« | Isaiah 64 | » |
1 O that thou wouldest cleaue the heauens in sunder & come downe, that the mountaines might melt away at thy presence:
2 Like as at an hotte fire, and [that the malitious might boyle away] as the water doth vpon the fire: whereby thy name might be knowen among thyne enemies, and that the gentiles might tremble before thee.
3 When thou wroughtest wonderous straunge workes, we looked not for them: thou camest downe, and the hilles melted at thy presence.
4 For since the beginning of the worlde it hath not ben hearde or perceaued, neither hath any eye seene another God beside thee, whiche doest so muche for them that put their trust in thee.
5 Thou helpest hym that doth right with chearefulnesse, and them that thinke vpon thee in thy wayes: but lo, thou hast ben angrie, for we offended, and haue ben euer in sinne, though the worlde hath cleaued to them, yet shall we be saued.
6 We are all as an vncleane thing, and all our righteousnesse are as tilthy ragges: we fal euerychone as the leafe, for our sinnes cary vs away lyke the winde.
7 There is no man that calleth vpon thy name, that standeth vp to take hold by thee: therefore hidest thou thy face from vs, and consumest vs, because of our sinnes.
8 But nowe, O Lorde, thou father of ours, we are thy clay, and thou art our potter, and we all are the worke of thy handes.
9 Be not to sore displeased O Lord, and kepe not our offences to long in thy remembraunce: but consider that we all are thy people.
10 The cities of thy sanctuarie lye waste, Sion is a wildernesse, and Hierusalem a desert.
11 Our holy house whiche is our beautie where our fathers praysed thee, is brent vp: yea, all our commodities and pleasures are wasted away.
12 Wylt thou not be intreated O Lorde, for all this wylt thou holde thy peace, and scourge vs so sore?
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.