« | Micah 7 |
1 Wo is me, I am become as one that goeth a gleanyng in the haruest: there are no mo grapes to eate, yet would I faine with al my hearte haue of the best fruite.
2 There is not a godly vpon earth, there is not one righteous among men: they al lye in wayte for blood, and euery man hunteth his brother to death.
3 Yet they say they do wel, when they do euyll: the prince asketh, and the iudge [iudgeth] for a rewarde, therfore the great man speaketh out of the corruption of his soule, and so they wrappe it vp.
4 The best of them is as bryer, and the most righteous of them is [sharper] then a thorne hedge: the day of thy watchmen, [and] of thy visitation commeth: then shalbe their confusion.
5 Let no man beleeue his friende, nor put his confidence in his brother: kepe the doore of thy mouth from her that lyeth in thy bosome.
6 For the sonne dishonoreth his father, the daughter riseth against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in lawe: and a mans foes are euen they of his owne housholde.
7 Neuerthelesse, I wil looke vp vnto the Lorde, I will patiently abyde God my sauiour: my God shall heare me.
8 O thou enemie of myne reioyce not at my fall, for I shall rise againe: & though I sit in darkenesse, yet the Lorde is my light.
9 I will beare the wrath of the Lord, for I haue offended hym till he sit in iudgement vpon my cause, and see that I haue right: then will he bring me foorth to the light, and I shall see his righteousnesse.
10 She that is myne enemie, shall loke vpon it and be confounded, which nowe sayth, Where is the Lorde thy God? myne eyes shall beholde her when she shalbe troden downe as the myre in the streetes.
11 This is the day that thy walles shalbe buylt, this day shall dryue farre away the decree.
12 And at that time shall they come vnto thee from Assur, from the strong cities, and from the strong holdes, euen vnto the riuer: from the one sea to the other, and from mountayne to mountayne.
13 Notwithstanding, the land must be wasted, because of them that dwell therin, and for the fruites of their owne imaginations.
14 Therfore feede thy people with thy rod, the flocke of thyne heritage whiche dwel desolate in the wood, that they may be fed vpon the mount of Carmel, Basan, and Gilead, as aforetime.
15 Maruelous thinges wil I shewe thee, like as when thou camest out of the lande of Egypt.
16 This shall the heathen see, and be ashamed for all their power: so that they shall lay their hande vpon their mouth, and stoppe their eares.
17 They shal licke the dust like a serpente, and as the wormes of the earth that tremble in their holes: they shalbe afrayde of the Lorde our God, and they shall feare thee.
18 Who is such a God as thou, that pardonest wickednesse, and forgeuest the offences of the remnaunt of thyne heritage? He kepeth not his wrath for euer: for his delite is to haue compassion.
19 He shall turne againe, and be merciful to vs, he shall put downe our wickednesses, and cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea?
20 Thou wilt perfourme to Iacob thy trueth, and thy mercie to Abraham, like as thou hast sworne vnto our fathers in olde time.
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.