« | Psalm 36 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition, seruaunt to the God of Dauid.] The wickednes of the vngodly speaketh in the middest of my heart: that there is no feare of the Lorde before his eyes.
2 For he flattereth him selfe in his owne sight: so that his iniquitie is found worthy of hatred.
3 The wordes of his mouth are vnrighteous and full of deceipt: he hath left of to behaue him selfe wisely & to do good.
4 He imagineth mischiefe vpon his bed, & setteth him selfe in no good way: neither doth he abhorre any thing yt is euil.
5 Thy mercy O God reacheth vnto heauen: [and] thy faythfulnes vnto the cloudes.
6 Thy righteousnes is like the mountaynes of God: thy iudgementes are a great deapth, thou sauest both man and beast O God.
7 How excellent is thy mercy O Lord: therefore the chyldren of men shall put their trust vnder the shadowe of thy winges.
8 They shalbe satisfied with the plenteousnesse of thy house: and thou shalt geue them drinke out of the riuer of thy delicates.
9 For with thee is the fountaine of lyfe: and in thy light shall we see light.
10 O continue foorth thy louing kindnesse vnto them that knowe thee: and thy righteousnes vnto them that are of an vpright heart.
11 O let not the foote of pryde reache vnto me: and let not the hande of the vngodly make me to moue [out of my place]
12 There be the workers of iniquitie fallen: they are cast downe, and shall not be able to rise vp.
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.