Chapter V.
A statement of the philosophy of the indestructibility of
matter. One of the tenets of modern physics.
O Lord God, I will praise Thy name with joy,
In the midst of them that know Thy righteous judgements.
For Thou art good and merciful, the refuge of the poor;
When I cry to Thee, do not silently disregard me.
For no man taketh spoil from a mighty man;
Who, then, can take aught of a that Thou hast made, except Thou Thyself givest?
For man and his portion lie before Thee in the balance;
He cannot add to, so as to enlarge, what has been prescribed by Thee.
In the midst of them that know Thy righteous judgements.
For Thou art good and merciful, the refuge of the poor;
When I cry to Thee, do not silently disregard me.
For no man taketh spoil from a mighty man;
Who, then, can take aught of a that Thou hast made, except Thou Thyself givest?
For man and his portion lie before Thee in the balance;
He cannot add to, so as to enlarge, what has been prescribed by Thee.
O God, when we are in distress we call upon Thee for help,
And Thou dost not turn back our petition, for Thou art our God.
Cause not Thy hand to be heavy upon us,
Lest through necessity we sin.
Even though Thou restore us not, we will not keep away;
But unto Thee will we come.
For if I hunger, unto Thee will I cry, O God;
And Thou wilt give to me.
And Thou dost not turn back our petition, for Thou art our God.
Cause not Thy hand to be heavy upon us,
Lest through necessity we sin.
Even though Thou restore us not, we will not keep away;
But unto Thee will we come.
For if I hunger, unto Thee will I cry, O God;
And Thou wilt give to me.
Birds and fish dost Thou nourish,
In that Thou givest rain to the steppes that green grass may spring up,
So to prepare fodder in the steppe for every living thing;
And if they hunger, unto Thee do they lift up their face.
Kings and rulers and peoples Thou dost nourish, O God;
And who is the help of the poor and needy, if not Thou, O Lord? p. 110
And Thou wilt hearken--for who is good and gentle but thou?--
Making glad the soul of the humble by opening Thine hand in mercy.
In that Thou givest rain to the steppes that green grass may spring up,
So to prepare fodder in the steppe for every living thing;
And if they hunger, unto Thee do they lift up their face.
Kings and rulers and peoples Thou dost nourish, O God;
And who is the help of the poor and needy, if not Thou, O Lord? p. 110
And Thou wilt hearken--for who is good and gentle but thou?--
Making glad the soul of the humble by opening Thine hand in mercy.
Man's goodness is bestowed grudgingly and ...;
And if he repeat it without murmuring, even that is marvellous.
But Thy gift is great in goodness and wealth,
And he whose hope is set on Thee shall have no lack of gifts.
Upon the whole earth is Thy mercy, O Lord, in goodness.
And if he repeat it without murmuring, even that is marvellous.
But Thy gift is great in goodness and wealth,
And he whose hope is set on Thee shall have no lack of gifts.
Upon the whole earth is Thy mercy, O Lord, in goodness.
Happy is he whom God remembereth in granting to him a due
sufficiency;
If a man abound overmuch, he sinneth.
Sufficient are moderate means with righteousness,
And hereby the blessing of the Lord becomes abundance with righteousness.
They that fear the Lord rejoice in good gifts,
And thy goodness is upon Israel in Thy kingdom.
If a man abound overmuch, he sinneth.
Sufficient are moderate means with righteousness,
And hereby the blessing of the Lord becomes abundance with righteousness.
They that fear the Lord rejoice in good gifts,
And thy goodness is upon Israel in Thy kingdom.
Blessed is the glory of the Lord, for He is our king.
Chapter VI.
A song of hope and fearlessness and peace.
Happy is the man whose heart is fixed to call upon the name
of the Lord;
When he remembereth the name of the Lord, he will be saved.
His ways are made even by the Lord,
And the works of his hands are preserved by the Lord his God.
At what he sees in his bad dreams, his soul shall not be troubled;
When he passes through rivers and the tossing of the seas, he shall not be dismayed.
He ariseth from his sleep, and blesseth the name of the Lord:
When his heart is at peace, he singeth to the name of his God,
And he entreateth the Lord for all his house.
And the Lord heareth the prayer of every one that feareth God,
And every request of the soul that hopes for Him doth the Lord accomplish.
When he remembereth the name of the Lord, he will be saved.
His ways are made even by the Lord,
And the works of his hands are preserved by the Lord his God.
At what he sees in his bad dreams, his soul shall not be troubled;
When he passes through rivers and the tossing of the seas, he shall not be dismayed.
He ariseth from his sleep, and blesseth the name of the Lord:
When his heart is at peace, he singeth to the name of his God,
And he entreateth the Lord for all his house.
And the Lord heareth the prayer of every one that feareth God,
And every request of the soul that hopes for Him doth the Lord accomplish.
Blessed is the Lord, who showeth mercy to those who love Him
in sincerity.
Chapter VII.
The fine old doctrine--"Thou art our Shield!"
Make not Thy dwelling afar from us, O God;
Lest they assail us that hate us without cause.
For Thou hast rejected them, O God;
Let not their foot trample upon Thy holy inheritance.
Chasten us Thyself in Thy good pleasure;
But give us not up to the nations;
For, if Thou sendest pestilence,
Thou Thyself givest it charge concerning us;
For Thou art merciful,
And wilt not be angry to the point of consuming us.
Lest they assail us that hate us without cause.
For Thou hast rejected them, O God;
Let not their foot trample upon Thy holy inheritance.
Chasten us Thyself in Thy good pleasure;
But give us not up to the nations;
For, if Thou sendest pestilence,
Thou Thyself givest it charge concerning us;
For Thou art merciful,
And wilt not be angry to the point of consuming us.
While Thy name dwelleth in our midst, we shall find mercy;
And the nations shall not prevail against us.
For Thou art our shield,
And when we call upon Thee, Thou hearkenest to us;
For Thou wilt pity the seed of Israel for ever
And Thou wilt not reject them: p. 111
But we shall, be under Thy yoke for ever,
And under the rod of Thy chastening.
Thou wilt establish us in the time that Thou helpest us,
Showing mercy to the house of Jacob on the day wherein Thou didst promise to help them.
And the nations shall not prevail against us.
For Thou art our shield,
And when we call upon Thee, Thou hearkenest to us;
For Thou wilt pity the seed of Israel for ever
And Thou wilt not reject them: p. 111
But we shall, be under Thy yoke for ever,
And under the rod of Thy chastening.
Thou wilt establish us in the time that Thou helpest us,
Showing mercy to the house of Jacob on the day wherein Thou didst promise to help them.
Chapter VIII.
Some remarkable similes of war creeping on Jerusalem. A
survey of the sins that brought all this trouble.
Distress and the sound of war hath my ear heard,
The sound of a trumpet announcing slaughter and calamity,
The sound of much people as of an exceeding high wind,
As a tempest with mighty fire sweeping through the Negeb.
And I said in my heart, Surely God judgeth us;
A sound I hear moving towards Jerusalem, the holy city
My loins were broken at what I heard, my knees tottered;
My heart was afraid, my bones were dismayed like flax.
I said: They establish their ways in righteousness.
The sound of a trumpet announcing slaughter and calamity,
The sound of much people as of an exceeding high wind,
As a tempest with mighty fire sweeping through the Negeb.
And I said in my heart, Surely God judgeth us;
A sound I hear moving towards Jerusalem, the holy city
My loins were broken at what I heard, my knees tottered;
My heart was afraid, my bones were dismayed like flax.
I said: They establish their ways in righteousness.
I thought upon the judgments of God since the creation of
heaven and earth;
I held God righteous in His judgements which have been from of old.
God bare their sins in the full light of day;
All the earth came to know the righteous judgements of God.
In secret places underground their iniquities were committed to provoke Him to anger;
They wrought confusion, son with mother and father with daughter;
They committed adultery, every man with his neighhour's wife.
They concluded covenants with one another with an oath touching these things;
They plundered the sanctuary of God, as though there was no avenger.
They trode the altar of the Lord, coming straight from all manner of uncleanness;
And with menstrual blood they defiled the sacrifices, as though these were common flesh.
They left no sin undone, wherein they surpassed not the heathen.
I held God righteous in His judgements which have been from of old.
God bare their sins in the full light of day;
All the earth came to know the righteous judgements of God.
In secret places underground their iniquities were committed to provoke Him to anger;
They wrought confusion, son with mother and father with daughter;
They committed adultery, every man with his neighhour's wife.
They concluded covenants with one another with an oath touching these things;
They plundered the sanctuary of God, as though there was no avenger.
They trode the altar of the Lord, coming straight from all manner of uncleanness;
And with menstrual blood they defiled the sacrifices, as though these were common flesh.
They left no sin undone, wherein they surpassed not the heathen.
Therefore God mingled for them a spirit of wandering;
And gave them to drink a cup of undiluted wine, that they might become drunken.
He brought him that is from the end of the earth, that smiteth mightily;
He decreed war against Jerusalem, and against her land.
The princes of the land went to meet him with joy: they said unto him:
Blessed be thy way! Come ye, enter ye in with peace.
They made the rough ways even, before his entering in;
They opened the gates to Jerusalem, they crowned its walls.
And gave them to drink a cup of undiluted wine, that they might become drunken.
He brought him that is from the end of the earth, that smiteth mightily;
He decreed war against Jerusalem, and against her land.
The princes of the land went to meet him with joy: they said unto him:
Blessed be thy way! Come ye, enter ye in with peace.
They made the rough ways even, before his entering in;
They opened the gates to Jerusalem, they crowned its walls.
As a father entereth the house of his sons, so he entered
Jerusalem in peace;
He established his feet there in great safety.
He captured her fortresses and the wall of Jerusalem;
For God Himself led him in safety, while they wandered.
He destroyed their princes and every one wise in counsel;
He poured out the blood of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, like the water of uncleanness. p. 112
He led away their sons and daughters, whom they had begotten in defilement.
He established his feet there in great safety.
He captured her fortresses and the wall of Jerusalem;
For God Himself led him in safety, while they wandered.
He destroyed their princes and every one wise in counsel;
He poured out the blood of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, like the water of uncleanness. p. 112
He led away their sons and daughters, whom they had begotten in defilement.
They did according to their uncleanness, even as their
fathers had done:
They defiled Jerusalem and the things that had been hallowed to the name of God.
But God hath shown Himself righteous in His judgements upon the nations of the earth;
And the pious servants of God are like innocent lambs in their midst.
Worthy to be praised is the Lord that judgeth the whole earth in His righteousness.
They defiled Jerusalem and the things that had been hallowed to the name of God.
But God hath shown Himself righteous in His judgements upon the nations of the earth;
And the pious servants of God are like innocent lambs in their midst.
Worthy to be praised is the Lord that judgeth the whole earth in His righteousness.
Behold, now, O God, Thou hast shown us Thy judgement in Thy
righteousness;
Our eyes have seen Thy judgements, O God.
We have justified Thy name that is honoured for ever;
For Thou are the God of righteousness, judging Israel with chastening.
Our eyes have seen Thy judgements, O God.
We have justified Thy name that is honoured for ever;
For Thou are the God of righteousness, judging Israel with chastening.
Turn, O God, Thy mercy upon us, and have pity upon us;
Gather together the dispersed of Israel, with mercy and goodness;
For Thy faithfulness is with us,
And though we have stiffened our neck, yet Thou art our chastener;
Overlook us not, O our God, lest the nations swallow us up, as though there were none to deliver.
Gather together the dispersed of Israel, with mercy and goodness;
For Thy faithfulness is with us,
And though we have stiffened our neck, yet Thou art our chastener;
Overlook us not, O our God, lest the nations swallow us up, as though there were none to deliver.
But Thou art our God from the beginning,
And upon Thee is our hope set, O Lord;
And we will not depart from Thee,
For good are Thy judgements upon us.
Ours and our children's be Thy good pleasure for ever;
O Lord, our Saviour, we shall never more be moved.
The Lord is worthy to be praised for His judgements with the mouth of His pious ones;
And blessed be Israel of the Lord for ever.
And upon Thee is our hope set, O Lord;
And we will not depart from Thee,
For good are Thy judgements upon us.
Ours and our children's be Thy good pleasure for ever;
O Lord, our Saviour, we shall never more be moved.
The Lord is worthy to be praised for His judgements with the mouth of His pious ones;
And blessed be Israel of the Lord for ever.
Chapter IX.
The exile of the tribes of Israel. A reference to the
covenant which God made with Adam. (See the First Book of Adam and Eve,
Chap. III, Verse 7).
When Israel was led away captive into a strange land,
When they fell away from the Lord who redeemed them,
They were cast away from the inheritance, which the Lord had given them.
Among every nation were the dispersed of Israel according to the word of God,
That Thou mightest be justified, O God, in Thy righteousness by reason of our transgressions:
For Thou art a just judge over all the peoples of the earth.
For from Thy knowledge none that doeth unjustly is hidden,
And the righteous deeds of Thy pious ones are before Thee, O Lord;
Where, then, can a man hide himself from Thy knowledge, O God?
Our works are subject to our own choice and power
To do right or wrong in the works of our hands;
And in Thy righteousness Thou visitest the sons of men.
He that doeth righteousness layeth up life for himself with the Lord;
And he that doeth wrongly forfeits his life to destruction; p. 113
For the judgements of the Lord are given in righteousness to every man and his house.
Unto whom art Thou good, O God, except to them that call upon the Lord?
He cleanseth from sins a soul when it maketh confession, when it maketh acknowledgement;
For shame is upon us and u on our faces on account of all these things.
And to whom doth He forgive sins, except to them that have sinned?
Thou blessest the righteous, and dost not reprove them for the sins that they have committed;
And Thy goodness is upon them that sin, when they repent.
And, now, Thou art our God, and we the people whom Thou hast loved:
Behold and show pity, O God of Israel, for we are Thine;
And remove not Thy mercy from us, lest they assail us.
For Thou didst choose the seed of Abraham before all the nations,
And didst set Thy name upon us, O Lord,
And Thou wilt not reject us for ever.
Thou madest a covenant with our fathers concerning us;
And we hope in Thee, when our soul turneth unto Thee.
The mercy of the Lord be upon the house of Israel for ever and ever.
When they fell away from the Lord who redeemed them,
They were cast away from the inheritance, which the Lord had given them.
Among every nation were the dispersed of Israel according to the word of God,
That Thou mightest be justified, O God, in Thy righteousness by reason of our transgressions:
For Thou art a just judge over all the peoples of the earth.
For from Thy knowledge none that doeth unjustly is hidden,
And the righteous deeds of Thy pious ones are before Thee, O Lord;
Where, then, can a man hide himself from Thy knowledge, O God?
Our works are subject to our own choice and power
To do right or wrong in the works of our hands;
And in Thy righteousness Thou visitest the sons of men.
He that doeth righteousness layeth up life for himself with the Lord;
And he that doeth wrongly forfeits his life to destruction; p. 113
For the judgements of the Lord are given in righteousness to every man and his house.
Unto whom art Thou good, O God, except to them that call upon the Lord?
He cleanseth from sins a soul when it maketh confession, when it maketh acknowledgement;
For shame is upon us and u on our faces on account of all these things.
And to whom doth He forgive sins, except to them that have sinned?
Thou blessest the righteous, and dost not reprove them for the sins that they have committed;
And Thy goodness is upon them that sin, when they repent.
And, now, Thou art our God, and we the people whom Thou hast loved:
Behold and show pity, O God of Israel, for we are Thine;
And remove not Thy mercy from us, lest they assail us.
For Thou didst choose the seed of Abraham before all the nations,
And didst set Thy name upon us, O Lord,
And Thou wilt not reject us for ever.
Thou madest a covenant with our fathers concerning us;
And we hope in Thee, when our soul turneth unto Thee.
The mercy of the Lord be upon the house of Israel for ever and ever.
Chapter X.
A glorious hymn. Further reference to the eternal
covenant between God and Man.
Happy is the man whom the Lord remembereth with reproving,
And whom He restraineth from the way of evil with strokes
That he may be cleansed from sin, that it may not be multiplied.
He that maketh ready his back for strokes shall be cleansed,
For the Lord is good to them that endure chastening.
For He maketh straight the ways of the righteous,
And doth not pervert them by His chastening.
And the mercy of the Lord is upon them that love Him in truth,
And the Lord remembereth His servants in mercy.
For the testimony is in the law of the eternal covenant,
The testimony of the Lord is on the ways of men in His visitation.
Just and kind is our Lord in His judgements for ever,
And Israel shall praise the name of the Lord in gladness.
And the pious shall give thanks in the assembly of the people;
And on the poor shall God have mercy in the gladness of Israel;
For good and merciful is God for ever,
And the assemblies of Israel shall glorify the name of the Lord.
And whom He restraineth from the way of evil with strokes
That he may be cleansed from sin, that it may not be multiplied.
He that maketh ready his back for strokes shall be cleansed,
For the Lord is good to them that endure chastening.
For He maketh straight the ways of the righteous,
And doth not pervert them by His chastening.
And the mercy of the Lord is upon them that love Him in truth,
And the Lord remembereth His servants in mercy.
For the testimony is in the law of the eternal covenant,
The testimony of the Lord is on the ways of men in His visitation.
Just and kind is our Lord in His judgements for ever,
And Israel shall praise the name of the Lord in gladness.
And the pious shall give thanks in the assembly of the people;
And on the poor shall God have mercy in the gladness of Israel;
For good and merciful is God for ever,
And the assemblies of Israel shall glorify the name of the Lord.
The salvation of the Lord be upon the house of Israel unto
everlasting gladness!
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