« | Revelation 2 | » |
1 Vnto the Angel of the Churche at Ephesus, write: these thynges sayth he that holdeth the seuen starres in his ryght hande, and that walketh in the middes of the seuen golden candlestickes:
2 I knowe thy workes, and thy labour, and thy patience, and howe thou canst not forbeare them which are euyll: and hast examined them which say they are Apostles, and are not, and hast founde them lyers:
3 And hast suffred, and hast patience, and for my names sake hast laboured, and hast not faynted.
4 Neuertheles, I haue [somewhat] against thee, because thou hast left thy first loue.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first workes: Or els I wyll come vnto thee shortly, & wyll remoue thy candlesticke out of his place, except thou repet.
6 But this thou hast, because thou hatest the deedes of the Nicolaitans, which (deedes) I also hate.
7 Let hym that hath an eare, heare what ye spirite sayth vnto the Churches. To hym that ouercommeth, wyll I geue to eate of the tree of lyfe, which is in the middes of the paradise of God.
8 And vnto the Angel of the Churche of Smyrna, write: These thynges sayth he that is first and the last, which was dead, and is alyue.
9 I knowe thy workes, and tribulation, and pouertie: but thou art riche. And I know the blasphemie of them which cal them selues Iewes, and are not, but (are) the synagogue of Satan.
10 Feare none of those thynges, which thou shalt suffer: Beholde, the deuyll shall caste some of you into prison, to tempt you, and ye shall haue tribulation ten dayes. Be faythfull vnto the death, and I wyll geue thee a crowne of lyfe.
11 Let hym that hath an eare, heare what the spirite sayth vnto ye Churches. He that ouercommeth, shall not be hurt of the seconde death.
12 And to the Angell of the Churche in Pergamos, write: This saith he which hath ye sharpe sword with two edges:
13 I knowe thy workes, and where thou dwellest, euen where Satans seate is, and thou kepest my name, and hast not denyed my fayth: Euen in those dayes when Antipas my faythfull martir was slayne among you, where Satan dwelleth.
14 But I haue a fewe thynges agaynst thee, because thou hast there, them that maynetayne the doctrine of Balaam, whiche taught in Balacke, to put a stumblyng blocke before the chyldren of Israel, that they shoulde eate of meate dedicate vnto idols, & commit fornicatio.
15 Euen so hast thou the that maintayne the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thyng I hate.
16 Repent, or els I wyll come vnto thee shortly, and wyll fyght agaynst them with the sworde of my mouth.
17 Let hym that hath an eare, heare what ye spirite sayth vnto the Churches. To hym that ouercommeth, wyll I geue to eate Manna that is hyd, and wyll geue hym a white stone, and in the stone a newe name written, which no man knoweth, sauyng he yt receaueth it.
18 And vnto the Angell of the Churche of Thyatira, write: This saith ye sonne of God, who hath eyes lyke vnto a flambe of fyre, and his feete are like fine brasse.
19 I knowe thy workes, and thy loue, seruice, and fayth, and thy patience, and thy deedes, which are mo at the last the at the first.
20 Notwithstandyng, I haue a fewe thynges agaynst thee, because thou sufferest that woman Iesabel, which called her selfe a prophetisse, to teache, and to deceaue my seruauntes, to make them commit fornication, and to eate meates offred vp vnto idols.
21 And I gaue her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.
22 Beholde, I wyll cast her into a bed, and them that commit fornication with her into great aduersitie, except they turne from their deedes:
23 And I wyll kyll her chyldren with death, & all the Churches shall knowe, that I am he which searcheth the raynes and heartes: And I wyll geue vnto euery one of you, accordyng vnto his workes.
24 Vnto you I say, and vnto other of the of Thyatira, as many as haue not this learnyng, & which haue not knowe the deepenesse of Satan, as they say, I wyll put vpon you none other burthen:
25 But that which ye haue alredy, holde fast tyll I come,
26 And whosoeuer ouercommeth, and kepeth my workes vnto the ende, to hym wyll I geue power ouer nations,
27 And he shall rule them with a rodde of yron: and as the vessels of a potter, shall they be broken to sheuers:
28 Euen as I receaued of my father, so wyll I geue hym the mornyng starre.
29 Let hym that hath an eare, heare what the spirite sayth to the Churches.
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.