« | Psalm 51 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition, a psalme of Dauid when the prophete Nathan came vnto hym after he was gone in to Bethsabe.] Haue mercie on me O Lorde accordyng to thy louyng kindnesse: accordyng vnto the multitudes of thy mercies wype out my wickednesse.
2 Washe me throughly from myne iniquitie: and clense me from my sinne.
3 For I do acknowledge my wickednesse: and my sinne is euer before me.
4 Agaynst thee, only agaynst thee I haue sinned and done this euyll in thy sight: that thou mightest be iustified in thy saying, and founde pure when thou art iudged.
5 Beholde, I was ingendred in iniquitie: and in sinne my mother conceaued me.
6 Neuerthelesse, lo thou requirest trueth in the inwarde partes [of me]: & [therfore] thou wylt make me learne wisdome in the secrete [part of myne heart.]
7 Purge thou me with hyssop and I shalbe cleane: washe thou me, and I shalbe whyter then snowe.
8 Make thou me to heare [some] ioy and gladnesse: let the bones reioyce which thou hast broken.
9 Turne thy face from my sinnes: and wype out all my misdeedes.
10 Make thou vnto me a cleane heart O Lorde: and renue thou a ryght spirite within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence: and take not thy holy spirite from me.
12 Geue me agayne the comfort of thy saluation: and confirme me with a free wyllyng spirite.
13 Then wyll I teache thy wayes vnto the wicked: and sinners shalbe conuerted vnto thee.
14 Deliuer me from blood O Lorde, the Lorde of my saluation: and my tongue shall sing with a ioyfull noyse of thy iustice.
15 O Lorde open thou my lippes: and my mouth shall set foorth thy prayse.
16 For thou desirest no sacrifice, els I would geue it thee: thou delightest not in a burnt offering.
17 Sacrifices for God is a mortified spirite: O Lorde thou wylt not despise a mortified and an humble heart.
18 Be thou beneficiall vnto Sion, according to thy gracious good wyll: buylde thou the walles of Hierusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousnes, with burnt offeringes and oblations: then wyll they offer young bullockes vpon thyne aulter.
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.