« | Isaiah 23 | » |
1 The burthen of Tyre. Mourne ye shippes of Tharsis, for there commeth such destruction, that ye shall not haue an house to enter into: and that there shalbe no traffike out of the lande of Cittim, they haue knowledge of this plague.
2 Be styll ye that dwell in the Isle, the marchauntes of Zidon, & such as passe ouer the sea haue made thee plenteous.
3 The corne that groweth by the great waters of Nilus, and the fruites of the riuer were her vittayles, so that it became a common mart of the nations.
4 Be ashamed thou Zidon: for the sea, euen the strength of the sea hath spoken saying, I haue not trauayled nor brought foorth children, nor norished vp young men, or brought vp virgins.
5 When tidinges commeth to the Egyptians, they shalbe sory for the rumour of Tyre.
6 Get you to Tharsis, mourne you that dwell in the Isle.
7 Is not this that glorious citie of yours which hath ben of olde antiquitie? her owne feete shall cary her foorth to be a soiurner into a farre countrey.
8 Who hath deuised this agaynst Tyre that crowneth her selfe? Whose marchauntes are princes, & whose factours are honorable in the worlde.
9 Euen the Lorde of hoastes hath deuised this, to put downe the pride of all such as be glorious, and to minishe all them that be proude vpon the earth.
10 Get thee out of thy lande like a fludde vnto the daughter of Tharsis, for thou hast no more strength.
11 He that smote the kyngdomes together, holdeth out his hande ouer the sea: euen the Lord him selfe hath geuen a commaundement agaynst the same common place of marchaundise, that they shall vtterly destroy the myght therof.
12 And he sayde: Make no more thy boast O virgin thou daughter Zidon, thou shalt be brought downe: Up, get thee ouer vnto Cittim, where neuerthelesse thou shalt haue no rest.
13 Beholde, this people came not of the Chaldees, but Assur made them strong with great shippes: They set vp the strong holdes therof, and destroyed his palaces: and he brought it in decay.
14 Mourne ye shippes of Tharsis, for your strength is brought downe.
15 And in that day shal Tyre be forgotten seuentie yeres, accordyng to the yeres of one king: & after the ende of the seuentie yeres shall Tyre sing as doth an harlot.
16 Take an harpe and go about the citie thou harlot that hast ben forgotten, make sweete melodie, sing mo songes, that thou mayest be had in remembraunce.
17 And after the ende of the seuentie yeres shall the Lorde visite Tyre, and she shall conuert vnto her rewarde, and shall commit fornication with all the kyngdomes of the earth that are in the worlde.
18 Their occupying also & their rewarde shalbe holy vnto the Lorde: their gaynes shall not be layde vp nor kept in store, but it shalbe theirs that dwell before the Lorde, that they may eate inough, and haue clothyng sufficent.
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.