« | Proverbs 20 | » |
1 Wine maketh a man to be scornefull, & strong drinke causeth a man to be vnquiet: who so delighteth therin shall not be wyse.
2 The feare of the king is as the roaring of a Lion, who so prouoketh hym vnto anger, offendeth against his owne soule.
3 It is a mans honour to kepe him selfe from strife: but euery foole wyll be medling.
4 A slouthfull body wyll not go to plow for colde of the winter: therefore shall he begge in sommer, and haue nothing.
5 Counsayle in the heart of man is like deepe water: but a man of vnderstanding wyll drawe it out.
6 Many there be that woulde be called good doers: but where shall one finde a faythfull man?
7 The chyldren of the iust man which walketh vprightly, shalbe blessed after hym.
8 A kyng that sitteth in the throne of iudgement, chaseth away all euyll with his looke.
9 Who can say, I haue made my heart cleane, I am pure from [my] sinne?
10 Two maner of wayghtes or two maner of measures, both these are abhomination vnto the Lorde.
11 A chylde is knowen by his conuersation, whether his workes be pure and right.
12 The eare to heare, the eye to see: the Lorde hath made them both.
13 Loue not sleepe, lest thou come vnto pouertie: but open thyne eyes, that thou mayest haue bread inough.
14 It is naught, it is naught (saith he that byeth): but when he commeth to his owne house, then he boasteth [of his peny worth.]
15 There is golde, and a multitude of precious stones: but the lippes of knowledge are a precious iewell.
16 Take his garment that is suretie for a straunger: and take a pledge of hym for the vnknowen sake.
17 A man liketh the bread that is gotten with deceipt: but at the last his mouth shalbe filled with grauell.
18 Thorowe counsayle, the thinges that men deuise are made strong: and with good aduise take warre in hande.
19 The craftie deceiptfull bewrayeth secrete counsayle: therefore meddle not with hym that flattereth with his lips.
20 Who so curseth his father and mother, his light shalbe put out in the depth of darknesse.
21 The heritage that commeth hastylye at the first, shall not be blessed at the ende.
22 Say not thou, I wyll recompence euyll: but put thy trust in the Lorde, and he shall deliuer thee.
23 Diuers wayghtes are an abhomination vnto the Lord, and a false balaunce is not good.
24 The Lord ordereth euery mans goinges: how can a man then vnderstand his owne way?
25 It is a snare for a man to deuour that whiche is holy, and after the vowe to make inquirie.
26 A wyse kyng disperseth the vngodly, and bringeth the wheele ouer them.
27 The lanterne of the Lorde is the breath of man, searching all the inwarde partes of the body.
28 Mercy and trueth preserueth the king, and with louing kindnes his seate is holden vp.
29 The strength of young men is their worship, and a gray head is an honour vnto the aged.
30 Blewe woundes driue away euyll, and stripes in the inwarde partes of the body.
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.