« | Proverbs 25 | » |
1 These are also parables of Solomon, which the men of Ezekia king of Iuda copied out.
2 (25:1) It is the glory of God to kepe a thing secrete: but the kynges honour is to searche out a thing.
3 (25:2) The heauen is hye, the earth is deepe: and the kinges heart is vnsearcheable.
4 (25:3) Take the drosse from the siluer, and there shalbe a vessell for the siner.
5 (25:4) Take away the vngodly from the kyng: and his seate shalbe stablished with righteousnesse.
6 (25:5) Put not foorth thy selfe in the presence of the king, and preasse not into the place of great men:
7 (25:6) For better is it, that it be sayde vnto thee, come vp hyther: then thou to be put lower in the presence of the priuce whom thou seest with thyne eyes.
8 (25:7) Be not hastie to go to lawe: lest haplye thou knowest not what to do when thy neighbour hath confounded thee.
9 (25:8) Handle thy matter with thy neighbour himselfe, and discouer not thy secrete to another:
10 (25:9) Lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thy infamie do not ceasse.
11 (25:10) A worde spoken in due season, is lyke apples of golde in a graued worke of siluer.
12 (25:11) Who so reproueth a wyse man that hath an obedient eare, is as a golden earring, and an ornament of fine golde.
13 (25:12) As the colde of snowe in the tyme of haruest: so is a faythfull messenger to them that sende hym, for he refresheth his maisters mynde.
14 (25:13) Whoso maketh great boastes and geueth nothing, is lyke cloudes and winde without rayne.
15 (25:14) With pacience is a prince pacified, and with a softe tongue is rigorousnesse broken.
16 (25:15) If thou findest honie, eate so muche as is sufficient for thee: lest thou be ouer full, and parbreake it out agayne.
17 (25:16) Withdrawe thy foote from thy neighbours house: lest he be werie of thee, and so hate thee.
18 (25:17) Whoso beareth false witnesse against his neighbour, he is a very club, a sworde, and a sharpe arrowe.
19 (25:18) The confidence that is put in an vnfaythfull man in tyme of trouble, is like a broken tooth, and a sliding foote.
20 (25:19) Who so taketh away a mans garment in the colde weather, is like vineger vpon lime, or lyke hym that singeth songues to an heauie heart.
21 (25:20) If thyne enemie hunger, feede hym, if he thirst, geue him drinke:
22 (25:21) For so shalt thou heape coles of fire vpon his head, and the Lorde shall rewarde thee.
23 (25:22) The northwinde dryueth away the rayne: euen so doth an angry countenaunce a backbiters tongue.
24 (25:23) It is better to sit in a corner vpon the house toppe, then with a brawling woman in a wide house.
25 (25:24) Good newes from a straunge countrey, are as colde water to a thirstie soule.
26 (25:25) A righteous man fallyng downe before the vngodly, is like a troubled wel, and a spring that is corrupted.
27 (25:26) As it is not good to eate to muche honye, so curiously to searche the glory of heauenly thinges, is not commendable.
28 (25:27) He that can not rule him selfe, is like a citie whiche is broken downe and hath no walles.
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.