« | Job 11 | » |
1 Then aunswered Sophar the Naamathite, and sayde;
2 Shoulde not [he that maketh] many wordes be aunswered? Shoulde he that bableth much be commended therin?
3 Shoulde thy lies make men holde their peace, and when thou mockest [others] shall no man make thee ashamed?
4 For thou hast sayde, my doctrine is pure, and I am cleane in thyne eyes.
5 But O that God woulde speake, and open his lippes against thee:
6 That he might shewe thee the secretes of wysdome, howe thou hast deserued double according to right: Know therfore that God hath forgotten thee for thyne iniquitie.
7 Art thou able to finde out [the secretes of] God? Or wilt thou attayne to the perfectnesse of the almightie?
8 It is hier then heauen, what art thou able to do? deeper then the hel, how wilt thou then knowe it?
9 The measure of it is longer then the earth, and broder then the sea.
10 Though he turne all thinges vpsyde downe, close them in, gather them together, who will turne hym from his purpose?
11 For it is he that knoweth vayne men, he seeth their wickednesse also, shoulde he not then consider it?
12 Yet vayne man would be wyse, though man [newe] borne is lyke a wilde asses coulte.
13 If thou preparedst thyne heart, and liftedst vp thyne handes towarde hym:
14 If thou wouldest put away the wickednes whiche thou hast in hande, so that no vngodlinesse dwell in thy house:
15 Then mightest thou lift vp thy face without shame, & then shouldest thou be sure and haue no neede to feare.
16 Then shouldest thou forget thy miserie, and thinke no more vpon it, then vpon the waters that runne by.
17 Then should thy lyfe be as cleare as the noone day, thou shouldest shine forth, and be as the morning.
18 Then mightest thou be bolde because there is hope, and take thy rest quietly, as compassed with a trenche.
19 Then mightest thou lye downe and none to make thee afrayde, yea many one should make suite vnto thee.
20 As for the eyes of the vngodly they shall faile, and they shal not escape: and their hope shalbe sorowe of minde.
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.