« | Zephaniah 3 |
1 Wo to that abhominable, filthy, and cruel citie.
2 She hearde not the voyce, she receaued not correction, she trusted not in the Lorde, she drewe not neare to her God.
3 Her rulers within her are as roaring lions, her iudges are as wolues in the euening, whiche leaue nothing behinde them till the morowe.
4 Her prophetes are light persons & vnfaythful men, her priestes haue polluted the sanctuarie, & haue wrested the law.
5 But the iust Lord that doth no vnright, was in the middes therof, euery morning shewing them his lawe clearly, and ceassed not: but the vngodly will not learne to be ashamed.
6 I haue destroyed the nations, their towres are desolate, I haue made their streetes wast, that none shall passe by: their cities are destroyed, without man, and without inhabitaunt.
7 I sayde vnto them, O feare me, and be content to be refourmed, so their dwelling shoulde not be destroyed howe soeuer I visited them: But neuerthelesse, they rose vp early, and corrupted all their workes.
8 Therfore wayte ye vpon me, sayth the Lorde, vntill the time that I ryse vp to the pray: for I am determined to gather the people, & to bring the kingdomes together, that I may poure out myne anger, yea all my wrathfull displeasure vpon them: For all the earth shalbe consumed with the fire of my ielousie.
9 And then will I clense the lippes of the people, that they may euery one call vpon the name of the Lorde, and serue him with one consent.
10 From beyonde the riuers of Ethiopia, the daughter of my dispearsed prayng vnto me, shall bring me an offering.
11 In that time shalt thou no more be confounded, because of all the imaginations wherethorowe thou haddest offended me: for I will take away the proude boasters of thyne honour from thee, so that thou shalt no more triumph because of my holy hill.
12 In thee also will I leaue a smal poore simple people, whiche shall trust in the name of the Lorde.
13 The remnaunt of Israel shall do no wickednesse, nor speake lyes, neither shall there any deceytfull tongue be found in their mouthes: For they shalbe fed, and take their rest, and no man shall make them afrayde.
14 Reioyce O daughter Sion, be ioyfull O Israel: reioyce and be glad from thy whole heart O daughter Hierusalem,
15 For the Lorde hath taken away thy punishment, & hath cast out thyne enemies: The king of Israel, euen the Lord him selfe is with thee, so that thou nedest no more to feare any misfortune.
16 In that time it shalbe sayde to Hierusalem, Feare not: and to Sion, Let not thyne handes be flacke:
17 For the Lorde thy God in the mids of thee is mightie, he will saue [thee] he wil reioyce ouer thee with ioy, he wil quiet him selfe in his loue, he will reioyce ouer thee with gladnesse.
18 After a certayne time will I gather the afflicted that were of thee, and them that bare the reproche for it.
19 And behold, in that time will I destroy all those that vexe thee, I will helpe the lame, and gather vp the castaway: yea I will get them prayse and honour in al landes, where they haue ben put to shame.
20 At the same time will I bring you againe, & at the same time will I gather you: I will get you a name and a good report among all people of the earth, when I turne backe your captiuitie before your eyes, sayth the Lorde.
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.