« | Isaiah 66 |
1 Thus saith the Lorde: Heauen is my seate, and the earth is my footstoole: Where shall nowe the house stande that ye wyll builde vnto me? And where shalbe the place that I wyll dwell in?
2 As for these thynges, my hande hath made them all, and they are all created saith the Lorde: which of them shall I then regarde? Euen hym that is poore and of a lowly troubled spirite, and standeth in awe of my wordes.
3 For who so slayeth an oxe [for me, doth me so great dishonour] as he that killeth a man: He that killeth a sheepe for me knetcheth a dogge: He that bryngeth me meate offerynges, offereth sivynes blood, who so maketh me a memorial of incense, prayseth the thyng that is vnryght: Yet take they such wayes in hande, and their soule delyghteth in these abhominations.
4 Therfore wyll I also haue pleasure in laughyng them to scorne, & the thyng that they feare will I bring vpon them: For when I called, no man gaue aunswere, when I spake, they woulde not heare: but did wickednesse before mine eyes, and chose the thynges that displeased me.
5 Heare the worde of God all ye that feare the thyng which he speaketh: Your brethren that hate you and cast you out for my name sake, say, The Lorde is heynous agaynst vs: but you shall see hym in ioy, when they shalbe confounded.
6 Then shalbe hearde a great noyse from the citie and the temple, the voyce of the Lorde, that wyll rewarde and recompence his enemies:
7 Lyke as when a wife bringeth foorth a man childe, or euer she suffer the payne of the birth & anguishe of the trauayle.
8 Who euer heard or sawe such thinges? doth the grounde beare in one day? or are the people borne all at once, as Sion trauayled in childe birth and bare her sonnes?
9 For thus saith the Lorde: Am I he that maketh other to beare, and beare not my selfe? Am not I he that beareth and maketh barren, saith thy God?
10 Reioyce with Hierusalem, and be glad with her all ye that loue her, be ioyfull with her all ye that mourne for her.
11 For ye shall sucke comfort out of her breastes, and be satisfied: Ye shall taste, and haue delyte in the bryghtnesse of her glorie.
12 For thus saith the Lorde: Beholde, I wyll let peace into her lyke a water fludde, and the glory of the heathen like a flowing streame: Then shall ye sucke, ye shalbe borne vpon her sydes, and be ioyfull vpon her knees.
13 For lyke as a chylde is comforted of his mother: so shall I comfort you, and ye shalbe comforted in Hierusalem.
14 And when ye see this, your heart shall reioyce, and your bones shall florishe lyke an hearbe: Thus shall the hande of the Lorde be knowen among his seruauntes, and his indignation among his enemies.
15 For beholde the Lorde shall come with fire, and his charret shalbe lyke a whirle wynde: that he may recompence his vengeaunce in his wrath, and his indignation with the flambe of fire.
16 For the Lorde shall iudge all fleshe with the fire and with his sworde, and there shalbe a great number slayne of the Lorde.
17 Such as haue made them selues holy and cleane in the gardens, and those that haue eaten swines fleshe, mice, and other abhominations, shalbe taken away together saith the Lorde.
18 For I do knowe their workes and thoughtes, and I wyll come to gather all people and tongues: then they shall come and see my glorie.
19 Unto them shall I geue a token, and sende certayne of the that be deliuered among the gentiles, into Cilicia, Affrica, and Lydia, where men can handle bowes, into Italie, and also Greeke lande: The Isles farre of that haue not hearde speake of me, and haue not seene my glorie, shall preache my prayse among the gentiles.
20 And shall bryng all your brethren for an offeryng vnto the Lorde out of all the people, vpon horses, charettes, and horslitters, vpon mules and cartes, to Hierusalem my holy hil saith the Lord: lyke as the children of Israel bryng the offeryng in cleane vessels to the house of the Lorde.
21 And I shal take out certayne of them for to be priestes and Leuites, saith the Lorde.
22 For lyke as the newe heauen and the newe earth which I wyll make, shalbe fast stablished by me, saith the Lorde: so shall your seede & your name continue.
23 And it shall come to passe, that from moone to his moone, from Sabbath to his Sabbath, all fleshe shall come to worship before me, saith the Lorde.
24 And they shall go foorth and loke vpon the carions of them that haue transgressed agaynst me: for their wormes shall not dye, neither shall their fire be quenched, and all fleshe shall abhorre them.
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.