« | Jeremiah 14 | » |
1 The worde of the Lorde shewed vnto Ieremie concernyng the dearth of the fruites.
2 Iuda hath mourned, his gates are desolate, they are brought to heauinesse, euen vnto the grounde, and the crye of Hierusalem goeth vp.
3 The Lordes sent their seruauntes to fetche water, and when they came to the welles, they did finde no water, but caried their vessels home emptie: they be ashamed and confounded, and couer their heades.
4 For the grounde is dryed, because there commeth no rayne vpon it: the plowmen also be ashamed and couer their heades.
5 The hynde also forsoke the young fawne that he brought foorth in the fielde, because there was no grasse.
6 The wylde asses did stande in the hye places, and drewe in their winde lyke the dragons, their eyes did fayle for want of grasse.
7 Doubtlesse our owne wickednesse doth rewarde vs: but Lorde do thou accordyng to thy name, though our transgression and sinnes be many, and agaynst thee haue we sinned.
8 For thou art the comfort and helpe of Israel in the tyme of trouble: Why wilt thou be as a straunger in the lande, and as one that goeth his iourney, and cometh in only to remayne for a night?
9 Why wylt thou make thy selfe a cowarde, and as it were a giaunt that yet may not helpe? But thou O Lorde art in the middest of vs, and thy name is called vpon of vs, forsake vs not.
10 Thus hath the Lorde sayde vnto his people, seyng they haue had such a lust to wander abrode, and haue not refrayned their feete: therfore the Lorde hath no pleasure in them, but he wyll nowe bring againe to remembraunce all their misdeedes, and punishe all their sinnes.
11 Yea euen thus sayde the Lorde vnto me: Thou shalt not pray to do this people good.
12 For though they fast, I wyll not heare their prayers, and though they offer burnt offeringes and sacrifices, yet wyll not I accept them: for I wyll destroy them with the sworde, hunger, and pestilence.
13 Then aunswered I: O Lorde God, the prophetes say vnto them, Tushe, ye shall neede to feare no sworde, and no hunger shall come vpon you: but the Lorde shall geue you sure rest in this place.
14 And the Lorde sayde vnto me, The prophetes preach lyes in my name, wheras I haue not sent them, neither gaue I them any charge, neither did I speake vnto them: yet they preache vnto you false visions, charming, vanitie, and deceiptfulnesse of their owne heart.
15 Therfore thus saith the Lorde: As for those prophetes that preache in my name, whom I neuerthelesse haue not sent, and that say, Tushe, there shall no sworde nor hunger be in this lande: with sworde and with hunger shall those prophetes perishe.
16 And the people to whom they preache shalbe cast out of Hierusalem, dye of hunger, and be slayne with the sworde, and there shalbe no man to bury them, both they, and their wiues, their sonnes, and their daughters: for thus wyll I poure their wickednesse vpon them.
17 This shalt thou say also vnto them, Mine eyes shall weepe without ceassyng day and nyght: for my people shalbe destroyed with great harme, and shall perishe with a great plague.
18 For yf I go into the fielde, lo, it lyeth all full of slayne men: If I come into the citie, lo, they be all famished of hunger: yea their prophetes also and priestes shalbe led into an vnknowen lande.
19 Hast thou then vtterly forsaken Iuda? Doest thou so abhorre Sion? Wherfore hast thou so plagued vs, that we can be healed no more? We loked for peace, and there commeth no good, for the tyme of health, and lo here is nothyng but trouble.
20 We knowledge (O Lorde) all our misdeedes, and the sinnes of our fathers: for we haue offended thee.
21 Cast vs not of (O Lord) for thy names sake, forget not thy louyng kindnesse, ouerthrowe not the throne of thine honour, breake not the couenaunt that thou hast made with vs.
22 Are there any among the gods of the gentiles that sende rayne, or geue the showres from heauen? Art not thou thy selfe our Lorde God? we wyll trust in thee, for thou doest all these thynges.
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.