Micah 1 | » |
1 The worde of the Lorde came vnto Micheas the Morasthite, in the dayes of Iotham, Ahas, & Hezekiah, kinges of Iuda, which he sawe concerning Samaria and Hierusalem.
2 Heare all ye people, marke this well O earth and all that therein is: yea let the Lorde God him selfe be witnesse against you, [euen] the Lorde from his holy temple.
3 For beholde, the Lorde shall come out of his holy place, and come downe and treade vpon the hie thinges of ye earth.
4 The mountaines shal melt vnder him, and the valleyes shall cleaue a sunder, lyke as wax [melteth] before the fire, and as the waters runne downeward.
5 And all this shalbe for the wickednes of Iacob, and the sinnes of the house of Israel: but what is the wickednesse of Iacob? is not Samaria? which are the hie places of Iuda? is not Hierusalem?
6 Therefore I wyll make Samaria an heape of the fielde [meete] for the planting of a vineyarde: her stones wyll I tumble downe into the valley, and discouer her foundations.
7 All her images shalbe broken downe, and all her garmentes shalbe brent in the fire, yea: al her idols wyl I destroy: for they are gathered out of the hyre of an harlot, and into an harlots hyre shall they be turned againe.
8 Wherefore I wyll mourne and make lamentation, bare and naked wyl I go: I wyll mourne lyke the Dragons, and take sorowe as the Ostriches.
9 For their wounde is past remedie, it is come into Iuda, and hath touched the gate of my people at Hierusalem alredie.
10 Declare it not at Gath, neither weepe ye: for the house of Aphra roule thy selfe in the dust.
11 Thou that dwellest at Saphir gette thee hence naked with shame: she that dwelleth at Zaanan, shall not come foorth in the mourning of Bethezel: [the enemie] shal receaue of you for his standing.
12 For the inhabitautes of Maroth wayled for good, but the plague shall come from the Lorde, euen vnto the gates of Hierusalem.
13 O thou inhabitaunt of Lachis, binde the charette to the swiftest beast, she is the beginning of the sinne of the daughter of Sion: for the transgressions of Israel were founde in thee.
14 Therfore shalt thou bring presentes to Moresheth Gath: ye houses of Achzib [shalbe] as a lye to the kinges of Israel.
15 And as for thee O thou that dwellest at Maresa, I shall bring a possessioner vpon thee, he shal come to Adullam, the glory of Israel.
16 Make thee baulde, and shaue thee because of thy tender children: make thee cleane baulde as an Egle, for they shalbe caried away captiue from thee.
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.