« | Job 32 | » |
1 So these three men ceassed to aunswere Iob, because he held him selfe a righteous man.
2 But Elihu the sonne of Barachel the Buzite, of the kinred of Ram, was very sore displeased at Iob, because he called hym selfe iust before God.
3 And with Iobs three friendes he was angry also, because they had founde no reasonable aunswere, and yet condempned Iob.
4 Nowe taried Elihu, till they had ended their comunication with Iob: for why? they were elder then he.
5 So when Elihu sawe that these three men were not able to make Iob aunswere, he was miscontent.
6 Therfore Elihu the sonne of Barachel the Buzite aunswered, and sayde: [Considering that] I am young, and ye be men of age, I was afrayde, and durst not shewe foorth my mynde.
7 For I thought thus within my selfe: It becommeth old men to speake, and the aged to teache wysdome.
8 Euery man no doubt hath a mynde, but it is the inspiration of the almightie that geueth vnderstanding.
9 Great men are not alway wyse, neither doth euery aged man vnderstande the thing that is lawfull:
10 Therefore I say, heare me, and I wil shewe you also myne vnderstanding.
11 For when I had wayted till ye made an end of your talking, and hearde your wysdome, what argumentes ye made in your communication,
12 Yea when I had diligently pondred what ye sayde, I found not one of you that made any good argument against Iob, that directly could make aunswere vnto his wordes,
13 Lest ye should say: We haue found out wisdome, God shall cast hym downe, and no man.
14 He hath not spoken vnto me, and I wil not aunswere hym as ye haue done.
15 For they were so abashed, that they coulde not make aunswere, nor speake one worde.
16 When I had wayted (for they spake not, but stoode still and aunswered no more:)
17 Then aunswered I in my turne, and I shewed myne opinion.
18 For I am full of matter, and the spirite within me compelleth me.
19 Beholde, my belly is as the wine, whiche hath no vent, lyke the newe bottels that bruste.
20 [Therfore] will I speake, that I may haue a bent: I will open my lippes, and make aunswere.
21 I will regarde no maner of person, no man will I spare.
22 For if I woulde go about to please men, I knowe not howe soone my maker would take me away.
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.