« | Psalm 116 | » |
1 I haue loued: because God hath hearde my voyce [and] my prayers.
2 Because he hath enclined his eare vnto me: therfore I wyll call vpon hym as long as I lyue.
3 The snares of death compassed me rounde about: and the paynes of hell toke holde on me. (116:4) I founde anguishe and heauinesse,
4 but I called vpon the name of God: [saying] O God, I beseche thee deliuer my soule
5 Gratious is God and ryghteous: our Lorde is mercifull.
6 God gardeth the simple: I was brought to the extremitie, and he preserued me.
7 Returne O my soule vnto thy rest: for God hath rewarded thee.
8 For [thou O Lorde] hast deliuered my soule from death: myne eyes from teares, and my feete from fallyng.
9 I wyll walke before the face of God: in the lande of the lyuyng.
10 I beleued, therfore I wyll speake: I was sore afflicted,
11 (116:10) insomuch that I said in my rashnesse euery man is a lyer.
12 (116:11) What rewarde shal I geue vnto God: for all the benefites that he hath done vnto me?
13 (116:12) I wyll take the cuppe of saluation: and I wyll call vpon the name of God.
14 (116:13) I wyll pay my vowes nowe vnto God: in the presence of all his people.
15 (116:14) The death of his saintes: is precious in the eyes of God.
16 (116:15) It is euen so O God, for I am thy seruaunt and the sonne of thy handemayde: thou hast loosed my bondes in sunder.
17 (116:16) I wyll offer vnto thee the sacrifice of thankesgeuyng: and I wyll call vpon the name of God.
18 (116:17) I wyll pay my vowes vnto God in the sight of all his people:
19 (116:17) in the courtes of Gods house, euen in the myddest of thee O Hierusalem. Prayse ye the Lorde.
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.