« | Psalm 73 | » |
1 [A psalme of Asaph.] Truely the Lorde is very good vnto Israel: vnto such as haue a cleane heart.
2 Neuerthelesse, my feete were almost gone from me: my steppes had almost slypt.
3 For I enuied at the case of the foolishe: I sawe the wicked [flowe] in all kynde of prosperitie.
4 For there be no bondes of death that can holde them: and the galaries of their houses be strong.
5 They come in no misfortune lyke other folke: neither are they plagued lyke other men.
6 And this is the cause that pride compasse them rounde about: and crueltie couereth them as a garment.
7 Their eyes stande out for fatnesse: and the cogitations of their heartes do passe from them.
8 They make other dissolute, they speake oppression with iniurie: they talke proudely and presumptuously.
9 For they stretch foorth their mouth vnto the heauen: and their tongue goeth through the worlde.
10 Therfore [God] his people turneth thither: and there is drawen vnto them waters in a full [cuppe.]
11 And they say, howe shoulde God perceaue it? is there knowledge in the most hyghest?
12 Lo these vngodly and fortunate in the worlde: do possesse riches.
13 Truely I haue cleansed my heart in vayne: and wasshed my handes in innocencie.
14 All the day long I haue ben scourged: and chastened euery mornyng.
15 If I shoulde say that I woulde iudge after this sort: lo then I shoulde condempne the generation of thy children.
16 Therfore I considered howe I might vnderstande this: but it was to paynefull in myne eyes.
17 Untyll I went vnto the sanctuarie of God: and vnderstood the ende of them.
18 Truely thou doest set them in slippery places: and castest them downe headlong for to be destroyed.
19 Oh howe be they brought to a destruction euen vpon a sodayne: they faynt, they consume away for very dread.
20 They be as a dreame to a man after he is once waked: O Lorde thou wylt cause their image to be dispised in the citie.
21 Ueryly thus was my heart inflamed: thus was my reynes pricked.
22 So foolishe was I and voyde of vnderstanding: I was euen a bruite beast before thee.
23 Neuerthelesse I am alway with thee: for thou hast holden me by my ryght hande.
24 Thou hast guyde me with thy counsayle: and after that thou receauedst me with glorie.
25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee? and there is none vpon earth that I desire besides thee.
26 My fleshe and my heart fayleth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for euer.
27 For lo, they that kepe them selues a loofe from thee shall perishe: thou destroyest euery one that committeth fornication agaynst thee.
28 But it is good for me to come neare vnto God: [wherfore] I put my trust in thee O Lorde God, that I may declare all thy workes.
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.