in Dauid after so long a tyme (as it is sayde:) To day yf ye wyl heare his voyce, harde not your hearts.
8 For yf Iesus had geuen them reste, then woulde he not afterwarde haue spoken of another day.
9 There remayneth therfore yet a rest to the people of God.
10 For he that is entred into his rest, hath ceassed also from his owne workes, as God [dyd] from his.
11 Let vs studie therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same ensample of disobedience.
12 For the worde of God is quicke, and myghtie in operation, and sharper then any two edged sword, and entreth thorowe, euen vnto the deuydyng a sunder of the soule & the spirite, and of the ioyntes & the marie, and is a discerner of the thoughtes and of the intentes of the heart:
13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in the syght of hym: But all thinges are naked and open vnto the eyes of hym of whom we speake.
14 Seyng then that we haue a great hye priest, which is entred into heauens, Iesus the sonne of God, let vs holde faste the confession.
15 For we haue not an hye priest whiche can not be touched with the feelyng of our infirmities: but was in all poyntes tempted lyke as we are, and [yet] without sinne.
16 Let vs therfore come boldly vnto the throne of grace, that we may obteyne mercie, and fynde grace to helpe in time of neede.
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.