« | Psalm 147 | » |
1 Prayse ye the Lorde, for it is a good thyng: sing psalmes vnto our Lorde, for it is a pleasaunt thing, [his] praise is to be desired.
2 God buildeth vp Hierusalem: he wyll gather together the Israelites that were banished.
3 He healeth those that are broken in heart: he wrappeth vp their sorowes.
4 He counteth the number of the starres: he geueth vnto them all names.
5 Great is our Lorde, and great is his power: his vnderstandyng is infinite.
6 God setteth vp the meeke: he bringeth the vngodly downe to the grounde.
7 Syng ye vnto God with a confession: syng psalmes vpon the Harpe vnto our Lorde.
8 Who couereth the heauen with cloudes: who prepareth rayne for the earth, who maketh grasse to growe vppon the mountaynes.
9 He geueth vnto cattell their foode: [euen] vnto Rauens which call for it.
10 He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse: he delighteth not in the legges of a man.
11 God delyghteth in them that feare him: [and] in them that put their trust in his mercie.
12 Prayse God O Hierusalem: prayse thy Lorde O Sion.
13 For he maketh fast the barres of thy gates: he blesseth thy children within thee.
14 He maketh peace in thy borders: he fylleth thee with good corne.
15 He sendeth foorth his commaundement vpon the earth: his word runneth very swiftly.
16 He geueth snowe [so whyte] as wooll: he scattereth the hoare frost like asshes.
17 He casteth foorth his yse lyke fragmentes: who is able to abide his frost?
18 He sendeth foorth his worde and melteth them: he bloweth with his winde, and the waters flowe.
19 He declareth his worde vnto Iacob: his statutes & ordinaunces vnto Israel.
20 He hath not dealt so with euery nation: neither haue they the knowledge of his iudgementes. 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.