« | Jeremiah 15 | » |
1 Thus spake the Lorde vnto me, Though Moyses and Samuel stoode before me, yet haue I no heart to this people: driue them away, that they may go out of my sight.
2 And yf they say vnto thee, whyther shall we go? then tell them, The Lorde geueth you this aunswere: Some vnto death, some to the sworde, some to hunger, some into captiuitie.
3 For I wyll bryng foure plagues vpon them, saith the Lorde: The sworde shal slay them, the dogges shall teare them in peeces, the foules of the ayre and beastes of the earth shall eate them vp, and destroy them.
4 I wyll scatter them about also in all kingdomes and landes to be plagued, because of Manasses the sonne of Hezekia kyng of Iuda, for the thynges that he did in Hierusalem.
5 Who shall then haue pitie vpon thee O Hierusalem? who shalbe sorie for thee? Or who shall make intercession to obtayne peace for thee?
6 Seing thou goest from me, and turnest backwarde, saith the Lorde: therfore I dyd stretche out myne hande against thee to destroy thee, and I haue ben sorie for thee so long that I am weerie.
7 I haue scattred them abrode with the fanne of euery side of the land, I haue wasted my people and destroyed them, yet they haue had no lust to turne from their owne wayes.
8 I haue made their widowes mo in number then the sandes of the sea, vpon the mothers of their children dyd I bryng a destroyer in the noone day: sodaynly and vnawares did I sende a feare vpon their cities.
9 She that hath borne seuen children, hath none, her heart is full of sorowe: the sunne doth fayle her in the cleare day, she is confounded and faintie for very heauinesse: As for those that remayne, I wyll deliuer them vnto the sworde before their enemies, saith the Lorde.
10 O mother, alas that thou euer didst beare me, a brawler and rebuker of the whole lande: though I neuer lent nor receaued vpon vsurie, yet all men speake euyll vpon me.
11 And the Lord aunswered me, Ueryly thy remnaunt shall haue wealth: Come not I to thee when thou art in trouble, & helpe thee when thine enemie oppresseth thee?
12 Doth one iron hurt another? or one metall that commeth from the north another?
13 As for thy riches and treasure, I will geue them out into a pray: not for money, but because of all thy sinnes that thou hast done in all thy coastes.
14 And I wyll bryng thee with thine enemies into a lande that thou knowest not: for the fire that is kindled in myne indignation shall burne you vp.
15 O Lorde thou knowest, therfore remember me, and visite me, reuenge me of my persecutours: take me not from this life in the tyme of thine anger, thou knowest that for thy sake I suffer rebuke.
16 When I had founde thy wordes I did eate them vp greedyly, they haue made my heart ioyfull and glad: for thy name was called vpon me O Lorde God of hoastes.
17 I dwell not among the scorners, neither is my delight therin: but I dwell alone because of thy hande, for thou hast fylled me with bitternesse.
18 Shall my heauinesse endure for euer? Are my plagues then so great that they may neuer be healed? Wylt thou be as one that is false, and as a water that falleth, and can not continue?
19 Upon these wordes, thus sayde the Lorde vnto me, If thou wylt turne agayne, I shall set thee in my seruice, and yf thou wylt take out the thynges that is precious from the vile, thou shalt be euen as myne owne mouth: they shall conuert vnto thee, but turne not thou vnto them.
20 And so shall I make thee a strong brasen wall agaynst this people, they shall fyght agaynst thee, but they shall not preuayle: for I my selfe wyll be with thee, to helpe thee and deliuer thee, saith the Lorde:
21 And I will rid thee out of the handes of the wicked, and deliuer thee out of the handes of tirauntes.
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.