« | Isaiah 10 | » |
1 Wo be vnto them that make vnrighteous lawes, and that causeth their actuaries to wryte greeuousnesse,
2 Where thorowe the poore are put from their right, and my seelie people robbed of iudgement, that wydowes may be their pray, and that they may rob the fatherlesse.
3 What wyll ye do in the tyme of visitation, and when destruction shall come from farre? to whom wyll ye runne for helpe? and where wyll you leaue your glory?
4 That when I withdrawe my hand, ye come not among the prysoners, nor lye among the dead? After all this doth not the wrath of the Lorde ceasse, but yet is his hande stretched out styll.
5 O Assur whiche art the staffe of my wrath, in whose hand is the rod of mine indignation.
6 I wyll sende hym among those hypocritishe people: among the people that haue deserued my disfauour wyll I sende hym, that he vtterly rob them, spoyle them, and treade them downe lyke the myre in the streete.
7 Howbeit, his meaning is not so, neither thinketh his heart on this fashion: But he imagineth howe he may roote out and destroy muche people.
8 For he saith, Are not my princes all kynges?
9 Is not Chalno as easie to winne, as Charchamis? Is it harder to conquer Hamath, then Arphad? or is it lighter to ouercome Damascus, then Samaria?
10 [As who say] I were able to winne the kyngdomes of the idolaters and their gods, but not Hierusalem and Samaria.
11 Shall I not do vnto Hierusalem and her images, as I dyd vnto Samaria and her idols?
12 Wherefore it shall come to passe, that assoone as the Lorde hath perfourmed his whole worke vpon the hill of Sion and Hierusalem, then wyll I visite the fruite of the stoute heart of the kyng of Assyria with his proude lookes.
13 For he standeth thus in his owne conceipt, This do I thorowe the power of myne owne hande, & thorowe my wysdome: for I am wyse, I am he that remoue the landes of the people, I rob their treasure, and haue pulled downe the inhabitauntes like a valiaunt man.
14 My hand hath found out the strength of the people as it were a nest: and like as egges that were layde here and there, are gathered together, so do I gather all countreys, and there was none [so bolde] as to moue the winge, that dare open his mouth, or once whisper.
15 Shall the axe boast it selfe against him that heweth therwith? or shal the sawe make any bragging against hym that ruleth it? That were euen lyke as if the rod did exalt it selfe against him that beareth it, or as though the staffe should magnifie it selfe [as who say] it were no wood.
16 Therefore shall the Lorde the God of hoastes sende among his fatlinges leanenesse, and burne vp his glory as it were with a fire.
17 And the light of Israel shalbe that fire, and his holy one shalbe the flambe: and it shall kindle and burne vp his thornes and bryers in one day.
18 Yea all the glory of his wooddes and fieldes shalbe consumed with body and soule, and they shalbe as an hoast of men, whose standard bearer fayleth.
19 The trees also of his wood whiche remayne shalbe of such a number that a chylde may tell them.
20 After that day shall the remnaunt of Israel, and suche as are escaped out of the house of Iacob, seeke no more comfort at him that smote them: but vnfaynedly shall they trust vnto the Lorde, the holy one of Israel.
21 The remnaunt, euen the posteritie of Iacob, shall conuert vnto God the mightie one.
22 For though thy people O Israel be as the sande of the sea, yet shal the remnaunt of them conuert vnto him: The decreed consumption ouerfloweth with righteousnesse.
23 And therefore the Lorde of hoastes shall perfectly fulfill the thing that he hath determined in the middest of the whole worlde.
24 Therefore thus saith the Lorde God of hoastes: Thou my people that dwellest in Sion, be not afraide for the king of the Assirians: he shall smyte thee with a rod, and shall lyft vp his staffe against thee, as the Egyptians dyd sometime.
25 But very soone after shall my wrath and indignation be fulfilled in the destruction of them:
26 Moreouer, the Lorde of hoastes shall stirre vp a scourge for him, like as was the slaughter of Madian vpo the rocke Oreb, and as the destruction of the Egyptians when he lyfted vp his rod vpon the sea.
27 Then shal his burthen be taken from thy shoulders, and his yoke from thy necke, yea the same yoke shalbe destroyed because of the vnction.
28 He shal come to Aiath, and go thorow towarde Migron, at Michmas shall he lay vp his harnesse.
29 They shall go ouer the foorde, Geba shalbe their resting place, Rhama shalbe afraide, Gibea Saul shall flee away.
30 Lift vp thy voyce O daughter Gallim, geue eare to Laisa thou poore Anathoth.
31 Madmena shall tremble for feare, but the citizens of Gabim are manly.
32 Yet shall he remaine at Nob that day: after that shall he lyft vp his hande against the mount of the daughter Sion the hyll of Hierusalem.
33 But see, the Lord God of hoastes shall breake downe the bough with feare, he shall hewe downe the proude, and fell the high minded.
34 The thickets also of the wood shall he roote out with iron, and Libanus shall haue a fall thorowe the mightie.
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.