NOW

THE SERPENT

WAS MORE SUBTIL

THAN ANY BEAST OF THE FIELD

WHICH THE LORD GOD HAD MADE.

And he said unto the woman,

Yea,

hath God said,

Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

And the woman said unto the serpent,

We may eat

of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

But of the fruit

of the tree

which is in the midst of the garden,

God hath said,

Ye shall not eat of it,

neither shall ye touch it,

lest ye die.

And the serpent said unto the woman,

Ye shall not surely die:

For God doth know

that in the day ye eat thereof,

then your eyes shall be opened,

and ye shall be as gods,

knowing good and evil.

And when the woman saw

that the tree was good for food,

and that it was pleasant to the eyes,

and a tree to be desired to make one wise,

she took of the fruit thereof,

and did eat,

and gave also unto her husband with her;

and he did eat.

And the eyes of them both were opened,

and they knew that they were naked;

and they sewed fig leaves together,

and made themselves aprons.

And they heard the voice of the LORD God

walking in the garden

in the cool of the day:

and Adam and his wife hid themselves

from the presence of the LORD God

amongst the trees of the garden.

And the LORD God called unto Adam,

and said unto him,

Where art thou?

And he said,

I heard thy voice in the garden,

and I was afraid,

because I was naked;

and I hid myself.

And he said,

Who told thee that thou wast naked?

Hast thou eaten of the tree,

whereof I commanded thee

that thou shouldest not eat?

And the man said,

The woman

whom thou gavest

to be with me,

she gave me of the tree,

and I did eat.

And the LORD God said unto the woman,

What is this that thou hast done?

And the woman said,

The serpent beguiled me,

and I did eat.

And the LORD God said unto the serpent,

Because thou hast done this,

thou art cursed above all cattle,

and above every beast of the field;

upon thy belly shalt thou go,

and dust shalt thou eat

all the days of thy life:

And I will put enmity

between thee and the woman,

and between thy seed and her seed;

it shall bruise thy head,

and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Unto the woman he said,

I will greatly multiply thy sorrow

and thy conception;

in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children;

and thy desire shall be to thy husband,

and he shall rule over thee.

And unto Adam he said,

Because thou hast hearkened

unto the voice of thy wife,

and hast eaten of the tree,

of which I commanded thee,

saying,

Thou shalt not eat of it:

cursed is the ground for thy sake;

in sorrow shalt thou eat of it

all the days of thy life;

Thorns also and thistles

shall it bring forth to thee;

and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread,

till thou return unto the ground;

for out of it wast thou taken:

for dust thou art,

and unto dust shalt thou return.

And Adam called his wife’s name Eve;

because she was the mother of all living.

Unto Adam also

and to his wife

did the LORD God make coats of skins,

and clothed them.

And the LORD God said,

Behold,

the man is become as one of us,

to know good and evil:

and now,

lest he put forth his hand,

and take also of the tree of life,

and eat,

and live for ever:

Therefore the LORD God

sent him forth

from the garden of Eden,

to till the ground from whence he was taken.

So he drove out the man;

and he placed

at the east of the garden of Eden

Cherubims,

and a flaming sword

which turned every way,

to keep the way of the tree of life.

And Adam knew Eve his wife;

and she conceived,

and bare Cain,

and said,

I have gotten a man from the LORD.

Genesis 3:1-4:1

AND THE LORD VISITED SARAH

AS HE HAD SAID,

AND THE LORD DID UNTO SARAH

AS HE HAD SPOKEN.

For Sarah conceived,

and bare Abraham a son in his old age,

at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

And Abraham called the name of his son

that was born unto him,

whom Sarah bare to him,

Isaac.

And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac

being eight days old,

as God had commanded him.

And Abraham was an hundred years old,

when his son Isaac was born unto him.

And Sarah said,

God hath made me to laugh,

so that all that hear will laugh with me.

And she said,

Who would have said unto Abraham,

that Sarah should have given children suck?

for I have born him a son in his old age.

And the child grew,

and was weaned:

and Abraham made a great feast

the same day that Isaac was weaned.

And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian,

which she had born unto Abraham,

mocking.

Wherefore she said unto Abraham,

Cast out this bondwoman

and her son:

for the son of this bondwoman

shall not be heir with my son,

even with Isaac.

And the thing was very grievous

in Abraham’s sight

because of his son.

And God said unto Abraham,

Let it not be grievous

in thy sight

because of the lad,

and because of thy bondwoman;

in all that Sarah hath said unto thee,

hearken unto her voice;

for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

And also of the son of the bondwoman

will I make a nation,

because he is thy seed.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning,

and took bread, and a bottle of water,

and gave it unto Hagar,

putting it on her shoulder,

and the child,

and sent her away:

and she departed,

and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

And the water was spent in the bottle,

and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

And she went,

and sat her down

over against him a good way off,

as it were a bowshot:

for she said,

Let me not see the death of the child.

And she sat over against him,

and lift up her voice,

and wept.

And God heard the voice of the lad;

and the angel of God called to Hagar

out of heaven,

and said unto her,

What aileth thee, Hagar?

fear not;

for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

Arise,

lift up the lad,

and hold him in thine hand;

for I will make him a great nation.

And God opened her eyes,

and she saw a well of water;

and she went,

and filled the bottle with water,

and gave the lad drink.

And God was with the lad;

and he grew,

and dwelt in the wilderness,

and became an archer.

And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran:

and his mother took him a wife

out of the land of Egypt.

And it came to pass at that time,

that Abimelech

and Phichol the chief captain of his host

spake unto Abraham,

saying,

God is with thee in all that thou doest:

Now therefore swear unto me here by God

that thou wilt not deal falsely with me,

nor with my son,

nor with my son’s son:

but according to the kindness

that I have done unto thee,

thou shalt do unto me,

and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.

And Abraham said,

I will swear.

And Abraham reproved Abimelech

because of a well of water,

which Abimelech’s servants had violently taken away.

And Abimelech said,

I wot not who hath done this thing:

neither didst thou tell me,

neither yet heard I of it,

but today.

And Abraham took sheep and oxen,

and gave them unto Abimelech;

and both of them made a covenant.

And Abraham set seven ewe lambs

of the flock

by themselves.

And Abimelech said unto Abraham,

What mean these seven ewe lambs

which thou hast set by themselves?

And he said,

For these seven ewe lambs

shalt thou take of my hand,

that they may be a witness unto me,

that I have digged this well.

Wherefore he called that place Beersheba;

because there they sware both of them.

Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba:

then Abimelech rose up,

and Phichol the chief captain of his host,

and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba,

and called there on the name of the LORD,

the everlasting God.

And Abraham sojourned

in the Philistines’ land

many days.

And it came to pass

after these things,

that God did tempt Abraham,

and said unto him,

Abraham:

and he said,

Behold, here I am.

And he said,

Take now thy son,

thine only son Isaac,

whom thou lovest,

and get thee into the land of Moriah;

and offer him there for a burnt offering

upon one of the mountains

which I will tell thee of.

And Abraham rose up early in the morning,

and saddled his ass,

and took two of his young men with him,

and Isaac his son,

and clave the wood for the burnt offering,

and rose up,

and went unto the place of which God had told him.

Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes,

and saw the place afar off.

And Abraham said unto his young men,

Abide ye here with the ass;

and I and the lad will go yonder

and worship,

and come again to you.

And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering,

and laid it upon Isaac his son;

and he took the fire in his hand,

and a knife;

and they went both of them together.

And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father,

and said,

My father:

and he said,

Here am I,

my son.

And he said,

Behold the fire and the wood:

but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?

And Abraham said,

My son,

God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering:

so they went

both of them together.

And they came to the place which God had told him of;

and Abraham built an altar there,

and laid the wood in order,

and bound Isaac his son,

and laid him on the altar

upon the wood.

And Abraham stretched forth his hand,

and took the knife to slay his son.

And the angel of the LORD called unto him

out of heaven,

and said,

Abraham,

Abraham:

and he said,

Here am I.

And he said,

Lay not thine hand upon the lad,

neither do thou any thing unto him:

for now I know that thou fearest God,

seeing thou hast not withheld thy son,

thine only son

from me.

And Abraham lifted up his eyes,

and looked,

and behold behind him a ram

caught in a thicket

by his horns:

and Abraham went

and took the ram,

and offered him up

for a burnt offering

in the stead of his son.

And Abraham called the name

of that place Jehovahjireh:

as it is said to this day,

In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen.

And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham

out of heaven the second time,

And said,

By myself have I sworn,

saith the LORD,

for because thou hast done this thing,

and hast not withheld thy son,

thine only son:

That in blessing I will bless thee,

and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed

as the stars of the heaven,

and as the sand which is upon the sea shore;

and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

And in thy seed

shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

because thou hast obeyed my voice.

So Abraham returned unto his young men,

and they rose up and went together to Beersheba;

and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

And it came to pass

after these things,

that it was told Abraham,

saying,

Behold,

Milcah,

she hath also born children unto thy brother Nahor;

Huz his firstborn,

and Buz his brother,

and Kemuel the father of Aram,

And Chesed,

and Hazo,

and Pildash,

and Jidlaph,

and Bethuel.

And Bethuel begat Rebekah:

these eight Milcah did bear to Nahor,

Abraham’s brother.

And his concubine,

whose name was Reumah,

she bare also Tebah,

and Gaham,

and Thahash,

and Maachah.

And Sarah was an hundred and seven

and twenty years old:

these were the years of the life of Sarah.

And Sarah died in Kirjatharba;

the same is Hebron in the land of Canaan:

and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah,

and to weep for her.

Genesis 21:1-23:2

AND ISAAC CALLED JACOB,

AND BLESSED HIM,

AND CHARGED HIM,

AND SAID UNTO HIM,

THOU SHALT NOT TAKE A WIFE

OF THE DAUGHTERS OF CANAAN.

Arise,

go to Padanaram,

to the house of Bethuel thy mother’s father;

and take thee a wife from thence

of the daughters of Laban

thy mother’s brother.

And God Almighty bless thee,

and make thee fruitful,

and multiply thee,

that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

And give thee the blessing of Abraham,

to thee,

and to thy seed with thee;

that thou mayest inherit the land

wherein thou art a stranger,

which God gave unto Abraham.

And Isaac sent away Jacob:

and he went to Padanaram

unto Laban,

son of Bethuel the Syrian,

the brother of Rebekah,

Jacob’s and Esau’s mother.

When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob,

and sent him away to Padanaram,

to take him a wife from thence;

and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge,

saying,

Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan;

And that Jacob obeyed his father

and his mother,

and was gone to Padanaram;

And Esau

seeing that the daughters of Canaan

pleased not Isaac

his father;

Then went Esau unto Ishmael,

and took unto the wives

which he had

Mahalath

the daughter of Ishmael

Abraham’s son,

the sister of Nebajoth,

to be his wife.

And Jacob went out from Beersheba,

and went toward Haran.

Genesis 28:1-10

AND JACOB CALLED UNTO HIS SONS,

AND SAID,

GATHER YOURSELVES TOGETHER,

THAT I MAY TELL YOU

THAT WHICH SHALL BEFALL YOU

IN THE LAST DAYS.

Gather yourselves together,

and hear,

ye sons of Jacob;

and hearken unto Israel

your father.

REUBEN,

thou art my firstborn,

my might,

and the beginning of my strength,

the excellency of dignity,

and the excellency of power:

Unstable as water,

thou shalt not excel;

because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed;

then defiledst thou it:

he went up to my couch.

SIMEON

AND

LEVI

are brethren;

instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

O my soul,

come not thou into their secret;

unto their assembly,

mine honour,

be not thou united:

for in their anger they slew a man,

and in their selfwill they digged down a wall.

Cursed be their anger,

for it was fierce;

and their wrath,

for it was cruel:

I will divide them in Jacob,

and scatter them in Israel.

JUDAH,

thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise:

thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies;

thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.

Judah is a lion’s whelp:

from the prey,

my son,

thou art gone up:

he stooped down,

he couched as a lion,

and as an old lion;

who shall rouse him up?

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah,

nor a lawgiver from between his feet,

until Shiloh come;

and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Binding his foal unto the vine,

and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine;

he washed his garments in wine,

and his clothes in the blood of grapes:

His eyes shall be red with wine,

and his teeth white with milk.

ZEBULUN

shall dwell at the haven of the sea;

and he shall be for an haven of ships;

and his border shall be unto Zidon.

ISSACHAR

is a strong ass

couching down between two burdens:

And he saw that rest was good,

and the land that it was pleasant;

and bowed his shoulder to bear,

and became a servant unto tribute.

DAN

shall judge his people,

as one of the tribes of Israel.

Dan shall be a serpent by the way,

an adder in the path,

that biteth the horse heels,

so that his rider shall fall backward.

I have waited for thy salvation,

O LORD.

GAD,

a troop shall overcome him:

but he shall overcome at the last.

Out of ASHER

his bread shall be fat,

and he shall yield royal dainties.

NAPHTALI

is a hind let loose:

he giveth goodly words.

JOSEPH

is a fruitful bough,

even a fruitful bough by a well;

whose branches run over the wall:

The archers have sorely grieved him,

and shot at him,

and hated him:

But his bow abode in strength,

and the arms of his hands were made strong

by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob;

from thence is the shepherd,

the stone of Israel:

Even by the God of thy father,

who shall help thee;

and by the Almighty,

who shall bless thee

with blessings of heaven above,

blessings of the deep

that lieth under,

blessings of the breasts,

and of the womb:

The blessings of thy father have prevailed

above the blessings of my progenitors

unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills:

they shall be on the head of Joseph,

and on the crown of the head of him

that was separate from his brethren.

BENJAMIN

shall ravin

as a wolf:

in the morning he shall devour the prey,

and at night he shall divide the spoil.

ALL THESE

ARE THE TWELVE TRIBES OF ISRAEL:

and this is it that their father spake unto them,

and blessed them;

every one

according to his blessing

he blessed them.

And he charged them,

and said unto them,

I am to be gathered unto my people:

bury me with my fathers in the cave

that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah,

which is before Mamre,

in the land of Canaan,

which Abraham bought

with the field of Ephron the Hittite

for a possession of a buryingplace.

There they buried Abraham

and Sarah his wife;

there they buried Isaac

and Rebekah his wife;

and there I buried Leah.

The purchase of the field

and of the cave that is therein

was from the children of Heth.

And when Jacob had made an end

of commanding his sons,

he gathered up his feet into the bed,

and yielded up the ghost,

and was gathered unto his people.

And Joseph fell upon his father’s face,

and wept upon him,

and kissed him.

Genesis 49:1-50:1

AND THE LORD MET BALAAM,

AND PUT A WORD IN HIS MOUTH,

AND SAID,

GO AGAIN UNTO BALAK,

AND SAY THUS.

And when he came to him,

behold,

he stood by his burnt offering,

and the princes of Moab with him.

And Balak said unto him,

What hath the LORD spoken?

And he took up his parable,

and said,

Rise up,

Balak,

and hear;

hearken unto me,

thou son of Zippor:

God is not a man,

that he should lie;

neither the son of man,

that he should repent:

hath he said,

and shall he not do it?

or hath he spoken,

and shall he not make it good?

Behold,

I have received commandment to bless:

and he hath blessed;

and I cannot reverse it.

He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob,

neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel:

the LORD his God is with him,

and the shout of a king is among them.

God brought them out of Egypt;

he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.

Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob,

neither is there any divination against Israel:

according to this time

it shall be said of Jacob

and of Israel,

What hath God wrought!

Behold,

the people shall rise up as a great lion,

and lift up himself as a young lion:

he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey,

and drink the blood of the slain.

And Balak said unto Balaam,

Neither curse them at all,

nor bless them at all.

But Balaam answered

and said unto Balak,

Told not I thee,

saying,

All that the LORD speaketh,

that I must do?

And Balak said unto Balaam,

Come,

I pray thee,

I will bring thee unto another place;

peradventure it will please God

that thou mayest curse me them from thence.

And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor,

that looketh toward Jeshimon.

And Balaam said unto Balak,

Build me here seven altars,

and prepare me here seven bullocks

and seven rams.

And Balak did as Balaam had said,

and offered a bullock

and a ram

on every altar.

And when Balaam saw

that it pleased the LORD

to bless Israel,

he went not,

as at other times,

to seek for enchantments,

but he set his face toward the wilderness.

And Balaam lifted up his eyes,

and he saw Israel abiding in his tents

according to their tribes;

and the spirit of God came upon him.

And he took up his parable,

and said,

Balaam the son of Beor hath said,

and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

He hath said,

which heard the words of God,

which saw the vision of the Almighty,

falling into a trance,

but having his eyes open:

How goodly are thy tents,

O Jacob,

and thy tabernacles,

O Israel!

As the valleys are they spread forth,

as gardens by the river’s side,

as the trees of lign aloes

which the LORD hath planted,

and as cedar trees

beside the waters.

He shall pour the water out of his buckets,

and his seed shall be in many waters,

and his king shall be higher than Agag,

and his kingdom shall be exalted.

God brought him forth out of Egypt;

he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn:

he shall eat up the nations his enemies,

and shall break their bones,

and pierce them through with his arrows.

He couched,

he lay down as a lion,

and as a great lion:

who shall stir him up?

Blessed is he that blesseth thee,

and cursed is he that curseth thee.

And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam,

and he smote his hands together:

and Balak said unto Balaam,

I called thee to curse mine enemies,

and,

behold,

thou hast altogether blessed them

these three times.

Therefore now flee thou to thy place:

I thought to promote thee unto great honour;

but,

lo,

the LORD hath kept thee back from honour.

And Balaam said unto Balak,

Spake I not also to thy messengers

which thou sentest unto me,

saying,

If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold,

I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD,

to do either good

or bad

of mine own mind;

but what the LORD saith,

that will I speak?

And now,

behold,

I go unto my people:

come therefore,

and I will advertise thee

what this people shall do

to thy people

in the latter days.

And he took up his parable,

and said,

Balaam the son of Beor hath said,

and the man whose eyes are open hath said:

He hath said,

which heard the words of God,

and knew the knowledge of the most High,

which saw the vision of the Almighty,

falling into a trance,

but having his eyes open:

I shall see him,

but not now:

I shall behold him,

but not nigh:

there shall come a Star out of Jacob,

and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,

and shall smite the corners of Moab,

and destroy all the children of Sheth.

And Edom shall be a possession,

Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies;

and Israel shall do valiantly.

Out of Jacob shall come

he that shall have dominion,

and

shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.

And when he looked on Amalek,

he took up his parable,

and said,

Amalek was the first of the nations;

but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.

And he looked on the Kenites,

and took up his parable,

and said,

Strong is thy dwellingplace,

and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted,

until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.

And he took up his parable,

and said,

Alas,

who shall live when God doeth this!

And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim,

and shall afflict Asshur,

and shall afflict Eber,

and he also shall perish for ever.

And Balaam rose up,

and went and returned to his place:

and Balak also went his way.

And Israel abode in Shittim,

and the people began to commit whoredom

with the daughters of Moab.

And they called the people

unto the sacrifices of their gods:

and the people did eat,

and bowed down to their gods.

And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor:

and the anger of the LORD was kindled

against Israel.

And the LORD said unto Moses,

Take all the heads of the people,

and hang them up before the LORD

against the sun,

that the fierce anger of the LORD

may be turned away from Israel.

And Moses said unto the judges of Israel,

Slay ye every one his men

that were joined unto Baalpeor.

And,

behold,

one of the children of Israel came

and brought unto his brethren

a Midianitish woman

in the sight of Moses,

and in the sight of all the congregation

of the children of Israel,

who were weeping before the door

of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And when Phinehas,

the son of Eleazar,

the son of Aaron the priest,

saw it,

he rose up from among the congregation,

and took a javelin in his hand;

And he went after the man of Israel

into the tent,

and thrust both of them through,

the man of Israel,

and the woman through her belly.

So the plague was stayed

from the children of Israel.

And those that died in the plague

were twenty and four thousand.

Numbers 23:16-25:9

THE PRIESTS

THE LEVITES

AND ALL THE TRIBE OF LEVI,

SHALL HAVE NO PART

NOR INHERITANCE WITH ISRAEL:

they shall eat the offerings of the LORD

made by fire,

and his inheritance.

Therefore shall they have no inheritance

among their brethren:

the LORD is their inheritance,

as he hath said unto them.

And this shall be the priest’s due from the people,

from them that offer a sacrifice,

whether it be ox

or sheep;

and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder,

and the two cheeks,

and the maw.

The firstfruit also of thy corn,

of thy wine,

and of thine oil,

and the first of the fleece of thy sheep,

shalt thou give him.

For the LORD thy God hath chosen him

out of all thy tribes,

to stand to minister

in the name of the LORD,

him and his sons for ever.

And if a Levite come from any of thy gates

out of all Israel,

where he sojourned,

and come with all the desire of his mind

unto the place which the LORD shall choose;

Then he shall minister

in the name of the LORD his God,

as all his brethren the Levites do,

which stand there before the LORD.

They shall have like portions to eat,

beside that which cometh

of the sale of his patrimony.

When thou art come into the land

which the LORD thy God giveth thee,

thou shalt not learn to do

after the abominations of those nations.

There shall not be found among you

any one that maketh his son

or his daughter

to pass through the fire,

or that useth divination,

or an observer of times,

or an enchanter,

or a witch,

Or a charmer,

or a consulter with familiar spirits,

or a wizard,

or a necromancer.

For all that do these things

are an abomination

unto the LORD:

and because of these abominations

the LORD thy God doth drive them out

from before thee.

Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

For these nations,

which thou shalt possess,

hearkened unto observers of times,

and unto diviners:

but as for thee,

the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet

from the midst of thee,

of thy brethren,

like unto me;

unto him ye shall hearken;

According to all that thou desiredst

of the LORD thy God in Horeb

in the day of the assembly,

saying,

Let me not hear again

the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see

this great fire any more,

that I die not.

And the LORD said unto me,

They have well spoken

that which they have spoken.

I will raise them up a Prophet

from among their brethren,

like unto thee,

and will put my words in his mouth;

and he shall speak unto them

all that I shall command him.

And it shall come to pass,

that whosoever will not hearken

unto my words

which he shall speak in my name,

I will require it of him.

But the prophet,

which shall presume to speak a word in my name,

which I have not commanded him to speak,

or that shall speak in the name of other gods,

even that prophet shall die.

And if thou say in thine heart,

How shall we know the word

which the LORD hath not spoken?

When a prophet speaketh

in the name of the LORD,

if the thing follow not,

nor come to pass,

that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken,

but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously:

thou shalt not be afraid of him.

When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations,

whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee,

and thou succeedest them,

and dwellest in their cities,

and in their houses;

Thou shalt separate three cities for thee

in the midst of thy land,

which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

Thou shalt prepare thee a way,

and divide the coasts of thy land,

which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit,

into three parts,

that every slayer may flee thither.

And this is the case of the slayer,

which shall flee thither,

that he may live:

Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly,

whom he hated not in time past;

As when a man goeth into the wood

with his neighbour to hew wood,

and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe

to cut down the tree,

and the head slippeth from the helve,

and lighteth upon his neighbour,

that he die;

he shall flee unto one of those cities,

and live:

Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer,

while his heart is hot,

and overtake him,

because the way is long,

and slay him;

whereas he was not worthy of death,

inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

Wherefore I command thee,

saying,

Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.

And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy coast,

as he hath sworn unto thy fathers,

and give thee all the land which he promised

to give unto thy fathers;

If thou shalt keep all these commandments

to do them,

which I command thee this day,

to love the LORD thy God,

and to walk ever in his ways;

then shalt thou add three cities more for thee,

beside these three:

That innocent blood be not shed in thy land,

which the LORD thy God giveth thee

for an inheritance,

and so blood be upon thee.

But if any man hate his neighbour,

and lie in wait for him,

and rise up against him,

and smite him mortally that he die,

and fleeth into one of these cities:

Then the elders of his city shall send

and fetch him thence,

and deliver him

into the hand of the avenger of blood,

that he may die.

Thine eye shall not pity him,

but thou shalt put away

the guilt of innocent blood

from Israel,

that it may go well with thee.

Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark,

which they of old time have set in thine inheritance,

which thou shalt inherit in the land

that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

One witness shall not rise up against a man

for any iniquity,

or for any sin,

in any sin that he sinneth:

at the mouth of two witnesses,

or at the mouth of three witnesses,

shall the matter be established.

If a false witness rise up against any man

to testify against him that which is wrong;

Then both the men,

between whom the controversy is,

shall stand before the LORD,

before the priests

and the judges,

which shall be in those days;

And the judges shall make diligent inquisition:

and,

behold,

if the witness be a false witness,

and hath testified falsely against his brother;

Then shall ye do unto him,

as he had thought to have done unto his brother:

so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

And those which remain shall hear,

and fear,

and shall henceforth commit no more

any such evil among you.

And thine eye shall not pity;

but life shall go for life,

eye for eye,

tooth for tooth,

hand for hand,

foot for foot.

Deuteronomy 18:1-19:21

AND

ELKANAH WENT TO RAMAH

TO HIS HOUSE.

And

the child did minister unto the LORD

before Eli the priest.

Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial;

they knew not the LORD.

And the priests’ custom with the people was,

that,

when any man offered sacrifice,

the priest’s servant came,

while the flesh was in seething,

with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

And he struck it into the pan,

or kettle,

or caldron,

or pot;

all that the fleshhook brought up

the priest took for himself.

So they did in Shiloh

unto all the Israelites that came thither.

Also before they burnt the fat,

the priest’s servant came,

and said to the man that sacrificed,

Give flesh to roast for the priest;

for he will not have sodden flesh of thee,

but raw.

And if any man said unto him,

Let them not fail to burn the fat presently,

and then take as much as thy soul desireth;

then he would answer him,

Nay;

but thou shalt give it me now:

and if not,

I will take it by force.

Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great

before the LORD:

for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

But Samuel ministered before the LORD,

being a child,

girded with a linen ephod.

Moreover his mother made him a little coat,

and brought it to him from year to year,

when she came up with her husband

to offer the yearly sacrifice.

And Eli blessed Elkanah

and his wife,

and said,

The LORD give thee seed of this woman

for the loan which is lent to the LORD.

And they went unto their own home.

And the LORD visited Hannah,

so that she conceived,

and bare three sons

and two daughters.

And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

Now Eli was very old,

and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel;

and how they lay with the women

that assembled at the door of the tabernacle

of the congregation.

And he said unto them,

Why do ye such things?

for I hear of your evil dealings

by all this people.

Nay,

my sons;

for it is no good report that I hear:

ye make the LORD’S people to transgress.

If one man sin against another,

the judge shall judge him:

but if a man sin against the LORD,

who shall intreat for him?

Notwithstanding they hearkened not

unto the voice of their father,

because the LORD would slay them.

And the child Samuel grew on,

and was in favour both with the LORD,

and also with men.

And there came a man of God unto Eli,

and said unto him,

Thus saith the LORD,

Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father,

when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?

And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel

to be my priest,

to offer upon mine altar,

to burn incense,

to wear an ephod before me?

and did I give unto the house of thy father

all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice

and at mine offering,

which I have commanded in my habitation;

and honourest thy sons above me,

to make yourselves fat

with the chiefest of all the offerings

of Israel my people?

Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith,

I said indeed that thy house,

and the house of thy father,

should walk before me for ever:

but now the LORD saith,

Be it far from me;

for them that honour me I will honour,

and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Behold,

the days come,

that I will cut off thine arm,

and the arm of thy father’s house,

that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation,

in all the wealth which God shall give Israel:

and there shall not be an old man in thine house

for ever.

And the man of thine,

whom I shall not cut off from mine altar,

shall be to consume thine eyes,

and to grieve thine heart:

and all the increase of thine house

shall die in the flower of their age.

And this shall be a sign unto thee,

that shall come upon thy two sons,

on Hophni

and Phinehas;

in one day they shall die both of them.

And I will raise me up a faithful priest,

that shall do

according to that which is in mine heart

and in my mind:

and I will build him a sure house;

and he shall walk before mine anointed

for ever.

And it shall come to pass,

that every one that is left in thine house

shall come

and crouch to him

for a piece of silver

and a morsel of bread,

and shall say,

Put me,

I pray thee,

into one of the priests’ offices,

that I may eat a piece of bread.

1 Samuel 2:11-36

AND IT CAME TO PASS,

WHEN THE KING SAT IN HIS HOUSE,

AND THE LORD HAD GIVEN HIM REST

ROUND ABOUT FROM ALL HIS ENEMIES;

THAT THE KING SAID UNTO NATHAN THE PROPHET,

See now,

I dwell in an house of cedar,

but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

And Nathan said to the king,

Go,

do all that is in thine heart;

for the LORD is with thee.

And it came to pass that night,

that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan,

saying,

Go and tell my servant David,

Thus saith the LORD,

Shalt thou build me an house for me to dwell in?

Whereas I have not dwelt in any house

since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt,

even to this day,

but have walked in a tent

and in a tabernacle.

In all the places wherein I have walked

with all the children of Israel

spake I a word with any of the tribes of Israel,

whom I commanded to feed my people Israel,

saying,

Why build ye not me an house of cedar?

Now therefore so shalt thou say

unto my servant David,

Thus saith the LORD of hosts,

I took thee from the sheepcote,

from following the sheep,

to be ruler over my people,

over Israel:

And I was with thee

whithersoever thou wentest,

and have cut off all thine enemies

out of thy sight,

and have made thee a great name,

like unto the name of the great men

that are in the earth.

Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel,

and will plant them,

that they may dwell in a place of their own,

and move no more;

neither shall the children of wickedness

afflict them any more,

as beforetime,

And as since the time that I commanded judges

to be over my people Israel,

and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies.

Also the LORD telleth thee

that he will make thee an house.

And when thy days be fulfilled,

and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers,

I will set up thy seed after thee,

which shall proceed out of thy bowels,

and I will establish his kingdom.

He shall build an house for my name,

and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

I will be his father,

and he shall be my son.

If he commit iniquity,

I will chasten him with the rod of men,

and with the stripes of the children of men:

But my mercy shall not depart away from him,

as I took it from Saul,

whom I put away before thee.

And thine house

and thy kingdom

shall be established for ever before thee:

thy throne shall be established for ever.

According to all these words,

and according to all this vision,

so did Nathan speak unto David.

Then went king David in,

and sat before the LORD,

and he said,

Who am I,

O Lord GOD?

and what is my house,

that thou hast brought me hitherto?

And this was yet a small thing in thy sight,

O Lord GOD;

but thou hast spoken also of thy servant’s house

for a great while to come.

And is this the manner of man,

O Lord GOD?

And what can David say more unto thee?

for thou,

Lord GOD,

knowest thy servant.

For thy word’s sake,

and according to thine own heart,

hast thou done all these great things,

to make thy servant know them.

Wherefore thou art great,

O LORD God:

for there is none like thee,

neither is there any God beside thee,

according to all that we have heard with our ears.

And what one nation in the earth

is like thy people,

even like Israel,

whom God went to redeem for a people to himself,

and to make him a name,

and to do for you great things and terrible,

for thy land,

before thy people,

which thou redeemedst to thee from Egypt,

from the nations and their gods?

For thou hast confirmed to thyself thy people Israel

to be a people unto thee for ever:

and thou,

LORD,

art become their God.

And now,

O LORD God,

the word that thou hast spoken concerning thy servant,

and concerning his house,

establish it for ever,

and do as thou hast said.

And let thy name be magnified for ever,

saying,

The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel:

and let the house of thy servant David

be established before thee.

For thou,

O LORD of hosts,

God of Israel,

hast revealed to thy servant,

saying,

I will build thee an house:

therefore hath thy servant found in his heart

to pray this prayer unto thee.

And now,

O Lord GOD,

thou art that God,

and thy words be true,

and thou hast promised this goodness

unto thy servant:

Therefore now let it please thee

to bless the house of thy servant,

that it may continue for ever before thee:

for thou,

O Lord GOD,

hast spoken it:

and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant

be blessed for ever.

And after this it came to pass,

that David smote the Philistines,

and subdued them:

and David took Methegammah

out of the hand of the Philistines.

2 Samuel 7:1-8:1

WHY DO THE HEATHEN RAGE,

AND THE PEOPLE IMAGINE A VAIN THING?

The kings of the earth set themselves,

and the rulers take counsel together,

against the LORD,

and against his anointed,

saying,

Let us break their bands asunder,

and cast away their cords from us.

He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh:

the Lord shall have them in derision.

Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath,

and vex them in his sore displeasure.

Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

I will declare the decree:

the LORD hath said unto me,

Thou art my Son;

this day have I begotten thee.

Ask of me,

and I shall give thee the heathen

for thine inheritance,

and the uttermost parts of the earth

for thy possession.

thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;

thou shalt dash them in pieces

like a potter’s vessel.

Be wise now therefore,

O ye kings:

be instructed,

ye judges of the earth.

Serve the LORD with fear,

and rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son,

lest he be angry,

and ye perish from the way,

when his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

Psalm 2

TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN

UPON GITTITH,

A PSALM OF DAVID

O LORD

OUR LORD,

HOW EXCELLENT IS THY NAME

IN ALL THE EARTH!

WHO HAST SET THY GLORY

ABOVE THE HEAVENS.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings

hast thou ordained strength

because of thine enemies,

that thou mightest still the enemy

and the avenger.

When I consider thy heavens,

the work of thy fingers,

the moon and the stars,

which thou hast ordained;

What is man,

that thou art mindful of him?

and the son of man,

that thou visitest him?

For thou hast made him

a little lower than the angels,

and hast crowned him

with glory

and honour.

Thou madest him to have dominion

over the works of thy hands;

thou hast put all things under his feet:

All sheep and oxen,

yea,

and the beasts of the field;

The fowl of the air,

and the fish of the sea,

and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

O LORD our Lord,

how excellent is thy name

in all the earth!

Psalm 8

MICHTAM OF DAVID

PRESERVE ME, O GOD:

FOR IN THEE DO I PUT MY TRUST.

O my soul,

thou hast said unto the LORD,

Thou art my Lord:

my goodness extendeth not to thee;

But to the saints that are in the earth,

and to the excellent,

in whom is all my delight.

Their sorrows shall be multiplied

that hasten after another god:

their drink offerings of blood will I not offer,

nor take up their names into my lips.

The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance

and of my cup:

thou maintainest my lot.

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places;

yea, I have a goodly heritage.

I will bless the LORD,

who hath given me counsel:

my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

I have set the LORD always before me:

because he is at my right hand,

I shall not be moved.

Therefore my heart is glad,

and my glory rejoiceth:

my flesh also shall rest in hope.

For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;

neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One

to see corruption.

Thou wilt shew me the path of life:

in thy presence is fulness of joy;

at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm 16

TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN

UPON AIJELETH SHAHAR,

A PSALM OF DAVID.

My God,

my God,

why hast thou forsaken me?

why art thou so far from helping me,

and from the words of my roaring?

O my God,

I cry in the daytime,

but thou hearest not;

and in the night season,

and am not silent.

But thou art holy,

O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

Our fathers trusted in thee:

they trusted,

and thou didst deliver them.

They cried unto thee,

and were delivered:

they trusted in thee,

and were not confounded.

But I am a worm,

and no man;

a reproach of men,

and despised of the people.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn:

they shoot out the lip,

they shake the head,

saying,

He trusted on the LORD

that he would deliver him:

let him deliver him,

seeing he delighted in him.

But thou art he that took me out of the womb:

thou didst make me hope

when I was upon my mother’s breasts.

I was cast upon thee from the womb:

thou art my God from my mother’s belly.

Be not far from me;

for trouble is near;

for there is none to help.

Many bulls have compassed me:

strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.

They gaped upon me with their mouths,

as a ravening and a roaring lion.

I am poured out like water,

and all my bones are out of joint:

my heart is like wax;

it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd;

and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws;

and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.

For dogs have compassed me:

the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me:

they pierced my hands and my feet.

I may tell all my bones:

they look and stare upon me.

They part my garments among them,

and cast lots upon my vesture.

But be not thou far from me,

O LORD:

O my strength,

haste thee to help me.

Deliver my soul from the sword;

my darling from the power of the dog.

Save me from the lion’s mouth:

for thou hast heard me

from the horns of the unicorns.

I will declare thy name

unto my brethren:

in the midst of the congregation

will I praise thee.

Ye that fear the LORD,

praise him;

all ye the seed of Jacob,

glorify him;

and fear him,

all ye the seed of Israel.

For he hath not despised

nor abhorred

the affliction of the afflicted;

neither hath he hid his face from him;

but when he cried unto him,

he heard.

My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation:

I will pay my vows before them that fear him.

The meek shall eat and be satisfied:

they shall praise the LORD that seek him:

your heart shall live for ever.

All the ends of the world shall remember

and turn unto the LORD:

and all the kindreds of the nations

shall worship before thee.

For the kingdom is the LORD’S:

and he is the governor among the nations.

All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship:

all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him:

and none can keep alive his own soul.

A seed shall serve him;

it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

They shall come,

and shall declare his righteousness

unto a people that shall be born,

that he hath done this.

Psalm 22

TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN,

A PSALM OF DAVID.

IN THEE, O LORD, DO I PUT MY TRUST;

let me never be ashamed:

deliver me in thy righteousness.

Bow down thine ear to me;

deliver me speedily:

be thou my strong rock,

for an house of defence to save me.

For thou art my rock

and my fortress;

therefore for thy name’s sake lead me,

and guide me.

Pull me out of the net

that they have laid privily for me:

for thou art my strength.

Into thine hand I commit my spirit:

thou hast redeemed me,

O LORD God of truth.

I have hated them that regard lying vanities:

but I trust in the LORD.

I will be glad

and rejoice in thy mercy:

for thou hast considered my trouble;

thou hast known my soul in adversities;

And hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy:

thou hast set my feet in a large room.

Have mercy upon me,

O LORD,

for I am in trouble:

mine eye is consumed with grief,

yea, my soul and my belly.

For my life is spent with grief,

and my years with sighing:

my strength faileth

because of mine iniquity,

and my bones are consumed.

I was a reproach among all mine enemies,

but especially among my neighbours,

and a fear to mine acquaintance:

they that did see me without fled from me.

I am forgotten as a dead man out of mind:

I am like a broken vessel.

For I have heard the slander of many:

fear was on every side:

while they took counsel together against me,

they devised to take away my life.

But I trusted in thee,

O LORD:

I said,

Thou art my God.

My times are in thy hand:

deliver me from the hand of mine enemies,

and from them that persecute me.

Make thy face to shine upon thy servant:

save me for thy mercies’ sake.

Let me not be ashamed,

O LORD;

for I have called upon thee:

let the wicked be ashamed,

and let them be silent in the grave.

Let the lying lips be put to silence;

which speak grievous things proudly

and contemptuously

against the righteous.

Oh how great is thy goodness,

which thou hast laid up

for them that fear thee;

which thou hast wrought

for them that trust in thee

before the sons of men!

Thou shalt hide them

in the secret of thy presence

from the pride of man:

thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion

from the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the LORD:

for he hath shewed me his marvellous kindness

in a strong city.

For I said in my haste,

I am cut off from before thine eyes:

nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications

when I cried unto thee.

O love the LORD,

all ye his saints:

for the LORD preserveth the faithful,

and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

Be of good courage,

and he shall strengthen your heart,

all ye that hope in the LORD.

Psalm 31

A PSALM OF DAVID,

WHEN HE CHANGED HIS BEHAVIOUR

BEFORE ABIMELECH;

WHO DROVE HIM AWAY,

AND HE DEPARTED.

I will bless the LORD at all times:

his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

My soul shall make her boast in the LORD:

the humble shall hear thereof,

and be glad.

O magnify the LORD with me,

and let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD,

and he heard me,

and delivered me from all my fears.

They looked unto him,

and were lightened:

and their faces were not ashamed.

This poor man cried,

and the LORD heard him,

and saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD

encampeth round about them that fear him,

and delivereth them.

O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

O fear the LORD,

ye his saints:

for there is no want to them that fear him.

The young lions do lack,

and suffer hunger:

but they that seek the LORD

shall not want any good thing.

Come,

ye children,

hearken unto me:

I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

What man is he that desireth life,

and loveth many days,

that he may see good?

Keep thy tongue from evil,

and thy lips from speaking guile.

Depart from evil,

and do good;

seek peace,

and pursue it.

The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous,

and his ears are open unto their cry.

The face of the LORD is against them that do evil,

to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

The righteous cry,

and the LORD heareth,

and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

The LORD is nigh unto them

that are of a broken heart;

and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous:

but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

He keepeth all his bones:

not one of them is broken.

Evil shall slay the wicked:

and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants:

and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.

Psalm 34

A PSALM OF DAVID.

PLEAD MY CAUSE,

O LORD,

WITH THEM THAT STRIVE WITH ME:

FIGHT AGAINST THEM THAT FIGHT AGAINST ME.

Take hold of shield and buckler,

and stand up for mine help.

Draw out also the spear,

and stop the way against them that persecute me:

say unto my soul,

I am thy salvation.

Let them be confounded

and put to shame

that seek after my soul:

let them be turned back

and brought to confusion

that devise my hurt.

Let them be as chaff before the wind:

and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

Let their way be dark and slippery:

and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

For without cause have they hid for me

their net in a pit,

which without cause they have digged for my soul.

Let destruction come upon him at unawares;

and let his net that he hath hid catch himself:

into that very destruction let him fall.

And my soul shall be joyful in the LORD:

it shall rejoice in his salvation.

All my bones shall say,

LORD,

who is like unto thee,

which deliverest the poor

from him that is too strong for him,

yea,

the poor

and the needy

from him that spoileth him?

False witnesses did rise up;

they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

They rewarded me evil for good

to the spoiling of my soul.

But as for me,

when they were sick,

my clothing was sackcloth:

I humbled my soul with fasting;

and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.

I behaved myself

as though he had been my friend

or brother:

I bowed down heavily,

as one that mourneth for his mother.

But in mine adversity they rejoiced,

and gathered themselves together:

yea,

the abjects gathered themselves together against me,

and I knew it not;

they did tear me,

and ceased not:

With hypocritical mockers in feasts,

they gnashed upon me with their teeth.

Lord,

how long wilt thou look on?

rescue my soul from their destructions,

my darling from the lions.

I will give thee thanks in the great congregation:

I will praise thee among much people.

Let not them that are mine enemies

wrongfully rejoice over me:

neither let them wink with the eye

that hate me without a cause.

For they speak not peace:

but they devise deceitful matters

against them that are quiet in the land.

Yea,

they opened their mouth wide against me,

and said,

Aha, aha,

our eye hath seen it.

This thou hast seen,

O LORD:

keep not silence:

O Lord,

be not far from me.

Stir up thyself,

and awake to my judgment,

even unto my cause,

my God and my Lord.

Judge me,

O LORD my God,

according to thy righteousness;

and let them not rejoice over me.

Let them not say in their hearts,

Ah,

so would we have it:

let them not say,

We have swallowed him up.

Let them be ashamed

and brought to confusion together

that rejoice at mine hurt:

let them be clothed with shame

and dishonour

that magnify themselves against me.

Let them shout for joy,

and be glad,

that favour my righteous cause:

yea,

let them say continually,

Let the LORD be magnified,

which hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servant.

And my tongue shall speak of thy righteousness

and of thy praise all the day long.

Psalm 35

A PSALM OF DAVID,

TO BRING TO REMEMBRANCE.

O LORD,

REBUKE ME NOT IN THY WRATH:

NEITHER CHASTEN ME IN THY HOT DISPLEASURE.

For thine arrows stick fast in me,

and thy hand presseth me sore.

There is no soundness in my flesh

because of thine anger;

neither is there any rest in my bones

because of my sin.

For mine iniquities are gone over mine head:

as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me.

My wounds stink

and are corrupt

because of my foolishness.

I am troubled;

I am bowed down greatly;

I go mourning all the day long.

For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease:

and there is no soundness in my flesh.

I am feeble and sore broken:

I have roared by reason of the disquietness of my heart.

Lord, all my desire is before thee;

and my groaning is not hid from thee.

My heart panteth,

my strength faileth me:

as for the light of mine eyes,

it also is gone from me.

My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my sore;

and my kinsmen stand afar off.

They also that seek after my life lay snares for me:

and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things,

and imagine deceits all the day long.

But I,

as a deaf man,

heard not;

and I was as a dumb man

that openeth not his mouth.

Thus I was as a man that heareth not,

and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

For in thee,

O LORD,

do I hope:

thou wilt hear,

O Lord my God.

For I said,

Hear me,

lest otherwise they should rejoice over me:

when my foot slippeth,

they magnify themselves against me.

For I am ready to halt,

and my sorrow is continually before me.

For I will declare mine iniquity;

I will be sorry for my sin.

But mine enemies are lively,

and they are strong:

and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

They also that render evil for good

are mine adversaries;

because I follow the thing that good is.

Forsake me not,

O LORD:

O my God,

be not far from me.

Make haste to help me,

O Lord my salvation.

Psalm 38

TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN

UPON SHOSHANNIM,

FOR THE SONS OF KORAH,

MASCHIL,

A SONG OF LOVES

MY HEART IS INDITING A GOOD MATTER:

I speak of the things which I have made

touching the king:

my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

Thou art fairer than the children of men:

grace is poured into thy lips:

therefore God hath blessed thee for ever.

Gird thy sword upon thy thigh,

O most mighty,

with thy glory and thy majesty.

And in thy majesty ride prosperously

because of truth

and meekness

and righteousness;

and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things.

Thine arrows are sharp

in the heart of the king’s enemies;

whereby the people fall under thee.

Thy throne,

O God,

is for ever and ever:

the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right sceptre.

Thou lovest righteousness,

and hatest wickedness:

therefore God,

thy God,

hath anointed thee

with the oil of gladness

above thy fellows.

All thy garments smell of myrrh,

and aloes,

and cassia,

out of the ivory palaces,

whereby they have made thee glad.

Kings’ daughters were among thy honourable women:

upon thy right hand did stand the queen

in gold of Ophir.

Hearken,

O daughter,

and consider,

and incline thine ear;

forget also thine own people,

and thy father’s house;

So shall the king greatly desire thy beauty:

for he is thy Lord;

and worship thou him.

And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift;

even the rich among the people shall intreat thy favour.

The king’s daughter is all glorious within:

her clothing is of wrought gold.

She shall be brought unto the king

in raiment of needlework:

the virgins her companions that follow her

shall be brought unto thee.

With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought:

they shall enter into the king’s palace.

Instead of thy fathers shall be thy children,

whom thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

I will make thy name to be remembered

in all generations:

therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever.

Psalm 45

TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN,

A PSALM

FOR THE SONS OF KORAH.

HEAR THIS,

ALL YE PEOPLE;

GIVE EAR,

ALL YE INHABITANTS OF THE WORLD:

Both low

and high,

rich

and poor,

together.

My mouth shall speak of wisdom;

and the meditation of my heart

shall be of understanding.

I will incline mine ear to a parable:

I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

Wherefore should I fear in the days of evil,

when the iniquity of my heels shall compass me about?

They that trust in their wealth,

and boast themselves

in the multitude of their riches;

None of them can by any means redeem his brother,

nor give to God a ransom for him:

For the redemption of their soul is precious,

and it ceaseth for ever:

That he should still live for ever,

and not see corruption.

For he seeth that wise men die,

likewise the fool

and the brutish person

perish,

and leave their wealth to others.

Their inward thought is,

that their houses shall continue for ever,

and their dwelling places to all generations;

they call their lands after their own names.

Nevertheless man being in honour abideth not:

he is like the beasts that perish.

This their way is their folly:

yet their posterity approve their sayings.

Selah.

Like sheep they are laid in the grave;

death shall feed on them;

and the upright shall have dominion over them

in the morning;

and their beauty shall consume

in the grave

from their dwelling.

But God will redeem my soul

from the power of the grave:

for he shall receive me.

Selah.

Be not thou afraid when one is made rich,

when the glory of his house is increased;

For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away:

his glory shall not descend after him.

Though while he lived he blessed his soul:

and men will praise thee,

when thou doest well to thyself.

He shall go to the generation of his fathers;

they shall never see light.

Man that is in honour,

and understandeth not,

is like the beasts that perish.

Psalm 49

A PSALM OF ASAPH.

THE MIGHTY GOD,

EVEN THE LORD,

HATH SPOKEN,

AND CALLED THE EARTH

FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN

UNTO THE GOING DOWN THEREOF.

Out of Zion,

the perfection of beauty,

God hath shined.

Our God shall come,

and shall not keep silence:

a fire shall devour before him,

and it shall be very tempestuous round about him.

He shall call to the heavens from above,

and to the earth,

that he may judge his people.

Gather my saints together unto me;

those that have made a covenant

with me by sacrifice.

And the heavens shall declare his righteousness:

for God is judge himself.

Selah.

Hear, O my people,

and I will speak;

O Israel,

and I will testify against thee:

I am God,

even thy God.

I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices

or thy burnt offerings,

to have been continually before me.

I will take no bullock out of thy house,

nor he goats out of thy folds.

For every beast of the forest is mine,

and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

I know all the fowls of the mountains:

and the wild beasts of the field are mine.

If I were hungry,

I would not tell thee:

for the world is mine,

and the fulness thereof.

Will I eat the flesh of bulls,

or drink the blood of goats?

Offer unto God thanksgiving;

and pay thy vows unto the most High:

And call upon me in the day of trouble:

I will deliver thee,

and thou shalt glorify me.

But unto the wicked God saith,

What hast thou to do to declare my statutes,

or that thou shouldest take my covenant

in thy mouth?

Seeing thou hatest instruction,

and castest my words behind thee.

When thou sawest a thief,

then thou consentedst with him,

and hast been partaker with adulterers.

Thou givest thy mouth to evil,

and thy tongue frameth deceit.

Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother;

thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.

These things hast thou done,

and I kept silence;

thou thoughtest that I was altogether

such an one as thyself:

but I will reprove thee,

and set them in order before thine eyes.

Now consider this,

ye that forget God,

lest I tear you in pieces,

and there be none to deliver.

Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me:

and to him that ordereth his conversation aright

will I show the salvation of God.

Psalm 50

TO THE CHIEF MUSICIAN,

A PSALM

or SONG

OF DAVID.

LET GOD ARISE,

LET HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED:

LET THEM ALSO THAT HATE HIM

FLEE BEFORE HIM.

As smoke is driven away,

so drive them away:

as wax melteth before the fire,

so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

But let the righteous be glad;

let them rejoice before God:

yea,

let them exceedingly rejoice.

Sing unto God,

sing praises to his name:

extol him that rideth upon the heavens