« | Micah 2 | » |
1 Wo vnto them that imagine iniquitie, and worke wickednesse vpon their beddes: when the morning is light they practise it, because their hande hath power.
2 And they couet fieldes, and take them by violence, and houses, and take them away: so they oppresse a man and his house, [euen] man and his heritage.
3 Therefore thus saith the Lorde: Beholde, against this housholde haue I deuised a plague, whereout ye shall not plucke your neckes: ye shall no more go so proudly, for it wyl be a perilous time.
4 In that day shal this parable be vsed, and a mourning shalbe made ouer you on this maner: We be vtterly desolate, the portion of my people is translated: how wyll he parte vnto vs the lande that he hath taken from vs?
5 Therefore there shalbe no man to deuide thee thy portion in the congregation of the Lorde.
6 Ye shal not prophecie [say they] to them that prophecie: they shal not prophecie to them, neither shall they take shame.
7 O thou that art named the house of Iacob, is the spirite of the Lorde shortened? are these his workes? are not my words good vnto him that walketh vprightly?
8 But he that was yesterday my people, is rysen vp on the other side [as] against an enemie: they spoyle the beawtifull garment from them that passe by peaceably, as though they returned from the warre.
9 The women of my people haue ye shut out from their pleasaunt houses, and taken away myne excellent giftes from their children.
10 Up, get you hence, for here shall ye haue no rest: because [the lande] is defiled, it shall destroy [you] which vtter destruction.
11 If a man walke in the spirite, and would lye falsely [saying] I wyl prophecie to thee of wine and strong drinke: that were a prophete for this people.
12 I wyll surely gather thee wholly O Iacob, I wyll surely gather the remnaunt of Israel, I wyll put them together as the sheepe of Bozra, as the flocke in the middest of their folde, they shall make great noyse by reason of the [multitude] of men.
13 The breaker shall come vp before them, they shall breake out, and passe by the gate, and go out by it: and their king shall go before them, and the Lorde shalbe vpon their heades.
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.