« | Isaiah 62 | » |
1 For Sions sake wyll I not holde my tongue, and for Hierusalems sake I wyll not ceasse, vntill their righteousnesse breake foorth as the shining light, and their saluation as a burning lampe.
2 Then shall the gentiles see thy righteousnesse, and all kynges thy glory: Thou shalt be named with a newe name, whiche the mouth of the Lorde shall shewe.
3 Thou shalt be a crowne in the hande of the Lorde, and a glorious garlande in the hande of thy God.
4 From this tyme foorth thou shalt neuer be called the forsaken, and thy lande shall no more be called the wildernesse: but thou shalt be called, My pleasure is in her, and thy lande shalbe called, The maried woman: for the Lorde loueth thee, and thy land shalbe ioyned in mariage.
5 And lyke as a young man taketh a virgin to mariage, so shal thy sonnes be maried vnto thee: and as a bridegrome is glad of his bride, so shall thy God reioyce ouer thee.
6 I haue set watchmen vpon thy walles O Hierusalem, which shall neither ceasse day nor night to preache the Lorde: and ye also that remember the Lorde, ye shall not kepe him close,
7 Nor leaue to speake of him, vntill Hierusalem be set vp, and made the prayse of the worlde.
8 The Lorde hath sworne by his right hand and by his strong arme, that from hencefoorth he wyll not geue thy corne to be meate for thyne enemies, nor thy vine wherein thou hast laboured, to be drinke for the straungers.
9 But they that haue gathered in the corne, shall eate it, and geue thankes to the Lorde: and they that haue borne in the vine, shall drinke it in the court of my sanctuarie.
10 Go you, go you thorowe the gates, make cleane the way for the people, make playne, make playne the foote path, and take away the stones out of it, and set out a token for the people.
11 Beholde, the Lorde proclaymeth vnto the endes of the worlde, tell the daughter Sion, See thy sauiour commeth, beholde he bringeth his recompence with hym, and his worke go before hym.
12 For they whom the Lorde deliuereth, shalbe called the holy people: and as for thee, thou shalt be named the greatlye occupied, and not the forsaken citie.
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.