« | Psalm 132 | » |
1 [A song of high degrees.] O God be mindfull of Dauid: with all his affliction.
2 Who swore vnto God: who made a vowe vnto the most mightie [Lorde] of Iacob.
3 [Saying] I wyll not enter into the tabernacle of my house: nor get vp into my bed.
4 I wyll not suffer myne eyes to slepe: nor myne eye liddes to slumber.
5 Untill I finde out a place for the temple of God: an habitation for the most mightie Lorde of Iacob.
6 Beholde, we hearde it to be at Ephratha: we founde it in the fieldes of the forest.
7 We wyll go into his tabernacle: and fall downe on our knees before his footestoole.
8 Aryse O God [for to come] into thy resting place: thou and the arke of thy strength.
9 Let thy priestes be clothed with righteousnes: and let thy saintes make a ioyfull noyse.
10 For thy seruaunt Dauids sake: turne not away [from] the face of thyne annoynted.
11 God hath sworne for a trueth vnto Dauid, and he wyll not go from it: I wyll place vpon thy throne some of the fruite of thy body.
12 If thy chyldren wyll kepe my couenaunt and my testimonies whiche I wyll teache them: their chyldren also shall sit vpon thy throne for euermore.
13 For God hath chosen [to be in] Sion: he had a desire that it might be an habitation for hym.
14 This [is sayeth he] my rest for euer: heare I wyll dwell, for I haue a desire to it.
15 I wyll aboundauntly powre my blessinges vpon her victuals: and I wyll satisfie her poore with bread.
16 I wyll clothe her priestes with saluation: and her saintes shall make an exceeding ioyfull noyse.
17 I will make there the horne of Dauid to bud vp: I wyll ordayne a light for mine annoynted.
18 I wyll clothe his enemies with shame: but his crowne shall florishe vppon hym selfe.
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.