« | Joel 2 | » |
1 Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion, and showte in my holy hyll, let all the inhabitauntes of the earth tremble: for the day of the Lorde is come, for it is nye at hande.
2 A darke and glomie day, a cloudie and blacke day: as the mornyng is spread ouer the mountaynes [so is this] populus & strong people, like it there was none from the beginning, nor shalbe herafter for euermore.
3 Before him is a deuouryng fire, and behynde him a burnyng flambe: the lande is as a pleasaunt garden before him, and behinde him a waste desert, yea and nothyng shall escape him.
4 The shewe of him is as the shewe of horses, and like horsemen, so shall they runne.
5 Lyke the noyse of charrettes vpon the toppes of the mountaynes they shall skip, like the noyse of a flamyng fire deuouryng the stubble, [and] as a strong people prepared to battayle.
6 Before his face shall the people tremble, the countenaunce of all folkes shall waxe [blacke] as a pot.
7 They shall runne like strong men, and climbe the walles like men of warre: & euery one shall march on in his way, and they shal not linger in their pathes.
8 No man shall thrust another, but euery one shall walke in his path: and if they shall fall on the sworde, they shall not be wounded.
9 They shall runne to and fro in the citie, they shall runne vp & downe vpon the wall, they shall climbe into the houses, they shall enter in at the windowes like a theefe.
10 The earth shall quake before him, the heauens shall tremble, the sunne and the moone shalbe darke, and the starres shall withdrawe their shinyng.
11 And the Lorde shall geue his voyce before his hoast, for his campe is exceeding great, for he is mightie that executeth his commaundement: for the day of the Lorde is great and very terrible, and who can abide it?
12 But nowe saith ye Lord, turne you vnto me with all your heartes, with fasting, with weepyng, and with mournyng.
13 And rent your heartes and not your garmentes, & turne you vnto the Lorde your God, for he is gratious & mercifull, slowe to anger, and of great goodnesse, and he wyll repent him of the euyll.
14 Who knoweth whether the Lorde wyll returne and take compassion, and wyll leaue behinde him a blessing, [euen] meate offeryng and drynke offeryng vnto the Lorde your God?
15 Blowe vp a trumpet in Sion, proclayme a fast, call an assemblye, sanctifie the congregation.
16 Gather the people, gather the elders, assemble the children & suckyng babes: let the bridegrome come foorth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet.
17 Let the priestes the Lordes ministers weepe betwixt the porche & the aulter, and let them say, Spare thy people O Lord, and geue not ouer thine heritage to reproche, that the heathen shoulde rule ouer them: Wherfore shoulde they say amongst the heathen, Where is their God?
18 And [then] the Lorde wyll be ielous ouer his lande, & wyll spare his people.
19 Yea the Lorde wyll aunswere, and say to his people, Beholde I wyll sende you corne, and wine, and oyle, and wyll satisfie you therwith, and wyll not geue you ouer any more to be a reproche among the heathen.
20 And I wyll remoue farre of from you the northen [armie] and I wyll driue him into a lande barren and desolate, with his face towardes the east sea, and his hinder partes towardes the vttermost sea: and his stinch shall arise, and his corruption shall ascende, because he hath exalted him selfe to do this.
21 Feare not O thou lande, be glad and reioyce: for the Lorde wyll do great thinges.
22 Be not afrayde ye beastes of the fielde, for the fruitfull places of the desert are greene: for the tree beares her fruite, the figge tree and the vine yeelde their strength.
23 Be glad then ye children of Sion, and reioyce in the Lorde your God: for he hath geuen you moderate rayne, & he wyll sende downe for you the rayne, [euen] the first rayne & the latter rayne, in the first [moneth.]
24 And the barnes shalbe fylled with corne, and the presses shall ouerflowe with wine and oyle.
25 And I wyll restore to you the yeres which the grashopper, the canker worme, the locust, and the caterpiller haue deuoured, my great armie which I sent amongst you.
26 And you shall eate in plentie and be satisfied, and shall prayse the name of the Lorde your God which hath dealt wonderously with you, and my people shall not be ashamed any more.
27 And you shall knowe that I am in the middle of Israel, and [that] I am the Lorde your God, and none but I: and my people shall neuer be ashamed.
28 And it shall come to passe after this: I wyll powre out my spirite vpon all fleshe, and your sonnes and your daughters shall prophecie, your olde men shall dreame dreames, your young men shall see visions.
29 Also in those dayes vpon the seruauntes and vpon the handmaydens wyll I powre out my spirite.
30 And I will shewe wonders in heauen and in earth, blood, and fire, and pillers of smoke.
31 The sunne shalbe turned into darknesse, and the moone into blood, before that great and terrible day of the Lord come.
32 But whosoeuer shall call on the name of the Lord, shalbe saued: for there shalbe deliueraunce in mount Sion and in Hierusalem, as the Lord hath promised, and [also] in the remnaunt whom the Lorde shall call.
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.