« | Joshua 23 | » |
1 And it came to passe, along season after that the Lorde had geuen rest vnto Israel from al their enemies round about, that Iosuah waxed olde, and was stricken in age.
2 And Iosuah called for all Israel, and for their elders, their heades, their iudges, and officers, and sayd vnto them: I am olde and stricken in age,
3 And ye haue seene all that the Lorde your God hath done vnto all these nations before you, how the Lorde your God himself hath fought for you.
4 Beholde, I haue deuided vnto you by lot these nations that remayne, to be an inheritaunce for your tribes, euen from Iordane, with all the nations that I haue destroyed, euen vnto the great sea westward.
5 And the Lorde your God shall expel them before you, & cast them from out of your sight, and ye shall conquer their lande, as the Lord your God hath sayd vnto you.
6 Go to therfore, and be of a good courage, that ye take heede and do all that is written in the booke of the lawe of Moyses, that ye bowe not aside therefrom to the right hande or to the left.
7 Neither company with these nations that is with them that are left with you, neither make mention of the name of ther gods, nor cause to sweare by them, neither serue them, nor bowe your selues vnto them.
8 But sticke fast vnto the Lorde your God, as ye haue done vnto this day.
9 So shall the Lord cast out before you great nations and mightie, as no man hath ben able to stande before you hytherto.
10 One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the Lorde your God he fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
11 Take good heede therfore vnto your selues, that ye loue the Lord your God.
12 Els, if ye go backe and cleaue vnto the rest of these nations that remaine with you, & shall make mariages with them, and go in vnto them, and they to you:
13 Be ye sure that the Lorde your God will no more cast out all these nations from before you: but they shalbe snares and trappes vnto you, and scourges in your sides, & thornes in your eyes, vntill ye perishe from of this good land whiche the Lorde your God hath geuen you.
14 And behold, this day do I enter into the way of all the world, and ye knowe in al your heartes and in al your soules, that nothyng hath fayled of all the good thinges whiche the Lorde your God promised you, but all are come to passe vnto you, and nothing hath fayled therof.
15 Therfore, as al good thinges are come vpon you, whiche the Lorde your God promised you: so shall the Lorde bring vpon you all euyll, vntill he haue destroyed you fro of this good land which the Lorde your God hath geuen you.
16 When ye haue transgressed the appointmet of the Lord your God which he commaunded you, and haue gone & serued straunge goddes, & bowed your selues to them: then shall the wrath of the Lorde waxe whot vpon you, and ye shall perishe quicklie from of the good lande which he hath geuen you.
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.