« | Job 7 | » |
1 Is ther not an appoynted time to man vpon earth? Are not his dayes also like the dayes of an hired seruaunt?
2 For like as a bonde seruaunt desireth the shadowe, and as an hyreling woulde fayne haue the rewarde of his worke:
3 Euen so haue I laboured whole monethes long in vayne, and many a carefull night haue I tolde.
4 When I layde me downe to sleepe, I sayde, O when shall I arise? and measuring the euening, I am euen full with tossing to and fro vnto the dawning of the day.
5 My fleshe is clothed with wormes and dust of the earth: my skinne is withered and become horrible.
6 My dayes passe ouer more spedyly then a weauers shuttle, and are spent without hope.
7 O remember that my lyfe is but a winde, and that myne eye shall no more see pleasures:
8 Yea and the eye that hath seene me, shal see me no more: for yer thou fasten thyne eye vpon me, I come to naught.
9 The cloude is consumed and vanished away: so he that goeth downe to the graue shall come no more vp,
10 Nor turne againe into his house, neither shall his place knowe him any more.
11 Therfore I wil not spare my mouth, but I will speake in the trouble of my spirite, and muse in the bitternesse of my mynde.
12 Am I a sea or a whale fish, that thou kepest me [so] in prison?
13 When I say, My bed shal comfort me, I shall haue some refreshing by talking to my selfe vpon my couch:
14 Then fearest thou me with dreames, & makest me so afrayde through visions,
15 That my soule wisheth rather to perishe and die, then my bones to remayne.
16 I can see no remedy, I shall liue no more: O spare me then, for my dayes are but vanitie.
17 What is man that thou doest magnifie him? and that thou settest thy heart vpon him?
18 Thou visitest him early and euery day, euery moment doest thou trie him.
19 Why goest thou not fro me, nor lettest me alone, so long till I may swalowe downe my spyttle?
20 I haue offended, what shall I do vnto the, O thou preseruer of men? Why hast thou set me [as a marke] against thee, so that I am a burden to my selfe?
21 Why doest thou not pardon my trespasses, and take away myne iniquitie? Behold, nowe must I sleepe in the dust, and if thou sekest me to morowe in the morning, I shal not be.
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.