« | Psalm 31 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition, a psalme of Dauid.] In thee O God I haue put my trust, let me neuer be confounded: deliuer me in thy righteousnes.
2 Bowe downe thine eare to me, make hast to deliuer me: be vnto me a strong rocke and a house of defence, that thou mayest saue me.
3 For thou art my strong rocke and fortresse: euen for thy name sake conduct me, and direct me.
4 Take me out of the net that they haue layde priuily for me: for thou art my strength.
5 Into thy hande I commende my spirite: [for] thou hast redeemed me O God the Lorde of trueth.
6 I haue hated them that obserue superstitious vanities: and my trust hath ben in God.
7 I wyll be glad and reioyce in thy louing kindnes: for that thou hast considered my trouble, and hast knowen my soule in aduersities.
8 Thou hast not shut me vp into the hande of the enemie: [but] hast set my feete in a large roome.
9 Haue mercy vpon me O God, for I am in distresse: mine eye, my soule, and my belly be consumed for very heauinesse.
10 For my life is wasted with sorow, and mine eares with mourning: my strength fayleth me because of mine iniquitie, and my bones are putrified.
11 I became a reprofe among al mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours: and they of mine acquaintaunce were afraide of me, and they that dyd see me without, conueyed them selues quickly fro me.
12 I became cleane forgotten as a dead man out of minde: I became like a broken vessell.
13 For I haue hearde the villanie of the multitude, and feare was on euery side [me]: whyle they conspired together against me, [and] toke their counsell to take away my life.
14 But my hope hath ben in thee O God: I haue sayd thou art my Lorde.
15 My time is in thy hande, deliuer me from the hande of mine enemies: and from them that persecute me.
16 Cause thy countenaunce to shine vppon thy seruaunt: saue me for thy mercies sake.
17 Let me not be confounded O God, for I haue called vpon thee: let the vngodlye be put to confusion, and be put to scilence in the graue.
18 Let the lying lippes be put to scilence: which speake against ye righteous greeuous thinges with disdaine & contempt.
19 Howe plentifull is thy goodnes which thou hast layde vp for them that feare thee? [and whiche] thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee before the sonnes of men.
20 Thou hydest them priuily in thyne owne presence from the raginges of [all] men: thou kepest them secretly [as] in a tabernacle from the strife of tongues.
21 Blessed be God: for he hath shewed me marueylous great kindnes in a strong citie.
22 And when I fled with al haste, I said I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes: neuerthelesse, thou heardest the voyce of my prayer when I cryed vnto thee.
23 Loue God all ye his saintes: [for] God preserueth them that are faythfull, and rewardeth most aboundauntly the proude doer.
24 All ye that put your trust in God be ye of a good courage: and he wyll comfort your heart.
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.