« | Psalm 35 | » |
1 [Of Dauid.] Pleade thou my cause O God, with them that striue with me: and fight thou agaynst them that fight against me.
2 Lay hand vppon a shielde & buckler: and stande vp to helpe me.
3 Bryng foorth the speare, and stop [the way] against them that persecute me: say vnto my soule, I am thy saluation.
4 Let them be confounded and put to shame that seeke after my soule: let them be turned backe and brought to cofusion, that imagine mischiefe for me.
5 Let them be as dust before the winde: and let the angell of God scatter [them.]
6 Let their way be darke and slipperie: & let the angell of God persecute them.
7 For without a cause they haue priuily layde for me a pit [full] of their nettes: without a cause they haue made a digyng vnto my soule.
8 Let a sodayne destruction come vpon hym vnawares: and his net that he hath layde priuily catch hym selfe, let him fall into it with [his owne] destruction.
9 [And] my soule shalbe ioyfull in God: it shall reioyce in his saluation.
10 All my bones shall say, God who is lyke vnto thee? whiche deliuerest the poore from hym that is to strong for him: yea the poore and him that is in miserie, from him that spoyleth him.
11 False witnesse did rise vp: they layde thinges to my charge that I know not.
12 They rewarded me euill for good: to the great discomfort of my soule.
13 Neuerthelesse, when they were sicke I did put on sackcloth: I afflicted my soule with fasting, and my prayer returned into myne owne bosome.
14 I kept them company whersoeuer they went, as though they had ben my frende or brother: I went heauyly, as one that mourned for his mother.
15 But in mine aduersitie they reioysed and gathered them together: yea, the very abiectes came together against me, yer I wyst they rented me a peeces and ceassed not.
16 With hypocrites, scoffers, and parasites: they gnashed vpon me with their teeth.
17 Lorde howe long wylt thou looke [vpon this]: O deliuer my soule from their raginges, and my dearling from Lions whelpes.
18 So I wyll confesse it vnto thee in a great congregation: I will prayse thee among muche people.
19 O let not my deceiptfull enemies triumph ouer me: let them not winke with an eye, that hate me without a cause.
20 For they speake not peace: but they imagine deceiptfull wordes agaynst them that [liue] quietly in the lande.
21 They gaped vpon me with their mouthes: and said this is well, this is wel, our eye hath seene.
22 Thou hast seene [this] O God, holde not thy tongue [then:] go not farre from me O Lorde.
23 Stirre thou and awake O my God and my Lorde: to iudge my cause and controuersie.
24 Iudge me according to thy righteousnesse O God my Lorde: and let them not triumph ouer me.
25 Let them not say in their heart, it is as we woulde haue it: neither let them say, we haue deuoured hym.
26 Let them be put to confusion & shame [all] together that reioyce at my trouble: let them be clothed with rebuke and dishonour that exalt them selues against me.
27 Let them triumph with gladnesse and reioyce that be delighted with my righteousnesse: let them say alwayes, blessed be God whiche hath pleasure in the prosperitie of his seruaunt.
28 And my tongue shalbe talking of thy righteousnesse: and of thy prayse all the day long.
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.