« | Proverbs 18 | » |
1 Who so hath an earnest desire [to wysdome] he will sequester him selfe to seeke it, and occupie him selfe in all stedfastnesse & sounde doctrine.
2 A foole hath no delight in vnderstanding: but onlye to vtter the fansies of his owne heart.
3 When the vngodly commeth, then commeth also disdayne: and with the dishonest person commeth shame and dishonour.
4 The wordes of a [wyse] mans mouth are lyke deepe waters: and the well of wisdome is like a full streame.
5 It is not good to regarde the person of the vngodly, to ouerthrowe the righteous in iudgement.
6 A fooles lippes come with brawling, and his mouth prouoketh vnto stripes.
7 A fooles mouth is his owne destruction, and his lippes are the snare for his owne soule.
8 The wordes of a slaunderer are very woundes, and go through vnto the innermost partes of the body.
9 Who so is slouthfull in his labour, is the brother of hym that is a waster.
10 The name of the Lorde is a strong castell, the righteous runneth vnto it and is in safegarde.
11 The rich mans goodes are his strong citie, and as an high wall in his owne conceipt.
12 Before destruction the heart of a man is proude: and before honour goeth humilitie.
13 He that geueth sentence in a matter before he heare it, the same to hym is folly and shame.
14 A good stomacke beareth out sickenesse: but the minde beyng sicke, who shall heale it?
15 A wise heart possesseth knowledge, & a prudent eare seeketh vnderstanding.
16 A mans gyft maketh an open way, to bryng hym before great men.
17 The righteous declareth his owne cause first him selfe, and his neighbour commeth and tryeth hym.
18 The lot causeth variaunce to ceasse: and parteth the mightie a sunder.
19 Brethren beyng at variaunce are harder to be wonne then a strong citie, and their contentions are like the barre of a castell.
20 A mans belly shalbe satisfied with the fruite of his owne mouth, and with the encrease of his lippes shall he be filled.
21 Death and life are in the instrument of the tongue, and they that loue it, shall eate the fruite thereof.
22 Who so findeth a wyfe, findeth a good thing, and receaueth fauour of the Lorde.
23 The poore prayeth meekely: but the riche geueth a rough aunswere.
24 A man that wyll haue frendes, must shewe hym selfe frendly: and there is a frende whiche is nearer then a brother.
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.