« | Isaiah 56 | » |
1 Thus saith the Lorde, Kepe equitie, and do right: for my sauyng health shal come shortlye, and my righteousnesse shalbe opened.
2 Blessed is the man that doth this, and the mans childe which keepeth the same: He that taketh heede that he vnhalowe not the Sabbath [that is] he that keepeth him selfe that he do no euill.
3 Then shall not the straunger whiche cleaueth to the Lorde, say, Alas the Lorde hath shut me cleane out from his people: Neither shall the gelded man say, Lo I am a drye tree.
4 For thus saith the Lorde vnto the gelded that kepeth my Sabbath, [namelye] that holdeth greatly of the thyng that pleaseth me, and kepeth my couenaunt:
5 Unto them wyll I geue in my householde and within my walles, a better heritage and name then yf they had ben called sonnes and daughters: I wyll geue them an euerlastyng name that shall not perishe.
6 Agayne, the straungers that sticke to the Lorde to serue hym, and to loue his name, and to be his seruauntes, and all they which kepe them selues that they vnhalowe not the Sabbath, namely that they fulfyll my couenaunt:
7 Them will I bring to my holy mountayne, & make them ioyfull in my house of prayer: their burnt offerynges and sacrifices shalbe accepted vpon myne aulter: for my house shalbe called an house of prayer for all people.
8 Thus saith the Lorde God which gathereth together the scattered of Israel: I wyll bryng yet an other congregation to hym.
9 Come all ye beastes of the fielde, that ye may deuoure all the beastes of the wood.
10 For his watchmen are all blynde, they haue altogether no vnderstanding, they are all dumbe dogges not beyng able to barke, they are sleepy, sluggishe are they and lye snortyng.
11 They are shamelesse dogges that be neuer satisfied: The sheepheardes also in like maner haue no vnderstandyng, but euery man turneth his owne way, euery one after his owne couetousnesse with all his power.
12 Come [say they] I wyll fetche wine, so shall we fyll our selues, that we may be drunken: and do to morowe lyke as to day, yea and much more.
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.