« | Psalm 49 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition, a psalme of the children of Corach.] Heare this all ye people: geue eare all ye that dwell in the worlde.
2 As well lowe as high: riche and poore, one with another.
3 My mouth shall vtter wisdome: the cogitations of myne heart [wyll bryng foorth] knowledge.
4 I wyll encline myne eare to a parable: I wyll open my darke sentence vpon a harpe.
5 Wherfore shoulde I feare in euyll dayes? the wickednesse of my heeles [then] would compasse me round about.
6 There be some that put their trust in their goodes: and boast them selues in the multitude of their riches.
7 But no man at all can redeeme his brother: nor geue a raunsome vnto God for hym.
8 For the redemption of their soule is very costly, and must be let alone for euer:
9 (49:8) yea though he lyue long and see not the graue.
10 (49:9) For he seeth that wyse men dye: and that the foole and ignoraunt perishe together, and leaue their riches for other.
11 (49:10) And yet they thynke that their houses shall continue for euer, and that their dwellyng places shall endure from one generation to another: [therfore] they call landes after their owne names.
12 (49:11) Neuerthelesse, man can not abyde in [such] honour: he is but lyke vnto bruite beastes that perishe.
13 (49:12) This their way is their foolishnesse: yet their posteritie prayse their saying. Selah.
14 (49:13) They shalbe put into a graue [dead] as a sheepe, death shall feede on them: but the ryghteous shall haue dominion of them in the mornyng, their beautie shall consume away, hell [shall receaue them] from their house.
15 (49:14) But God wyll delyuer my soule from the place of hell: for he wyll receaue me. Selah.
16 (49:15) Be not thou afrayde though one be made riche: or yf the glorie of his house be encreased.
17 (49:16) For he shall cary nothyng away with hym when he dyeth: neither shall his pompe folowe after hym.
18 (49:17) For whyle he lyued he counted him selfe an happy man: and so long as thou doest well vnto thy selfe, men wyll speake good of thee.
19 (49:18) But he shal folowe the generations of his fathers: and shall neuer see lyght.
20 (49:19) A man is in an honourable state, but he wyll not vnderstande it: he is lyke [herein] vnto bruite beastes that perishe.
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.