« | Jeremiah 39 | » |
1 Nowe when the citie of Hierusalem was taken (for in the ninth yere of Zedekia kyng of Iuda, the tenth moneth, came Nabuchodonozor the kyng of Babylon and all his hoast, and besieged Hierusalem, and fought agaynst it,
2 And in the eleuenth yere of Zedekia, in the fourth moneth, the ninth day of the moneth, he brake into the citie)
3 Then all the princes of the kyng of Babylon came in and sate them downe vnder the port: Neregel, Sarezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsachim, Rabsaris, Neregel, Sarezer, Rabmag, with all the other princes of the king of Babylo.
4 And when Zedekia the kyng of Iuda with his souldiers sawe them, then they fled and departed out of the citie by nyght through the kynges garden, and through the port that is betweene the two walles, and so the kyng went towarde the wildernesse:
5 But the Chaldees hoast folowed fast after them, and toke Zedekia in the fielde of Hiericho, and brought hym prisoner to Nabuchodonozor the kyng of Babylon, vnto Reblath, that lyeth in the lande of Hemath, where he gaue iudgement vpon hym.
6 So the kyng of Babylon caused the children of Zedekia and all the nobles of Iuda to be slayne before his face at Reblath,
7 And made Zedekias eyes to be put out, and bounde him with two chaines, and sent hym to Babylon.
8 Moreouer, the Chaldees burnt vp the kynges palace, with the other houses of the people, and brake downe the walles of Hierusalem.
9 As for the remnaunt of the people that were in the citie, and such as were come to hym, and whatsoeuer was left of the common sort, Nabuzaradan the chiefe captayne caryed them to Babylon.
10 But Nabuzaradan the chiefe captaine let the rascall people and those that had nothyng, dwell styll in the lande of Iuda, and gaue them vineyardes and corne fieldes at the same tyme.
11 Nabuchodonozor also the kyng of Babylon, gaue Nabuzaradan the chiefe captayne a charge concerning Ieremie, saying:
12 Take and cherishe hym, and make much of him, see thou do him no harme, but entreate hym after his owne desire.
13 So Nabuzaradan the chiefe captayne, Nabuzarban, Rabsares, Neregal, Sarezer, Rabmag, and all the kyng of Babylons lordes, sent for Ieremie,
14 And caused hym to be set out of the fore entrie of the prison, and committed hym vnto Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, the sonne of Saphan, that he shoulde cary hym home: and so he dwelt among the people.
15 Nowe when Ieremie lay yet bounde in the fore entrie of the prison, the worde of the Lorde came vnto hym, saying:
16 Go and tell Abedmelech the Morian, thus saith the Lorde of hoastes the God of Israel: Beholde, the cruell and sharpe plague that I haue deuised for this citie wyll I bring vpon them, that thou shalt see it:
17 But I wyll deliuer thee in that day saith the Lorde, & thou shalt not come in the handes of those men whom thou fearest:
18 For doubtlesse I wyll saue thee, so that thou shalt not perishe with the sworde: but thy lyfe shalbe saued, and that because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lorde.
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.