« | Matthew 18 | » |
1 At the same time, came the disciples vnto Iesus, saying: Who is the greatest in ye kyngdome of heauen?
2 Iesus called a litle chylde vnto hym, and set hym in the myddest [of them],
3 And sayde. Ueryly I say vnto you: except ye turne, and become as litle chyldren, ye shall not enter into the kyngdome of heauen.
4 Whosoeuer therfore shall humble hym selfe as this litle chylde, the same is ye greatest in the kingdome of heauen.
5 And who so shall receaue such a litle chylde in my name, receaueth me.
6 But who so shall offende one of these litle ones, which beleue in me, it were better for hym, that a myll stone were hanged about his necke, & that he were drowned in the deapth of the sea.
7 Wo vnto the worlde, because of offences. It must nedes be, that offences come: But wo to that man, by whom the offence commeth.
8 If then thy hande or thy foote offende thee, cut them of, and cast [them] from thee. It is better for thee to enter into lyfe, halt or maymed, [rather] then thou shouldest, hauyng two handes, or two feete, be cast into euerlastyng fyre.
9 And yf thyne eye offende thee, plucke it out, and cast [it] from thee: It is better for thee to enter into lyfe with one eye, [rather] then, hauyng two eyes, to be cast into hell fyre.
10 Take heede that ye despise not one of these litle ones: For I say vnto you, that in heaue their Angels do alwayes beholde the face of my father, which is in heauen.
11 For the sonne of man, is come to saue that which was lost.
12 Howe thynke ye? If a man haue an hundred sheepe, and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leaue ninetie & nine, and goeth into the mountaynes, and seketh that which went astray?
13 And yf it so be that he fynde it, veryly I say vnto you, he reioyceth more of that sheepe, then of the ninetie and nine, which went not astray.
14 Euen so, it is not the wyll of your father in heauen, that one of these litle ones shoulde peryshe.
15 Moreouer, yf thy brother trespas agaynst thee, go and tell hym his faulte betwene thee and hym alone: If he heare thee, thou hast wonne thy brother.
16 But yf he heare thee not, then take yet with thee one or two: that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, euery worde may be stablyshed.
17 If he heare not them, tell it vnto the Churche: If he heare not the Churche, let hym be vnto thee as an Heathen man, and a publicane.
18 Ueryly I say vnto you: Whatsoeuer ye bynde on earth, shalbe bounde in heauen: And whatsoeuer ye loose on earth, shalbe loosed in heauen.
19 Agayne, truely I say vnto you, that if two of you agree in earth, as touching any thyng that they shall aske, it shalbe done for them, of my father, which is in heauen.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the myddes of them.
21 Then came Peter to hym, and sayde: Lorde howe oft shall my brother sinne agaynst me, and I forgeue hym? tyll seuen tymes?
22 Iesus sayth vnto hym, I say not vnto thee vntyll seuen tymes: but, vntyll seuentie tymes seuen.
23 Therfore is the kyngdome of heauen, lykened vnto a certayne man, that was a kyng, which woulde take accomptes of his seruauntes.
24 And when he had begunne to recken, one was brought vnto hym, which ought hym ten thousande talentes.
25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his Lorde commaunded hym to be solde, and his wyfe, and chyldren, and all that he had, and payment to be made.
26 The seruaunt fell downe, & besought hym, saying: Lorde, haue pacience with me, and I wyll pay thee all.
27 Then the Lorde of that seruaunt, moued with pitie, loosed hym, and forgaue hym the debt.
28 But the same seruaunt went out, and founde one of his felowes, which ought hym an hundred pence: and he layde handes on hym, and toke hym by the throte, saying: pay me that thou owest.
29 And his felowe fel downe at his feete, and besought him, saying: haue pacience with me, and I wyll pay thee all.
30 And he woulde not: but went, and cast hym into prison, tyll he shoulde pay the debt.
31 So, when his felowes sawe what was done, they were very sory: & came, and tolde vnto their Lorde all that was done.
32 Then his Lorde called hym, and sayd vnto him: O thou vngracious seruaunt, I forgaue thee all that debt, when thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also, haue had compassion on thy felowe, euen as I had pitie on thee?
34 And his Lorde was wroth, and delyuered hym to the tormentours, tyll he shoulde pay all that was due vnto him.
35 So lykewyse, shall my heauenly father do also vnto you, yf ye from your heartes, forgeue not, euery one his brother, their trespasses.
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.