« | Psalm 72 | » |
1 [Of Solomon.] O God geue vnto the kyng thy iudgementes: and thy ryghteousnesse vnto the kynges sonne.
2 [Then] he wyll iudge thy people accordyng vnto iustice: and thy afflicted accordyng to equitie.
3 The mountaynes also and hylles: shall bryng peace to the people by the meanes of ryghteousnesse.
4 He wyll iudge the afflicted amongst the people: he wyll saue the children of the poore, and subdue the oppressour.
5 They wyll feare thee as long as the sunne and moone shyneth: from one generation to another.
6 He wyll come downe lyke the rayne into a fleece of wooll: euen as the droppes that water the earth.
7 In his dayes the ryghteous wyll florishe: and there shalbe aboundaunce of peace so long as the moone endureth.
8 His dominion also shalbe from the one sea to the other: and from the fludde vnto the ende of the earth.
9 They that dwell in the wildernesse shal kneele before him: his enemies shal licke the dust.
10 The kyng of Tharsis and of the Iles shall offer presentes: the kynges of Sheba & Seba shall bring giftes.
11 All kynges wyll worshyp hym: all nations wyll do hym seruice.
12 For he wyll delyuer the poore when he cryeth: and the afflicted and hym that hath no helper.
13 He wyll haue compassion vpon the poore and needy: and he wyll preserue the soules of the poore.
14 He wyll delyuer their soules from deceipt and oppression: and their blood shalbe in his syght.
15 He wyll lyue, and he wyll geue to the poore of the golde of Sheba: and he wyll pray alwayes for hym, and dayly he wyll blesse hym.
16 A handfull of corne shall [be sowed] in the earth vpon the toppe of hylles: and the fruite therof shall make a noyse lyke Libanus, and shall florishe in the citie lyke grasse vpon the earth.
17 His name shall endure for euer, his name shalbe spread abrode to the world so long as the sunne shall shyne: all nations shalbe blessed in hym, and shall call hym blessed.
18 Blessed be God the Lorde: the Lorde of Israel which only doth wonderous thynges.
19 And blessed be the name of his maiestie for euer: and all the earth shalbe fylled with his maiestie. Amen, Amen.
20 Here endeth the prayers of Dauid the sonne of Isai.
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.