« | Romans 7 | » |
1 Knowe, ye not brethre (for I speake to the that knowe the lawe) how that the law hath power ouer a ma, as long as he lyueth?
2 For the woman which is in subiectio to a man, is bounde by the lawe to the man, as long as he lyueth: But yf the man be dead, she is loosed from the lawe of the man.
3 So then yf whyle the man lyueth, she couple her selfe with another man, she shalbe counted a wedlocke breaker: But yf the man be dead, she is free from the law, so that she is no wedlocke breaker, though she couple her selfe with another man.
4 Euen so, ye also my brethren, are dead concernyng the lawe by the body of Christe, that ye shoulde be coupled to another, who is raysed from the dead, that we shoulde bryng foorth fruite vnto God.
5 For when we were in the fleshe, the lustes of sinne whiche were by the lawe wrought in our members, to bring forth fruite vnto death.
6 But nowe are we delyuered from the lawe, and dead vnto it whervnto we were in bondage, that we shoulde serue in newenesse of spirite, and not in the oldnesse of the letter.
7 What shall we say then? Is the lawe sinne? God forbyd. Neuerthelesse, I knewe not sinne, but by the lawe: For I had not knowen lust, except the lawe had sayde, thou shalt not lust.
8 But sinne, takyng occasion by the commaundement, wrought in me all maner of concupiscence. For without the lawe, sinne [was] dead.
9 I once lyued without lawe: But when the commaundement came, sinne reuyued,
10 And I was dead. And the very same commaundemet, which was ordeyned vnto lyfe, was founde to be vnto me an occasion of death.
11 For sinne, takyng occasion by the commaundement, hath deceaued me, and by the same slewe [me.]
12 Wherfore the lawe is holy, and the commaundement holy, & iust and good.
13 Was that then which was good, made death vnto me? God forbyd. But sinne, that sinne myght appeare, by that which was good to worke death in me: that sinne by ye commaundement, myght be out of measure sinfull.
14 For we knowe, that the lawe is spirituall: but I am carnall, solde vnder sinne.
15 For that which I do, I alowe not. For what I woulde, that do I not: but what I hate, that do I.
16 If I do nowe that which I woulde not, I consent vnto the lawe, that it is good.
17 Nowe then, it is not I that do it: but sinne that dwelleth in me.
18 For I knowe, that in me, that is to say in my fleshe, dwelleth no good thyng. For to wyll, is present with me: but I fynde no meanes to perfourme that which is good.
19 For the good that I woulde, do I not: But the euyll which I woulde not, that do I.
20 And yf I do that I woulde not, then is it not I that doth it, but sinne that dwelleth in me.
21 I fynde then by the lawe, that when I woulde do good, euyll is present with me.
22 For I delite in the lawe of God, after the inwarde man:
23 But I see another lawe in my members, rebellyng agaynst the lawe of my mynde, and subduyng me vnto the lawe of sinne, which is in my members.
24 O wretched man that I am: Who shall deliuer me from the body of this death?
25 I thanke God through Iesus Christe our Lorde. So then, with the mynde I my selfe serue the lawe of God: but with the fleshe, the lawe of sinne.
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.