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1 Confesse you [it] vnto the Lord, for he is gratious: and his mercy [endureth] for euer.
2 Confesse you [it] vnto the God of Gods: for his mercy endureth for euer.
3 Confesse you [it] vnto the Lorde of Lordes: for his mercy endureth for euer.
4 Who onlye doth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for euer.
5 Who by his excellent wysdome made the heauens: for his mercy endureth for euer.
6 Who layde out the earth aboue the waters: for his mercy endureth for euer.
7 Who hath made great lightes: for his mercy endureth for euer.
8 The sunne to rule in the day: for his mercy endureth for euer.
9 The moone and the starres to gouerne in the night: for his mercy endureth for euer.
10 Who smote Egypt with their first borne: for his mercy endureth for euer.
11 And brought out Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for euer.
12 With a mightie hande and a stretched out arme: for his mercy endureth for euer.
13 Who deuided the red sea in partes: for his mercy endureth for euer.
14 And made Israel to passe through the myddest of it: for his mercy endureth for euer.
15 He ouerthrewe Pharao and his hoast in the red sea: for his mercy endureth for euer.
16 Who led his people through the wyldernesse: for his mercy endureth for euer.
17 Who smote great kinges: for his mercye endureth for euer.
18 And he slue mightie kynges: for his mercy endureth for euer.
19 Sihon kyng of the Amorites: for his mercy endureth for euer.
20 And Og the kyng of Bashan: for his mercy endureth for euer.
21 And he gaue away their lande for an heritage: for his mercy endureth for euer.
22 For an heritage vnto Israel his seruaunt: for his mercy endureth for euer.
23 Who remembred vs when we were brought lowe: for his mercy endureth for euer.
24 And he deliuered vs from our aduersaries: for his mercy endureth for euer.
25 Who geueth foode vnto all creatures: for his mercy endureth for euer.
26 Confesse you [it] vnto the Lord of heauen: for his mercy endureth for euer.
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.