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1 [Siggaion of Dauid, whiche he song vnto God in the busines of Chus, the sonne of Iemini.] O God my Lord, in thee I haue put my trust: saue me from all them that do persecute me, and deliuer thou me.
2 Lest he like a Lion seasoneth on my soule: teareth it in peeces, hauyng no rescue.
3 O God my Lord, if I haue done any such thing: or if there be any wickednesse in my handes.
4 If I haue done euyll vnto hym that had peace with me: and [if] I haue [not] deliuered hym that is without a cause myne aduersarie?
5 [Then] let myne enemie persecute my soule and take me: yea, let hym put me to death, and lay myne honour in the dust. Selah.
6 Arise O God in thy wrath, and stand thou vp agaynst the rage of myne enemies: stirre thou for me [according] to the iudgement [whiche] thou hast geuen.
7 And so shall the congregation of the people come about thee: for their sakes therfore place thy selfe on high.
8 God wyll iudge the people: geue thou sentence with me O God according to my righteousnesse, and according to my perfection [that is] within me.
9 My desire is, that ye wickednesse of the vngodly may come to an ende: and that thou wouldest assist the iust, who art the tryer of heartes and of reynes, O most righteous Lorde.
10 My buckler is with God: who preserueth them that be vpright in heart.
11 The Lorde is a righteous iudge: and the Lorde is prouoked to anger euery day.
12 If the wicked wyll not turne, he wyll whet his sworde: bende his bowe, and haue it in a redinesse [to shoote]
13 He hath prepared hym instrumentes of death: he hath ordayned his arrowes agaynst them that be persecutors.
14 Beholde, he wyll be in trauayle of a mischiefe, for he hath conceaued a labour: but yet he shall be brought to bed of a falsehood.
15 He hath made a graue and digged it: but he hym selfe wyll fall into the pit whiche he hath made.
16 For his labour shall come vpon his owne head: and his wickednesse shall fall vpon his owne pate.
17 I wyll prayse God accordyng to his ryghteousnesse: & I wyll sing psalmes vnto the name of the most high God.
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.