« | Revelation 15 | » |
1 And I sawe another signe in heauen, great & marueylous, seuen angels hauyng the seuen last plagues, for in them is fulfylled the wrath of God.
2 And I sawe as it were a glassie sea mingled with fyre, and them that had gotten the victorie of the beast, and of his image, and of his marke, and of the number of his name, stande on ye glassie sea, hauyng the harpes of God.
3 And they sang the song of Moyses the seruaunt of God, and the song of the lambe, saying: Great and marueylous are thy workes Lorde God almightie, iust and true are thy wayes thou kyng of saintes.
4 Who shall not feare thee O Lorde, and glorifie thy name? for thou only art holy: And all gentiles shal come and worship before thee, for thy iudgemetes are made manifest.
5 And after that I loked, and beholde, the temple of the tabernacle of testimonie was open in heauen:
6 And the seuen angels came out of the temple, which had the seuen plagues, clothed in pure and bryght lynnen, and hauing their brestes girded with golden girdels.
7 And one of the foure beastes, gaue vnto the seuen angels seuen golden vials, full of the wrath of God which lyueth for euermore.
8 And the temple was full of the smoke of the glorie of God, and of his power: and no man was able to enter into the temple, tyll the seuen plagues of the seuen angels were fulfylled.
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.