« | Psalm 27 | » |
1 God is my lyght and saluation, whom then shall I feare? God is the strength of my life, of whom then shall I be afraide?
2 When the malitious approched neare vnto me for to eate vp my fleshe: mine enemies and foes stumbled and fell.
3 Though an hoast of men were layde in campe against me, yet shall not mine heart be afraide: and though there rose vp warre against me, [yet] I wyll put my trust in this.
4 I haue desired one thyng of God, whiche once agayne I wyll earnestly require: euen that I may dwell in the house of God all the dayes of my life, to beholde the beautifulnes of God, and to seeke [it] in his temple.
5 For in the time of aduersitie he shall hide me in his tabernacle: yea in the secrete [place] of his pauilion he shall hide me, and set me vp vpon a rocke of stone.
6 And nowe he shall lift vp my head aboue mine enemies rounde about me: therfore I wyll offer in his tabernacle a sacrifice of great ioy, I wyll sing and prayse God with psalmes.
7 Hearken vnto my voyce O god, [when] I crye [vnto thee]: haue mercy vpon me and heare me.
8 My heart hath sayde vnto thee [according to this thy commaundement] seeke ye my face: thy face O God wyll I seeke.
9 O hide not thou thy face from me, nor cast thy seruaunt away in a displeasure: thou hast ben my succour, leaue me not, neither forsake me O Lorde of my saluation.
10 For my father and mother forsoke me: and God did take me vp.
11 Teache me thy way O God: and leade me in a right path, because of mine enemies.
12 Deliuer me not into mine aduersaries handes: for there are false witnesses rysen vp against me, and such as speake wrong.
13 If I had not beleued [veryly] to see the goodnes of God in the lande of the liuing: [their spite had kylled me.]
14 Attende thou [therfore] vpon God, be of a good courage, and he will comfort thine heart: [I say] attende thou vpon God.
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.