« | Isaiah 24 | » |
1 Beholde, the Lord maketh the earth waste and emptie, he turneth it vpside downe, and scattereth abrode the inhabitours therof.
2 And the priest shalbe as the people, and the maister as the seruaunt, the mistresse lyke the mayde, the seller lyke the byer, he that lendeth vpon vsurie, like him that boroweth vpon vsurie, the creditour as the dettour.
3 The lande shalbe cleane wasted and vtterly spoyled: for so the Lorde hath spoken.
4 The earth is sory and consumeth away, the worlde is feeble & perisheth, the proude people of the earth are come to naught.
5 The earth also is become vnprofitable vnder the inhabitours therof, which haue transgressed the lawes, chaunged the ordinaunce, broken the euerlastyng couenaunt.
6 Therfore hath the curse consumed the earth, and they that dwell therin are fallen into trespasse: Wherfore the inhabitours of the earth are perished with drought, and fewe men are left behinde.
7 The wine fayleth, the vine hath no myght, all they that haue ben mery of heart are come to mournyng.
8 The myrth of tabrettes is layde downe, the noyse of such as haue made mery is ceassed, the ioy at the harpe is at an ende.
9 They shall drynke no more wine with mirth, strong drynke shalbe bytter to them that drinke it.
10 The citie of vanitie is broken downe, euery house is shut vp, that no man may come in.
11 In the streetes is there a crying because of wine, all cheare is vanished away, the myrth of the lande is gone.
12 In the citie is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.
13 For in the middes of the lande, euen among the people, it shall come to passe as at the shaking of oliues, and as the grapes are when the wine haruest is done.
14 They shall lift vp their voyce, and make a merie noyse: and in magnifiyng of the Lorde shall they crye out of the west.
15 Wherefore prayse ye the Lorde in the valleys, euen the name of the Lorde God of Israel in the Iles of the sea.
16 From the vttermost part of the earth haue we hearde prayses and myrth, because of the righteous: And I sayde, I knowe a thing in secrete, I knowe a thing in secrete, wo is me: the transgressours haue offended, the transgressours haue greeuously offended.
17 Fearefulnesse, the pit, and the snare are vpon thee, O thou that dwellest on the earth.
18 It wyll come to passe, that whosoeuer escapeth the fearefull noyse, shall fall into the pit, and he that commeth vp out of the pit, shalbe taken with the snare: for the windowes from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth are moued.
19 The earth is vtterly broken downe, the earth hath a sore ruine, the earth quaketh exceedingly:
20 The earth shall reele to and fro like a drunkarde, and shalbe remoued lyke a tent, and the iniquitie thereof shalbe heauie vpon it, it shall fall, and not rise vp agayne.
21 And in that day shall the Lorde visite the hoast aboue that is on hye, and the kynges of the worlde that are vpon the earth.
22 And they shalbe gathered together as they that be in pryson, and they shalbe shut vp in warde, and after many dayes shall they be visited.
23 The moone shalbe abashed, and the sunne ashamed, when the Lorde of hoastes shal raigne in mount Sion and in Hierusalem with worship, and in the sight of suche as shalbe of his counsell.
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.