« | Hosea 4 | » |
1 Heare the worde of the Lorde O ye chyldren of Israel, for the Lord hath a controuersie with the inhabitauntes of the lande: for there is no trueth, there is no mercy, there is no knowledge of God in the lande.
2 But swearing, lying, manslaughter, theft, and adulterie, hath gotten the ouer hande, and one bloodgiltinesse foloweth another.
3 Therfore shall the lande mourne, and all they that dwell therein shalbe rooted out, the beastes of the fielde, the foules of the ayre, and the fisshes in the sea, shalbe consumed.
4 Yet let no man rebuke or reproue another, for thy people [are] as they that are at controuersie with the priest.
5 Therefore shalt thou fall in the day tyme, and the prophete with thee in the night, and I wyll bryng thy mother to destruction.
6 My people perishe for lacke of knowledge: because thou hast refused knowledge, therfore wyll I refuse thee also, so that thou shalt no more be my priest: and forsomuche as thou hast forgotten the lawe of thy God, I wyll also forget thy chyldren.
7 The more they increased in multitude, the more they sinned against me, [therfore] wyll I chaunge their honour into shame.
8 They eate vp the sinnes of my people, and encourage them in their wickednesse.
9 Thus the priest is become lyke the people: Wherfore I wyll punishe them for their wicked wayes, and rewarde them according to their owne imaginations.
10 They shal eate and not haue inough, they haue vsed whordome, but shall not prosper, they haue forsaken the Lorde, and not regarded him.
11 Whordome, wine, and newe wine, take the heart away.
12 My people aske counsell at their stockes, and their staffe teacheth them: for the spirite of fornication hath caused [them] to go astray, and they haue committed fornication against their God.
13 They make sacrifices vpon the tops of the mountaines, and burne their incense vpon the hilles, yea vnder the okes, poplars, and elmes, for there are good shadowes: therfore your daughters are become harlots, and your spouses haue broken their wedlocke.
14 I wyll not punishe your daughters for beyng defiled, and your spouses that became whoores: seeing the fathers them selues haue medled with harlots, and sacrificed with whoores: but the people that wyll not vnderstande, must be punished.
15 Though thou Israel play the harlot, yet let not Iuda sinne, come not ye vnto Gilgal, neither go ye to Bethauen, neither sweare ye, The Lorde liueth.
16 For Israel is rebellious like an vnrulye heysfer: nowe the Lorde wyll feede them as a lambe in a large place.
17 Ephraim [is become] partaker of idols, let hym alone.
18 Their drunkennesse stinketh, they haue committed whordome: their rulers loue [to say] with shame, Bryng ye.
19 The winde hath bounde them vp in her winges, and they shall be ashamed of their sacrifices.
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.