« | Titus 2 | » |
1 But speake thou the thynges which become wholsome doctrine.
2 That the elder men be watchyng, graue, sober, sounde in fayth, in loue, in pacience:
3 The elder women lykewyse, that they be in such behauiour as becometh holynesse, not false accusers, not geuen to much wine, teachers of good thinges,
4 To make the young women sober mynded, to loue their husbandes, to loue their chyldren,
5 (To be) discrete, chaste, house kepers, good, obedient vnto their owne husbandes, that the worde of God be not blasphemed.
6 Young men lykewyse exhort, to be sober mynded.
7 In all thynges shewyng thy selfe a paterne of good workes, in the doctrine, vncorruptnesse, grauitie, integritie,
8 Wholsome worde, vnrebukeable, that he which withstandeth, may be ashamed, hauyng no euyll thyng to say of you.
9 [Exhort] seruauntes, to be obedient vnto their owne maisters, and to please them in all thynges, not aunsweryng agayne:
10 Neither pickers, but shewing all good faythfulnesse, that they may adourne the doctrine of God our sauiour in all thynges.
11 For there hath appeared the grace of God [which is] healthful to all men,
12 Teachyng vs, that denying vngodlynesse and worldly lustes, we shoulde lyue soberlie and ryghteouslie, and godlie in this present worlde:
13 Lokyng for that blessed hope and appearyng of the glorie of the great God, and our sauiour Iesus Christe,
14 Which gaue hym selfe for vs, that he myght redeeme vs from all vnryghteousnesse, and pourge vs a peculier people vnto hym selfe, zelous of good workes.
15 These thynges speake and exhort, and rebuke with all aucthoritie. Let no man dispise thee.
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.