« | Isaiah 13 | » |
1 This is the burthen of Babylon, whiche Esai the sonne of Amos did see.
2 Lift vp the banner vppon the high hyll, call vnto the, wagge your hande, that they may go into the gates of the princes.
3 I haue commaunded my sanctified, I haue also called my valiaunt ones, ioying in my honour to execute my wrath.
4 There is a noyse of a multitude in the mountaynes, lyke as of a great people, a rushing as though the kingdomes of the nations came together: the Lorde of hoastes mustreth his armye to battayle.
5 They come out of a farre countrey from the ende of the heauen, euen the Lorde hym selfe with the ministers of his wrath, to destroy the whole lande.
6 Mourne ye, for the day of the Lord is at hande, and shall come as a destroyer from the almightie.
7 Therefore shall all handes be letten downe, and all mens heartes shall melt away.
8 They shall stande in feare, carefulnes and sorowe shall come vpon them, and they shal haue payne, as a woman that trauayleth with chylde: One shalbe abashed of another, and their faces shall burne like the flame of fire.
9 Beholde, the day of the Lorde shall come terribly and full of indignation, furie & wrath, to make the lande waste, and to roote out the sinners therof.
10 For the starres and planettes of heauen shall not geue their light, the sunne shalbe darkened in the rising, and the moone shall not shine with her light.
11 And I wyll visite the wickednesse of the worlde, and the sinnes of the vngodlye. The high stomakes of the proude wyll I take away, and will lay downe the boasting of the tiraunt.
12 I wyll make a man dearer then fine gold, and a man to be more worth then a golden wedge of Ophir.
13 Therfore I wyll shake the heauens, and the earth shall remoue out of her place in the wrath of the Lorde of hoastes, and in the day of his fearefull indignation.
14 And [Babylon] shalbe as an hunted or chased Doe, and as a sheepe that no man taketh vp: Euery man shall turne to his owne people, and flee eche one into his owne lande.
15 Whoso is founde shalbe shot thorowe: and whoso taketh their part, shalbe destroyed with the sworde.
16 Their chyldren shalbe slayne before their eyes: their house spoyled, and their wiues rauished.
17 For lo, I shall bring vp the Medes against them, whiche shall not regarde siluer, nor be desirous of golde:
18 With bowes shall they destroy the young men, and haue no pitie on women with chylde, and their faces shall not spare the chyldren.
19 And Babylon that glory of kingdomes, and beautie of the Chaldees honour shalbe destroyed, euen as God destroyed Sodome and Gomor.
20 It shall not endure for euer, neither shall there be any more dwelling there from generation to generation: The Arabians shall pitche no tentes there, neither shall the sheepheardes make their foldes there any more.
21 But fearefull wylde beastes shall lye there, and the houses shalbe ful of great Owles, Estriches shall dwell there, and Apes shall daunce there.
22 Wylde cattes shall crye in the palaces, and dragons shalbe in the pleasaunt houses: And as for Babylons tyme it is at hande, and her dayes shall not be prolonged.
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.