« | Psalm 39 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition Ieduthun, a psalme of Dauid.] I sayde [to my selfe] I wyll take heede to my wayes, that I offende not in my tongue: I wyll kepe my mouth as it were with a brydell, whylest the vngodly is in my syght.
2 I became dumbe through scilence, I helde my peace from speakyng of good wordes: but the more was my sorowe increased.
3 My heart was hotte within me, and whyle I was thus musyng the fire kyndled: and [at the last] I spake with my tongue.
4 O God make me to knowe mine ende, and the number of my dayes: that I may be certified howe long I haue to lyue.
5 Behold thou hast made my dayes as it were an hand breadth long, & mine age is euen as nothing before thee: truely euery man is al [together] vanitie. Selah.
6 Truely man walketh in a vayne shadowe, truely he [and all his] do disquiet them selues in vayne: he heapeth vp riches, & can not tel who shal vse them.
7 And nowe Lord what wayte I after? truely my hope is euen in thee.
8 Delyuer me from all my offences: and make me not a rebuke vnto the foolishe.
9 I became dumbe, and opened not my mouth: for it was thy doyng.
10 Take thy plague away from me: I am euen consumed by the meanes of thy heauy hande.
11 Thou doest chasten man, rebukyng him for sinne: thou as a moth doest consume his excellencie, for in very deede euery man is but vanitie. Selah.
12 Heare my prayer O God, and geue eares to my crying, holde not thy peace at my teares: for I am a strauger with thee, and a soiourner as all my fathers were.
13 Oh spare me a litle, that I may recouer my strength: before I go hence, and be no more [seene.]
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.