« | Zechariah 10 | » |
1 Pray the Lorde then betimes to geue the latter rayne, so shall the Lorde make bright cloudes, and geue you rayne inough, and to euery one grasse in the fielde.
2 For vaine is the aunswere of idols, the soothsayers see lyes, & the dreamers tell but vaine thinges, the comfort that they geue is nothing worth: therefore they went away lyke a flocke of sheepe, and were troubled, because they had no shephearde.
3 My wrothfull displeasure was moued against the shepheardes, and I wyll visite the goates: for the Lorde of hoastes wyl visite his flocke the house of Iuda, and wyll make them as a goodly fayre horse in the battaile.
4 Out of Iuda shall come the corner, the nayle, the battel bowe, and the appoynter of tribute also.
5 They shalbe as giauntes, which in the battaile treade downe their enemies in the myre of the streetes: they shal fight, for the Lorde shalbe with them, and the horsemen shalbe confounded.
6 I wyll comfort the house of Iuda, & preserue the house of Ioseph, I wyll bring them againe, for I pitie them, and they shalbe like as they were when I had not cast them of: for I the lord am their God, and wyll heare them.
7 Ephraim shalbe as a giaunt, and their heart shalbe cheareful as through wine: yea their children shal see it, and be glad, and their heart shal reioyce in the Lord.
8 I wyll hisse for them, & gather them together, for I wyl redeeme them: they shal encrease, as they encreased afore.
9 I wyll sowe them among the people, that they may thincke vpon me in farre countryes, they shal liue with their children, and turne againe.
10 I wyll bring them againe also from the land of Egypt, and gather them out of Assyria: I wyll cary them into the lande of Gilead & to Libanus, and place shall not be founde for them.
11 He shal go vpon the sea of trouble, and smyte the sea waues, so that all the depe floodes shalbe dryed vp: the proude boasting of Assur shalbe cast downe, & the scepter of Egypt shalbe taken away.
12 I wil comfort them in ye lord, that they may walke in his name, saith the Lord.
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.