« | Psalm 9 | » |
1 [To the chiefe musition at the death of Labben, a psalme of Dauid.] I wyl prayse God with all myne heart: I wyl recite all thy marueylous workes.
2 I wyll be glad & reioyce in thee: I wyll sing psalmes vnto thy name, O thou most hyest.
3 For that myne enemies are returned backwarde: are fallen and perished at thy presence.
4 For that thou hast geuen iudgement in my ryght and cause: thou that iudgest right, hast sit in the throne of iudgement.
5 Thou hast rebuked the Heathen, and destroyed the vngodly: thou hast abolished their name for euer and euer.
6 O thou enemie thou thoughtest to bryng vs to a perpetuall desolation: and to destroy our cities, so that there shoulde remayne no memory of them.
7 But God wyll sit for euer: he hath prepared his throne for iudgement.
8 For he wyll iudge the world in iustice: and minister iudgement vnto the people in righteousnesse.
9 God also wyll be a refuge for the oppressed: euen a refuge in tyme of trouble.
10 And they that knowe thy name wyll put their trust in thee: for thou O God hast neuer fayled them that seeke thee.
11 Sing psalmes vnto God abiding at Sion: declare his notable actes among the people.
12 For he maketh inquisition of blood: he remembreth it, and forgetteth not the complaynt of the poore.
13 Haue mercy on me O God: consider the trouble whiche I suffer of them that hate me, lift me vp from the gates of death.
14 That I may shewe all thy prayses within the gates of the daughter of Sion: and reioyce in thy saluation.
15 The Heathen are sunke downe into the pit that they made: their owne foote is snared in the same net whiche they had layde priuily [for other.]
16 God is knowen by the iudgement that he hath executed: the vngodly is trapped in ye worke of his owne handes, this ought to be considered alwayes. Selah.
17 The wicked shalbe turned vnto hell: and all people that forget God.
18 But the poore shall not alway be forgotten: [neither] shall the hope of the humble afflicted, perishe for euer.
19 Aryse vp O God, let not man preuaile: let the Heathen in thy sight be iudged.
20 Put them in feare O God: that the Heathen may knowe them selues to be but men. Selah.
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.