« | Isaiah 60 | » |
1 Get thee vp betymes, and be bright [O Hierusalem] for thy light commeth, and the glorie of the Lord is risen vp vpon thee.
2 For lo, whyle the darknesse & cloude couereth the earth and the people, the Lorde shall shewe thee light, and his glory shalbe seene in thee.
3 The gentiles shall come to thy light, & kinges to the brightnesse that springeth foorth vpon thee.
4 Lift vp thyne eyes, and loke rounde about thee: all these gather them selues and come to thee, thy sonnes shall come vnto thee from farre, and thy daughters shall gather them selues to thee on euery side.
5 Then thou shalt see this and be glorious, thou shalt maruayle exceedingly, and thyne heart shalbe opened: when the aboundaunce of the sea shalbe conuerted vnto thee [that is] when the riches of the gentiles shall come vnto thee.
6 The multitude of camels shall couer thee, the dromedaries of Madian and Epha: all they of Saba shall come, bringing gold and incense, and shewing the prayse of the Lorde.
7 All the cattell of Cedar shalbe gathered vnto thee, the rammes of Nabaioth shall serue thee to be offred acceptablie vpon mine aulter, and the house of my glory wyll I garnishe.
8 But what are these that flee here like the cloudes, and as the doues fleing to their windowes?
9 The Isles also shall wayte for me, and specially the shippes of Tharsis that they may bryng thy sonnes from farre, and their siluer and their golde with them, vnto the name of the Lorde thy God, vnto the holy one of Israel that hath glorified thee.
10 Straungers shall buylde vp thy walles, and their kynges shall do thee seruice: for whe I was angrie, I smote thee, and of my mercy I pardoned thee.
11 Thy gates shall stande open still both day and night, and neuer be shut, that the hoast of the gentiles may come, and that their kynges may be brought vnto thee.
12 For euery people and kingdome that serueth not thee, shall perishe, and be destroyed with vtter destruction.
13 The glory of Libanus shall come vnto thee, the Firre trees, Boxes, and Cedars together, to garnishe the place of my sanctuarie: for I wyll glorifie the place of my feete.
14 Moreouer, those shall come kneeling vnto thee that haue vexed thee, and all they that despised thee shall fall downe at thy foote: Thou shalt be called the citie of the Lorde, Sion [the citie] of the holy one of Israel.
15 Because thou hast ben forsaken and hated, so that no man went thorowe thee: I wyl make thee glorious for euer and euer, and ioyfull throughout all posterities.
16 Thou shalt sucke the milke of the gentiles, and kinges breastes shall feede thee: and thou shalt knowe that I the Lorde am thy sauiour and redeemer, the mightie one of Iacob.
17 For brasse, wyll I geue thee golde, and for iron, siluer: for wood, brasse, and for stones iron: I wyll turne thyne oppression into peace, and thyne exactions into righteousnesse.
18 Uiolence and robberie shall neuer be hearde of in thy lande, neither harme and destruction within thy borders: thy walles shalbe called health, and thy gates the prayse of God.
19 The sunne shall neuer be thy day light, and the light of the moone shall neuer shine vnto thee: but the Lorde him selfe shalbe thyne euerlasting light, and thy God shalbe thy glory.
20 Thy sunne shall neuer go downe, and thy moone shall not be hid: for the Lorde hym selfe shalbe thyne euerlasting light, and thy sorowfull dayes shalbe ended.
21 Thy people shalbe all righteous and possesse the lande euer, the floure of my planting, the worke of my hands wherof I wyll reioyce.
22 The youngest and least shall growe into a thousande, and the simplest into a strong people: I the Lorde shall shortlye bryng this thing to passe in his tyme.
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.