« | Psalm 90 | » |
1 [A prayer of Moyses the man of God.] Lorde thou hast ben our habitation: from one generation to another generation.
2 Before the moutaynes were brought foorth, or euer the earth & the worlde were made: thou art God both from euerlastyng, and also vntyll euerlastyng.
3 Thou turnest man most miserable euen vnto dust: thou sayest also, O ye children of men returne you into dust.
4 For a thousande yeres in thy syght are but as yestarday that is past: and as a watch in the nyght.
5 Thou makest them to flowe away, they are a sleepe: they be in the morning as an hearbe that groweth.
6 In the mornyng it florisheth and groweth vp: in the euenyng it is cut downe and wythered.
7 For we be consumed through thy displeasure: and we are astonyed through thy wrathfull indignation.
8 Thou hast set our misdeedes before thee: and our sinnes wherof we be not priuie, in the lyght of thy countenaunce.
9 For all our dayes do passe in thine anger: we spende our yeres as [in speaking] a worde.
10 The dayes of our yeres be in all threescore yeres and tenne, and yf through strength [of nature] men come to foure score yeres: yet is their iolitie but labour and care, yea moreouer it passeth in haste from vs, and we flee from it.
11 Who regardeth the force of thy wrath? for euen there after as a man feareth thee, so [feeleth he] thy displeasure.
12 Make vs to knowe so our dayes, that we number them: and we wyll frame a heart [vnto] wisdome.
13 Turne agayne O God (what, for euer [wylt thou be angry?]) and be gratious vnto thy seruauntes.
14 Replenishe vs early in the mornyng with thy mercie: and we wyll crye out for ioy, and be glad all the dayes of our lyfe.
15 Make vs mery accordyng to the dayes that thou hast afflicted vs: and accordyng to the yeres wherin we haue suffred aduersitie.
16 Let thy worke appeare in thy seruauntes: and thy glory in their children.
17 And let the glorious maiestie of the Lorde our God be vpon vs: and prosper thou the worke of our handes vpon vs, O prosper thou our handy worke.
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.