« | Psalm 74 | » |
1 [A wise instruction (to be song) of Asaph.] O Lorde wherfore dost thou forsake vs altogether? wherfore breaketh foorth thy anger agaynst the sheepe of thy pasture.
2 Remember thy congregation, thou hast possest it nowe a long tyme: thou hast redeemed the rodde of thine inheritaunce, euen mount Sion wherein thou dwellest.
3 Lyft vp thy feete for to destroy vtterly euery enemie: which hath done euyll in thy sanctuarie.
4 Thyne aduersaries roare in the myddest of thy congregations: and set vp their banners for signes [of victorie.]
5 He that hewed tymber afore out of thicke woddes [for to builde the temple:] was esteemed as one offeryng a present [to God] aboue.
6 But nowe they breake downe into peeces all the carued worke therof: with axes and hammers.
7 They haue set fire on thy holy places: they haue defiled the dwellyng place of thy name [castyng it downe] to the groud.
8 Yea, they sayde in their heartes, let vs make hauocke of them altogether: thus haue they burnt vp all the houses of God in the lande.
9 We see not our ensignes, there is not one prophete more: no not one is there amongst vs that vnderstandeth our case.
10 O Lorde shall the aduersarie do this dishonour continually? shall the enemie blaspheme thy name for euer?
11 Why withdrawest thou thy hande, yea thy right hande? consume [them, drawing] it out of thy bosome.
12 Truely God is my kyng of olde: who worketh saluation in the myddest of the earth.
13 Thou didst deuide the sea through thy power: thou brakest the heades of the dragons in the waters.
14 Thou smotest the heades of Leuiathan in peeces: and gauest hym to be meate for the people in wildernesse.
15 Thou broughtest out fountaynes and waters out of the harde rockes: thou dyddest drye vp mightie waters.
16 The day is thine, & the nyght is thine: thou hast prepared the light & the sunne.
17 Thou hast set all the borders of the earth: thou hast ordeyned summer and wynter.
18 Remember this O God, the enemie hath dishonoured: and the foolishe people hath blasphemed thy name.
19 O deliuer not the soule of thy turtle doue vnto a wylde beast: forget not the congregation of the poore for euer.
20 Loke vpon the couenaunt: for darknesse of the earth hath replenisshed houses with iniquitie.
21 O let not the simple go away ashamed: but let the afflicted & needy geue prayse vnto thy name.
22 Arise O Lord, mayntayne thine owne cause: remember the dishonour that the foolishe man [doth] vnto thee dayly.
23 Forget not the voyce of thine enemies: the mutteryng of them that hate thee ascendeth vp continually.
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.