Matthew 1 | » |
1 This is the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ, the sonne of Dauid, the sonne of Abraham.
2 Abraham begat Isaac, Isaac begat Iacob, Iacob begat Iudas, and his brethren.
3 Iudas begat Phares, and Zara of Thamar, Phares begat Esrom, Esrom begat Aram.
4 Aram begat Aminadab, Aminadab begat Naasson, Naasson begat Salmon.
5 Salmon begat Boos, of Rachab, Boos begat Obed of Ruth, Obed begat Iesse.
6 Iesse begat Dauid the kyng, Dauid the kyng begat Solomon, of her that was the wyfe of Urie.
7 Solomon begat Roboam, Roboam begat Abia, Abia begat Asa.
8 Asa begat Iosaphat, Iosaphat begat Ioram, Ioram begat Ozias.
9 Ozias begat Ioatham, Ioatham begat Achas, Achas begat Ezekias.
10 Ezekias begat Manasses, Manasses begat Amon, Amon begat Iosias.
11 Iosias begat Iacim, Iacim begat Iechonias and his brethren, about the tyme they were caryed away to Babylon.
12 And, after they were brought to Babylon, Iechonias begat Salathiel, Salathiel begat Zorobabel.
13 Zorobabel begat Abiud, Abiud begat Eliakim, Eliakim begat Azor.
14 Azor begat Sadoc, Sadoc begat Achen, Achen begat Eliud.
15 Eliud begat Eleazar, Eleazar begat Matthan, Matthan begat Iacob.
16 Iacob begat Ioseph, the husband of Marie, of who was borne Iesus, that is called Christe.
17 And so, all the generations from Abraham to Dauid, are fourteene generations: and from Dauid vntyll the carying away into Babylo, are fourteene generations: and fro the carying away into Babylon vnto Christe, are fourteene generations.
18 The birth of Iesus Christe was on this wise. When as his mother Marie was betrouthed to Ioseph (before they came together) she was founde with chylde of the holy ghost.
19 Then Ioseph her husbande, beyng a ryghteous man, and not wyllyng to make her a publique example, was mynded priuily to put her away.
20 But whyle he thought these thinges, beholde, the Angell of the Lord appeared vnto hym in a dreame, saying: Ioseph, thou sonne of Dauid, feare not to take [vnto thee] Marie thy wife, for that which is conceaued in her, is of the holy ghost.
21 She shall bryng foorth a sonne, and thou shalt call his name Iesus: for he shall saue his people from their sinnes.
22 (All this was done, that it myght be fulfilled, which was spoken of the lorde by the prophete, saying:
23 Behold, a virgin shalbe with childe, and shall bryng foorth a sonne, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, whiche is by interpretation, God with vs.)
24 Then Ioseph, being raysed fro slepe, dyd as the Angel of the Lorde had bidden hym, and he toke his wyfe:
25 And knewe her not, tyll she hadde brought foorth her first borne sonne, & called his name Iesus.
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.