« | Isaiah 32 | » |
1 Beholde, a kyng shall gouerne after the rule of righteousnesse, and the princes shall rule according to the ballaunce of equitie.
2 And that man shalbe vnto men as a defence for the winde, and as a refuge for the tempest, lyke as a ryuer of water in a thirstie place, and the shadowe of a great rocke in a drye lande.
3 The eyes of the seeing shall not be dim, and the eares of them that heare shall take diligent heede.
4 The heart of the vnwyse shall attayne to knowledge, and the vnperfect tongue shall speake playnely and distinctly.
5 Then shall the foolishe nigarde be no more called gentle, nor the churle liberall.
6 But the nigarde wyll speake nigardlye, and his heart wyll worke euyll, and play the hypocrite, and imagine abhominations against God, to make the hungry leane, and to withholde drinke from the thirstie.
7 The weapons of the churlishe are euyll, he deuiseth noysome deuises, that he may beguyle the poore with deceiptfull wordes, yea euen there as he should geue sentence with the poore.
8 But the liberall person imagineth honest thynges, and commeth vp for liberalitie vnto promotion.
9 Up ye riche and idle women, hearken vnto my voyce, ye carelesse daughters marke my wordes.
10 Many yeres and dayes shall ye be brought in feare O ye carelesse women: for the vintage shall fayle, and the haruest shall not come.
11 Be abashed you that lyue in aboundaunce, tremble you that lyue carelesse, cast of your rayment, make your selues bare, and put sackcloth about you.
12 For as the infantes weepe when their mothers teates are dryed vp: so shall you weepe for your faire fieldes and fruitfull vineyardes.
13 My peoples fielde shall bryng thornes and thistles: and so shall it be in euery house of voluptuousnesse, and in euery citie that reioyceth.
14 The palaces also shalbe broke, and the greatly occupied cities desolate: The towres and bulwarkes shall become dennes for euermore, where wylde asses take their pleasure, and sheepe their pasture.
15 Unto the tyme that the spirite be powred vpon vs from aboue, and that the wildernesse be a fruitfull fielde, and the plenteous fielde be reckened for a wood.
16 Then shall equitie dwell in the desert, and righteousnesse in a fruitfull lande.
17 And the worke of righteousnesse shalbe peace, and her fruite rest and quietnesse for euer.
18 And my people shall dwell in the innes of peace, and in sure dwellynges, in safe places of comfort.
19 And when the hayle falleth, it shall fall in the wood, and the citie shalbe set lowe in the valley.
20 O howe happy shall ye be when ye shall safely sowe your seede beside all waters, and dryue thyther the feete of your oxen and asses.
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.