« | Zechariah 8 | » |
1 So the word of the lord of hoastes came vnto me, saying:
2 Thus saith the lorde of hoastes: I was in great ielousie for Sion, yea I haue ben very ielous for her with great wrath.
3 Thus saith the Lord: I wyl returne vnto Sion, & wyll dwell in the middest of Hierusalem: so that Hierusalem shalbe called, A faithful and true citie, the hil of the Lorde of hoastes, an holy hill.
4 Thus saith the lord of hoastes: There shal yet olde men & olde women dwel againe in the streetes of Hierusalem: yea, & such as go with staues in their handes for very age.
5 The streetes of the citie also shalbe ful of young boyes and damsels playing in the streetes thereof.
6 Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: If the residue of this people thinke it to be vnpossible in [their] eyes in these dayes: shoulde it therfore be vnpossible in my sight, saith the Lorde of hoastes?
7 Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: Beholde, I wyll deliuer my people from the countryes of the east and west,
8 And wyl bring them againe, that they may dwel in the middest of Hierusalem: they shalbe my people, and I wyl be their God in trueth and righteousnesse.
9 Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: Let your hands be strong ye that now heare these wordes by the mouth of the prophetes which are in these dayes, that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hoastes is layde, that the temple may be builded.
10 For before these dayes neither men nor cattaile could winne any thing, neither might any man come in and out in reste for trouble: but I let euery man go against his neighbour.
11 Neuerthelesse, I wyl now intreate the residue of this people no more as afore time, saith the Lorde of Hoastes.
12 For the seede shal prosper, the vine shal geue her fruite, the grounde shall geue her encrease, and the heauens shal geue their deawe, and I shall cause the remnaunt of this people to haue all these in possession.
13 And it shal come to passe, that like as ye were a curse among the heathen O ye house of Iuda and ye house of Israel, euen so wyll I deliuer you, that ye shal be a blessing: feare not, but let your handes be strong:
14 For thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: Like as I thought to punishe you, what time as your fathers prouoked me vnto wrath, saith the Lorde of hoastes, and spared not:
15 Euen so am I determined now in these dayes for to do well vnto the house of Iuda & Hierusale: [therfore] feare ye not.
16 Now the thinges that ye shall do, are these: Speake euery man the trueth vnto his neighbour, execute iudgement truely & peaceably within your portes:
17 And let none of you imagine euil in his heart against his neighbour, and loue no false othes: for all these are ye thinges that I hate, saith the Lorde.
18 And the word of the Lorde of hoastes came vnto me, saying:
19 Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: The fast of the fourth [moneth] the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seuenth, and the fast of the tenth, shalbe ioy & gladnesse and prosperous hie feastes vnto the house of Iuda: onely loue the trueth & peace.
20 Thus saith the lord of hoastes: There shal yet come people, and the inhabiters of many cities:
21 And they that dwell in one citie shall go to another saying, Up, let vs go and pray before the Lorde, let vs seeke the Lorde of hoastes: I wyll go with you.
22 Yea much people and mightie nations shal come to seeke the lorde of hoastes at Hierusalem, & to pray before the Lorde.
23 Thus saith the Lorde of hoastes: In that time shall ten men (out of al maner of language of the Gentiles) take one Iewe by the hemme of his garment, and say, We wyll go with you: for we haue heard that God is among you.
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.