« | Jeremiah 8 | » |
1 At the same tyme saith the Lorde, the bones of the kinges of Iuda, the bones of his princes, the bones of the preachers and prophetes, yea and the bones of the citizens of Hierusalem, shalbe brought out of their graues,
2 And layde against the sunne, the moone, & all the heauenly hoast, whom they loued, whom they serued, whom they ranne after, whom they sought and worshipped: they shall neither be gathered together nor buried, but shall lye as dunge vpon the earth.
3 And all they that remaine of this wicked generation, shal desire rather to die then to liue, whersoeuer they remaine, and where as I scatter them, saith the Lorde of hoastes.
4 Thus shalt thou say vnto them also: Thus saith the Lorde, Do men fall so, that they arise not vp againe? or if Israel repent, wyll not God turne againe to them?
5 Wherefore then is this people of Hierusalem gone so farre backe, that they turne not againe? They are euer the longer the more obstinate, and wyll not be conuerted.
6 For I haue loked and considered, but there is no man that speaketh a good worde, there is no man that taketh repentaunce for his sinne, that wyll so muche say, what haue I done? but euerie man turneth to his owne course, like a fierce horse headlong to the battaile.
7 The Storke in the ayre knoweth his appointed tyme, the Turtle doue, the Swallowe and the Crane consider the tyme of their trauayle: but my people wyll not knowe the tyme of the punishment of the Lorde.
8 Howe dare ye say then, we are wyse, we haue the lawe of the Lorde among vs? Truely in vayne hath he prepared his penne, and vainely haue the writers written it.
9 Therefore shall the wyse be confounded, they shalbe afraide and taken: for lo, they haue cast out the worde of the Lorde, what wisdome can then be among them?
10 Wherfore I wyl geue their wiues vnto aliauntes, and their fields to destroyers: For from the lowest vnto the hyest they folowe filthy lucre, and from the prophete vnto the priest they deale all with lies.
11 Neuerthelesse, they heale the hurt of my people very slenderly, saying, peace, peace: where there is no peace at all.
12 Fye for shame, howe abhominable thinges do they? and yet they be not ashamed, yea they knowe of no shame: Wherefore in the tyme of their visitation they shal fal among the dead bodies, and be ouerthrowne, saith the Lorde.
13 Moreouer, I wyll consume them in deede (saith the Lorde) so that there shall not be one grape vpon the vine, neither one figge vpon the figge tree, and the leaues shalbe pluckt of: and the thing that I haue geuen them, shalbe taken from them.
14 Why prolong we the time? Let vs gather our selues together, and go into the strong citie, there shall we be in rest: for the Lorde our God hath put vs to scilence, and geuen vs water mixt with gall to drinke, because we haue sinned against hym.
15 We loked for peace, and we fare not the better, we wayted for the tyme of health, and lo, here is nothing but trouble.
16 The noyse of his horses is heard from Dan, the whole lande is afraide at the neighing of his strong horses: for they are come in, and haue deuoured the lande, withall that is in it, the cities, and those that dwell therin.
17 Moreouer, I wyll sende cockatrices and serpentes among you (whiche wyl not be charmed) and they shall bite you, saith the Lorde.
18 I woulde haue had comfort against sorowe: but sorowe is come vpon me, and heauinesse vexeth my heart.
19 For lo, the voyce of the crying of my people is hearde, [for feare of them that come] from a farre countrey: Is not the Lord in Sion? Is not her king in her? Wherefore then haue they greeued me [shall the Lorde say] with their images, and foolishe straunge fashions of a forraine god?
20 The haruest is gone, the sommer hath an ende, and we are not helped.
21 I am sore vexed, because of the hurt of my people, I am heauie and abashed:
22 Is there not triacle at Gilead? Is there no phisitio there? why then is not the health of my people recouered?
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.