« | Micah 4 | » |
1 But in the latter dayes it wyll come to passe that the hill of the Lordes house shalbe prepared in the toppe of the mountaines, and shalbe set vp hygher then any mountaynes or hilles, and people shall prease vnto it.
2 Yea, the multitude of the Gentiles shall haste them thither, saying: Come, let vs go vp the to hill of the Lorde, and to the house of the God of Iacob, and he shall teache vs his wayes, and we wyll walke in his pathes: for the lawe shall come out of Sion, and the word of God from Hierusalem.
3 And he shall iudge many people, and rebuke mightie nations of farre countreys: so that of their swordes they shal make ploughshares, and sythes of their speares: one people shall not lift vp a sworde against another, yea they shall no more learne to fight.
4 But euery man shall sit vnder his vineyarde, and vnder his figtree, and no man shall make them afraide: for the mouth of the Lorde of hoastes hath spoken it.
5 Therfore all people wyll walke euery man in the name of his God: and we wyll walke in the name of our lord God for euer and euer.
6 At the same time saith the Lorde, wyl I gather vp the lame and the outcast, and such as I haue chastened,
7 And wyll geue a remnaunt vnto the lame, and make of the outcast a mightie people: and the Lorde him selfe shalbe their king vpon the mount Sion, from this time foorth for euermore.
8 And vnto thee O thou towre of the flocke, thou strong holde of the daughter Sion, vnto thee shall it come, euen the lordeship and kingdome to the daughter Hierusalem.
9 Why then doest thou crye and lament? is there no king in thee? are thy counsellers perished, that thou art so payned as a woman in her trauaile?
10 And now O thou daughter Sion, sorowe and lament as a woman in her trauaile: for nowe must thou get thee out of the citie, & dwelt vpon the plaine fielde: yea vnto Babylon shalt thou go, [but] there shalt thou be deliuered, and there the Lord shall redeeme thee from the hande of thyne enemies.
11 Now also are there many people gathered together against thee, saying: Sion shalbe condempned, and our eye shall loke vpon Sion.
12 But they know not the thoughtes of the Lord, they vnderstand not his counsel: for he shall gather them together as the sheaues in the barne.
13 Therefore get thee vp, O thou daughter Sion, and thresshe out the corne: for I wyll make thy horne iron, and thy hooues brasse, that thou mayst breake in peeces many people: their goodes shalt thou consecrate vnto the Lorde, and their substaunce vnto the ruler of the whole worlde.
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.