« | Hosea 11 | » |
1 When Israel was young, I loued him, and called my sonne out of the lande of Egypt.
2 They called them [but] they went thus from them: they sacrificed vnto Baal, and burned incense to images.
3 I gaue to Ephraim one to leade him, who shoulde beare him in his armes: but they knew not that I healed them.
4 I led them with cordes of a man [euen] with bandes of loue: and I was to them as he that taketh of the yoke from their iawes, and I layde meate to them.
5 He shall no more returne into Egypt, but Asshur shalbe his king, because he refused to conuert.
6 Therfore shall the sworde fall on his cities, & shall consume his braunches, and deuour them, because of their owne counsayles.
7 And my people shall stande in a doubt whither to turne them: for when the [prophetes] called them to the most hyest, not one yet woulde geue him his glorie.
8 Howe shall I geue thee vp Ephraim? [howe] shal I deliuer thee Israel? howe shall I make thee as Adama? [howe] shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentinges are kindled within me.
9 I wyll not execute the fiercenesse of my wrath, I wyl not returne to destroy Ephraim: for I am God and not man, the holy one in the middest of thee, and I wyll not enter into the citie.
10 They shall walke after the Lorde, he shall rose like a lion: when he shall rose, then the children of the west shall feare.
11 They shall feare a as sparowe out of Egypt, and as a doue out of the lande of Asshur, and I wyll place them in their houses, saith the Lorde.
12 Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes, & the house of Israel with deceipt: but Iuda yet ruleth with God, and is faithfull with the saintes.
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.