« | Psalm 25 | » |
1 I lyft vp my soule vnto thee O God,
2 (25:1) I put my trust in thee my Lorde: let me not be confounded, neither let myne enemies triumph ouer me.
3 (25:2) Yea, let not all them that hope in thee be put to shame: let them be put to shame who without a cause do trayterously transgresse.
4 (25:3) Make me to knowe thy wayes O God, and teache me thy pathes:
5 (25:3) leade me foorth in thy trueth and teache me, for thou art the Lorde of my saluation, I haue wayted for thee al the day long.
6 (25:4) Call to remembraunce O God thy tender mercies & thy louyng kindnesse: for they haue ben for euer.
7 (25:5) Oh remember not thou the sinnes and offences of my youth: but accordyng to thy mercie euen of thy goodnesse O God remember me.
8 (25:6) Gratious and ryghteous is God: therfore he wyll teache sinners in the way.
9 (25:7) He wyll guide the meke in iudgement: and teache the humble his way.
10 (25:8) All the pathes of God are mercie and trueth: vnto such as kepe his couenaunt and his testimonies.
11 (25:9) Pardon thou therfore for thy name sake O God my wickednesse: for it is very great.
12 (25:10) What man is he that feareth God? [God] wyll teache hym in the way that he shall choose.
13 (25:11) His soule shall rest all nyght at ease: and his seede shall inherite the lande.
14 (25:12) The secrete of God is among them that feare hym: and he wyll make knowen vnto them his couenaunt.
15 (25:13) Myne eyes be alwayes [turned] vnto God: for he wyll take my feete out of the net.
16 (25:14) Turne thy face vnto me, and haue mercie vpon me: for I am desolate and in miserie.
17 (25:15) The sorowes of myne heart are encreased: O bryng thou me out of my distresse.
18 (25:16) Loke thou vpon myne aduersitie and vpon my labour: and forgeue me all my sinne.
19 (25:17) Consider myne enemies, for they do multiplie: and they beare a tirannous hate against me.
20 (25:18) O kepe my soule and deliuer me, lest I shalbe confounded: for I haue put my trust in thee.
21 (25:19) Let integritie and vprighteous dealing kepe me safe: for I haue wayted after thee.
22 (25:20) O God redeeme Israel: out of all his aduersities.
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.