« | Isaiah 50 | » |
1 Thus saith the Lorde: Where is the byll of your mothers deuorcement whom I sent away? or who is the vsurer to whom I solde you? Beholde, for your offences are ye solde, and because of your transgression is your mother forsaken.
2 For why woulde no man receaue me when I came? and when I called, no man gaue me aunswere? Is my hande shortened that it myght not helpe? or haue I not power to deliuer? lo, at a worde I drynke vp the sea, & of water fluddes I make drye lande: so that for want of water the fishe corrupt and dye for thirste.
3 As for heauen I clothe it with darknesse, and put as it were a sacke vpon it.
4 The Lorde God hath geuen me a well learned tongue, so that I can comfort them that are troubled, yea & that in due season: he wakeneth mine eare vp betymes in the mornyng, betymes in the mornyng I say he wyll waken mine eare, that I might hearke as to the schoolemaisters.
5 The Lorde God hath opened myne eare, and I haue not gaynesayde nor withdrawen my selfe.
6 But I offred my backe vnto the smiters, and my cheekes to the nippers: I turned not my face from shame and spittinges.
7 And the Lorde God shall helpe me, therfore shall I not be confounded: I haue therfore hardened my face lyke a flint stone, for I am sure that I shall not come to confusion.
8 He is at hande that iustifieth me, who wyll then go with me to lawe? Let vs stande together, yf there be any that will reason with me? let hym come here foorth to me.
9 Beholde the Lorde God wyll helpe me, what is he the that can condempne me? lo, they all shall waxe olde lyke a cloth, the moth shall eate them vp.
10 Therfore who so feareth the Lorde among you, let hym heare the voyce of his seruaunt: Who so walketh in darknesse and no lyght shyneth vpon hym, let hym put his trust in the name of the Lorde, and holde hym by his God.
11 But take heede, ye all kindle a fire, and stirre vp the coales: walke on in the glisteryng of your owne fire, and in the coales that ye haue kindled: This commeth vnto you from my hande [namely] that ye shall sleepe in sorowe.
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.