« | Psalm 71 | » |
1 In thee O God I haue put my trust, let me neuer be put to confusion:
2 (71:1) ridde me and deliuer me in thy ryghteousnesse, incline thine eare vnto me, and saue me.
3 (71:2) Be thou my strong holde whervnto I may alway resort: thou hast geuen a charge to saue me, for thou art my house of defence, and my castell.
4 (71:3) Delyuer me O my Lorde out of the hande of the vngodly: out of the hande of the vnryghteous and cruell man.
5 (71:4) For thou O Lorde God art the thyng that I long for: thou art my hope euen from my youth.
6 (71:5) Through thee haue I ben mayntayned euer since I was borne: thou art he that toke me out of my mothers wombe, my praise shalbe alway of thee.
7 (71:6) I am become as it were a monster vnto many: but my sure trust is in thee.
8 (71:7) Oh let my mouth be fylled: with thy prayse and glorie all the day long.
9 (71:8) Cast me not away in the tyme of age: forsake me not when my strength fayleth me.
10 (71:9) For myne enemies speake against me: and they that lay awayte for my soule take their counsayle together.
11 (71:10) They say, the Lorde hath forsaken hym: do you persecute hym and take hym, for there is none to delyuer hym.
12 (71:11) Go not farre from me O Lorde: haste thee O my Lorde to helpe me.
13 (71:12) Let them be confounded, let them be brought to naught that are agaynst my soule: let them be couered with shame and dishonour that seke to do me euyll.
14 (71:13) As for me I wyll patiently wayte alway: and I wyll prayse thee more and more.
15 (71:14) My mouth shall dayly speake of thy ryghteousnesse and saluation: for I knowe no ende therof.
16 (71:15) I wyll go foorth in the strength of the Lorde God: [and] I wyll only make mention of thy ryghteousnesse.
17 (71:16) Thou O God hast taught me from my youth: and hytherto I can well declare thy wonderous workes.
18 (71:17) Wherfore whylest I am olde and am gray headed: O Lorde forsake me not, vntyll I haue shewed thy arme vnto [this] generation, and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.
19 (71:18) And vntyll I [haue] exceedyngly exalted O Lorde thy ryghteousnesse: for great thynges are they that thou hast done, O Lorde who is lyke vnto thee?
20 (71:19) Which hast made me to feele many great troubles and aduersities: yet returnyng thou hast reuyued me, yea returnyng thou hast caused me to come out from the bottome of the earth.
21 (71:20) Thou hast brought me to greater honour then I had before: & thou returnyng hast comforted me on euery syde.
22 (71:21) Therfore I wyll confesse vnto thee thy trueth O Lorde, playing vpon an instrument of musicke: vnto thee I wyl syng psalmes vpon the harpe O thou most holy [God] of Israel.
23 (71:22) My lyppes wyll be ioyfull when I syng vnto thee: and so wyll my soule which thou hast redeemed.
24 (71:23) My tongue also shal talke of thy righteousnesse all the day long: for they are confounded and brought vnto shame that seke to do me euyll.
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.