« | Psalm 38 | » |
1 [A psalme of Dauid to reduce in remembraunce.] Rebuke me not O God in thyne anger: neither chasten me in thy heauie displeasure.
2 For thyne arrowes sticke fast in me: and thy hande presseth me sore.
3 There is no helath in my flesh through thy displeasure: neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sinne.
4 For my manyfolde wickednes is gone ouer my head: and like a sore burthen is to heauie for me to beare.
5 My woundes stinke and are corrupt: through my foolishnes.
6 I am become crooked, and am exceedingly pulled downe: I go a mourning all the day long.
7 For my loynes are filled with heate: and there is no whole part in my body.
8 I am feeble and sore smitten: I haue rored for the very disquietnesse of my heart.
9 Lorde thou knowest all my desire: and my gronyng is not hyd from thee.
10 My heart panteth, my strength hath fayled me: and the lyght of myne eyes is gone from me.
11 My louers and my neygbours dyd stande on the other syde lokyng vpon my plague: and my kinsmen stoode a farre of.
12 They also that sought after my lyfe layde snares [for me]: and they that went about to do me euyll, talked of wickednesse, and imagined deceipt all the day long.
13 As for me, as one deafe I woulde not heare: and [I was] as one that is dumbe [who] coulde not open his mouth.
14 I became euen as a man that heareth not: and who hath no replies in his mouth.
15 For on thee O God I haue wayted: thou shalt aunswere for me O Lorde my God.
16 For I sayde [heare me] lest that they shoulde triumph on me: who auaunce [them selues] greatly agaynst me when my foote doth slyp.
17 Because I am disposed to a haltyng: and my sorowe is euer in my syght.
18 Because I confesse my wickednesse: and am sory for my sinne.
19 But myne enemies lyuyng [without payne] are mightie: & they that hate me wrongfully are increased in number.
20 They also that rewarde euyl for good are agaynst me: because I folowe the thyng that is good.
21 Forsake me not O God: O my Lorde be not thou farre fro me.
22 Haste thee to helpe me: O Lorde my saluation.
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.