« | Psalm 79 | » |
1 [A psalme of Asaph.] O Lord, the heathen are come into thyne inheritaunce: they haue defiled thy holy temple, they haue made Hierusale an heape [of stones]
2 They haue geuen the dead bodies of thy seruauntes to be meate vnto the foules of the ayre: and the fleshe of thy saintes vnto the beastes of the lande.
3 They haue shed their blood like water on euery syde of Hierusalem: and there is none to burie them.
4 We are become an open shame vnto our neyghbours: a very scorne and derision vnto them that are rounde about vs.
5 O God, howe long wylt thou be angry? shall thy ielousie burne lyke fire for euer?
6 Powre out thine indignation vpon the Heathen that haue not knowen thee: and vpon the kingdomes that haue not called vpon thy name.
7 For they haue deuoured Iacob: and layde waste his dwelling place.
8 O remember not against vs sinnes that be past, with all speede let thy tender mercy preuent vs: for we are brought very lowe.
9 Helpe vs O Lord of our saluation for the glory of thy name: deliuer vs, and be mercyfull vnto our sinnes for thy names sake.
10 Wherefore do the Heathen say, where is nowe their God? let the vengeaunce of thy seruauntes blood that is shed, be [openly knowen] amongst the Heathen in our sight.
11 Let the sorowfull sighing of the prisoners come before thee, accordyng vnto the greatnes of thy power: preserue thou those that [are] appoynted to dye.
12 And rewarde thou our neighbours seuen folde into their bosome: their blasphemie wherewith they haue blasphemed thee O God.
13 So we who be thy people and sheepe of thy pasture wyll confesse thee for euer: and we wyll alway set foorth in wordes thy prayse, from generation to generation.
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.