« | Revelation 7 | » |
1 And after that, I sawe foure angels stande on the foure corners of the earth, holding the foure wyndes of ye earth, that the wynde shoulde not blowe on the earth, neither on the sea, neither on any tree.
2 And I sawe another angell ascende from the rysing of the sunne, which had the seale of the lyuyng God, and he cryed with a loude voyce to the foure angels to whom power was geuen to hurt the earth and the sea,
3 Saying: Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, neither the trees, tyll we haue sealed the seruautes of our God in their foreheades.
4 And I hearde the number of them which were sealed: And there were sealed an 100 and 44 thousande, of all the tribes of the chyldren of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of Iuda were sealed 12 thousande. Of the tribe of Ruben were sealed 12 thousande. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed 12 thousande.
6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed 12 thousande. Of the tribe of Nephthali were sealed 12 thousande. Of ye tribe of Manasses were sealed 12 thousande.
7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed 12 thousande. Of ye tribe of Leui were sealed 12 thousande. Of ye tribe of Isachar were sealed 12 thousande.
8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed 12 thousande. Of the tribe of Ioseph were sealed 12 thousande. Of the tribe of Beniamin were sealed 12 thousand.
9 After this I behelde, and loe a great multitude which no man could number of all nations, and kinredes, and people, and tongues, stoode before the throne, and before the lambe, clothed with long whyte garmentes, and palmes in their handes,
10 And cryed with a loude voyce, saying: Saluation be ascribed to hym that sitteth vpon the throne of our God, and vnto the lambe.
11 And all the angels stoode in the compasse of the throne, and of the elders, & of the foure beastes, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshypped God,
12 Saying, Amen: Blessyng, and glorie, and wisedome, and thankes, & honour, and power, and myght, be vnto our God for euermore, Amen.
13 And one of the elders aunswered, saying vnto me: What are these which are arayed in long whyte garmentes? and whence came they?
14 And he sayde vnto hym, Lorde thou wotest. And he sayde to me: These are they which came out of great tribulation, and haue wasshed their long robes, and made them whyte by the blood of the lambe.
15 Therefore are they in the presence of the throne of God, and serue hym daye and nyght in his temple, and he that sitteth in the throne, wyll dwell among them.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst, neither shall the sunne lyght on them, neither any heate.
17 For the lambe which is in the myddes of the throne shall feede them, and shall leade them vnto fountaynes of lyuyng water, and God shall wype awaye all teares from their eyes.
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.