« | Psalm 17 | » |
1 [A prayer of Dauid.] Heare thou O God of iustice, be attentiue vnto my complaynt: geue eare vnto my prayer, not [proceeding] out of fayned lyppes.
2 Let iudgement come foorth for me from thy face: and let thine eyes loke vpon equitie.
3 Thou hast proued myne heart, thou hast visited [it] in the nyght season: thou hast tryed me, and founde no [wickednesse, for] I purposed that nothyng shoulde scape my mouth.
4 As touchyng [other] mens workes: through the wordes of thy lyppes I haue kept me from the way of the violent.
5 O holde thou vp my goynges in thy pathes: that my footesteppes slyp not.
6 I call vpon thee O God, for thou wilt heare me: incline thine eare to me, hearken vnto my wordes.
7 Shewe thy marueylous louyng kindnesse: thou that art the sauiour of them that trust in thee, from such as ryse vp agaynst thy ryght hande.
8 Kepe me as the apple of an eye, hyde me vnder the shadowe of thy wynges: from the face of the vngodly that go about to destroy me, [from] myne enemies that compasse me rounde about to take away my soule.
9 They haue inclosed [them selues] in their owne fat: with their mouth they speake proude thynges.
10 They haue nowe compassed me on euery syde [where] our way [lyeth]: they toote with their eyes to ouerthrow [me] downe on the grounde.
11 His [doynges] be lyke a lions that is greedy to take a pray: and as a lions whelpe lurkyng in secrete places.
12 Aryse O God, preuent his commyng, make hym to bowe: delyuer thou my soule from the vngodly [which is] thy sworde.
13 [Deliuer thou] me O God from men [which be] thy hande: from men, from the worlde, whose portion [is] in this lyfe, whose bellyes thou fyllest with thy priuie [treasure].
14 Whose children haue aboundaunce: & they leaue enough of that they haue remaynyng to their babes.
15 But as for me, I will beholde thy face in ryghteousnesse: I shalbe satisfied when I awake vp after thy lykenesse.
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.