Jonah 1 | » |
1 The worde of the Lorde came vnto Ionas the sonne of Amittai, saying:
2 Aryse, & go to Niniue that great citie, and crye against it: for their wickednesse is come vp before me.
3 And Ionas rose vp to flee into Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde, and went downe to Ioppa, and founde a ship going to Tharsis: so he payed his fare, and went downe into it, that he might go with them vnto Tharsis from the presence of the Lorde.
4 But the Lorde sent out a great winde into the sea, and there was a mightie tempest in the sea, so that the shippe was in daunger of splitting in sunder.
5 Then the maryners were afrayde, and cryed euery man vnto his God, and cast the wares that were in the shippe into the sea, to lighten it of them: but Ionas was gone downe into the sides of the shippe, & he laye downe sleeping.
6 And the shippe maister came to him, and saide: What meanest thou sleeper? Up, and call vpon thy God, if so be that God wyl shine vnto vs, that we perishe not.
7 And they saide euery one to his felow, Come, let vs cast lottes: that we may know for whose cause this euil is on vs. And they cast lottes: and the lotte fel on Ionas.
8 Then saide they vnto him: Tell vs for whose cause is this euill come vpon vs? what is thyne occupation? whence camest thou? what countrey man art thou, and of what nation?
9 And he aunswered them: I am an Hebrue, and I feare the Lorde God of heauen, which hath made the sea, and the drye lande.
10 Then were the men exceedingly afraide, & saide vnto him: Why hast thou done this? (for the men knewe that he fled from the presence of the Lorde, because he had tolde them.)
11 And they saide vnto him: What shal we do vnto thee, that the sea may be calme vnto vs? For the sea wrought and was troublous.
12 And he saide vnto them, Take me, and cast me into the sea, and the sea shalbe calme vnto you: for I know that for my sake this great tempest is vpon you.
13 Neuerthelesse, the men assayed with rowing to bring the shippe to lande, but they could not, because the sea wrought, and was troublous against them.
14 Wherfore they cryed vnto the Lorde, and saide: We beseche thee O Lord, we beseche thee, let not vs perishe for this mans lyfe, and lay not to our charge innocent blood: for thou O Lorde hast done as it pleased thee.
15 So they toke vp Ionas, and cast him into the sea, and the sea left raging.
16 And the men feared the Lorde exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice vnto the Lorde, and made vowes.
17 And the Lorde prepared a great fishe to swalowe vp Ionas: & Ionas was in the belly of the fishe three dayes and three nightes.
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.