1599 Geneva Bible an Inspiring Essence
The Geneva Bible is one of the most historically significant translations of the Bible into English, preceding the King James Version by 51 years. It was the primary Bible of 16th century English Protestantism and was used by William Shakespeare, Oliver Cromwell, John Knox, John Donne and othersย (Download PDF).
Scripture Verses from the Heart of the 1599 Geneva Scriptures
๐๐ Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ in the furnace of affliction.ย โ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐๐:๐๐
โด To whom coming, as unto a living stone, ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ง, ๐๐ฎ๐ญ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐, and precious, โต Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.ย โ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐:๐-๐
โน But ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ into his marvellous light:ย โ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ ๐:๐
ย ยนยณ But we are bound to give thanks alway to ๐๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: โ ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐:๐๐
ยณ Praise the Lord ; for the Lord is good: sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant. โด For the ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐๐๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฌ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐. โต For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.ย โ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐๐:๐-๐
โถ For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐ข๐ฆ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐, ๐๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ก.โ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐:๐
ยนยฒ Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord ; and the people whom ๐ก๐ ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ง๐๐.ย โ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐:๐๐
ยนโน If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, butย ๐ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ซ๐ฅ๐, therefore the world hateth you.ย โ ๐๐จ๐ก๐ง ๐๐:๐๐
โด Blessed is the man ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.ย โ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐๐:๐
ย ยนโต Only the Lord had a delight in thy fathers to love them, and he ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ after them, even you above all people, ๐๐ฌ ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฒ. โ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐:๐๐
ย ยนโด And he said, The ๐๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐๐, that thou shouldest ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ, and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth. โ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐:๐๐
ย ยนโด These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐, and ๐๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ง, and ๐๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฎ๐ฅ. โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐:๐๐ย
ยนโทFor God hath put in their hearts to fulfill his will, and to do with one consent for to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God be fulfilled.ย โ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐:๐๐
ย For God hath not given to us the Spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, neither of me his prisoner: but be partaker of the afflictions of the Gospel according to the power of God, Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us through Christ Jesus before the world was, But is now made manifest by that appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality unto light through the Gospel. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and Apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For the which cause I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him against that day. Keep the true pattern of the wholesome words, which thou hast heard of me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.ย โ 2 Timothy 1:7-13
โThe loss of liberty, to a generous mind, is worse than death. And yet we know that there have been those in all ages who for the sake of preferment, or some imaginary honor, have freely lent a helping hand to oppress, nay to destroy, their country.... This is what every man who values freedom ought to consider. He should act by judgment and not by affection or self-interest; for where those prevail, no ties of either country or kindred are regarded; as upon the other hand, the man who loves his country prefers its liberty to all other considerations, well knowing that without liberty life is a misery....โ โ Andrew Hamilton
Honoring Saint Thomas Becket: 850th Anniversary of His Martyrdom
ย DECEMBER
Today is the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket on December 29, 1170. Thomas Becket was a statesman, a scholar, a chancellor, a priest, an archbishop, and a lion of religious liberty.
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Before the Magna Carta was drafted, before the right to free exercise of religion was enshrined as Americaโs first freedom in our glorious Constitution, Thomas gave his life so that, as he said, โthe Church will attain liberty and peace.โ
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The son of a London sheriff and once described as โa lowโborn clerkโ by the King who had him killed, Thomas Becket rose to become the leader of the church in England. When the crown attempted to encroach upon the affairs of the house of God through the Constitutions of Clarendon, Thomas refused to sign the offending document. When the furious King Henry II threatened to hold him in contempt of royal authority and questioned why this โpoor and humbleโ priest would dare defy him, Archbishop Becket responded โGod is the supreme ruler, above Kingsโ and โwe ought to obey God rather than men.โ
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Because Thomas would not assent to rendering the church subservient to the state, he was forced to forfeit all his property and flee his own country. Years later, after the intervention of the Pope, Becket was allowed to return โ and continued to resist the Kingโs oppressive interferences into the life of the church. Finally, the King had enough of Thomas Becketโs stalwart defense of religious faith and reportedly exclaimed in consternation: โWill no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?โ
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The Kingโs knights responded and rode to Canterbury Cathedral to deliver Thomas Becket an ultimatum: give in to the Kingโs demands or die. Thomasโs reply echoes around the world and across the ages. His last words on this earth were these: โFor the name of Jesus and the protection of the Church, I am ready to embrace death.โ Dressed in holy robes, Thomas was cut down where he stood inside the walls of his own church.
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Thomas Becketโs martyrdom changed the course of history. It eventually brought about numerous constitutional limitations on the power of the state over the Church across the West. In England, Becketโs murder led to the Magna Cartaโs declaration 45 years later that: โ[T]he English church shall be free, and shall have its rights undiminished and its liberties unimpaired.โ
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When the Archbishop refused to allow the King to interfere in the affairs of the Church, Thomas Becket stood at the intersection of church and state. That stand, after centuries of state-sponsored religious oppression and religious wars throughout Europe, eventually led to the establishment of religious liberty in the New World. It is because of great men like Thomas Becket that the first American President George Washington could proclaim more than 600 years later that, in the United States, โAll possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenshipโ and that โit is now no more that toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights.โ
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Thomas Becketโs death serves as a powerful and timeless reminder to every American that our freedom from religious persecution is not a mere luxury or accident of history, but rather an essential element of our liberty. It is our priceless treasure and inheritance. And it was bought with the blood of martyrs.
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As Americans, we were first united by our belief that โrebellion to tyrants is obedience to Godโ and that defending liberty is more important than life itself. If we are to continue to be the land of the free, no government official, no governor, no bureaucrat, no judge, and no legislator must be allowed to decree what is orthodox in matters of religion or to require religious believers to violate their consciences. No right is more fundamental to a peaceful, prosperous, and virtuous society than the right to follow oneโs religious convictions. As I declared in Krasiลski Square in Warsaw, Poland on July 6, 2017, the people of America and the people of the world still cry out: โWe want God.โ
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On this day, we celebrate and revere Thomas Becketโs courageous stand for religious liberty and we reaffirm our call to end religious persecution worldwide. In my historic address to the United Nations last year, I made clear that America stands with believers in every country who ask only for the freedom to live according to the faith that is within their own hearts. I also stated that global bureaucrats have absolutely no business attacking the sovereignty of nations that wish to protect innocent life, reflecting the belief held by the United States and many other countries that every child โ born and unborn โ is a sacred gift from God. Earlier this year, I signed an Executive Order to prioritize religious freedom as a core dimension of United States foreign policy. We have directed every Ambassador โ and the over 13,000 United States Foreign Service officers and specialists โ in more than 195 countries to promote, defend, and support religious freedom as a central pillar of American diplomacy.
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We pray for religious believers everywhere who suffer persecution for their faith. We especially pray for their brave and inspiring shepherds โ like Cardinal Joseph Zen of Hong Kong and Pastor Wang Yi of Chengdu โ who are tireless witnesses to hope.
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To honor Thomas Becketโs memory, the crimes against people of faith must stop, prisoners of conscience must be released, laws restricting freedom of religion and belief must be repealed, and the vulnerable, the defenseless, and the oppressed must be protected. The tyranny and murder that shocked the conscience of the Middle Ages must never be allowed to happen again. As long as America stands, we will always defend religious liberty.
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A society without religion cannot prosper. A nation without faith cannot endure โ because justice, goodness, and peace cannot prevail without the grace of God.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim December 29, 2020, as the 850th anniversary of the martyrdom of Saint Thomas Becket. I invite the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches and customary places of meeting with appropriate ceremonies in commemoration of the life and legacy of Thomas Becket.
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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-eighth day of December, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
DONALD J. TRUMP