English Translation of the Psalms Scroll (Tehillim) 11QPs
Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority
Column 19: Plea for Deliverance (A Noncanonical Psalm)
Surely a maggot cannot praise thee nor a grave worm recount thy loving-kindness.
But the living can praise thee, even those who stumble can laud thee. In revealing
thy kindness to them and by thy righteousness thou dost enlighten them. For in thy hand is the soul of every
living thing; the breath of all flesh hast thou given. Deal with us, O LORD,
according to thy goodness, according to thy great mercy, and according to thy many righteous deeds. The LORD
has heeded the voice of those who love his name and has not deprived them of his loving-kindness.
Blessed be the LORD, who executes righteous deeds, crowning his saints
with loving-kindness and mercy. My soul cries out to praise thy name, to sing high praises
for thy loving deeds, to proclaim thy faithfulness--of praise of thee there is no end. Near death
was I for my sins, and my iniquities have sold me to the grave; but thou didst save me,
O LORD, according to thy great mercy, and according to thy many righteous deeds. Indeed have I
loved thy name, and in thy protection have I found refuge. When I remember thy might my heart
is brave, and upon thy mercies do I lean. Forgive my sin, O LORD,
and purify me from my iniquity. Vouchsafe me a spirit of faith and knowledge, and let me not be dishonored
in ruin. Let not Satan rule over me, nor an unclean spirit; neither let pain nor the evil
inclination take possession of my bones. For thou, O LORD, art my praise, and in thee do I hope
all the day. Let my brothers rejoice with me and the house of my father, who are astonished by the graciousness...
[ ] For e[ver] I will rejoice in thee.
Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority
Column 19: Plea for Deliverance (A Noncanonical Psalm)
Surely a maggot cannot praise thee nor a grave worm recount thy loving-kindness.
But the living can praise thee, even those who stumble can laud thee. In revealing
thy kindness to them and by thy righteousness thou dost enlighten them. For in thy hand is the soul of every
living thing; the breath of all flesh hast thou given. Deal with us, O LORD,
according to thy goodness, according to thy great mercy, and according to thy many righteous deeds. The LORD
has heeded the voice of those who love his name and has not deprived them of his loving-kindness.
Blessed be the LORD, who executes righteous deeds, crowning his saints
with loving-kindness and mercy. My soul cries out to praise thy name, to sing high praises
for thy loving deeds, to proclaim thy faithfulness--of praise of thee there is no end. Near death
was I for my sins, and my iniquities have sold me to the grave; but thou didst save me,
O LORD, according to thy great mercy, and according to thy many righteous deeds. Indeed have I
loved thy name, and in thy protection have I found refuge. When I remember thy might my heart
is brave, and upon thy mercies do I lean. Forgive my sin, O LORD,
and purify me from my iniquity. Vouchsafe me a spirit of faith and knowledge, and let me not be dishonored
in ruin. Let not Satan rule over me, nor an unclean spirit; neither let pain nor the evil
inclination take possession of my bones. For thou, O LORD, art my praise, and in thee do I hope
all the day. Let my brothers rejoice with me and the house of my father, who are astonished by the graciousness...
[ ] For e[ver] I will rejoice in thee.
Psalm 4.
I thank you, O Lord,
for your eye is awake and watches over my soul.
You rescue me from the jealousy of liars,
from the congregation of those who seek the smooth way.
But you save the soul of the poor
whom they planned to destroy
by spilling the blood of your servant.
I walked because of you - but they didn't know this.
They laughed at me. They shamed me
with lies from their mouth.
But you helped the soul of the poor and the weak,
you saved me from their harsh arms,
you redeemed me amid their taunts.
From the wicked I do not fear destruction.
Psalm 5.
They made my life a ship on the deep sea,
like a fortified city circled by aggressors.
I hurt like a woman in labor bearing her first child,
whose belly pangs torture her in the crucible.
Pains of Hell
for a son come on the waves of death.
She labors to bear a man,
and among the waves of death she gives birth to a manchild,
with pains of Hell.
He springs from the crucible,
O wondrous counselor with power :
Yes, a man emerges from the waves..
But she who carries dead seed in her womb
suffers waves from a pit of horror.
The foundations of the wall will rock
like a ship on the face of the waters.
Clouds will bellow.
Those who dwell in the dust, like those on the sea,
are terrified by the roar of the waters.
All those wise men are like mariners on the deep:
their wisdom confounded by the roaring seas.
The abyss boils over the fountains of water.
The seas rage.
Hell opens, and arrows fly toward Heaven.
Their eternal bars are bolted.
Psalm 8.
I thank you, O Lord.
You illumined my face by your covenant.
I seek you,
As sure as the dawn you appear as perfect light.
Teachers of lies have comforted your people
and now they stumble, foolishly.
They abhor themselves
and do not esteem me through whom your wonders
and powers are manifest.
They have banished me from my land like a bird
from its nest, and my friends
and neighbors are driven from me.
They think me a broken pot.
They preach lies. They are dissembling prophets.
They devise baseness against me,
exchanging your teaching, written in my heart,
for smooth words.
They deny knowledge to the thirsty
and force them to drink vinegar to cover up error.
They stumble through mad feasts,
but you, God, spurn the schemes of Belial.
Your wisdom prevails.
Your hearts meditation prevails, established forever.
Psalm 23.
Your holy spirit
illuminates the dark places of the heart
of your servant,
with light like the sun.
I look to the covenants made by men,
worthless.
Only your truth shines,
and those who love it are wise
and walk in the glow
of your light.
From darkness you raise hearts.
Let light shine on your servant.
Your light is everlasting.
I thank you, O Lord,
for your eye is awake and watches over my soul.
You rescue me from the jealousy of liars,
from the congregation of those who seek the smooth way.
But you save the soul of the poor
whom they planned to destroy
by spilling the blood of your servant.
I walked because of you - but they didn't know this.
They laughed at me. They shamed me
with lies from their mouth.
But you helped the soul of the poor and the weak,
you saved me from their harsh arms,
you redeemed me amid their taunts.
From the wicked I do not fear destruction.
Psalm 5.
They made my life a ship on the deep sea,
like a fortified city circled by aggressors.
I hurt like a woman in labor bearing her first child,
whose belly pangs torture her in the crucible.
Pains of Hell
for a son come on the waves of death.
She labors to bear a man,
and among the waves of death she gives birth to a manchild,
with pains of Hell.
He springs from the crucible,
O wondrous counselor with power :
Yes, a man emerges from the waves..
But she who carries dead seed in her womb
suffers waves from a pit of horror.
The foundations of the wall will rock
like a ship on the face of the waters.
Clouds will bellow.
Those who dwell in the dust, like those on the sea,
are terrified by the roar of the waters.
All those wise men are like mariners on the deep:
their wisdom confounded by the roaring seas.
The abyss boils over the fountains of water.
The seas rage.
Hell opens, and arrows fly toward Heaven.
Their eternal bars are bolted.
Psalm 8.
I thank you, O Lord.
You illumined my face by your covenant.
I seek you,
As sure as the dawn you appear as perfect light.
Teachers of lies have comforted your people
and now they stumble, foolishly.
They abhor themselves
and do not esteem me through whom your wonders
and powers are manifest.
They have banished me from my land like a bird
from its nest, and my friends
and neighbors are driven from me.
They think me a broken pot.
They preach lies. They are dissembling prophets.
They devise baseness against me,
exchanging your teaching, written in my heart,
for smooth words.
They deny knowledge to the thirsty
and force them to drink vinegar to cover up error.
They stumble through mad feasts,
but you, God, spurn the schemes of Belial.
Your wisdom prevails.
Your hearts meditation prevails, established forever.
Psalm 23.
Your holy spirit
illuminates the dark places of the heart
of your servant,
with light like the sun.
I look to the covenants made by men,
worthless.
Only your truth shines,
and those who love it are wise
and walk in the glow
of your light.
From darkness you raise hearts.
Let light shine on your servant.
Your light is everlasting.
Thanksgiving Hymns
An interesting point in the 1st fragment is the use of the word Belial. This word was substituted for the Angel of Darkness. Is Belial conceived to be a real person in the Hymns or is the author speaking in general terms of mankind? This use of the word Belial or Angel of Darkness also refers us to the works of the Teacher of Righteousness who uses this word in his frequent works, ( 1QH 2:16, 4:10, 4:13, 5:26, 5:39, 6:21, 7:3).
"I g[ive thanks to You, 0 Lord, for] You set me by a fountain which flows in a dry land, a spring of water in a desolate land, a well-watered garden [...] You [plan]ted a stand of juniper and pine together with cypress for Your glory; trees of life at the secret spring, hidden among all the trees by the water so that a shoot might grow up into an eternal planting. Taking root before they shoot up, they stretch out their roots to the watercourse, that its trunk might be open to the living water and become an eternal fountain. On its leafy branches every wild animal of the forest shall graze, and its trunk shall become a gathering place to all who pass and its branches roosts for all the birds." (Thanksgiving Psalm lQH + 4Q428 Frag. 7 16:4-9a)
Hymn #7 (formerly 2)
I give thanks to you, Lord, because you have placed me in the circle of life and guided me against the evils of the world. Violent men have threatened my life because of my faith in you Lord. For they are an assembly of trickery and a crowd of evil, the do not know that through you I live and in your compassion you will spare me in my soul. Because of you they raid my life to spite you by the judgment of the wicked. But you give me strength in the faces of the unworthy. And I said, mighty men have pitched their camps and swarmed against me with all the temptations of unjustly things. They have begun things which have no cure, no stopping. Their weapons of evil engulf the land like a tidal wave upon the shore. Like a wave of destruction devouring a multitude of men. Temptation rose inside me but my soul clung to the faith of you Lord. They have fallen to the destruction of each other which they brought on themselves, but I will not fall to the rein of their destruction, for I keep upon level ground and apart from them I will bless you Lord.
I give thanks to you, Lord, because you have placed me in the circle of life and guided me against the evils of the world. Violent men have threatened my life because of my faith in you Lord. For they are an assembly of trickery and a crowd of evil, the do not know that through you I live and in your compassion you will spare me in my soul. Because of you they raid my life to spite you by the judgment of the wicked. But you give me strength in the faces of the unworthy. And I said, mighty men have pitched their camps and swarmed against me with all the temptations of unjustly things. They have begun things which have no cure, no stopping. Their weapons of evil engulf the land like a tidal wave upon the shore. Like a wave of destruction devouring a multitude of men. Temptation rose inside me but my soul clung to the faith of you Lord. They have fallen to the destruction of each other which they brought on themselves, but I will not fall to the rein of their destruction, for I keep upon level ground and apart from them I will bless you Lord.
Hymn #8 (formerly 3):
I give thanks to you, Lord, for you have [fastened] your eye upon me. You have saved me from the passion of lying deception, and from the congregation of those who seek wealth. You have blessed the soul of the poor one who planned to destroy me by spilling my blood while I was at service to you. But they did not know that my soul belonged to you, so they made a mockery of me in the mouths of all that seek for lies. [...] But you, my Lord, have restored the faith of the poor and the needy against one stronger than me; you have saved my soul from the hand of the mighty. You have not permitted their insults to pursue me into craving their service.
I give thanks to you, Lord, for you have [fastened] your eye upon me. You have saved me from the passion of lying deception, and from the congregation of those who seek wealth. You have blessed the soul of the poor one who planned to destroy me by spilling my blood while I was at service to you. But they did not know that my soul belonged to you, so they made a mockery of me in the mouths of all that seek for lies. [...] But you, my Lord, have restored the faith of the poor and the needy against one stronger than me; you have saved my soul from the hand of the mighty. You have not permitted their insults to pursue me into craving their service.
Apocryphal Psalms of David
4QPsf=4Q88, 4QapPs=4Q448, 11QPsa-b=11Q5-6
Paraphrase and comments by Martha S. McCabe & Michael D. Hall
Introduction
The following sections of the Dead Sea Scrolls are commonly referred to as the Apocryphal Psalms or the Apocryphal Psalms of David. The scrolls were found in the caves at Qumran, along with many others. These specific scrolls were discovered in caves 4 and 11. These scrolls tell of the great deeds of God and of David, as they praise the works and actions of both. Included in the scrolls containing the Apocryphal Psalms of David are Psalms 151 and 154, which are not normally found in the Bible, in which the book of Psalms ends with Psalm 150. The scrolls can be found in books containing translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls, in Bibles which include the Apocrypha, and in some books containing songs and prayers which are not usually found in a conventional Bible. Much of the contents of the caves were discovered by bedouins or nomadic people. However, the majority of the excavation of those same caves was handled by professionals, trained to take special care of the precious contents of these ancient caverns. Many of the scrolls which will be explained herein are only partial, due to the deterioration caused by time and neglect. As a result of this, the reader is left with fragments of the original texts. But, luckily, much of what remained of the scrolls was still readable for a small group of highly trained scholars.
The contents of cave 4 were discovered in 1952. This cave is commonly regarded to be the central library of the Qumran community. The find included 15,000 fragments which came from roughly 550 different manuscripts.[1] Cave 11 was found to contain manuscripts in January 1956. The contents of both of these caves proved to be quite lucrative for the people who found these scrolls and cared for them before their eventual sales to both museums and private collectors.
A scroll, found in Cave 11, commonly known as 11Q6 Column 19, was one of the longer pieces which was found at Qumran. Its surface was the thickest of any of the scrolls because it is possible that it was written on calfskin, rather than on sheepskin as were the majority of other scrolls. While the script of this particular scroll was of very fine quality, several of the lines of the bottom of the scroll were missing.[2]
Paraphrase
4Q448
Column XVIII
Psalm 154
Praise God in a loud voice. Testify to his glory in the assembly.
Lift up His name with the righteous and speak of His greatness with the faithful.
Become one with the perfect and the good to praise the Lord.
Join and worship together to tell of His salvation. And be swift in making known His fortitude and His righteousness to all the simple.
Knowledge is granted so that we may praise the Lord and tell of his greatness.
She is made known to mankind, to speak of His strength and tell of his greatness to the ignorant,
who have strayed from her gates and have sinned.
For God is the Lord of Jacob and his grace is seen in all his works.
A person who praises God is recognized by Him
because the worshiper brings and offering and sacrifice of livestock,
because the worshiper fills the altar with gifts. Her voice and her songs are heard and sung by the righteous.
When they feast together, she is mentioned.
Their thoughts are on the Law of God and they speak to testify of His strength.
The evil and the rebellious are far from her grace.
See how God has mercy on the good,
and it is great for those who praise Him; He is their soul's salvation from wickedness.
Praise the Lord who saves the meek from the grasp of the unknown and delivers the righteous from evil,
Who lifts up a horn from Jacob and a moderator from Israel.
He wants his gathering place to be in Zion, and He picks Jerusalem for all eternity.
4Q88
Column IX
[ . . . ]
The masses
will worship God because He has come to judge everything
and to rid the earth of evil,
so that sinners shall find no repose,
the heavens shall give their due,
and there will be no wrong doings there.
The earth will produce crops in its season
and they shall not fail.
The fruit trees shall [ . . . ] of their vineyards
and their springs will not dry up.
The poor will eat for those who follow YHWH shall not go hungry.
Column X
[ . . . ]
[ . . . ] meanwhile the heavens and earth will praise together
And all the evening starts will then adore.
Rejoice, Judah, be happy!
Be glad and let your joy shine forth!
Keep your feasts and your oaths
because within you there is no Belial.
Raise your hand, make your right hand strong. See, your foes shall be eliminated.
And all evil doers shall fell.
But you, YHWH, shall remain forever.
Your glory is everlasting.
[Hallelujah!]
11Q5
Column XXVIII
Hallelujah. Of David, son of Jesse.
Psalm 151
My brothers were bigger than me and I was the youngest of my father's sons;
He made me the master of His flocks, and shepherd of his goats. My hands created a flute, my fingers a lyre,
and I praised God. I told myself that neither the mountains nor the hills tell me of the glory of God, nor the trees His words, nor the flocks His actions.
Who, then will tell of God's deeds? God saw all
He heard all and listened. He sent his prophet to anoint me,
Samuel, to sift me up. My brothers went out to meet him, well built, beautifully presented. They were very tall
and had lovely hair, but the Lord did not pick them, He sent for me from tending the flock
and anointed me with holy oil and made me a ruler of His people and of the sons of His covenant.
[ . . . ]
First of David's exploits after the Lord's prophet had anointed him
Then I saw a Philistine threatening from enemy lines [ . . . ]
11Q6
Column XIX
Fragment A
Impoverished and feeble am I for
[ . . . ]
For not even a worm can praise You nor insects recount Your grace
The living can thank You and those who fall shall praise You highly.
You show them the ways of Your holiness and grace for You care for the souls of every living thing;
You provide for all living things. Judge us, O God, with Your kind ways, Your grace, and Your
Justice. The Lord hears the please of his followers.
He has not shunned them. Praise be to God who does good things
and rewards his followers with His kindness. May my spirit lift up Your Name,
to recount with joy Your righteous deeds, and proclaim Your eternal steadfastness.
Fragment B
And in Your grace, I have sought sanctuary. The images of Your might life up my heart. I find peace in Your righteousness.
Forgive me, Lord, and free me from my sins.
Give to me a sense of honor and knowledge. May I not be shamed in ruin.
Protect me from unclean spirits, save me from pain and temptation.
For You, O Lord, are my salvation, and I praise You everyday.
My people rejoice with me and are awestruck by Your power.
I will adore You and worship You for all eternity.
4QPsf=4Q88, 4QapPs=4Q448, 11QPsa-b=11Q5-6
Paraphrase and comments by Martha S. McCabe & Michael D. Hall
Introduction
The following sections of the Dead Sea Scrolls are commonly referred to as the Apocryphal Psalms or the Apocryphal Psalms of David. The scrolls were found in the caves at Qumran, along with many others. These specific scrolls were discovered in caves 4 and 11. These scrolls tell of the great deeds of God and of David, as they praise the works and actions of both. Included in the scrolls containing the Apocryphal Psalms of David are Psalms 151 and 154, which are not normally found in the Bible, in which the book of Psalms ends with Psalm 150. The scrolls can be found in books containing translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls, in Bibles which include the Apocrypha, and in some books containing songs and prayers which are not usually found in a conventional Bible. Much of the contents of the caves were discovered by bedouins or nomadic people. However, the majority of the excavation of those same caves was handled by professionals, trained to take special care of the precious contents of these ancient caverns. Many of the scrolls which will be explained herein are only partial, due to the deterioration caused by time and neglect. As a result of this, the reader is left with fragments of the original texts. But, luckily, much of what remained of the scrolls was still readable for a small group of highly trained scholars.
The contents of cave 4 were discovered in 1952. This cave is commonly regarded to be the central library of the Qumran community. The find included 15,000 fragments which came from roughly 550 different manuscripts.[1] Cave 11 was found to contain manuscripts in January 1956. The contents of both of these caves proved to be quite lucrative for the people who found these scrolls and cared for them before their eventual sales to both museums and private collectors.
A scroll, found in Cave 11, commonly known as 11Q6 Column 19, was one of the longer pieces which was found at Qumran. Its surface was the thickest of any of the scrolls because it is possible that it was written on calfskin, rather than on sheepskin as were the majority of other scrolls. While the script of this particular scroll was of very fine quality, several of the lines of the bottom of the scroll were missing.[2]
Paraphrase
4Q448
Column XVIII
Psalm 154
Praise God in a loud voice. Testify to his glory in the assembly.
Lift up His name with the righteous and speak of His greatness with the faithful.
Become one with the perfect and the good to praise the Lord.
Join and worship together to tell of His salvation. And be swift in making known His fortitude and His righteousness to all the simple.
Knowledge is granted so that we may praise the Lord and tell of his greatness.
She is made known to mankind, to speak of His strength and tell of his greatness to the ignorant,
who have strayed from her gates and have sinned.
For God is the Lord of Jacob and his grace is seen in all his works.
A person who praises God is recognized by Him
because the worshiper brings and offering and sacrifice of livestock,
because the worshiper fills the altar with gifts. Her voice and her songs are heard and sung by the righteous.
When they feast together, she is mentioned.
Their thoughts are on the Law of God and they speak to testify of His strength.
The evil and the rebellious are far from her grace.
See how God has mercy on the good,
and it is great for those who praise Him; He is their soul's salvation from wickedness.
Praise the Lord who saves the meek from the grasp of the unknown and delivers the righteous from evil,
Who lifts up a horn from Jacob and a moderator from Israel.
He wants his gathering place to be in Zion, and He picks Jerusalem for all eternity.
4Q88
Column IX
[ . . . ]
The masses
will worship God because He has come to judge everything
and to rid the earth of evil,
so that sinners shall find no repose,
the heavens shall give their due,
and there will be no wrong doings there.
The earth will produce crops in its season
and they shall not fail.
The fruit trees shall [ . . . ] of their vineyards
and their springs will not dry up.
The poor will eat for those who follow YHWH shall not go hungry.
Column X
[ . . . ]
[ . . . ] meanwhile the heavens and earth will praise together
And all the evening starts will then adore.
Rejoice, Judah, be happy!
Be glad and let your joy shine forth!
Keep your feasts and your oaths
because within you there is no Belial.
Raise your hand, make your right hand strong. See, your foes shall be eliminated.
And all evil doers shall fell.
But you, YHWH, shall remain forever.
Your glory is everlasting.
[Hallelujah!]
11Q5
Column XXVIII
Hallelujah. Of David, son of Jesse.
Psalm 151
My brothers were bigger than me and I was the youngest of my father's sons;
He made me the master of His flocks, and shepherd of his goats. My hands created a flute, my fingers a lyre,
and I praised God. I told myself that neither the mountains nor the hills tell me of the glory of God, nor the trees His words, nor the flocks His actions.
Who, then will tell of God's deeds? God saw all
He heard all and listened. He sent his prophet to anoint me,
Samuel, to sift me up. My brothers went out to meet him, well built, beautifully presented. They were very tall
and had lovely hair, but the Lord did not pick them, He sent for me from tending the flock
and anointed me with holy oil and made me a ruler of His people and of the sons of His covenant.
[ . . . ]
First of David's exploits after the Lord's prophet had anointed him
Then I saw a Philistine threatening from enemy lines [ . . . ]
11Q6
Column XIX
Fragment A
Impoverished and feeble am I for
[ . . . ]
For not even a worm can praise You nor insects recount Your grace
The living can thank You and those who fall shall praise You highly.
You show them the ways of Your holiness and grace for You care for the souls of every living thing;
You provide for all living things. Judge us, O God, with Your kind ways, Your grace, and Your
Justice. The Lord hears the please of his followers.
He has not shunned them. Praise be to God who does good things
and rewards his followers with His kindness. May my spirit lift up Your Name,
to recount with joy Your righteous deeds, and proclaim Your eternal steadfastness.
Fragment B
And in Your grace, I have sought sanctuary. The images of Your might life up my heart. I find peace in Your righteousness.
Forgive me, Lord, and free me from my sins.
Give to me a sense of honor and knowledge. May I not be shamed in ruin.
Protect me from unclean spirits, save me from pain and temptation.
For You, O Lord, are my salvation, and I praise You everyday.
My people rejoice with me and are awestruck by Your power.
I will adore You and worship You for all eternity.
Footnotes
[1] Martнnez, xlii.
[2] Psalms Scroll, 12-06-98.
[3] This was the first instance in this scroll that spawned a great deal of debate. There does not appear to be a direct antecedent for the feminine pronouns in this section. It was hypothesized that the pronouns would be referring to the wisdom or knowledge of or about God. It could also be a reference to divine androgyny, although this is unlikely because of the time period in which this scroll was written. Also, the feminine pronouns could mean the "Law of the Most High" as it appeared in the original text. In addition to all of these options, it could have been a result of translations from the original texts, and the words in the original scrolls were feminine, such as nouns are in many romance languages of today. Because of this, previous translators may have left the feminine pronouns in the text as was done in this case.
[4] In this case, the author wrote, "Celebrate your feasts and pay your vows." (Vermes, 309) The use of the word 'feasts' led to speculation about the intent of the definition of the word once again. While 'feasts' could simply mean food, it could also be referring to celebrations or traditions of a religious or even secular nature. Because of uncertainty, the word was left intact in the text.
[5] A biblical name of the devil or one of the fiends.
[6] This psalm can be found in a Bible containing the Apocrypha.
[7] There are two conflicting punctuation techniques on this phrase. Martinez translates,
My hands made a flute.
my fingers a lyre,
and I gave glory to YHWH.
I said to myself:
the mountains do not witness in his favour . . . (p. 310.)
However, Vermes wrote,
My hands have made a pipe and my fingers a lyre.
I have rendered glory to the Lord; I have said so in my soul.
The mountains do not testify to him, and the hills do not . . .(p. 302.)
In the first version, the author writes as if the speaker talks about the mountains to himself. In the second version, it seems as if he glorified God to himself. While these differences may seem insignificant, they can lead to debate-causing confusion.
[8] Because of the uncertainty about the original author's intent for the definition of the word anointed, whether it was meant to be construed as meaning to baptize or to christen, to elect as a chosen one, or to literally rub something on the individual. As a result of this enigma, the original word "anoint" was left in this translation. This occurred a couple of times in this text.
[1] Martнnez, xlii.
[2] Psalms Scroll, 12-06-98.
[3] This was the first instance in this scroll that spawned a great deal of debate. There does not appear to be a direct antecedent for the feminine pronouns in this section. It was hypothesized that the pronouns would be referring to the wisdom or knowledge of or about God. It could also be a reference to divine androgyny, although this is unlikely because of the time period in which this scroll was written. Also, the feminine pronouns could mean the "Law of the Most High" as it appeared in the original text. In addition to all of these options, it could have been a result of translations from the original texts, and the words in the original scrolls were feminine, such as nouns are in many romance languages of today. Because of this, previous translators may have left the feminine pronouns in the text as was done in this case.
[4] In this case, the author wrote, "Celebrate your feasts and pay your vows." (Vermes, 309) The use of the word 'feasts' led to speculation about the intent of the definition of the word once again. While 'feasts' could simply mean food, it could also be referring to celebrations or traditions of a religious or even secular nature. Because of uncertainty, the word was left intact in the text.
[5] A biblical name of the devil or one of the fiends.
[6] This psalm can be found in a Bible containing the Apocrypha.
[7] There are two conflicting punctuation techniques on this phrase. Martinez translates,
My hands made a flute.
my fingers a lyre,
and I gave glory to YHWH.
I said to myself:
the mountains do not witness in his favour . . . (p. 310.)
However, Vermes wrote,
My hands have made a pipe and my fingers a lyre.
I have rendered glory to the Lord; I have said so in my soul.
The mountains do not testify to him, and the hills do not . . .(p. 302.)
In the first version, the author writes as if the speaker talks about the mountains to himself. In the second version, it seems as if he glorified God to himself. While these differences may seem insignificant, they can lead to debate-causing confusion.
[8] Because of the uncertainty about the original author's intent for the definition of the word anointed, whether it was meant to be construed as meaning to baptize or to christen, to elect as a chosen one, or to literally rub something on the individual. As a result of this enigma, the original word "anoint" was left in this translation. This occurred a couple of times in this text.
“…praises. Benedictions for the King of glory. Words of thanksgiving
in psalms of…to the God of knowledge, the Splendour of power, the God
of Gods. Lord of all the holy. His dominion is over all the powerful
mighty ones and by the power of his might all shall be terrified and
shall be terrified and shall scatter and be put to flight by the
splendor of the dwelling of his kingly glory. And I, the Master,
proclaim the majesty of his beauty to frighten and terrify all the
spirits of the destroying angels and the spirits of the bastards, the
demons, Lilith, the howlers and the yelpers…they who strike suddenly
to lead astray the spirit of understanding and to appal their heart
and their…in the age of the domination of wickedness and the appointed
times for the humiliation of the sons of light, in the guilt of the
ages of those smitten by iniquity, not for eternal destruction but for
the humiliation of sin. Exalt, O just, the God of marvels. My psalms
are for the upright…May all whose way is perfect exalt him.”
in psalms of…to the God of knowledge, the Splendour of power, the God
of Gods. Lord of all the holy. His dominion is over all the powerful
mighty ones and by the power of his might all shall be terrified and
shall be terrified and shall scatter and be put to flight by the
splendor of the dwelling of his kingly glory. And I, the Master,
proclaim the majesty of his beauty to frighten and terrify all the
spirits of the destroying angels and the spirits of the bastards, the
demons, Lilith, the howlers and the yelpers…they who strike suddenly
to lead astray the spirit of understanding and to appal their heart
and their…in the age of the domination of wickedness and the appointed
times for the humiliation of the sons of light, in the guilt of the
ages of those smitten by iniquity, not for eternal destruction but for
the humiliation of sin. Exalt, O just, the God of marvels. My psalms
are for the upright…May all whose way is perfect exalt him.”
One of the earliest extant texts that directly uses the name Lilith is Songs of the Sage (4Q510-511) fragment 1- or Songs of the Maskil (Instructor). The work contains incantations for protection from evil spirits, lists of infernal names, and instructions for exorcism.
"And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, Lilith, howlers, and [desert dwellers…] and those which fall upon men without warning to lead them astray from a spirit of understanding and to make their heart and their […] desolate during the present dominion of wickedness and predetermined time of humiliations for the sons of lig[ht], by the guilt of the ages of [those] smitten by iniquity – not for eternal destruction, [bu]t for an era of humiliation for transgression.
Sing for joy, O righteous ones, for the God of wonder- my psalms are for the upright and [let...] all who are blameless exalt Him."
"And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, Lilith, howlers, and [desert dwellers…] and those which fall upon men without warning to lead them astray from a spirit of understanding and to make their heart and their […] desolate during the present dominion of wickedness and predetermined time of humiliations for the sons of lig[ht], by the guilt of the ages of [those] smitten by iniquity – not for eternal destruction, [bu]t for an era of humiliation for transgression.
Sing for joy, O righteous ones, for the God of wonder- my psalms are for the upright and [let...] all who are blameless exalt Him."
The Thanksgiving Hymns (1QH) Dead Sea Scrolls.
Psalm 1
I...
Thou art long-suffering in Thy judgments and righteous in all Thy deeds.
By Thy wisdom [all things exist from] eternity, and before creating them Thou knewest their works for ever and ever.
[Nothing] is done [without Thee] and nothing is known unless Thou desire it.
Thou hast created all the spirits [and has established a statue] and law for all their works.
Thou hast spread the heavens for Thy glory and hast [appointed] all [their hosts] according to Thy will;
the mighty winds according to their laws before they became angles [of holiness] ...and eternal spirits in their dominions;
the heavenly lights to their mysteries, and stars to their paths, [the clouds] to their tasks, the thunderbolts and lightenings to their duty, and the perfect treasuries of snow and haik to their purposes,...to thie mysteries.
Thou hast created the earth by Thy power and the seas and deeps [by Thy might].
Thou hast fashioned [all] their [inhabi]tants according to Thy wisdom, and hast appointed all that is in them according to Thy will
[And] to the spirit of man which thou hast formed in the world, [Thou hast given dominion over the works of Thy hands] for everlasting days and unending generations.
.....in their ages
Thou hast alloted to them tasks during all their generations, and Judgment in their appointed seasons according to the rule [of the two spirits, For Thou hast established their ways] for ever and ever, [and has ordained from eternity] their visitation for reward and chastisements;
Thou hast allotted it to all their seed for eternal generations and everlasting years...
In the wisdom of Thy knowledge Thou didst establish their destiny before ever they were.
All thing [exist] according to [Thy will] and without The nothing is done.
These things I know by the wisdom which comes from Thee, for thoust unstopped my ears to marvelous mysteries.
And yet I, a shape of clay kneeded in water, a ground of shame and a source of pollution, a melting-pot of wickedness and an edifice of sin, a straying and perverted spirit of no understanding, fearful of righteous judgements, what can I say that is not foreknown, and what can I utter that is not foretold?
All things are graven before Thee on a written Reminder for everlasting ages and for the numbered cycles of the eternal years in all theit seasons; they ar not hidden or absent from Thee.
what shall a man say concerning his sin? And how shall he plead concerning his iniquities? And how shall he reply to righteous judgment?
For thine, O God of knowledge, are all righteous deeds and the counsel of truth; but to the sons of men is the work of iniquity and deeds of deceit.
It is Thou who hast created breath for the tongue and Thou knowest its words;
Thou didst establish the fruit of the lips before ever they were.
Thou dost set words to measure and the flow of breath from lips to metre.
Thou bringest forth sounds according to their mysteries, and the flow of breath from the lips according to its reckoning, that they may tell Thy glory and recount Thy wonders in all Thy words of truth and [in all Thy] righteous [judgments];
and that Thy Name be praised by the mouth of all men, and that they may know Thee
according to their understanding and bless Thee for ever.
By Thy mercies and by Thy great goodness, Thou hast strengthened the spirit of man
in the face of the scourge, and hast purified [the erring spirit] of a multitude of sins, that it may declare Thy marvels in the presence of all Thy cratures
[I will declare to the assembly of the simple] the judgments by which I was scourged, and to the sons of men, all Thy wonders by which Thou hast shown Thyself might [in me in the presence of the sons of Adam]
Hear, O you wise men, and meditate on knowledge; O you fearfuk, be steadfast!
Increase in prudence, [O all you simple]; O you fearful, be steadfast! In crease in prudence, [O all you simplej]; O just men, put away iniquity! Hold fast [to the Covenantj], O all you perfect of way;
[O all you afflicted with] misery, be patient and despise no righteous Judgment!
...
[but the fool]ish of heart shall not comprehend these things.
Five Psalms of David, which are not written in the order of the psalms.
I. Ps. cli. A Thanksgiving of David.
(1) I was the youngest among my brethren, and a youth in my father's house. (2) I used to feed my father's flock, and I found a lion and a wolf, and slew them and rent them. (3) My hands made an organ, and my fingers fashioned a harp. (4) Who will show me my Lord? He, my Lord, is become my God.1 (5) He sent His angel and took me away from my father's flock, and anointed me with the oil of anointing. (6) My brethren, the fair and the tall, in them the Lord had no pleasure. (7) And I went forth to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols. (8) But I drew his sword and cut off his head, and took away the reproach from the children of Israel.
II. The Prayer of Hezekiah when enemies surrounded him.
(1) With a loud voice glorify ye God; in the assembly of many proclaim ye His glory. (2) Amid the multitude of the upright glorify His praise; and speak of His glory with the righteous. (3) Join yourselves (literally, your soul) to the good and to the perfect, to glorify the Most High. (4) Gather yourselves together to make known His strength; and be not slow in showing forth His deliverance [and His strength] and His glory to all babes. (5) That the honour of the Lord may be known, wisdom hath been given; and to tell of His works it hath been made known to men: (6) to make known unto babes His strength, and to make them that lack understanding (literally, heart) to comprehend His glory; (7) who are far from His entrances and distant from His gates: (8) because the Lord of Jacob is exalted, and His glory is upon all His works. (9) And a man who glorifies the Most High, in him will He take pleasure; as in one who offers fine meal, and as in one who offers he-goats and calves; (10) and as in one who makes fat the altar with a multitude of burnt offerings; and as the smell of incense from the hands of the just. (11) From thy upright gates 2 shall be heard His voice, and from the voice of the upright admonition. (12) And |265 in their eating shall be satisfying in truth, and in their drinking, when they share together. (13) Their dwelling is in the law of the Most High, and their speech is to make known His strength. (14) How far from the wicked is speech of Him, and from all transgressors to know Him! (15) Lo, the eye of the Lord taketh pity on the good, and unto them that glorify Him will He multiply mercy, and from the time of evil will He deliver their soul. (16) Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered the wretched from the hand of the wicked; who raiseth up a horn out of Jacob and a judge of the nations out of Israel; (17) that He may prolong His dwelling in Zion, and may adorn our age in Jerusalem.
III. When the People obtained permission from Cyrus to return home.
(1) O Lord, I have cried unto Thee; hearken Thou unto me. (2) I have lifted up my hands to Thy holy dwelling-place; incline Thine ear unto me. (3) And grant me my request;3 my prayer withhold not from me. (4) Build up my soul, and destroy it not; and lay it not bare before the wicked. (5) Them that recompense evil things turn Thou away from me, O judge of truth. (6) O Lord, judge me not according to my sins, because no flesh is innocent before Thee. (7) Make plain to me, O Lord, Thy law, and teach me Thy judgments; (8) and many shall hear of Thy works, and the nations shall praise Thine honour. (9) Remember me and forget me not; and lead me not into things that be too hard for me. (10) The sins of my youth make Thou to pass from me, and my chastisement let them not remember against me. (11) Cleanse me, O Lord, from the evil leprosy, and let it no more come unto me. (12) Dry up its roots in (literally, from) me, and let not its leaves sprout within me. (13) Great art Thou, O Lord; therefore my request shall be fulfilled from before Thee. (14) To whom shall I complain that he may give unto me? and what can the strength of men add [unto me]? (15) From before Thee, O Lord, is my confidence; I cried unto the Lord and He heard me, and healed the breaking of my heart. (16) I slumbered and slept; I dreamed and was helped, and the Lord sustained me. (17) They sorely pained my heart; I will return thanks because the Lord delivered |266 me. (18) Now will I rejoice in their shame; I have hoped in Thee, and I shall not be ashamed. (19) Give Thou honour for ever, even for ever and ever. (20) Deliver Israel Thine elect, and them of the house of Jacob Thy proved one.
IV. Spoken by David when he was contending with the lion and the wolf which took a sheep from his flock.
(1) O God, O God, come to my aid; help Thou me and save me; deliver Thou my soul from the slayer. (2) Shall I go down to Sheol by the mouth of the lion? or shall the wolf confound me? (3) Was it not enough for them that they lay in wait for my father's flock, and rent in pieces a sheep of my father's drove, but they were wishing also to destroy my soul? (4) Have pity, O Lord, and save Thy holy one from destruction; that he may rehearse Thy glories in all his times, and may praise Thy great name: (5) when Thou hast delivered him from the hands of the destroying lion and of the ravening wolf, and when Thou hast rescued my captivity from the hands of the wild beasts. (6) Quickly, O my Lord (Adonai), send from before Thee a deliverer, and draw me out of the gaping pit, which imprisons me in its depths.
V. Spoken by David when returning thanks to God, who had delivered him from the lion and the wolf and he had slain both of them.
(1) Praise the Lord, all ye nations; glorify Him, and bless His name: (2) Who rescued the soul of His elect from the hands of death, and delivered His holy one from destruction: (3) and saved me from the nets of Sheol, and my soul from the pit that cannot be fathomed. (4) Because, ere my deliverance could go forth from before Him, I was well nigh rent in two pieces by two wild beasts. (5) But He sent His angel, and shut up from me the gaping mouths, and rescued my life from destruction. (6) My soul shall glorify Him and exalt Him, because of all His kindnesses which He hath done and will do unto me.
Psalm 1
I...
Thou art long-suffering in Thy judgments and righteous in all Thy deeds.
By Thy wisdom [all things exist from] eternity, and before creating them Thou knewest their works for ever and ever.
[Nothing] is done [without Thee] and nothing is known unless Thou desire it.
Thou hast created all the spirits [and has established a statue] and law for all their works.
Thou hast spread the heavens for Thy glory and hast [appointed] all [their hosts] according to Thy will;
the mighty winds according to their laws before they became angles [of holiness] ...and eternal spirits in their dominions;
the heavenly lights to their mysteries, and stars to their paths, [the clouds] to their tasks, the thunderbolts and lightenings to their duty, and the perfect treasuries of snow and haik to their purposes,...to thie mysteries.
Thou hast created the earth by Thy power and the seas and deeps [by Thy might].
Thou hast fashioned [all] their [inhabi]tants according to Thy wisdom, and hast appointed all that is in them according to Thy will
[And] to the spirit of man which thou hast formed in the world, [Thou hast given dominion over the works of Thy hands] for everlasting days and unending generations.
.....in their ages
Thou hast alloted to them tasks during all their generations, and Judgment in their appointed seasons according to the rule [of the two spirits, For Thou hast established their ways] for ever and ever, [and has ordained from eternity] their visitation for reward and chastisements;
Thou hast allotted it to all their seed for eternal generations and everlasting years...
In the wisdom of Thy knowledge Thou didst establish their destiny before ever they were.
All thing [exist] according to [Thy will] and without The nothing is done.
These things I know by the wisdom which comes from Thee, for thoust unstopped my ears to marvelous mysteries.
And yet I, a shape of clay kneeded in water, a ground of shame and a source of pollution, a melting-pot of wickedness and an edifice of sin, a straying and perverted spirit of no understanding, fearful of righteous judgements, what can I say that is not foreknown, and what can I utter that is not foretold?
All things are graven before Thee on a written Reminder for everlasting ages and for the numbered cycles of the eternal years in all theit seasons; they ar not hidden or absent from Thee.
what shall a man say concerning his sin? And how shall he plead concerning his iniquities? And how shall he reply to righteous judgment?
For thine, O God of knowledge, are all righteous deeds and the counsel of truth; but to the sons of men is the work of iniquity and deeds of deceit.
It is Thou who hast created breath for the tongue and Thou knowest its words;
Thou didst establish the fruit of the lips before ever they were.
Thou dost set words to measure and the flow of breath from lips to metre.
Thou bringest forth sounds according to their mysteries, and the flow of breath from the lips according to its reckoning, that they may tell Thy glory and recount Thy wonders in all Thy words of truth and [in all Thy] righteous [judgments];
and that Thy Name be praised by the mouth of all men, and that they may know Thee
according to their understanding and bless Thee for ever.
By Thy mercies and by Thy great goodness, Thou hast strengthened the spirit of man
in the face of the scourge, and hast purified [the erring spirit] of a multitude of sins, that it may declare Thy marvels in the presence of all Thy cratures
[I will declare to the assembly of the simple] the judgments by which I was scourged, and to the sons of men, all Thy wonders by which Thou hast shown Thyself might [in me in the presence of the sons of Adam]
Hear, O you wise men, and meditate on knowledge; O you fearfuk, be steadfast!
Increase in prudence, [O all you simple]; O you fearful, be steadfast! In crease in prudence, [O all you simplej]; O just men, put away iniquity! Hold fast [to the Covenantj], O all you perfect of way;
[O all you afflicted with] misery, be patient and despise no righteous Judgment!
...
[but the fool]ish of heart shall not comprehend these things.
Five Psalms of David, which are not written in the order of the psalms.
I. Ps. cli. A Thanksgiving of David.
(1) I was the youngest among my brethren, and a youth in my father's house. (2) I used to feed my father's flock, and I found a lion and a wolf, and slew them and rent them. (3) My hands made an organ, and my fingers fashioned a harp. (4) Who will show me my Lord? He, my Lord, is become my God.1 (5) He sent His angel and took me away from my father's flock, and anointed me with the oil of anointing. (6) My brethren, the fair and the tall, in them the Lord had no pleasure. (7) And I went forth to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols. (8) But I drew his sword and cut off his head, and took away the reproach from the children of Israel.
II. The Prayer of Hezekiah when enemies surrounded him.
(1) With a loud voice glorify ye God; in the assembly of many proclaim ye His glory. (2) Amid the multitude of the upright glorify His praise; and speak of His glory with the righteous. (3) Join yourselves (literally, your soul) to the good and to the perfect, to glorify the Most High. (4) Gather yourselves together to make known His strength; and be not slow in showing forth His deliverance [and His strength] and His glory to all babes. (5) That the honour of the Lord may be known, wisdom hath been given; and to tell of His works it hath been made known to men: (6) to make known unto babes His strength, and to make them that lack understanding (literally, heart) to comprehend His glory; (7) who are far from His entrances and distant from His gates: (8) because the Lord of Jacob is exalted, and His glory is upon all His works. (9) And a man who glorifies the Most High, in him will He take pleasure; as in one who offers fine meal, and as in one who offers he-goats and calves; (10) and as in one who makes fat the altar with a multitude of burnt offerings; and as the smell of incense from the hands of the just. (11) From thy upright gates 2 shall be heard His voice, and from the voice of the upright admonition. (12) And |265 in their eating shall be satisfying in truth, and in their drinking, when they share together. (13) Their dwelling is in the law of the Most High, and their speech is to make known His strength. (14) How far from the wicked is speech of Him, and from all transgressors to know Him! (15) Lo, the eye of the Lord taketh pity on the good, and unto them that glorify Him will He multiply mercy, and from the time of evil will He deliver their soul. (16) Blessed be the Lord, who hath delivered the wretched from the hand of the wicked; who raiseth up a horn out of Jacob and a judge of the nations out of Israel; (17) that He may prolong His dwelling in Zion, and may adorn our age in Jerusalem.
III. When the People obtained permission from Cyrus to return home.
(1) O Lord, I have cried unto Thee; hearken Thou unto me. (2) I have lifted up my hands to Thy holy dwelling-place; incline Thine ear unto me. (3) And grant me my request;3 my prayer withhold not from me. (4) Build up my soul, and destroy it not; and lay it not bare before the wicked. (5) Them that recompense evil things turn Thou away from me, O judge of truth. (6) O Lord, judge me not according to my sins, because no flesh is innocent before Thee. (7) Make plain to me, O Lord, Thy law, and teach me Thy judgments; (8) and many shall hear of Thy works, and the nations shall praise Thine honour. (9) Remember me and forget me not; and lead me not into things that be too hard for me. (10) The sins of my youth make Thou to pass from me, and my chastisement let them not remember against me. (11) Cleanse me, O Lord, from the evil leprosy, and let it no more come unto me. (12) Dry up its roots in (literally, from) me, and let not its leaves sprout within me. (13) Great art Thou, O Lord; therefore my request shall be fulfilled from before Thee. (14) To whom shall I complain that he may give unto me? and what can the strength of men add [unto me]? (15) From before Thee, O Lord, is my confidence; I cried unto the Lord and He heard me, and healed the breaking of my heart. (16) I slumbered and slept; I dreamed and was helped, and the Lord sustained me. (17) They sorely pained my heart; I will return thanks because the Lord delivered |266 me. (18) Now will I rejoice in their shame; I have hoped in Thee, and I shall not be ashamed. (19) Give Thou honour for ever, even for ever and ever. (20) Deliver Israel Thine elect, and them of the house of Jacob Thy proved one.
IV. Spoken by David when he was contending with the lion and the wolf which took a sheep from his flock.
(1) O God, O God, come to my aid; help Thou me and save me; deliver Thou my soul from the slayer. (2) Shall I go down to Sheol by the mouth of the lion? or shall the wolf confound me? (3) Was it not enough for them that they lay in wait for my father's flock, and rent in pieces a sheep of my father's drove, but they were wishing also to destroy my soul? (4) Have pity, O Lord, and save Thy holy one from destruction; that he may rehearse Thy glories in all his times, and may praise Thy great name: (5) when Thou hast delivered him from the hands of the destroying lion and of the ravening wolf, and when Thou hast rescued my captivity from the hands of the wild beasts. (6) Quickly, O my Lord (Adonai), send from before Thee a deliverer, and draw me out of the gaping pit, which imprisons me in its depths.
V. Spoken by David when returning thanks to God, who had delivered him from the lion and the wolf and he had slain both of them.
(1) Praise the Lord, all ye nations; glorify Him, and bless His name: (2) Who rescued the soul of His elect from the hands of death, and delivered His holy one from destruction: (3) and saved me from the nets of Sheol, and my soul from the pit that cannot be fathomed. (4) Because, ere my deliverance could go forth from before Him, I was well nigh rent in two pieces by two wild beasts. (5) But He sent His angel, and shut up from me the gaping mouths, and rescued my life from destruction. (6) My soul shall glorify Him and exalt Him, because of all His kindnesses which He hath done and will do unto me.
VI ...
To David. O[n words of incanta]tion. [Cry out al]l the time in the name
of the Lor[d]
towards heave[n when] Beli[al] comes to you.
[And sa]y to him:
Who are you? [Be afraid of] man and of the seed of the ho[ly ones].
Your face is a face of [nothin]g and your horns are horns of dr[eam].
[You ar]e [d]arkness and not light; [injustic]e and not righteousness.
[The prin]ce of the h[os]t [is against you]; the Lord [will cast] you [to]
the nethermost [hell],
[closed by] bronze ga[tes] through [which n]o light [shall pass];
nor [shall shine there the light of the] sun which [will rise] over the
righteous to il[lumine his face.
And] you will say:
Is [there not an angel with the ri]ghteous when [judgement] comes [for]
S[atan for] he caused him evil?
[And the spirit of t]ruth [will save him] from dar[kness because
right]eousness is for him.
... for ever [all the] son of Bel[ial. Amen, amen.] Selah.
To David. O[n words of incanta]tion. [Cry out al]l the time in the name
of the Lor[d]
towards heave[n when] Beli[al] comes to you.
[And sa]y to him:
Who are you? [Be afraid of] man and of the seed of the ho[ly ones].
Your face is a face of [nothin]g and your horns are horns of dr[eam].
[You ar]e [d]arkness and not light; [injustic]e and not righteousness.
[The prin]ce of the h[os]t [is against you]; the Lord [will cast] you [to]
the nethermost [hell],
[closed by] bronze ga[tes] through [which n]o light [shall pass];
nor [shall shine there the light of the] sun which [will rise] over the
righteous to il[lumine his face.
And] you will say:
Is [there not an angel with the ri]ghteous when [judgement] comes [for]
S[atan for] he caused him evil?
[And the spirit of t]ruth [will save him] from dar[kness because
right]eousness is for him.
... for ever [all the] son of Bel[ial. Amen, amen.] Selah.
4Q403 I, ii, 6-29
... and from among them run ‘gods’ with the appearance of coals of
[fire] ... walking round about, most holy spirits ... Holy of Holies, divine
spirits, ever(lasting] appearances ... and divine spirits, forms of flaming
fire round about it ... wonderful spirits. And the chief dwelling on high,
the glory of His kingdom, the innermost sanctuary ... And He
consecrates the seven elevated holy places. And a voice of blessing
(comes) from the chiefs of His innermost sanctuary ... And a glorious
voice of blessing ... is heard by God (the ‘gods’) and the foundations ...
of blessing. And all the ornaments of the innermost sanctuary burst into
wonderful prayers in the innermost sanctuary ... of wonder, one
innermost sanctuary to another, by the voice of holy crowds, and all
their ornaments ... And the chariots of His innermost sanctuary will utter
praises together and their cherubim and wheels will bless wonderfully
the chiefs of the ‘godly’ figure and will bless Him in the holy innermost
sanctuary. vacat
For the Master. Song of the holocaust for the eighth Sabbath on the
tw[enty]-third [of the second month].
[Praise the God of all the highest heights, all the holy ones for ever]
and ever,
they who are second among the priests of the inner Temple, the
second council in the wonderful dwelling, with seven words of ...
eternally.
Extol Him, O sovereign Princes, in his marvellous portion, praise
[the God of gods, O you seven priesthoods of His inner Temple].
... height, the seven wonderful domains by the precept concerning
His sanctuaries.
The sovereign Princes of the [wonderful] priest[hood] ... the seven
priest[hoods] in the wonderful sanctuary for seven councils of holiness
... the Prince, the angels of the King in the wonderful dwellings. The
knowledge of their understanding is for seven ... Prince from the priest
of the inner Temple. The Princes of the congregation of the King in the
assembly of ... and praises of exaltation to the King of glory and a
tower of ... for the God of gods, the King of purity. The offering of their
tongues ... the seven mysteries of knowledge in the wonderful mystery
of the seven domains [of] the Ho[ly of holies] ... [The tongue of the first
shall be seven times stronger than the tongue of the second; the
tongue of the second shall be] seven times [stronger] than that of the
third; [the to]ngue of the thi[rd shall be] seven tim[es] stronger [than that
of the fourth; the tongue of the fourth shall be seven times stronger than
the tongue of the fifth; the tongue of the fifth shall be seven times
stronger than the tongue of] the sixth; the tongu[e of the sixth shall be
seven times stronger than the] t[ongue of the seventh]; the tongue of
the seventh shall be [seven times] stronger [than the tongue of the
eighth] ...
... and from among them run ‘gods’ with the appearance of coals of
[fire] ... walking round about, most holy spirits ... Holy of Holies, divine
spirits, ever(lasting] appearances ... and divine spirits, forms of flaming
fire round about it ... wonderful spirits. And the chief dwelling on high,
the glory of His kingdom, the innermost sanctuary ... And He
consecrates the seven elevated holy places. And a voice of blessing
(comes) from the chiefs of His innermost sanctuary ... And a glorious
voice of blessing ... is heard by God (the ‘gods’) and the foundations ...
of blessing. And all the ornaments of the innermost sanctuary burst into
wonderful prayers in the innermost sanctuary ... of wonder, one
innermost sanctuary to another, by the voice of holy crowds, and all
their ornaments ... And the chariots of His innermost sanctuary will utter
praises together and their cherubim and wheels will bless wonderfully
the chiefs of the ‘godly’ figure and will bless Him in the holy innermost
sanctuary. vacat
For the Master. Song of the holocaust for the eighth Sabbath on the
tw[enty]-third [of the second month].
[Praise the God of all the highest heights, all the holy ones for ever]
and ever,
they who are second among the priests of the inner Temple, the
second council in the wonderful dwelling, with seven words of ...
eternally.
Extol Him, O sovereign Princes, in his marvellous portion, praise
[the God of gods, O you seven priesthoods of His inner Temple].
... height, the seven wonderful domains by the precept concerning
His sanctuaries.
The sovereign Princes of the [wonderful] priest[hood] ... the seven
priest[hoods] in the wonderful sanctuary for seven councils of holiness
... the Prince, the angels of the King in the wonderful dwellings. The
knowledge of their understanding is for seven ... Prince from the priest
of the inner Temple. The Princes of the congregation of the King in the
assembly of ... and praises of exaltation to the King of glory and a
tower of ... for the God of gods, the King of purity. The offering of their
tongues ... the seven mysteries of knowledge in the wonderful mystery
of the seven domains [of] the Ho[ly of holies] ... [The tongue of the first
shall be seven times stronger than the tongue of the second; the
tongue of the second shall be] seven times [stronger] than that of the
third; [the to]ngue of the thi[rd shall be] seven tim[es] stronger [than that
of the fourth; the tongue of the fourth shall be seven times stronger than
the tongue of the fifth; the tongue of the fifth shall be seven times
stronger than the tongue of] the sixth; the tongu[e of the sixth shall be
seven times stronger than the] t[ongue of the seventh]; the tongue of
the seventh shall be [seven times] stronger [than the tongue of the
eighth] ...
English Translation of Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice (Shirot `Olat ha-Shabbat)
4Q403(ShirShabbd)
Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority (9)
Courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority (9)
30. By the instructor. Song of the sacrifice of the seventh
Sabbath on the sixteenth of the month. Praise the God of
the lofty heights, O you lofty ones among all the
31. elim of knowledge. Let the holiest of the godlike ones
sanctify the King of glory who sanctifies by holiness
all His holy ones. O you chiefs of the praises of
32. all the godlike beings, praise the splendidly
[pr]aiseworthy God. For in the splendor of praise
is the glory of His realm. From it (comes) the praises
of all
Sabbath on the sixteenth of the month. Praise the God of
the lofty heights, O you lofty ones among all the
31. elim of knowledge. Let the holiest of the godlike ones
sanctify the King of glory who sanctifies by holiness
all His holy ones. O you chiefs of the praises of
32. all the godlike beings, praise the splendidly
[pr]aiseworthy God. For in the splendor of praise
is the glory of His realm. From it (comes) the praises
of all
33. the godlike ones together with the splendor of all [His]
maj[esty. And] exalt his exaltedness to exalted heaven,
you most godlike ones of the lofty elim,
and (exalt) His glorious divinity above
maj[esty. And] exalt his exaltedness to exalted heaven,
you most godlike ones of the lofty elim,
and (exalt) His glorious divinity above
34. all the lofty heights. For H[e is God of gods] of all
the chiefs of the heights of heaven and King
of ki[ngs] of all the eternal councils.
(by the intention of)
the chiefs of the heights of heaven and King
of ki[ngs] of all the eternal councils.
(by the intention of)
35. (His knowledge) At the words of His mouth come into
being [all the lofty angels]; at the utterance
of His lips all the eternal spirits; [by the in]tention
of His knowledge all His creatures
36. in their undertakings. Sing with joy, you who rejoice
[in His knowledge with] rejoicing among the wondrous
godlike beings. And chant His glory with the
tongue of all who chant with knowledge;
and (chant) His wonderful songs of joy
being [all the lofty angels]; at the utterance
of His lips all the eternal spirits; [by the in]tention
of His knowledge all His creatures
36. in their undertakings. Sing with joy, you who rejoice
[in His knowledge with] rejoicing among the wondrous
godlike beings. And chant His glory with the
tongue of all who chant with knowledge;
and (chant) His wonderful songs of joy
37. with the mouth of all who chant [of Him. For He is]
God of all who rejoice {in knowledge}
forever and Judge in His power of all the
spirits of understanding.
God of all who rejoice {in knowledge}
forever and Judge in His power of all the
spirits of understanding.
Angels and the Thirteen Sabbath Songs
Among the most intriguing discoveries from the Dead Sea Scrolls are the thirteen songs of Sabbath sacrifice. These songs address an angelic priesthood, God on his chariot, and an elaborate heavenly temple thronged with spiritual beings. What can we learn from these ancient songs?
By Kenneth Westby
In the spring of 1947 the Bedouin Muhammad ed Dib who, while looking for a lost sheep, discovered a cave containing a whole quantity of ancient Hebrew scrolls. His find was made while climbing the cliffs above the west shore of the Dead Sea near the ruins of Qumran. During the next ten years many more caves would be searched and scrolls that had not seen the light of day for two thousand years would be discovered and presented to an amazed world.
In the years since, the mystery of who hid these precious writings and what prevented them from ever returning to claim them has largely been solved. Scholars have combed the evidence and there is general agreement that the Dead Sea Scrolls belonged to the Essenes,[1] one of three major religious sects of Judaism during the time of Christ, the Sadducees and Pharisees being the other two.[2] The Essenes had several communities in Judea, but the one at Qumran was its spiritual center.
Today, one can visit the unearthed ruins of what remains of ancient Qumran, see the synagogue, the baptism pools, and the many water channels required by the lively community devoted to holiness and the study of Scripture. I’ve visited Qumran twice, once in the 80s and then in 2003, each time a moving experience.
The scholars and writers of Qumran never retrieved their hidden scrolls because they were surely killed by the invading Romans around the time of the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. Some may have joined the resistance at Masada further south, from which there were no survivors. The Qumran community’s scrolls were its most precious possession and the fact that no one ever returned for them can only be explained by the Roman’s complete annihilation of the Essenes at Qumran.
Their treasures of Scripture (fragments from all books of the Hebrew Bible save Esther have been found in addition to hundreds of other manuscripts, books, and commentaries—and the 13 Sabbath songs) remained lost for two millennia. Among the scrolls are the oldest manuscripts of Scripture we have, some of them dating 300 years before Christ. Their discovery is of immense importance to biblical studies and they open a window to better understand one of the major sects during the time of Christ. The community of Qumran was thriving during the ministry of Jesus and must have been well known to him. It was to a cave in that same wilderness area he retreated for his time of testing and temptation.
The scrolls show that the Qumran community called itself the “Covenant” (berit), or “New Covenant.” They saw themselves as the “little Remnant” foretold by the Prophets, i.e. the true Israel. They also called themselves the “Holy Council of God.”[3]
John the Baptist
There is good reason to believe that John the Baptist spent his early years in the Essene community of Qumran. Recall that his father Zechariah was an elderly but still active temple priest in Jerusalem when approached by Gabriel, the angel of “the presence,” to announce that his wife Elizabeth, long past menopause, would have a son. Many devout priests had become fed up with the politicized priesthood and had withdrawn to the community at Qumran. Elizabeth and Zechariah, already in their 70s or 80s, with a baby to care for considered what would be best for the child. They likely had relatives already residing in Qumran and may have felt led to bring their son to grow up among them.
The Gospel of Luke records that John came forth from the desert wilderness and began preaching along the Jordan River, saying, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”[4] Qumran is in the desert wilderness south of where the Jordan dumps into the Dead Sea. Clearly, The Baptist did not hold to all Essene teachings for he left the community which taught its members to withdraw from society and politics. Instead, The Baptist plunged headlong into direct engagement by actively critiquing and condemning the current religious/political establishment. His comments on Herod’s adulterous behavior finally got him killed, a fate common to God’s prophets.
John was a scholarly prophet, an ascetic, and a dynamic preacher of repentance and the pursuit of holiness—qualities reflecting training and teachings he received from scripture and possibly fromthe discipline of Qumran. He also established his own school of disciples, many of whom later became disciples of Jesus.
Cave 4
Since the Essenes had rejected the corrupt temple establishment in Jerusalem, they had no access to it. Instead, they focused their attention toward the heavenly temple described in the book of Ezekiel (chapters 40-48). They understood that true sacrifice was not limited to offerings of grains and animals offered up in a gilded building, rather in praise and holy devotion to the God to whom the physical temple was dedicated. They believed, as did early Christians, that one could have access directly to the heavenly temple and to Yahweh whose glory filled it; the earthly temple was merely an inferior symbol of that above.
Much emphasis was placed upon understanding this celestial temple and the heavenly host of angels and spiritual creatures that attended it. An elaborate angelogy was developed—based partly on Scripture, partly upon mystic imagination. This sect of Judaism had its strong, mystical elements. Prime among them were notions derived from Ezekiel’s vision of the divine chariot-throne (“merkavah”). Later Jewish mystics would develop a labyrinth of esoteric mystery systems the most well known today being the kabbalah (cabala), formulated in 11th century France.
The history of religions groups is often the story of excesses. Truth carried too far and over-laden with too many manmade inventions. Such was the story of Qumran’s angelogy. Much truth and insight, but lost in a context of fanciful inventions. The discovery of Dead Sea Scroll Cave 4 revealed an amazing song book which prominently featured angels in Essene worship.
Cave 4 contained fragmentary forms of eight manuscripts the oldest of which has been dated to 75-50 B.C.[5] These manuscripts are a liturgical text composed of thirteen separate sections, one for each of the first thirteen Sabbaths of the year. Why just the first thirteen Sabbaths is not known and there is no evidence this series of songs was repeated during the remaining three quarters of the year.
Carol Newsom who’s Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice: A Critical Edition is the definitive work on this topic writes in her introduction: “These thirteen compositions invoke angelic praise, describe the angelic priesthood and the heavenly temple, and give an account of the worship performed on the Sabbath in the heavenly sanctuary.”[6]
These songs aren’t just congregational hymns sung in praise to God; they were apparently regarded as real-time liturgical participation in the heavenly temple’s Sabbath service. Great care was taken to acknowledge and describe the various details of this other worldly divine scene from the vestments of the angelic priesthood, to the temple itself, to the great Merkavah or chariot throne of Yahweh.
A Celestial Sabbath Service
The notion that earthly temples and their service are in some sense dependent upon heavenly prototypes was widespread in the ancient world. Among the Israelites it had biblical precedent as Moses and David were given a divine “pattern.”[7]
The writer of Hebrews, who obviously had priestly experience, wrote: They [human high priests] serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain’” (Heb 8:5). The writer said that Jesus now “serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man” (vs 2).
The worshippers at Qumran operated on the principle that the entire earthly apparatus of temple, priesthood, and sacrifices were but types of the great archetype in heaven—the seventh heaven to be precise; true Zion, true Eden, and locus of the true Temple. The leaders of the community were priests and they considered their movement to be a priestly enterprise. The dominant personality of the movement, the Righteous Teacher, was a priest. They saw themselves as a pure priesthood replacing the present pollution of the Jerusalem temple and priesthood.
Newsom writes: “Since the Qumran community could not conduct an actual sacrificial cult [worship, ritual], atonement was effected through the community’s prayer, praise and obedience to the law.” They regarded the community as temple-like by exclusions of the impure, requirements of purity and through distinctions between priesthood and laity. “The development of the idea of the community as a temple was not, to be sure, a matter of spiritualization…the Qumran community anticipated restoration of the Jerusalem cult to a condition of purity in the eschatological age and planned for its reconstitution.”[8] They were a Messianic movement looking forward to the Kingdom of God and toward restoring a purified priesthood.
The function of reciting the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice was to bring the congregation into the heavenly courts and participate in a Sabbath service administered by angelic priests.
“Both the highly descriptive content and the carefully crafted rhetoric direct the worshipper who hears the songs recited toward a particular kind of religious experience, a sense of being in the heavenly sanctuary and in the presence of the angelic priests and worshippers. That this experience is intended as a communal experience of the human worshipping community is made clear by the first person plural forms which appear…’our priesthood,’ ‘the offering of our mortal tongue,’ ‘how shall we be considered among them’…. Even though the Sabbath Shirot [songs] do not appear to have been designed as vehicles for the incubation of visions or of mystical ascent by individuals, the sophisticated manipulation of religious emotion in the songs would seem to have increased the possibility of ecstatic experience among some worshippers…. It [is] possible for one to assume with confidence that the recitation of these Sabbath songs was a major vehicle for the experience of communion with angels ….”[9]
Smoke, Fire, Music, Song
The close coordination between liturgical song and sacrifice was an ancient feature of temple worship. The Chronicler’s account of the purification of the temple by Hezekiah, for example, keyed the Levites’ songs precisely to the firing of the offerings.
“As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed” (2 Ch 29:27-28).
Qumran’s Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice were choreographed to fit within the perceived Sabbath service taking place in heaven. Early Jewish thought associated a special connection between earth and heaven with Sabbath observance. The Sabbath and certain holydays provided a special opportunity for communion with angels in the worship of Yahweh who sat upon his chariot throne. These Essene Sabbath songs exploited this belief in a particularly close relationship between heavenly and earthly worshippers on the Sabbath.
David is also credited with writing many Sabbath worship songs. Hebrew tradition holds that David wrote 3600 psalms to be used for singing before the altar over the whole-burnt perpetual offering every day of the year. He also wrote 52 special Sabbath songs and songs for offerings of the New Moons and Solemn Assemblies and 30 songs for the Day of Atonement. In all David wrote a total of 4,050 songs![10]
The Thirteen Sabbath Songs describe a heavenly scene not unlike some of those described in the Book of Revelation. They draw heavily from Isaiah’s vision when he “saw the Lord, seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isa 6:1-7). Isaiah tells of flying seraphs with six wings, voices so loud they shook the temple, fire and much smoke. He thought he would die for his “eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
Ezekiel’s visions provide further material to enrich the canvas the Essenes paint of the heavenly host and their courts. Ezekiel tells of the vision he received in Babylon along the Kebar River. He is startled by a windstorm, clouds, flashing lightning, brilliant light, and at the center fire like glowing metal. Then he sees living creatures with four faces and four wings with hands under their wings. He sees a maze of breathtaking colors and creatures that looked like they were torches of fire. He sees huge intersecting gyroscopic wheel-like creatures that sparkle, move like lightening, and are full of piercing eyes. And above all this he sees an expanse of sparkling crystal and winged creatures whose moving wings create immense noise. Above that he sees a throne of sapphire and above that he sees “a figure like that of a man,” like glowing metal as if full of fire. A brilliant light surrounded him and it had the colors and radiance of a rainbow. Ezekiel exclaimed, “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezk 1:1-28).
In the tenth chapter he continues with his description of the throne chariot of Yahweh with its attending angelic creatures. Later in his book (chapters 40-48) he recounts his detailed vision of an idealized prophetic temple, one often associated with the Messianic age or Millennial Kingdom.
The Beauty of the Qumran Songs
If one could place herself/himself in that desert setting during one of the first thirteen Sabbath day services of the year and try to capture what was taking place, what might be experienced? In the first place you would be considered one of the fortunate elect to participate in this ceremonial assent to the throne of God. This was special knowledge unique to the Righteous Community.
Your assent via the songs of sacrifice would pass you through levels of spiritual powers: seven princes of the seven heavens associated with the then known seven planets, each commanding 496,000 myriads of angels; you would acknowledge the seven orders of the angelic priesthood and their deputies and vast companies of angelic attendants; you would come to the seven chief princes; then you would acknowledge the two highest angelic classes, the angels of the Presence and the angels of sanctification.
You would hear dozens of these angelic powers called by name. Your song would describe and praise the fine details of textures and colors woven into the garments of the angelic priests, the bejeweled furnishings, god-like beings of every description moving about, and music, glorious music. The heavenly temple would be described in such detail you could feel like you were actually in the presence of angels joining them is joyful praise and adoration of Yahweh. You would be shaken by the intense sights and sounds, by chariots of light, shining eagles, Seraphim, Cherubim, Michael, Gabriel--almost too much for your soul.
As you sang the songs the words would meld with your mind’s vision of the angelic host and the heavenly courts. You would marvel at the splendorous color, light, and energy emanating from the celestial scene—a scene you couldn’t have otherwise imagined. Your spirits would soar as you anticipated a glimpse of the Merkavah—his Majesty’s throne chariot and above it, God himself!
The apostle Paul received actual visions and revelations of the heavenly scene, of Paradise, which sights he called “inexpressible things” and sights he was not permitted to publicly describe (see 2 Cor 12:1-4).
Nowadays, with available cinemagrapic high-tech special effects spectacular other worldly scenes can be created. In the deserts of Qumran one only the Scriptures and one’s imagination—and the Essenes put both into creative overdrive. Admittedly, the angelological doctrine of Qumran got a little out of hand.
Some scholars see in it an early form of Jewish Gnosticism. In some of these hymns angels are called “spirits of Knowledge.” Essenes regarded their ascent through the angelic realm to the chariot throne a matter of having the right knowledge in addition to living a pure life of obedience to Torah. Proper Gnosis/Knowledge impregnates the whole of Qumran thought and mysticism.
“They had rules peculiar to themselves which they were forbidden to divulge to postulants without the permission of the overseer; they possessed secret doctrines, revelations reserved to initiates, a higher Knowledge—a Gnosis of salvation—which was the privilege of the elect. From these elect, the brethren admitted to the sect, nothing was to be concealed.”[11]
As I mentioned earlier, the story of religion is often the story of excesses. But we should not miss appreciating some of their spiritual insights and virtues even if we criticize their preoccupation with angels and Gnostic theology.
Heptads
The thirteen Sabbath songs were artfully arranged in a Heptad, or series of sevens. The content and intensity of the songs peaked at the seventh Sabbath. The two legs of six weeks met at the crowning seventh forming a triangle (see illustration). As we saw, sevens were used throughout the Sabbath songs and are an important part of Jewish apocalyptical tradition, very much like John uses them in the Book of Revelation. The Sabbath or Seventh day has cosmic significance in the biblical world view. Seven is the rhythm of life and emanates from the Creator of Life.
(Illustration)
Essene Doctrine and the Early Church
There is no doubt that Paul and the other apostles had to deal with elements of mystical theology and with the beginning stages of Gnostic heresy. In his letter to the Colossians Paul acknowledged the existence of unseen heavenly powers, rulers, and authorities, but noted that Christ was superior to them all. Our focus should be on Jesus, not the lesser unnamed powers he rules (1:16-18). He also takes a cut at asceticism and “the worship of angels” (2:18) which puff people up with idle notions of what they think they have seen and know (Gnosticism?).
To the Ephesians Paul is bold to introduce “God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms” (1:3). Paul means for us to realize that we have a place next to Christ in the heavenly realms. Our name is written in heaven meaning our place or citizenship is there. We need not genuflect through legions of angelic powers to have an audience with God and his Son. A humble prayer brings us directly to the Merkavah and the face of God.
Again Paul lifts us up to visions like those 13 Sabbath Songs might evoke by saying, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms” (2:6). Now how spectacular is that? Do we need to navigate through a hierarchy of angelic hosts to catch a glimpse of the throne? If we are “in Christ” we share his throne!—and Jesus is the head over everything except God himself. Rather than being subordinate to angels, we are called to join Jesus in managing angels in the Messianic Kingdom.
Angels are servants of Yahweh; they follow his orders and are ministers for good. Paul indicated that they may disapprovingly report breaches of decorum and disrespect in how the church conducts its worship of God.[12] They deserve our respect and admiration, but they rarely intrude into our consciousness. The Bible readily discloses their existence and function, but all worship and attention is to be directed toward their God and ours. We should not be preoccupied with discovering details of the angelic world for that is God’s undisclosed domain.
Neither should we be ignorant of angels. They surround us and fill the skies doing God’s bidding. Knowing they exist to protect and serve should impart comfort to us as it did to the terrified servant of Elisha. Remember the story of the poor fellow who looked about to find himself and Elisha surrounded by an army with horses and chariots set to destroy them (2 Kings 6:15-17. Elisha prayed to God on behalf of his servant saying “open his eyes so he may see.” His poor servant saw what he though was reality and was struck with fear. As Elisha’s servant was to learn, there is a greater reality than that we see with physical eyes.
Elisha said to his servant, “Don’t be afraid for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” How true. As soon as God opened up his servant’s eyes to see the spiritual world he “saw the hills full of horses and chariots and of fire all around Elisha.” I recall one of the 13 Sabbath songs described a scene of hundreds of thousands of fiery chariots in the armies of God standing at the ready waiting for His Majesty’s order. I believe such angelic armies exist.
Lessons from the Dead Sea
I fear many of us think too little, not too much, about the heavenly Kingdom of God. I fear our eyes are too low to the ground to see beyond the exigencies of our mundane lives and are too burdened with day to day troubles that seem to box us in.
We could take a lesson from our ancient friends in Qumran. We can stop short of their excesses for we now know Christ who triumphs all principalities and powers giving us direct access to the great chariot throne of God’s grace.
Yet it might do us well to lift up our eyes, let our imagination soar after God’s Kingdom and in our mind’s eye see the majestic and mighty kingdom of which we are a part. Wouldn’t we be both humbled and inspired to sense the spine-tingling reality that we are in actual, direct and daily contact with the Master of the Universe, with his kingdom of amazing spiritual beings of varied powers and descriptions? Perhaps on the Sabbath our singing could be more passionate and worshipful were this reality to intrude into our minds.
This is “real reality.” The real world we need to be aware of isn’t the freeway traffic, the stack of bills on your desk, the people and politics of life, but rather the real world is God and his Son. Jesus said “learn of me”; God said the most important knowledge is all the cosmos is to “know Me and what I am like.”[13]
The writer of Hebrews gives Christians this picture to keep before them as they pray:
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly [singing?], to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant…so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire!”[14]
I think the Essenes of Qumran could even join us in saying “Amen” to that.
Among the most intriguing discoveries from the Dead Sea Scrolls are the thirteen songs of Sabbath sacrifice. These songs address an angelic priesthood, God on his chariot, and an elaborate heavenly temple thronged with spiritual beings. What can we learn from these ancient songs?
By Kenneth Westby
In the spring of 1947 the Bedouin Muhammad ed Dib who, while looking for a lost sheep, discovered a cave containing a whole quantity of ancient Hebrew scrolls. His find was made while climbing the cliffs above the west shore of the Dead Sea near the ruins of Qumran. During the next ten years many more caves would be searched and scrolls that had not seen the light of day for two thousand years would be discovered and presented to an amazed world.
In the years since, the mystery of who hid these precious writings and what prevented them from ever returning to claim them has largely been solved. Scholars have combed the evidence and there is general agreement that the Dead Sea Scrolls belonged to the Essenes,[1] one of three major religious sects of Judaism during the time of Christ, the Sadducees and Pharisees being the other two.[2] The Essenes had several communities in Judea, but the one at Qumran was its spiritual center.
Today, one can visit the unearthed ruins of what remains of ancient Qumran, see the synagogue, the baptism pools, and the many water channels required by the lively community devoted to holiness and the study of Scripture. I’ve visited Qumran twice, once in the 80s and then in 2003, each time a moving experience.
The scholars and writers of Qumran never retrieved their hidden scrolls because they were surely killed by the invading Romans around the time of the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D. Some may have joined the resistance at Masada further south, from which there were no survivors. The Qumran community’s scrolls were its most precious possession and the fact that no one ever returned for them can only be explained by the Roman’s complete annihilation of the Essenes at Qumran.
Their treasures of Scripture (fragments from all books of the Hebrew Bible save Esther have been found in addition to hundreds of other manuscripts, books, and commentaries—and the 13 Sabbath songs) remained lost for two millennia. Among the scrolls are the oldest manuscripts of Scripture we have, some of them dating 300 years before Christ. Their discovery is of immense importance to biblical studies and they open a window to better understand one of the major sects during the time of Christ. The community of Qumran was thriving during the ministry of Jesus and must have been well known to him. It was to a cave in that same wilderness area he retreated for his time of testing and temptation.
The scrolls show that the Qumran community called itself the “Covenant” (berit), or “New Covenant.” They saw themselves as the “little Remnant” foretold by the Prophets, i.e. the true Israel. They also called themselves the “Holy Council of God.”[3]
John the Baptist
There is good reason to believe that John the Baptist spent his early years in the Essene community of Qumran. Recall that his father Zechariah was an elderly but still active temple priest in Jerusalem when approached by Gabriel, the angel of “the presence,” to announce that his wife Elizabeth, long past menopause, would have a son. Many devout priests had become fed up with the politicized priesthood and had withdrawn to the community at Qumran. Elizabeth and Zechariah, already in their 70s or 80s, with a baby to care for considered what would be best for the child. They likely had relatives already residing in Qumran and may have felt led to bring their son to grow up among them.
The Gospel of Luke records that John came forth from the desert wilderness and began preaching along the Jordan River, saying, “Repent for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”[4] Qumran is in the desert wilderness south of where the Jordan dumps into the Dead Sea. Clearly, The Baptist did not hold to all Essene teachings for he left the community which taught its members to withdraw from society and politics. Instead, The Baptist plunged headlong into direct engagement by actively critiquing and condemning the current religious/political establishment. His comments on Herod’s adulterous behavior finally got him killed, a fate common to God’s prophets.
John was a scholarly prophet, an ascetic, and a dynamic preacher of repentance and the pursuit of holiness—qualities reflecting training and teachings he received from scripture and possibly fromthe discipline of Qumran. He also established his own school of disciples, many of whom later became disciples of Jesus.
Cave 4
Since the Essenes had rejected the corrupt temple establishment in Jerusalem, they had no access to it. Instead, they focused their attention toward the heavenly temple described in the book of Ezekiel (chapters 40-48). They understood that true sacrifice was not limited to offerings of grains and animals offered up in a gilded building, rather in praise and holy devotion to the God to whom the physical temple was dedicated. They believed, as did early Christians, that one could have access directly to the heavenly temple and to Yahweh whose glory filled it; the earthly temple was merely an inferior symbol of that above.
Much emphasis was placed upon understanding this celestial temple and the heavenly host of angels and spiritual creatures that attended it. An elaborate angelogy was developed—based partly on Scripture, partly upon mystic imagination. This sect of Judaism had its strong, mystical elements. Prime among them were notions derived from Ezekiel’s vision of the divine chariot-throne (“merkavah”). Later Jewish mystics would develop a labyrinth of esoteric mystery systems the most well known today being the kabbalah (cabala), formulated in 11th century France.
The history of religions groups is often the story of excesses. Truth carried too far and over-laden with too many manmade inventions. Such was the story of Qumran’s angelogy. Much truth and insight, but lost in a context of fanciful inventions. The discovery of Dead Sea Scroll Cave 4 revealed an amazing song book which prominently featured angels in Essene worship.
Cave 4 contained fragmentary forms of eight manuscripts the oldest of which has been dated to 75-50 B.C.[5] These manuscripts are a liturgical text composed of thirteen separate sections, one for each of the first thirteen Sabbaths of the year. Why just the first thirteen Sabbaths is not known and there is no evidence this series of songs was repeated during the remaining three quarters of the year.
Carol Newsom who’s Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice: A Critical Edition is the definitive work on this topic writes in her introduction: “These thirteen compositions invoke angelic praise, describe the angelic priesthood and the heavenly temple, and give an account of the worship performed on the Sabbath in the heavenly sanctuary.”[6]
These songs aren’t just congregational hymns sung in praise to God; they were apparently regarded as real-time liturgical participation in the heavenly temple’s Sabbath service. Great care was taken to acknowledge and describe the various details of this other worldly divine scene from the vestments of the angelic priesthood, to the temple itself, to the great Merkavah or chariot throne of Yahweh.
A Celestial Sabbath Service
The notion that earthly temples and their service are in some sense dependent upon heavenly prototypes was widespread in the ancient world. Among the Israelites it had biblical precedent as Moses and David were given a divine “pattern.”[7]
The writer of Hebrews, who obviously had priestly experience, wrote: They [human high priests] serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: ‘See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain’” (Heb 8:5). The writer said that Jesus now “serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man” (vs 2).
The worshippers at Qumran operated on the principle that the entire earthly apparatus of temple, priesthood, and sacrifices were but types of the great archetype in heaven—the seventh heaven to be precise; true Zion, true Eden, and locus of the true Temple. The leaders of the community were priests and they considered their movement to be a priestly enterprise. The dominant personality of the movement, the Righteous Teacher, was a priest. They saw themselves as a pure priesthood replacing the present pollution of the Jerusalem temple and priesthood.
Newsom writes: “Since the Qumran community could not conduct an actual sacrificial cult [worship, ritual], atonement was effected through the community’s prayer, praise and obedience to the law.” They regarded the community as temple-like by exclusions of the impure, requirements of purity and through distinctions between priesthood and laity. “The development of the idea of the community as a temple was not, to be sure, a matter of spiritualization…the Qumran community anticipated restoration of the Jerusalem cult to a condition of purity in the eschatological age and planned for its reconstitution.”[8] They were a Messianic movement looking forward to the Kingdom of God and toward restoring a purified priesthood.
The function of reciting the Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice was to bring the congregation into the heavenly courts and participate in a Sabbath service administered by angelic priests.
“Both the highly descriptive content and the carefully crafted rhetoric direct the worshipper who hears the songs recited toward a particular kind of religious experience, a sense of being in the heavenly sanctuary and in the presence of the angelic priests and worshippers. That this experience is intended as a communal experience of the human worshipping community is made clear by the first person plural forms which appear…’our priesthood,’ ‘the offering of our mortal tongue,’ ‘how shall we be considered among them’…. Even though the Sabbath Shirot [songs] do not appear to have been designed as vehicles for the incubation of visions or of mystical ascent by individuals, the sophisticated manipulation of religious emotion in the songs would seem to have increased the possibility of ecstatic experience among some worshippers…. It [is] possible for one to assume with confidence that the recitation of these Sabbath songs was a major vehicle for the experience of communion with angels ….”[9]
Smoke, Fire, Music, Song
The close coordination between liturgical song and sacrifice was an ancient feature of temple worship. The Chronicler’s account of the purification of the temple by Hezekiah, for example, keyed the Levites’ songs precisely to the firing of the offerings.
“As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed” (2 Ch 29:27-28).
Qumran’s Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice were choreographed to fit within the perceived Sabbath service taking place in heaven. Early Jewish thought associated a special connection between earth and heaven with Sabbath observance. The Sabbath and certain holydays provided a special opportunity for communion with angels in the worship of Yahweh who sat upon his chariot throne. These Essene Sabbath songs exploited this belief in a particularly close relationship between heavenly and earthly worshippers on the Sabbath.
David is also credited with writing many Sabbath worship songs. Hebrew tradition holds that David wrote 3600 psalms to be used for singing before the altar over the whole-burnt perpetual offering every day of the year. He also wrote 52 special Sabbath songs and songs for offerings of the New Moons and Solemn Assemblies and 30 songs for the Day of Atonement. In all David wrote a total of 4,050 songs![10]
The Thirteen Sabbath Songs describe a heavenly scene not unlike some of those described in the Book of Revelation. They draw heavily from Isaiah’s vision when he “saw the Lord, seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Isa 6:1-7). Isaiah tells of flying seraphs with six wings, voices so loud they shook the temple, fire and much smoke. He thought he would die for his “eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
Ezekiel’s visions provide further material to enrich the canvas the Essenes paint of the heavenly host and their courts. Ezekiel tells of the vision he received in Babylon along the Kebar River. He is startled by a windstorm, clouds, flashing lightning, brilliant light, and at the center fire like glowing metal. Then he sees living creatures with four faces and four wings with hands under their wings. He sees a maze of breathtaking colors and creatures that looked like they were torches of fire. He sees huge intersecting gyroscopic wheel-like creatures that sparkle, move like lightening, and are full of piercing eyes. And above all this he sees an expanse of sparkling crystal and winged creatures whose moving wings create immense noise. Above that he sees a throne of sapphire and above that he sees “a figure like that of a man,” like glowing metal as if full of fire. A brilliant light surrounded him and it had the colors and radiance of a rainbow. Ezekiel exclaimed, “This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezk 1:1-28).
In the tenth chapter he continues with his description of the throne chariot of Yahweh with its attending angelic creatures. Later in his book (chapters 40-48) he recounts his detailed vision of an idealized prophetic temple, one often associated with the Messianic age or Millennial Kingdom.
The Beauty of the Qumran Songs
If one could place herself/himself in that desert setting during one of the first thirteen Sabbath day services of the year and try to capture what was taking place, what might be experienced? In the first place you would be considered one of the fortunate elect to participate in this ceremonial assent to the throne of God. This was special knowledge unique to the Righteous Community.
Your assent via the songs of sacrifice would pass you through levels of spiritual powers: seven princes of the seven heavens associated with the then known seven planets, each commanding 496,000 myriads of angels; you would acknowledge the seven orders of the angelic priesthood and their deputies and vast companies of angelic attendants; you would come to the seven chief princes; then you would acknowledge the two highest angelic classes, the angels of the Presence and the angels of sanctification.
You would hear dozens of these angelic powers called by name. Your song would describe and praise the fine details of textures and colors woven into the garments of the angelic priests, the bejeweled furnishings, god-like beings of every description moving about, and music, glorious music. The heavenly temple would be described in such detail you could feel like you were actually in the presence of angels joining them is joyful praise and adoration of Yahweh. You would be shaken by the intense sights and sounds, by chariots of light, shining eagles, Seraphim, Cherubim, Michael, Gabriel--almost too much for your soul.
As you sang the songs the words would meld with your mind’s vision of the angelic host and the heavenly courts. You would marvel at the splendorous color, light, and energy emanating from the celestial scene—a scene you couldn’t have otherwise imagined. Your spirits would soar as you anticipated a glimpse of the Merkavah—his Majesty’s throne chariot and above it, God himself!
The apostle Paul received actual visions and revelations of the heavenly scene, of Paradise, which sights he called “inexpressible things” and sights he was not permitted to publicly describe (see 2 Cor 12:1-4).
Nowadays, with available cinemagrapic high-tech special effects spectacular other worldly scenes can be created. In the deserts of Qumran one only the Scriptures and one’s imagination—and the Essenes put both into creative overdrive. Admittedly, the angelological doctrine of Qumran got a little out of hand.
Some scholars see in it an early form of Jewish Gnosticism. In some of these hymns angels are called “spirits of Knowledge.” Essenes regarded their ascent through the angelic realm to the chariot throne a matter of having the right knowledge in addition to living a pure life of obedience to Torah. Proper Gnosis/Knowledge impregnates the whole of Qumran thought and mysticism.
“They had rules peculiar to themselves which they were forbidden to divulge to postulants without the permission of the overseer; they possessed secret doctrines, revelations reserved to initiates, a higher Knowledge—a Gnosis of salvation—which was the privilege of the elect. From these elect, the brethren admitted to the sect, nothing was to be concealed.”[11]
As I mentioned earlier, the story of religion is often the story of excesses. But we should not miss appreciating some of their spiritual insights and virtues even if we criticize their preoccupation with angels and Gnostic theology.
Heptads
The thirteen Sabbath songs were artfully arranged in a Heptad, or series of sevens. The content and intensity of the songs peaked at the seventh Sabbath. The two legs of six weeks met at the crowning seventh forming a triangle (see illustration). As we saw, sevens were used throughout the Sabbath songs and are an important part of Jewish apocalyptical tradition, very much like John uses them in the Book of Revelation. The Sabbath or Seventh day has cosmic significance in the biblical world view. Seven is the rhythm of life and emanates from the Creator of Life.
(Illustration)
Essene Doctrine and the Early Church
There is no doubt that Paul and the other apostles had to deal with elements of mystical theology and with the beginning stages of Gnostic heresy. In his letter to the Colossians Paul acknowledged the existence of unseen heavenly powers, rulers, and authorities, but noted that Christ was superior to them all. Our focus should be on Jesus, not the lesser unnamed powers he rules (1:16-18). He also takes a cut at asceticism and “the worship of angels” (2:18) which puff people up with idle notions of what they think they have seen and know (Gnosticism?).
To the Ephesians Paul is bold to introduce “God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms” (1:3). Paul means for us to realize that we have a place next to Christ in the heavenly realms. Our name is written in heaven meaning our place or citizenship is there. We need not genuflect through legions of angelic powers to have an audience with God and his Son. A humble prayer brings us directly to the Merkavah and the face of God.
Again Paul lifts us up to visions like those 13 Sabbath Songs might evoke by saying, “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms” (2:6). Now how spectacular is that? Do we need to navigate through a hierarchy of angelic hosts to catch a glimpse of the throne? If we are “in Christ” we share his throne!—and Jesus is the head over everything except God himself. Rather than being subordinate to angels, we are called to join Jesus in managing angels in the Messianic Kingdom.
Angels are servants of Yahweh; they follow his orders and are ministers for good. Paul indicated that they may disapprovingly report breaches of decorum and disrespect in how the church conducts its worship of God.[12] They deserve our respect and admiration, but they rarely intrude into our consciousness. The Bible readily discloses their existence and function, but all worship and attention is to be directed toward their God and ours. We should not be preoccupied with discovering details of the angelic world for that is God’s undisclosed domain.
Neither should we be ignorant of angels. They surround us and fill the skies doing God’s bidding. Knowing they exist to protect and serve should impart comfort to us as it did to the terrified servant of Elisha. Remember the story of the poor fellow who looked about to find himself and Elisha surrounded by an army with horses and chariots set to destroy them (2 Kings 6:15-17. Elisha prayed to God on behalf of his servant saying “open his eyes so he may see.” His poor servant saw what he though was reality and was struck with fear. As Elisha’s servant was to learn, there is a greater reality than that we see with physical eyes.
Elisha said to his servant, “Don’t be afraid for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” How true. As soon as God opened up his servant’s eyes to see the spiritual world he “saw the hills full of horses and chariots and of fire all around Elisha.” I recall one of the 13 Sabbath songs described a scene of hundreds of thousands of fiery chariots in the armies of God standing at the ready waiting for His Majesty’s order. I believe such angelic armies exist.
Lessons from the Dead Sea
I fear many of us think too little, not too much, about the heavenly Kingdom of God. I fear our eyes are too low to the ground to see beyond the exigencies of our mundane lives and are too burdened with day to day troubles that seem to box us in.
We could take a lesson from our ancient friends in Qumran. We can stop short of their excesses for we now know Christ who triumphs all principalities and powers giving us direct access to the great chariot throne of God’s grace.
Yet it might do us well to lift up our eyes, let our imagination soar after God’s Kingdom and in our mind’s eye see the majestic and mighty kingdom of which we are a part. Wouldn’t we be both humbled and inspired to sense the spine-tingling reality that we are in actual, direct and daily contact with the Master of the Universe, with his kingdom of amazing spiritual beings of varied powers and descriptions? Perhaps on the Sabbath our singing could be more passionate and worshipful were this reality to intrude into our minds.
This is “real reality.” The real world we need to be aware of isn’t the freeway traffic, the stack of bills on your desk, the people and politics of life, but rather the real world is God and his Son. Jesus said “learn of me”; God said the most important knowledge is all the cosmos is to “know Me and what I am like.”[13]
The writer of Hebrews gives Christians this picture to keep before them as they pray:
“But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly [singing?], to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant…so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire!”[14]
I think the Essenes of Qumran could even join us in saying “Amen” to that.
Apocryphal Psalms of David
4QPsf=4Q88, 4QapPs=4Q448, 11QPsa-b=11Q5-6
Paraphrase and comments by Martha S. McCabe & Michael D. Hall
Introduction
The following sections of the Dead Sea Scrolls are commonly referred to as the Apocryphal Psalms or the Apocryphal Psalms of David. The scrolls were found in the caves at Qumran, along with many others. These specific scrolls were discovered in caves 4 and 11. These scrolls tell of the great deeds of God and of David, as they praise the works and actions of both. Included in the scrolls containing the Apocryphal Psalms of David are Psalms 151 and 154, which are not normally found in the Bible, in which the book of Psalms ends with Psalm 150. The scrolls can be found in books containing translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls, in Bibles which include the Apocrypha, and in some books containing songs and prayers which are not usually found in a conventional Bible. Much of the contents of the caves were discovered by bedouins or nomadic people. However, the majority of the excavation of those same caves was handled by professionals, trained to take special care of the precious contents of these ancient caverns. Many of the scrolls which will be explained herein are only partial, due to the deterioration caused by time and neglect. As a result of this, the reader is left with fragments of the original texts. But, luckily, much of what remained of the scrolls was still readable for a small group of highly trained scholars.
The contents of cave 4 were discovered in 1952. This cave is commonly regarded to be the central library of the Qumran community. The find included 15,000 fragments which came from roughly 550 different manuscripts.[1] Cave 11 was found to contain manuscripts in January 1956. The contents of both of these caves proved to be quite lucrative for the people who found these scrolls and cared for them before their eventual sales to both museums and private collectors.
A scroll, found in Cave 11, commonly known as 11Q6 Column 19, was one of the longer pieces which was found at Qumran. Its surface was the thickest of any of the scrolls because it is possible that it was written on calfskin, rather than on sheepskin as were the majority of other scrolls. While the script of this particular scroll was of very fine quality, several of the lines of the bottom of the scroll were missing.[2]
Paraphrase
4Q448
Column XVIII
Psalm 154
Praise God in a loud voice. Testify to his glory in the assembly.
Lift up His name with the righteous and speak of His greatness with the faithful.
Become one with the perfect and the good to praise the Lord.
Join and worship together to tell of His salvation. And be swift in making known His fortitude and His righteousness to all the simple.
Knowledge is granted so that we may praise the Lord and tell of his greatness.
She[3] is made known to mankind, to speak of His strength and tell of his greatness to the ignorant,
who have strayed from her gates and have sinned.
For God is the Lord of Jacob and his grace is seen in all his works.
A person who praises God is recognized by Him
because the worshiper brings and offering and sacrifice of livestock,
because the worshiper fills the altar with gifts. Her voice and her songs are heard and sung by the righteous.
When they feast together, she is mentioned.
Their thoughts are on the Law of God and they speak to testify of His strength.
The evil and the rebellious are far from her grace.
See how God has mercy on the good,
and it is great for those who praise Him; He is their soul's salvation from wickedness.
Praise the Lord who saves the meek from the grasp of the unknown and delivers the righteous from evil,
Who lifts up a horn from Jacob and a moderator from Israel.
He wants his gathering place to be in Zion, and He picks Jerusalem for all eternity.
4Q88
Column IX
[ . . . ]
The masses
will worship God because He has come to judge everything
and to rid the earth of evil,
so that sinners shall find no repose,
the heavens shall give their due,
and there will be no wrong doings there.
The earth will produce crops in its season
and they shall not fail.
The fruit trees shall [ . . . ] of their vineyards
and their springs will not dry up.
The poor will eat for those who follow YHWH shall not go hungry.
Column X
[ . . . ]
[ . . . ] meanwhile the heavens and earth will praise together
And all the evening starts will then adore.
Rejoice, Judah, be happy!
Be glad and let your joy shine forth!
Keep your feasts[4] and your oaths
because within you there is no Belial.[5]
Raise your hand, make your right hand strong. See, your foes shall be eliminated.
And all evil doers shall fell.
But you, YHWH, shall remain forever.
Your glory is everlasting.
[Hallelujah!]
11Q5
Column XXVIII
Hallelujah. Of David, son of Jesse.
Psalm 151[6]
My brothers were bigger than me and I was the youngest of my father's sons;
He made me the master of His flocks, and shepherd of his goats. My hands created a flute, my fingers a lyre,
and I praised God. I told myself that neither the mountains nor the hills tell me of the glory of God, nor the trees His words, nor the flocks His actions.[7]
Who, then will tell of God's deeds? God saw all
He heard all and listened. He sent his prophet to anoint me,
Samuel, to sift me up. My brothers went out to meet him, well built, beautifully presented. They were very tall
and had lovely hair, but the Lord did not pick them, He sent for me from tending the flock
and anointed me with holy oil and made me a ruler of His people and of the sons of His covenant.
[ . . . ]
First of David's exploits after the Lord's prophet had anointed[8] him
Then I saw a Philistine threatening from enemy lines [ . . . ]
11Q6
Column XIX
Fragment A
Impoverished and feeble am I for
[ . . . ]
For not even a worm can praise You nor insects recount Your grace
The living can thank You and those who fall shall praise You highly.
You show them the ways of Your holiness and grace for You care for the souls of every living thing;
You provide for all living things. Judge us, O God, with Your kind ways, Your grace, and Your
Justice. The Lord hears the please of his followers.
He has not shunned them. Praise be to God who does good things
and rewards his followers with His kindness. May my spirit lift up Your Name,
to recount with joy Your righteous deeds, and proclaim Your eternal steadfastness.
Fragment B
And in Your grace, I have sought sanctuary. The images of Your might life up my heart. I find peace in Your righteousness.
Forgive me, Lord, and free me from my sins.
Give to me a sense of honor and knowledge. May I not be shamed in ruin.
Protect me from unclean spirits, save me from pain and temptation.
For You, O Lord, are my salvation, and I praise You everyday.
My people rejoice with me and are awestruck by Your power.
I will adore You and worship You for all eternity.
Footnotes
[1] Martםnez, xlii.
[2] Psalms Scroll, 12-06-98.
[3] This was the first instance in this scroll that spawned a great deal of debate. There does not appear to be a direct antecedent for the feminine pronouns in this section. It was hypothesized that the pronouns would be referring to the wisdom or knowledge of or about God. It could also be a reference to divine androgyny, although this is unlikely because of the time period in which this scroll was written. Also, the feminine pronouns could mean the "Law of the Most High" as it appeared in the original text. In addition to all of these options, it could have been a result of translations from the original texts, and the words in the original scrolls were feminine, such as nouns are in many romance languages of today. Because of this, previous translators may have left the feminine pronouns in the text as was done in this case.
[4] In this case, the author wrote, "Celebrate your feasts and pay your vows." (Vermes, 309) The use of the word 'feasts' led to speculation about the intent of the definition of the word once again. While 'feasts' could simply mean food, it could also be referring to celebrations or traditions of a religious or even secular nature. Because of uncertainty, the word was left intact in the text.
[5] A biblical name of the devil or one of the fiends.
[6] This psalm can be found in a Bible containing the Apocrypha.
[7] There are two conflicting punctuation techniques on this phrase. Martinez translates,
My hands made a flute.
my fingers a lyre,
and I gave glory to YHWH.
I said to myself:
the mountains do not witness in his favour . . . (p. 310.)
However, Vermes wrote,
My hands have made a pipe and my fingers a lyre.
I have rendered glory to the Lord; I have said so in my soul.
The mountains do not testify to him, and the hills do not . . .(p. 302.)
In the first version, the author writes as if the speaker talks about the mountains to himself. In the second version, it seems as if he glorified God to himself. While these differences may seem insignificant, they can lead to debate-causing confusion.
[8] Because of the uncertainty about the original author's intent for the definition of the word anointed, whether it was meant to be construed as meaning to baptize or to christen, to elect as a chosen one, or to literally rub something on the individual. As a result of this enigma, the original word "anoint" was left in this translation. This occurred a couple of times in this text.
4QPsf=4Q88, 4QapPs=4Q448, 11QPsa-b=11Q5-6
Paraphrase and comments by Martha S. McCabe & Michael D. Hall
Introduction
The following sections of the Dead Sea Scrolls are commonly referred to as the Apocryphal Psalms or the Apocryphal Psalms of David. The scrolls were found in the caves at Qumran, along with many others. These specific scrolls were discovered in caves 4 and 11. These scrolls tell of the great deeds of God and of David, as they praise the works and actions of both. Included in the scrolls containing the Apocryphal Psalms of David are Psalms 151 and 154, which are not normally found in the Bible, in which the book of Psalms ends with Psalm 150. The scrolls can be found in books containing translations of the Dead Sea Scrolls, in Bibles which include the Apocrypha, and in some books containing songs and prayers which are not usually found in a conventional Bible. Much of the contents of the caves were discovered by bedouins or nomadic people. However, the majority of the excavation of those same caves was handled by professionals, trained to take special care of the precious contents of these ancient caverns. Many of the scrolls which will be explained herein are only partial, due to the deterioration caused by time and neglect. As a result of this, the reader is left with fragments of the original texts. But, luckily, much of what remained of the scrolls was still readable for a small group of highly trained scholars.
The contents of cave 4 were discovered in 1952. This cave is commonly regarded to be the central library of the Qumran community. The find included 15,000 fragments which came from roughly 550 different manuscripts.[1] Cave 11 was found to contain manuscripts in January 1956. The contents of both of these caves proved to be quite lucrative for the people who found these scrolls and cared for them before their eventual sales to both museums and private collectors.
A scroll, found in Cave 11, commonly known as 11Q6 Column 19, was one of the longer pieces which was found at Qumran. Its surface was the thickest of any of the scrolls because it is possible that it was written on calfskin, rather than on sheepskin as were the majority of other scrolls. While the script of this particular scroll was of very fine quality, several of the lines of the bottom of the scroll were missing.[2]
Paraphrase
4Q448
Column XVIII
Psalm 154
Praise God in a loud voice. Testify to his glory in the assembly.
Lift up His name with the righteous and speak of His greatness with the faithful.
Become one with the perfect and the good to praise the Lord.
Join and worship together to tell of His salvation. And be swift in making known His fortitude and His righteousness to all the simple.
Knowledge is granted so that we may praise the Lord and tell of his greatness.
She[3] is made known to mankind, to speak of His strength and tell of his greatness to the ignorant,
who have strayed from her gates and have sinned.
For God is the Lord of Jacob and his grace is seen in all his works.
A person who praises God is recognized by Him
because the worshiper brings and offering and sacrifice of livestock,
because the worshiper fills the altar with gifts. Her voice and her songs are heard and sung by the righteous.
When they feast together, she is mentioned.
Their thoughts are on the Law of God and they speak to testify of His strength.
The evil and the rebellious are far from her grace.
See how God has mercy on the good,
and it is great for those who praise Him; He is their soul's salvation from wickedness.
Praise the Lord who saves the meek from the grasp of the unknown and delivers the righteous from evil,
Who lifts up a horn from Jacob and a moderator from Israel.
He wants his gathering place to be in Zion, and He picks Jerusalem for all eternity.
4Q88
Column IX
[ . . . ]
The masses
will worship God because He has come to judge everything
and to rid the earth of evil,
so that sinners shall find no repose,
the heavens shall give their due,
and there will be no wrong doings there.
The earth will produce crops in its season
and they shall not fail.
The fruit trees shall [ . . . ] of their vineyards
and their springs will not dry up.
The poor will eat for those who follow YHWH shall not go hungry.
Column X
[ . . . ]
[ . . . ] meanwhile the heavens and earth will praise together
And all the evening starts will then adore.
Rejoice, Judah, be happy!
Be glad and let your joy shine forth!
Keep your feasts[4] and your oaths
because within you there is no Belial.[5]
Raise your hand, make your right hand strong. See, your foes shall be eliminated.
And all evil doers shall fell.
But you, YHWH, shall remain forever.
Your glory is everlasting.
[Hallelujah!]
11Q5
Column XXVIII
Hallelujah. Of David, son of Jesse.
Psalm 151[6]
My brothers were bigger than me and I was the youngest of my father's sons;
He made me the master of His flocks, and shepherd of his goats. My hands created a flute, my fingers a lyre,
and I praised God. I told myself that neither the mountains nor the hills tell me of the glory of God, nor the trees His words, nor the flocks His actions.[7]
Who, then will tell of God's deeds? God saw all
He heard all and listened. He sent his prophet to anoint me,
Samuel, to sift me up. My brothers went out to meet him, well built, beautifully presented. They were very tall
and had lovely hair, but the Lord did not pick them, He sent for me from tending the flock
and anointed me with holy oil and made me a ruler of His people and of the sons of His covenant.
[ . . . ]
First of David's exploits after the Lord's prophet had anointed[8] him
Then I saw a Philistine threatening from enemy lines [ . . . ]
11Q6
Column XIX
Fragment A
Impoverished and feeble am I for
[ . . . ]
For not even a worm can praise You nor insects recount Your grace
The living can thank You and those who fall shall praise You highly.
You show them the ways of Your holiness and grace for You care for the souls of every living thing;
You provide for all living things. Judge us, O God, with Your kind ways, Your grace, and Your
Justice. The Lord hears the please of his followers.
He has not shunned them. Praise be to God who does good things
and rewards his followers with His kindness. May my spirit lift up Your Name,
to recount with joy Your righteous deeds, and proclaim Your eternal steadfastness.
Fragment B
And in Your grace, I have sought sanctuary. The images of Your might life up my heart. I find peace in Your righteousness.
Forgive me, Lord, and free me from my sins.
Give to me a sense of honor and knowledge. May I not be shamed in ruin.
Protect me from unclean spirits, save me from pain and temptation.
For You, O Lord, are my salvation, and I praise You everyday.
My people rejoice with me and are awestruck by Your power.
I will adore You and worship You for all eternity.
Footnotes
[1] Martםnez, xlii.
[2] Psalms Scroll, 12-06-98.
[3] This was the first instance in this scroll that spawned a great deal of debate. There does not appear to be a direct antecedent for the feminine pronouns in this section. It was hypothesized that the pronouns would be referring to the wisdom or knowledge of or about God. It could also be a reference to divine androgyny, although this is unlikely because of the time period in which this scroll was written. Also, the feminine pronouns could mean the "Law of the Most High" as it appeared in the original text. In addition to all of these options, it could have been a result of translations from the original texts, and the words in the original scrolls were feminine, such as nouns are in many romance languages of today. Because of this, previous translators may have left the feminine pronouns in the text as was done in this case.
[4] In this case, the author wrote, "Celebrate your feasts and pay your vows." (Vermes, 309) The use of the word 'feasts' led to speculation about the intent of the definition of the word once again. While 'feasts' could simply mean food, it could also be referring to celebrations or traditions of a religious or even secular nature. Because of uncertainty, the word was left intact in the text.
[5] A biblical name of the devil or one of the fiends.
[6] This psalm can be found in a Bible containing the Apocrypha.
[7] There are two conflicting punctuation techniques on this phrase. Martinez translates,
My hands made a flute.
my fingers a lyre,
and I gave glory to YHWH.
I said to myself:
the mountains do not witness in his favour . . . (p. 310.)
However, Vermes wrote,
My hands have made a pipe and my fingers a lyre.
I have rendered glory to the Lord; I have said so in my soul.
The mountains do not testify to him, and the hills do not . . .(p. 302.)
In the first version, the author writes as if the speaker talks about the mountains to himself. In the second version, it seems as if he glorified God to himself. While these differences may seem insignificant, they can lead to debate-causing confusion.
[8] Because of the uncertainty about the original author's intent for the definition of the word anointed, whether it was meant to be construed as meaning to baptize or to christen, to elect as a chosen one, or to literally rub something on the individual. As a result of this enigma, the original word "anoint" was left in this translation. This occurred a couple of times in this text.
[1-51 HEBREW PSALMS]
1
Hymn I (formerly 23)
As Thou hast said by the hand of Moses, Thou forgivest transgression, iniquity, and sin, and pardonest rebellion and unfaithfulness.
For the bases of the mountains shall melt and fire shall consume the deep places of Hell, but Thou wilt deliver all those that are corrected by Thy judgements, that they may serve Thee faithfully and that their seed may be before Thee for ever.
Thou wilt keep Thine oath and wilt pardon their transgression;
Thou wilt cast away all their sins.
Thou wilt cause them to inherit all the glory of Adam and abundance of days.
[Hallelujah!]
1
Hymn I (formerly 23)
As Thou hast said by the hand of Moses, Thou forgivest transgression, iniquity, and sin, and pardonest rebellion and unfaithfulness.
For the bases of the mountains shall melt and fire shall consume the deep places of Hell, but Thou wilt deliver all those that are corrected by Thy judgements, that they may serve Thee faithfully and that their seed may be before Thee for ever.
Thou wilt keep Thine oath and wilt pardon their transgression;
Thou wilt cast away all their sins.
Thou wilt cause them to inherit all the glory of Adam and abundance of days.
[Hallelujah!]
2
Prayer For Deliverance
1. Surely a maggot cannot praise thee nor a grave worm recount thy loving-kindness.
2. But the living can praise thee, even those who stumble can laud thee.
3. In revealing thy kindness to them and by thy righteousness thou dost enlighten them.
4. For in thy hand is the soul of every living thing; the breath of all flesh hast thou given.
5. Deal with us, O LORD, according to thy goodness, according to thy great mercy, and according to thy many righteous deeds.
6. The LORD has heeded the voice of those who love his name and has not deprived them of his loving-kindness.
7. Blessed be the LORD, who executes righteous deeds, crowning his saints with loving-kindness and mercy.
8. My soul cries out to praise thy name, to sing high praises for thy loving deeds, to proclaim thy faithfulness--of praise of thee there is no end.
9. Near death was I for my sins, and my iniquities have sold me to the grave; but thou didst save me,
10. O LORD, according to thy great mercy, and according to thy many righteous deeds.
11. Indeed have I loved thy name, and in thy protection have I found refuge.
12. When I remember thy might my heart is brave, and upon thy mercies do I lean.
13. Forgive my sin, O LORD, and purify me from my iniquity.
14. Vouchsafe me a spirit of faith and knowledge, and let me not be dishonored in ruin.
15. Let not Satan rule over me, nor an unclean spirit; neither let pain nor the evil inclination take possession of my bones.
16. For thou, O LORD, art my praise, and in thee do I hope
all the day.
17. Let my brothers rejoice with me and the house of my father, who are astonished by the graciousness...
18. [ ] For e[ver] I will rejoice in thee.
19. For not even a worm can praise You nor insects recount Your grace
20. The living can thank You and those who fall shall praise You highly.
21. You show them the ways of Your holiness and grace for You care for the souls of every living thing; You provide for all living things.
22. Judge us, O God, with Your kind ways, Your grace, and Your
Justice.
23. The Lord hears the please of his followers. He has not shunned them.
24. Praise be to God who does good things and rewards his followers with His kindness.
25. May my spirit lift up Your Name, to recount with joy Your righteous deeds, and proclaim Your eternal steadfastness.
26. And in Your grace, I have sought sanctuary.
27. The images of Your might life up my heart. I find peace in Your righteousness.
28. Forgive me, Lord, and free me from my sins.
29. Give to me a sense of honor and knowledge. May I not be shamed in ruin.
30. Protect me from unclean spirits, save me from pain and temptation.
31. For You, O Lord, are my salvation, and I praise You everyday.
32. My people rejoice with me and are awestruck by Your power.
33. I will adore You and worship You for all eternity.
[Hallelujah!]
Prayer For Deliverance
1. Surely a maggot cannot praise thee nor a grave worm recount thy loving-kindness.
2. But the living can praise thee, even those who stumble can laud thee.
3. In revealing thy kindness to them and by thy righteousness thou dost enlighten them.
4. For in thy hand is the soul of every living thing; the breath of all flesh hast thou given.
5. Deal with us, O LORD, according to thy goodness, according to thy great mercy, and according to thy many righteous deeds.
6. The LORD has heeded the voice of those who love his name and has not deprived them of his loving-kindness.
7. Blessed be the LORD, who executes righteous deeds, crowning his saints with loving-kindness and mercy.
8. My soul cries out to praise thy name, to sing high praises for thy loving deeds, to proclaim thy faithfulness--of praise of thee there is no end.
9. Near death was I for my sins, and my iniquities have sold me to the grave; but thou didst save me,
10. O LORD, according to thy great mercy, and according to thy many righteous deeds.
11. Indeed have I loved thy name, and in thy protection have I found refuge.
12. When I remember thy might my heart is brave, and upon thy mercies do I lean.
13. Forgive my sin, O LORD, and purify me from my iniquity.
14. Vouchsafe me a spirit of faith and knowledge, and let me not be dishonored in ruin.
15. Let not Satan rule over me, nor an unclean spirit; neither let pain nor the evil inclination take possession of my bones.
16. For thou, O LORD, art my praise, and in thee do I hope
all the day.
17. Let my brothers rejoice with me and the house of my father, who are astonished by the graciousness...
18. [ ] For e[ver] I will rejoice in thee.
19. For not even a worm can praise You nor insects recount Your grace
20. The living can thank You and those who fall shall praise You highly.
21. You show them the ways of Your holiness and grace for You care for the souls of every living thing; You provide for all living things.
22. Judge us, O God, with Your kind ways, Your grace, and Your
Justice.
23. The Lord hears the please of his followers. He has not shunned them.
24. Praise be to God who does good things and rewards his followers with His kindness.
25. May my spirit lift up Your Name, to recount with joy Your righteous deeds, and proclaim Your eternal steadfastness.
26. And in Your grace, I have sought sanctuary.
27. The images of Your might life up my heart. I find peace in Your righteousness.
28. Forgive me, Lord, and free me from my sins.
29. Give to me a sense of honor and knowledge. May I not be shamed in ruin.
30. Protect me from unclean spirits, save me from pain and temptation.
31. For You, O Lord, are my salvation, and I praise You everyday.
32. My people rejoice with me and are awestruck by Your power.
33. I will adore You and worship You for all eternity.
[Hallelujah!]
3
Apostrophe to Zion
XXIII will remember you, O Zion, for a blessing;
with all my might I love you;
your memory is to be blessed for ever.
Your hope is great, O Zion;
Peace and your awaited salvation will come.
Generation after generation shall dwell in you, and generations of the pious shall be your ornament.
They who desire the day of your salvation shall rejoice in the greatness of your glory.
They shall be suckled on the fullness of your glory, and in your beautiful streets they shall make tinkling sounds.
You shall remember the pious deeds of your prophets, and shall glorify yourself in the deeds of your pious ones.
Cleanse violence from your midst; lying and iniquity, may they be cut off from you.
Your sons shall rejoice within you, and your cherished ones shall be joined to you.
How much they have hoped in your salvation, and how much your perfect ones have mourned for you?
Your hope, O Zion, shall not perish, and your expectation will not be forgotten.
Is there a just man who has perished?
Is there a man who has escaped his iniquity?
Man is tried according to his way, each is repaid according to his deeds.
Your oppressors shall be cut off from around you, O Zion, and all who hate you shall be dispersed.
Your praise is pleasing, O Zion; it rises up in all the world.
Many times I will remember you for a blessing;
I will bless you with all my heart.
You shall attain to eternal righteousness, and shall receive blessings from the noble.
Take the vision which speaks of you, and the dreams of the prophets requested for you.
Be exalted and increase, O Zion;
Praise the Most High, your Redeemer!
May my soul rejoice in your glory!
[Hallelujah!]
Apostrophe to Zion
XXIII will remember you, O Zion, for a blessing;
with all my might I love you;
your memory is to be blessed for ever.
Your hope is great, O Zion;
Peace and your awaited salvation will come.
Generation after generation shall dwell in you, and generations of the pious shall be your ornament.
They who desire the day of your salvation shall rejoice in the greatness of your glory.
They shall be suckled on the fullness of your glory, and in your beautiful streets they shall make tinkling sounds.
You shall remember the pious deeds of your prophets, and shall glorify yourself in the deeds of your pious ones.
Cleanse violence from your midst; lying and iniquity, may they be cut off from you.
Your sons shall rejoice within you, and your cherished ones shall be joined to you.
How much they have hoped in your salvation, and how much your perfect ones have mourned for you?
Your hope, O Zion, shall not perish, and your expectation will not be forgotten.
Is there a just man who has perished?
Is there a man who has escaped his iniquity?
Man is tried according to his way, each is repaid according to his deeds.
Your oppressors shall be cut off from around you, O Zion, and all who hate you shall be dispersed.
Your praise is pleasing, O Zion; it rises up in all the world.
Many times I will remember you for a blessing;
I will bless you with all my heart.
You shall attain to eternal righteousness, and shall receive blessings from the noble.
Take the vision which speaks of you, and the dreams of the prophets requested for you.
Be exalted and increase, O Zion;
Praise the Most High, your Redeemer!
May my soul rejoice in your glory!
[Hallelujah!]
4
Hymn to the Creator
XXVI The Lord is great and holy, the Most Holy for generation after generation.
Majesty goes before him, and after him abundance of many waters.
Loving-kindness and truth are about his face; truth and judgement and righteousness are the pedestal of his throne.
He divides light from obscurity; he establishes the dawn by the knowledge of his heart.
When all his angels saw it, they sang, for he showed them that which they had not known.
He crowns the mountains with fruit, with good food for all the living.
Blessed be the master of the earth with his power, who establishes the world by his wisdom.
By his understanding he stretched out the heaven, and brought forth [wind] from his st[ores].
He made [lightnings for the rai]n, and raised mist from the end [of the earth].
[Hallelujah!]
Hymn to the Creator
XXVI The Lord is great and holy, the Most Holy for generation after generation.
Majesty goes before him, and after him abundance of many waters.
Loving-kindness and truth are about his face; truth and judgement and righteousness are the pedestal of his throne.
He divides light from obscurity; he establishes the dawn by the knowledge of his heart.
When all his angels saw it, they sang, for he showed them that which they had not known.
He crowns the mountains with fruit, with good food for all the living.
Blessed be the master of the earth with his power, who establishes the world by his wisdom.
By his understanding he stretched out the heaven, and brought forth [wind] from his st[ores].
He made [lightnings for the rai]n, and raised mist from the end [of the earth].
[Hallelujah!]
5
1. The masses will worship God because He has come to judge everything and to rid the earth of evil, so that sinners shall find no repose,
2. the heavens shall give their due, and there will be no wrong doings there.
3. The earth will produce crops in its season and they shall not fail.
4. The fruit trees shall [ . . . ] of their vineyards and their springs will not dry up.
5. The poor will eat for those who follow YHWH shall not go hungry.
6. meanwhile the heavens and earth will praise together And all the evening starts will then adore.
7. Rejoice, Judah, be happy! Be glad and let your joy shine forth!
8. Keep your feasts and your oaths because within you there is no Belial.
9. Raise your hand, make your right hand strong. See, your foes shall be eliminated. And all evil doers shall fell.
10. But you, YHWH, shall remain forever. Your glory is everlasting.
[Hallelujah!]
1. The masses will worship God because He has come to judge everything and to rid the earth of evil, so that sinners shall find no repose,
2. the heavens shall give their due, and there will be no wrong doings there.
3. The earth will produce crops in its season and they shall not fail.
4. The fruit trees shall [ . . . ] of their vineyards and their springs will not dry up.
5. The poor will eat for those who follow YHWH shall not go hungry.
6. meanwhile the heavens and earth will praise together And all the evening starts will then adore.
7. Rejoice, Judah, be happy! Be glad and let your joy shine forth!
8. Keep your feasts and your oaths because within you there is no Belial.
9. Raise your hand, make your right hand strong. See, your foes shall be eliminated. And all evil doers shall fell.
10. But you, YHWH, shall remain forever. Your glory is everlasting.
[Hallelujah!]
6
The Words of the Heavenly Lights
(4Q504—6)
4Q504
I ... Amen! Amen! ... II ... We pray Thee, O Lord, do in accordance with Thyself, in accordance with the greatness of Thy might, Thou who didst pardon our fathers when they rebelled against Thy saying.
Thou wert angry with them so as to wish to destroy them, but because of Thy love for them and for the sake of Thy Covenant - for Moses had atoned for their sin - and in order that Thy great might and the abundance of Thy mercy might be known to everlasting generations, Thou didst take pity on them.
So let Thine anger and wrath against all [their] sin turn away from Thy people Israel. Remember Thy marvels which Thou didst for the poor of the nations.
For we were called by Thy Name... to [cause] us [to repent] with all (our) heart and soul and to plant Thy Law in our heart [that we might never depart from it, straying neither] to right nor to left.
For Thou wilt heal us of foolishness and of blindness and confusion [of heart... Behold] we were sold because of our iniquities but despite our offences Thou didst call us ...
Thou wilt save us from sinning against Thee ... and to make us understand the testimonies ...
III ... Behold, all the nations are as nothing beside Thee, they are counted as void and naught before Thee.
We have called on Thy Name alone.
Thou hast created us for Thy glory and made us Thy children in the sight of all the nations.
For Thou hast named Israel ‘My son, my first-born’, and hast chastised us as a man chastises his son.
Thou hast brought us up throughout the years of our generations [by means of] evil diseases, famine, thirst, pestilence, and the sword ... of Thy Covenant.
Because Thou hast chosen us [from all] the earth [to be Thy people,] therefore hast Thou poured out Thine anger [and jealousy] upon us in all the fury of Thy wrath. Thou hast caused [the scourge] of Thy [plagues] to cleave to us of which Moses wrote, and Thy servants the Prophets, that Thou wouldst send evil against us in the last days...
IV ... Thy dwelling-place ... a resting-place in Jerus[alem, the city which] Thou hast [chosen] from all the earth that Thy [Name] might remain there for ever.
For Thou hast loved Israel above all the peoples.
Thou hast chosen the tribe of Judah and hast established Thy Covenant with David that he might be as a princely shepherd over Thy people and sit before Thee on the throne of Israel for ever.
All the nations have seen Thy glory, Thou who hast sanctified Thyself in the midst of Thy people Israel.
They brought their offering to Thy great Name, silver and gold and precious stones together with all the treasures of their lands, that they might glorify Thy people, and Zion Thy holy city, and the House of Thy majesty.
And there was neither adversary nor misfortune, but peace and blessing... and they ate and were satisfied and grew fat ...
V ... [they forsook] the fount of living waters... and served a strange god in their land.
Also, their land was ravaged by their enemies; for Thy fury and the heat of Thy wrath overflowed, in the fire of Thy jealousy, making of it a desert where no man could go and return.
Yet notwithstanding all this, Thou didst not reject the seed of Jacob, neither didst Thou cast away Israel to destruction, breaking Thy Covenant with them.
For Thou alone art a living God and there is none beside Thee.
Thou didst remember Thy Covenant, Thou who didst rescue us in the presence of all the nations, and didst not forsake us amid the nations.
Thou wert gracious towards Thy people Israel in all the lands to which Thou didst banish them, that they might remember to return to Thee and to hearken to Thy voice [according to] all Thou hadst commanded by the hand of Moses Thy servant.
For Thou hast shed Thy Holy Spirit upon us, bringing upon us Thy blessings, that we might seek Thee in our distress [and whis]per (prayers) in the ordeal of Thy chastisement.
We have entered into distress, have been [stri]cken and tried by the fury of the oppressor.
For we also have tired God with our iniquity, we have wearied the Rock with [our] sins.
[But] in order that we may profit, Thou hast not wearied us who leadest [us] in the way in [which we must walk. But] we have not heeded ...
VI ... [Thou hast taken away] all our transgressions and hast purified us of our sin for Thine own sake.
Thine, Thine is righteousness, O Lord, for it is Thou who hast done all this!
Now, on the day when our heart is humbled, we expiate our iniquity and the iniquity of our fathers, together with our unfaithfulness and rebellion.
We have not rejected Thy trials and scourges; our soul has not despised them to the point of breaking Thy Covenant despite all the distress of our soul.
For Thou, who hast sent our enemies against us, strengthenest our heart that we may recount Thy mighty deeds to everlasting generations.
We pray Thee, O Lord, since Thou workest marvels from everlasting to everlasting, to let Thine anger and wrath retreat from us.
Look on [our affliction] and trouble and distress, and deliver Thy people Israel[from all] the lands, near and far, [to which Thou hast banished them], every man who is inscribed in the Book of Life...
serve Thee and give thanks to [Thy holy Name] ... from those who vex them ...
VII ... who deliverest us from all distress. Amen! [Amen!]
The Words of the Heavenly Lights
(4Q504—6)
4Q504
I ... Amen! Amen! ... II ... We pray Thee, O Lord, do in accordance with Thyself, in accordance with the greatness of Thy might, Thou who didst pardon our fathers when they rebelled against Thy saying.
Thou wert angry with them so as to wish to destroy them, but because of Thy love for them and for the sake of Thy Covenant - for Moses had atoned for their sin - and in order that Thy great might and the abundance of Thy mercy might be known to everlasting generations, Thou didst take pity on them.
So let Thine anger and wrath against all [their] sin turn away from Thy people Israel. Remember Thy marvels which Thou didst for the poor of the nations.
For we were called by Thy Name... to [cause] us [to repent] with all (our) heart and soul and to plant Thy Law in our heart [that we might never depart from it, straying neither] to right nor to left.
For Thou wilt heal us of foolishness and of blindness and confusion [of heart... Behold] we were sold because of our iniquities but despite our offences Thou didst call us ...
Thou wilt save us from sinning against Thee ... and to make us understand the testimonies ...
III ... Behold, all the nations are as nothing beside Thee, they are counted as void and naught before Thee.
We have called on Thy Name alone.
Thou hast created us for Thy glory and made us Thy children in the sight of all the nations.
For Thou hast named Israel ‘My son, my first-born’, and hast chastised us as a man chastises his son.
Thou hast brought us up throughout the years of our generations [by means of] evil diseases, famine, thirst, pestilence, and the sword ... of Thy Covenant.
Because Thou hast chosen us [from all] the earth [to be Thy people,] therefore hast Thou poured out Thine anger [and jealousy] upon us in all the fury of Thy wrath. Thou hast caused [the scourge] of Thy [plagues] to cleave to us of which Moses wrote, and Thy servants the Prophets, that Thou wouldst send evil against us in the last days...
IV ... Thy dwelling-place ... a resting-place in Jerus[alem, the city which] Thou hast [chosen] from all the earth that Thy [Name] might remain there for ever.
For Thou hast loved Israel above all the peoples.
Thou hast chosen the tribe of Judah and hast established Thy Covenant with David that he might be as a princely shepherd over Thy people and sit before Thee on the throne of Israel for ever.
All the nations have seen Thy glory, Thou who hast sanctified Thyself in the midst of Thy people Israel.
They brought their offering to Thy great Name, silver and gold and precious stones together with all the treasures of their lands, that they might glorify Thy people, and Zion Thy holy city, and the House of Thy majesty.
And there was neither adversary nor misfortune, but peace and blessing... and they ate and were satisfied and grew fat ...
V ... [they forsook] the fount of living waters... and served a strange god in their land.
Also, their land was ravaged by their enemies; for Thy fury and the heat of Thy wrath overflowed, in the fire of Thy jealousy, making of it a desert where no man could go and return.
Yet notwithstanding all this, Thou didst not reject the seed of Jacob, neither didst Thou cast away Israel to destruction, breaking Thy Covenant with them.
For Thou alone art a living God and there is none beside Thee.
Thou didst remember Thy Covenant, Thou who didst rescue us in the presence of all the nations, and didst not forsake us amid the nations.
Thou wert gracious towards Thy people Israel in all the lands to which Thou didst banish them, that they might remember to return to Thee and to hearken to Thy voice [according to] all Thou hadst commanded by the hand of Moses Thy servant.
For Thou hast shed Thy Holy Spirit upon us, bringing upon us Thy blessings, that we might seek Thee in our distress [and whis]per (prayers) in the ordeal of Thy chastisement.
We have entered into distress, have been [stri]cken and tried by the fury of the oppressor.
For we also have tired God with our iniquity, we have wearied the Rock with [our] sins.
[But] in order that we may profit, Thou hast not wearied us who leadest [us] in the way in [which we must walk. But] we have not heeded ...
VI ... [Thou hast taken away] all our transgressions and hast purified us of our sin for Thine own sake.
Thine, Thine is righteousness, O Lord, for it is Thou who hast done all this!
Now, on the day when our heart is humbled, we expiate our iniquity and the iniquity of our fathers, together with our unfaithfulness and rebellion.
We have not rejected Thy trials and scourges; our soul has not despised them to the point of breaking Thy Covenant despite all the distress of our soul.
For Thou, who hast sent our enemies against us, strengthenest our heart that we may recount Thy mighty deeds to everlasting generations.
We pray Thee, O Lord, since Thou workest marvels from everlasting to everlasting, to let Thine anger and wrath retreat from us.
Look on [our affliction] and trouble and distress, and deliver Thy people Israel[from all] the lands, near and far, [to which Thou hast banished them], every man who is inscribed in the Book of Life...
serve Thee and give thanks to [Thy holy Name] ... from those who vex them ...
VII ... who deliverest us from all distress. Amen! [Amen!]
7
1. I thank you, O Lord, for your eye is awake and watches over my soul.
2. You rescue me from the jealousy of liars, from the congregation of those who seek the smooth way.
3. But you save the soul of the poor whom they planned to destroy by spilling the blood of your servant.
4. I walked because of you - but they didn't know this.
5. They laughed at me. They shamed me with lies from their mouth.
6. But you helped the soul of the poor and the weak, you saved me from their harsh arms, you redeemed me amid their taunts.
7. From the wicked I do not fear destruction.
7b
Hymn 9(formerly 4)
XI (formerly III)
They caused [me] to be like a ship on the deeps of the [sea], and like a fortified city before [the aggressor], [and] like a woman in travail
with her first-born child, upon whose belly pangs have come and grievous pains, filling with anguish her child-bearing crucible.
For the children have come to the throes of Death, and she labours in her pains who bears a man.
For amid the throes of Death she shall bring forth a man-child, and amid the pains of Hell there shall spring from her child-bearing crucible a Marvellous Mighty Counsellor; and a man shall be delivered from out of the throes.
When he is conceived all wombs shall quicken, and the time of their delivery shall be in grievous pains; they shall be appalled who are with child.
And when he is brought forth every pang shall come upon the child-bearing crucible.
And they, the conceivers of Vanity, shall be prey to terrible anguish;
the wombs of the Pit shall be prey to all the works of horror.
The foundations of the wall shall rock like a ship upon the face of the waters;
the heavens shall roar with a noise of roaring, and those who dwell in the dust, as well as those who sail the seas, shall be appalled by the roaring of the waters.
All their wise men shall be like sailors on the deeps, for all their wisdom shall be swallowed up in the midst of the howling seas.
As the Abysses boil above the fountains of the waters, the towering waves and billows shall rage with the voice of their roaring;
and as they rage, [Hell and Abaddon] shall open [and all] the flying arrows of the Pit shall send out their voice to the Abyss.
And the gates [of Hell] shall open [on all] the works of Vanity; and the doors of the Pit shall close on the conceivers of wickedness;
and the everlasting bars shall be bolted on all the spirits of Naught.
1. I thank you, O Lord, for your eye is awake and watches over my soul.
2. You rescue me from the jealousy of liars, from the congregation of those who seek the smooth way.
3. But you save the soul of the poor whom they planned to destroy by spilling the blood of your servant.
4. I walked because of you - but they didn't know this.
5. They laughed at me. They shamed me with lies from their mouth.
6. But you helped the soul of the poor and the weak, you saved me from their harsh arms, you redeemed me amid their taunts.
7. From the wicked I do not fear destruction.
7b
Hymn 9(formerly 4)
XI (formerly III)
They caused [me] to be like a ship on the deeps of the [sea], and like a fortified city before [the aggressor], [and] like a woman in travail
with her first-born child, upon whose belly pangs have come and grievous pains, filling with anguish her child-bearing crucible.
For the children have come to the throes of Death, and she labours in her pains who bears a man.
For amid the throes of Death she shall bring forth a man-child, and amid the pains of Hell there shall spring from her child-bearing crucible a Marvellous Mighty Counsellor; and a man shall be delivered from out of the throes.
When he is conceived all wombs shall quicken, and the time of their delivery shall be in grievous pains; they shall be appalled who are with child.
And when he is brought forth every pang shall come upon the child-bearing crucible.
And they, the conceivers of Vanity, shall be prey to terrible anguish;
the wombs of the Pit shall be prey to all the works of horror.
The foundations of the wall shall rock like a ship upon the face of the waters;
the heavens shall roar with a noise of roaring, and those who dwell in the dust, as well as those who sail the seas, shall be appalled by the roaring of the waters.
All their wise men shall be like sailors on the deeps, for all their wisdom shall be swallowed up in the midst of the howling seas.
As the Abysses boil above the fountains of the waters, the towering waves and billows shall rage with the voice of their roaring;
and as they rage, [Hell and Abaddon] shall open [and all] the flying arrows of the Pit shall send out their voice to the Abyss.
And the gates [of Hell] shall open [on all] the works of Vanity; and the doors of the Pit shall close on the conceivers of wickedness;
and the everlasting bars shall be bolted on all the spirits of Naught.
8a
1. I thank you, O Lord. You illumined my face by your covenant.
2. I seek you, As sure as the dawn you appear as perfect light.
3. Teachers of lies have comforted your people and now they stumble, foolishly.
4. They abhor themselves and do not esteem me through whom your wonders and powers are manifest.
5. They have banished me from my land like a bird from its nest, and my friends and neighbors are driven from me.
6. They think me a broken pot. They preach lies. They are dissembling prophets.
7. They devise baseness against me, exchanging your teaching, written in my heart, for smooth words.
8. They deny knowledge to the thirsty and force them to drink vinegar to cover up error.
9. They stumble through mad feasts, but you, God, spurn the schemes of Belial.
10. Your wisdom prevails. Your hearts meditation prevails, established forever.
8b
1. Your holy spirit illuminates the dark places of the heart of your servant, with light like the sun.
2. I look to the covenants made by men, worthless.
3. Only your truth shines, and those who love it are wise and walk in the glow of your light.
4. From darkness you raise hearts. Let light shine on your servant.
5. Your light is everlasting.
9
Thanksgiving hymn
2 I give thanks to you, Lord, because you have placed me in the circle of life and guided me against the evils of the world.
2 Violent men have threatened my life because of my faith in you Lord.
3 For they are an assembly of trickery and a crowd of evil, the do not know that through you I live and in your compassion you will spare me in my soul.
4 Because of you they raid my life to spite you by the judgement of the wicked.
5 But you give me strength in the faces of the unworthy.
6 And I said, mighty men have pitched their camps and swarmed against me with all the temptations of unjustly things.
7 They have begun things which have no cure, no stopping. Their weapons of evil engulf the land like a tidal wave upon the shore.
8 Like a wave of destruction devouring a multitude of men.
9 Temptation rose inside me but my soul clung to the faith of you Lord.
10 They have fallen to the destruction of each other which they brought on themselves, but I will not fall to the rein of their destruction, for I keep upon level ground and apart from them I will bless you Lord.
Thanksgiving hymn
2 I give thanks to you, Lord, because you have placed me in the circle of life and guided me against the evils of the world.
2 Violent men have threatened my life because of my faith in you Lord.
3 For they are an assembly of trickery and a crowd of evil, the do not know that through you I live and in your compassion you will spare me in my soul.
4 Because of you they raid my life to spite you by the judgement of the wicked.
5 But you give me strength in the faces of the unworthy.
6 And I said, mighty men have pitched their camps and swarmed against me with all the temptations of unjustly things.
7 They have begun things which have no cure, no stopping. Their weapons of evil engulf the land like a tidal wave upon the shore.
8 Like a wave of destruction devouring a multitude of men.
9 Temptation rose inside me but my soul clung to the faith of you Lord.
10 They have fallen to the destruction of each other which they brought on themselves, but I will not fall to the rein of their destruction, for I keep upon level ground and apart from them I will bless you Lord.
10
Hymn 2 (formerly 24)
[I give Thee thanks] because of the spirits which Thou hast given to me!
I [will bring forth] a reply of the tongue to recount Thy righteous deeds, and the forbearance ... and the works of Thy mighty right hand,
and [the pardon] of the sins of the forefathers.
[I will bow down] and implore Thy mercy [on my sins and wicked deeds, and on the perversity of [my heart], for I have wallowed in uncleanness, and have [turned aside] from the counsel [of Thy truth]
and I have not laboured ...
[For] Thine, Thine is righteousness, and an everlasting blessing be upon Thy Name!
[According to] Thy righteousness, let [Thy servant] be redeemed
[and] the wicked be brought to an end.
For I have understood that [it is Thou who dost establish] the path of whomsoever Thou choosest;
Thou dost hedge him in with [true] discernment that he may not sin against Thee, and that his humility [may bear fruit] through Thy chastisement.
[Thou dost purify] his heart in [Thy trials].
[Preserve] Thy servant, [O God], lest he sin against Thee, or stagger aside from any word of Thy will.
Strengthen the [loins of Thy servant that he may] resist the spirits [of falsehood, that] he may walk in all that Thou lovest, and despise all that Thou loathest, [that he may do] that which is good in Thine eyes.
[Destroy] their [dominion] in my bowels, for [within] Thy servant is a spirit of [flesh].
Hymn 2 (formerly 24)
[I give Thee thanks] because of the spirits which Thou hast given to me!
I [will bring forth] a reply of the tongue to recount Thy righteous deeds, and the forbearance ... and the works of Thy mighty right hand,
and [the pardon] of the sins of the forefathers.
[I will bow down] and implore Thy mercy [on my sins and wicked deeds, and on the perversity of [my heart], for I have wallowed in uncleanness, and have [turned aside] from the counsel [of Thy truth]
and I have not laboured ...
[For] Thine, Thine is righteousness, and an everlasting blessing be upon Thy Name!
[According to] Thy righteousness, let [Thy servant] be redeemed
[and] the wicked be brought to an end.
For I have understood that [it is Thou who dost establish] the path of whomsoever Thou choosest;
Thou dost hedge him in with [true] discernment that he may not sin against Thee, and that his humility [may bear fruit] through Thy chastisement.
[Thou dost purify] his heart in [Thy trials].
[Preserve] Thy servant, [O God], lest he sin against Thee, or stagger aside from any word of Thy will.
Strengthen the [loins of Thy servant that he may] resist the spirits [of falsehood, that] he may walk in all that Thou lovest, and despise all that Thou loathest, [that he may do] that which is good in Thine eyes.
[Destroy] their [dominion] in my bowels, for [within] Thy servant is a spirit of [flesh].
11
Hymn 3 (formerly 25)
[I thank Thee, O Lord, for] Thou didst shed [Thy] Holy Spirit upon Thy Servant
V (formerly XIII)
All these things [Thou didst establish in Thy wisdom.
Thou didst appoint] all Thy works before ever creating them:
the host of Thy spirits and the Congregation [of Thy Holy Ones, the heavens and all] their hosts and the earth and all it brings forth.
In the seas and deeps ...
... and an everlasting task; for Thou hast established them from before eternity.
And the work of ...
and they shall recount Thy glory throughout all Thy dominion
For Thou hast shown them that which they had not [seen by removing all] ancient things and creating new ones, by breaking asunder things anciently established, and raising up the things of eternity.
For [Thou art from the beginning] and shalt endure for ages without end.
And Thou hast [appointed] all these things in the mysteries of Thy wisdom to make known Thy glory [to all].
[But what is] the spirit of flesh that it should understand all this, and that it should comprehend the great [design of Thy wisdom]?
What is he that is born of woman in the midst of all Thy terrible [works]?
He is but an edifice of dust, and a thing kneaded with water, whose beginning [is sinful iniquity], and shameful nakedness, [and a fount of uncleanness], and over whom a spirit of straying rules.
If he is wicked he shall become [a sign for] ever, and a wonder to (every) generation, [and an object of horror to all] flesh.
By Thy goodness alone is man righteous, and with Thy many mercies, Thou strengthenest him].
Thou wilt adorn him with Thy splendour and wilt [cause him to reign amid] many delights with everlasting peace and length of days.
[For Thou hast spoken], and Thou wilt not take back Thy word.
And I, Thy servant, I know by the spirit which Thou hast given to me
[that Thy words are truth], and that all Thy works are righteousness,
and that Thou wilt not take back Thy word
VI (formerly XIV)
Hymn 3 (formerly 25)
[I thank Thee, O Lord, for] Thou didst shed [Thy] Holy Spirit upon Thy Servant
V (formerly XIII)
All these things [Thou didst establish in Thy wisdom.
Thou didst appoint] all Thy works before ever creating them:
the host of Thy spirits and the Congregation [of Thy Holy Ones, the heavens and all] their hosts and the earth and all it brings forth.
In the seas and deeps ...
... and an everlasting task; for Thou hast established them from before eternity.
And the work of ...
and they shall recount Thy glory throughout all Thy dominion
For Thou hast shown them that which they had not [seen by removing all] ancient things and creating new ones, by breaking asunder things anciently established, and raising up the things of eternity.
For [Thou art from the beginning] and shalt endure for ages without end.
And Thou hast [appointed] all these things in the mysteries of Thy wisdom to make known Thy glory [to all].
[But what is] the spirit of flesh that it should understand all this, and that it should comprehend the great [design of Thy wisdom]?
What is he that is born of woman in the midst of all Thy terrible [works]?
He is but an edifice of dust, and a thing kneaded with water, whose beginning [is sinful iniquity], and shameful nakedness, [and a fount of uncleanness], and over whom a spirit of straying rules.
If he is wicked he shall become [a sign for] ever, and a wonder to (every) generation, [and an object of horror to all] flesh.
By Thy goodness alone is man righteous, and with Thy many mercies, Thou strengthenest him].
Thou wilt adorn him with Thy splendour and wilt [cause him to reign amid] many delights with everlasting peace and length of days.
[For Thou hast spoken], and Thou wilt not take back Thy word.
And I, Thy servant, I know by the spirit which Thou hast given to me
[that Thy words are truth], and that all Thy works are righteousness,
and that Thou wilt not take back Thy word
VI (formerly XIV)
12
Hymn 4 (formerly 21)
[Blessed art Thou,] O Lord who hast given understanding
to the heart of [Thy] servant that he may understand all these things and resist [the works] of wickedness and bless justly all those who choose Thy will, [and that he may love all] that Thou lovest and loathe all that Thou [hatest].
Thou shalt instruct Thy servant
... [spi]rits of man for Thou hast cast their (lot) according to the spirits between good and evil to accomplish their task.
And I know through the understanding which comes from Thee, that in Thy goodwill towards m[a]n
[Thou hast] increa[sed his inheritance] in Thy Holy Spirit
and thus Thou hast drawn me near to understanding of Thee.
And the closer I approach, the more am I filled with zeal, against all the workers of iniquity and the men of deceit.
For none of those who approach Thee rebels against Thy command,
nor do any of those who know Thee alter Thy words;
for Thou art righteous, and all Thine elect are truth.
Thou wilt blot out all injustice and wickedness for ever, and Thy righteousness shall be revealed before the eyes of all Thy creatures.
I know through Thy great goodness; and with an oath I have undertaken never to sin against Thee, nor to do anything evil in Thine eyes.
And thus do I bring into community all the men of my Council.
I will cause each man to draw near in accordance with his understanding, and according to the greatness of his inheritance, so will I love him.
I will not honour an evil man, nor consider [the bribes of shame];
I will [not] barter Thy truth for riches, nor one of Thy precepts for bribes.
But [I will lo]ve [each ma]n according to his sp[eech](?) and according as Thou removest him far from Thee, so will I hate him;
and none of those who have turned [from] Thy [Co]venant will I bring into the Council [of Thy] t[ruth].
Hymn 4 (formerly 21)
[Blessed art Thou,] O Lord who hast given understanding
to the heart of [Thy] servant that he may understand all these things and resist [the works] of wickedness and bless justly all those who choose Thy will, [and that he may love all] that Thou lovest and loathe all that Thou [hatest].
Thou shalt instruct Thy servant
... [spi]rits of man for Thou hast cast their (lot) according to the spirits between good and evil to accomplish their task.
And I know through the understanding which comes from Thee, that in Thy goodwill towards m[a]n
[Thou hast] increa[sed his inheritance] in Thy Holy Spirit
and thus Thou hast drawn me near to understanding of Thee.
And the closer I approach, the more am I filled with zeal, against all the workers of iniquity and the men of deceit.
For none of those who approach Thee rebels against Thy command,
nor do any of those who know Thee alter Thy words;
for Thou art righteous, and all Thine elect are truth.
Thou wilt blot out all injustice and wickedness for ever, and Thy righteousness shall be revealed before the eyes of all Thy creatures.
I know through Thy great goodness; and with an oath I have undertaken never to sin against Thee, nor to do anything evil in Thine eyes.
And thus do I bring into community all the men of my Council.
I will cause each man to draw near in accordance with his understanding, and according to the greatness of his inheritance, so will I love him.
I will not honour an evil man, nor consider [the bribes of shame];
I will [not] barter Thy truth for riches, nor one of Thy precepts for bribes.
But [I will lo]ve [each ma]n according to his sp[eech](?) and according as Thou removest him far from Thee, so will I hate him;
and none of those who have turned [from] Thy [Co]venant will I bring into the Council [of Thy] t[ruth].
13
Hymn 5 (formerly 22)
[I thank] Thee, O Lord, as befits the greatness of Thy power and the multitude of Thy marvels for ever and ever.
[Thou art a merciful God] and rich in [favours], pardoning those who repent of their sin and visiting the iniquity of the wicked.
[Thou delightest in] the free-will offering [of the righteous] but iniquity Thou hatest always.
Thou hast favoured me, Thy servant, with a spirit of knowledge, [that I may choose] truth [and goodness] and loathe all the ways of iniquity.
And I have loved Thee freely and with all my heart;
[contemplating the mysteries of] Thy wisdom [I have sought Thee].
For this is from Thy hand and [nothing is done] without [Thy will].
VII (formerly XV)
I have loved Thee freely and with all my heart and soul I have purified...
[that I might not] turn aside from any of Thy commands.
I have clung to the Congregation...
that I might not be separated from any of Thy laws.
I know through the understanding which comes from Thee that righteousness is not in a hand of flesh, [that] man [is not master of] his way and that it is not in mortals to direct their step.
I know that the inclination of every spirit [is in Thy hand];
Thou didst establish [all] its [ways] before ever creating it, and how can any man change Thy words?
Thou alone didst [create] the just and establish him from the womb
for the time of goodwill, that he might hearken to Thy Covenant and walk in all (Thy ways), and that [Thou mightest show Thyself great] to him in the multitude of Thy mercies, and enlarge his straitened soul to eternal salvation, to perpetual and unfailing peace.
Thou wilt raise up his glory from among flesh.
But the wicked Thou didst create for [the time] of Thy [wrath], Thou didst vow them from the womb to the Day of Massacre, for they walk in the way which is not good.
They have despised [Thy Covenant] and their souls have loathed Thy [truth];
they have taken no delight in all Thy commandments and have chosen that which Thou hatest.
[For according to the mysteries] of Thy [wisdom], Thou hast ordained them for great chastisements before the eyes of all Thy creatures, that [for all] eternity, they may serve as a sign [and a wonder], and that [all men] may know Thy glory and Thy tremendous power.
But what is flesh that it should understand [these things]?
And how should [a creature of] dust direct his steps?
It is Thou who didst shape the spirit and establish its work [from the beginning];
the way of all the living proceeds from Thee.
I know that no riches equal Thy truth, and [have therefore desired to enter the Council of] Thy holiness.
I know that Thou hast chosen them before all others and that they shall serve Thee for ever.
Thou wilt [take no bribe for the deeds of iniquity], nor ransom for the works of wickedness;
for Thou art a God of truth and [wilt destroy] all iniquity [for ever, and] no [wickedness] shall exist before Thee.
VIII (formerly XVI)
Because I know all these things my tongue shall utter a reply.
Bowing down and [confessing all] my transgressions, I will seek [Thy] spirit [of knowledge];
cleaving to Thy spirit of [holiness], I will hold fast to the truth of Thy Covenant, that [I may serve] Thee in truth and wholeness of heart, and that I may love [Thy Name].
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Maker [of all things and mighty in] deeds: all things are Thy work!
Behold, Thou art pleased to favour [Thy servant], and hast graced me with Thy spirit of mercy and [with the radiance] of Thy glory.
Thine, Thine is righteousness, for it is Thou who hast done all [these things]!
I know that Thou hast marked the spirit of the just, and therefore I have chosen to keep my hands clean in accordance with [Thy] will:
the soul of Thy servant [has loathed] every work of iniquity.
And I know that man is not righteous, except through Thee,
and therefore I implore Thee by the spirit which Thou hast given [me] to perfect Thy [favours] to Thy servant [for ever],
purifying me by Thy Holy Spirit, and drawing me near to Thee by Thy grace according to the abundance of Thy mercies [Grant me] the place [of Thy loving-kindness] which [Thou hast] chosen for them that love Thee and keep [Thy commandments, that they may stand] in Thy presence [for] ever.
Let no scourge [come] near him lest he stagger aside from the laws of Thy Covenant.
I [know, O Lord, that Thou art merciful] and compassionate, [long]-suffering and [rich] in grace and truth, pardoning transgression [and sin].
Thou repentest of [evil against them that love Thee] and keep [Thy] commandments, [that] return to Thee with faith and wholeness of heart
... to serve Thee [and to do that which is] good in Thine eyes.
Reject not the face of Thy servant
Hymn 5 (formerly 22)
[I thank] Thee, O Lord, as befits the greatness of Thy power and the multitude of Thy marvels for ever and ever.
[Thou art a merciful God] and rich in [favours], pardoning those who repent of their sin and visiting the iniquity of the wicked.
[Thou delightest in] the free-will offering [of the righteous] but iniquity Thou hatest always.
Thou hast favoured me, Thy servant, with a spirit of knowledge, [that I may choose] truth [and goodness] and loathe all the ways of iniquity.
And I have loved Thee freely and with all my heart;
[contemplating the mysteries of] Thy wisdom [I have sought Thee].
For this is from Thy hand and [nothing is done] without [Thy will].
VII (formerly XV)
I have loved Thee freely and with all my heart and soul I have purified...
[that I might not] turn aside from any of Thy commands.
I have clung to the Congregation...
that I might not be separated from any of Thy laws.
I know through the understanding which comes from Thee that righteousness is not in a hand of flesh, [that] man [is not master of] his way and that it is not in mortals to direct their step.
I know that the inclination of every spirit [is in Thy hand];
Thou didst establish [all] its [ways] before ever creating it, and how can any man change Thy words?
Thou alone didst [create] the just and establish him from the womb
for the time of goodwill, that he might hearken to Thy Covenant and walk in all (Thy ways), and that [Thou mightest show Thyself great] to him in the multitude of Thy mercies, and enlarge his straitened soul to eternal salvation, to perpetual and unfailing peace.
Thou wilt raise up his glory from among flesh.
But the wicked Thou didst create for [the time] of Thy [wrath], Thou didst vow them from the womb to the Day of Massacre, for they walk in the way which is not good.
They have despised [Thy Covenant] and their souls have loathed Thy [truth];
they have taken no delight in all Thy commandments and have chosen that which Thou hatest.
[For according to the mysteries] of Thy [wisdom], Thou hast ordained them for great chastisements before the eyes of all Thy creatures, that [for all] eternity, they may serve as a sign [and a wonder], and that [all men] may know Thy glory and Thy tremendous power.
But what is flesh that it should understand [these things]?
And how should [a creature of] dust direct his steps?
It is Thou who didst shape the spirit and establish its work [from the beginning];
the way of all the living proceeds from Thee.
I know that no riches equal Thy truth, and [have therefore desired to enter the Council of] Thy holiness.
I know that Thou hast chosen them before all others and that they shall serve Thee for ever.
Thou wilt [take no bribe for the deeds of iniquity], nor ransom for the works of wickedness;
for Thou art a God of truth and [wilt destroy] all iniquity [for ever, and] no [wickedness] shall exist before Thee.
VIII (formerly XVI)
Because I know all these things my tongue shall utter a reply.
Bowing down and [confessing all] my transgressions, I will seek [Thy] spirit [of knowledge];
cleaving to Thy spirit of [holiness], I will hold fast to the truth of Thy Covenant, that [I may serve] Thee in truth and wholeness of heart, and that I may love [Thy Name].
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, Maker [of all things and mighty in] deeds: all things are Thy work!
Behold, Thou art pleased to favour [Thy servant], and hast graced me with Thy spirit of mercy and [with the radiance] of Thy glory.
Thine, Thine is righteousness, for it is Thou who hast done all [these things]!
I know that Thou hast marked the spirit of the just, and therefore I have chosen to keep my hands clean in accordance with [Thy] will:
the soul of Thy servant [has loathed] every work of iniquity.
And I know that man is not righteous, except through Thee,
and therefore I implore Thee by the spirit which Thou hast given [me] to perfect Thy [favours] to Thy servant [for ever],
purifying me by Thy Holy Spirit, and drawing me near to Thee by Thy grace according to the abundance of Thy mercies [Grant me] the place [of Thy loving-kindness] which [Thou hast] chosen for them that love Thee and keep [Thy commandments, that they may stand] in Thy presence [for] ever.
Let no scourge [come] near him lest he stagger aside from the laws of Thy Covenant.
I [know, O Lord, that Thou art merciful] and compassionate, [long]-suffering and [rich] in grace and truth, pardoning transgression [and sin].
Thou repentest of [evil against them that love Thee] and keep [Thy] commandments, [that] return to Thee with faith and wholeness of heart
... to serve Thee [and to do that which is] good in Thine eyes.
Reject not the face of Thy servant
14
Hymn 6 (formerly I)
IX (formerly I)
Thou art long-suffering in Thy judgements and righteous in all Thy deeds.
By Thy wisdom [all things exist from] eternity, and before creating them Thou knewest their works for ever and ever.
[Nothing] is done [without Thee] and nothing is known unless Thou desire it.
Thou hast created all the spirits [and hast established a statute] and law for all their works.
Thou hast spread the heavens for Thy glory and hast [appointed] all [their hosts] according to Thy will;
the mighty winds according to their laws before they became angels [of holiness]
... and eternal spirits in their dominions;
the heavenly lights to their mysteries, the stars to their paths, [the clouds] to their tasks, the thunderbolts and lightnings to their duty, and the perfect treasuries (of snow and hail) to their purposes,
... to their mysteries.
Thou hast created the earth by Thy power and the seas and deeps [by Thy might].
Thou hast fashioned [all] their [inhabi]tants according to Thy wisdom, and hast appointed all that is in them according to Thy will.
[And] to the spirit of man which Thou hast formed in the world,
[Thou hast given dominion over the works of Thy hands] for everlasting days and unending generations.
... in their ages
Thou hast allotted to them tasks during all their generations, and judgement in their appointed seasons according to the rule [of the two spirits.
For Thou hast established their ways] for ever and ever, [and hast ordained from eternity] their visitation for reward and chastisements;
Thou hast allotted it to all their seed for eternal generations and everlasting years...
In the wisdom of Thy knowledge Thou didst establish their destiny before ever they were.
All things [exist] according to [Thy will] and without Thee nothing is done.
These things I know by the wisdom which comes from Thee, for Thou hast unstopped my ears to marvellous mysteries.
And yet I, a shape of clay kneaded in water, a ground of shame and a source of pollution, a melting-pot of wickedness and an edifice of sin,
a straying and perverted spirit of no understanding, fearful of righteous judgements, what can I say that is not foreknown, and what can I utter that is not foretold?
All things are graven before Thee on a written Reminder for everlasting ages, and for the numbered cycles of the eternal years in all their seasons; they are not hidden or absent from Thee.
What shall a man say concerning his sin?
And how shall he plead concerning his iniquities?
And how shall he reply to righteous judgement?
For Thine, O God of knowledge, are all righteous deeds and the counsel of truth; but to the sons of men is the work of iniquity and deeds of deceit.
It is Thou who hast created breath for the tongue and Thou knowest its words;
Thou didst establish the fruit of the lips before ever they were.
Thou dost set words to measure and the flow of breath from the lips to metre.
Thou bringest forth sounds according to their mysteries, and the flow of breath from the lips according to its reckoning, that they may tell of Thy glory and recount Thy wonders in all Thy works of truth and [in all Thy] righteous [judgements];
and that Thy Name be praised by the mouth of all men, and that they may know Thee according to their understanding and bless Thee for ever.
By Thy mercies and by Thy great goodness, Thou hast strengthened the spirit of man in the face of the scourge, and hast purified [the erring spirit] of a multitude of sins, that it may declare Thy marvels
in the presence of all Thy creatures.
[I will declare to the assembly of the simple] the judgements by which I was scourged, and to the sons of men, all Thy wonders by which Thou hast shown Thyself mighty [in me in the presence of the sons of Adam].
Hear, O you wise men, and meditate on knowledge;
O you fearful, be steadfast!
Increase in prudence, [O all you simple];
O just men, put away iniquity!
Hold fast [to the Covenant], O all you perfect of way;
[O all you afflicted with] misery, be patient and despise no righteous judgement!
[but the foo]lish of heart shall not comprehend these things
X (formerly II)
Upon my [uncircumcised] lips Thou hast laid a reply.
Thou hast upheld my soul, strengthening my loins and restoring my power;
my foot has stood in the realm of ungodliness.
I have been a snare to those who rebel, but healing to those of them who repent, prudence to the simple, and steadfastness to the fearful of heart.
To traitors Thou hast made of me a mockery and scorn, but a counsel of truth and understanding to the upright of way.
I have been iniquity for the wicked, ill-repute on the lips of the fierce, the scoffers have gnashed their teeth. I have been a byword to traitors, the assembly of the wicked has raged against me;
they have roared like turbulent seas and their towering waves have spat out mud and slime.
But to the elect of righteousness Thou hast made me a banner, and a discerning interpreter of wonderful mysteries, to try [those who practise] truth and to test those who love correction.
To the interpreters of error I have been an opponent, [but a man of peace] to all those who see true things.
To all those who seek smooth things I have been a spirit of zeal;
like the sound of the roaring of many waters so have [all] the deceivers thundered against me; [all] their thoughts were devilish [schemings].
They have cast towards the Pit the life of the man whose mouth Thou hast confirmed, and into whose heart, Thou hast put teaching and understanding, that he might open a fountain of knowledge
to all men of insight.
They have exchanged them for lips of uncircumcision, and for the foreign tongue of a people without understanding, that they might come to ruin in their straying.
Hymn 6 (formerly I)
IX (formerly I)
Thou art long-suffering in Thy judgements and righteous in all Thy deeds.
By Thy wisdom [all things exist from] eternity, and before creating them Thou knewest their works for ever and ever.
[Nothing] is done [without Thee] and nothing is known unless Thou desire it.
Thou hast created all the spirits [and hast established a statute] and law for all their works.
Thou hast spread the heavens for Thy glory and hast [appointed] all [their hosts] according to Thy will;
the mighty winds according to their laws before they became angels [of holiness]
... and eternal spirits in their dominions;
the heavenly lights to their mysteries, the stars to their paths, [the clouds] to their tasks, the thunderbolts and lightnings to their duty, and the perfect treasuries (of snow and hail) to their purposes,
... to their mysteries.
Thou hast created the earth by Thy power and the seas and deeps [by Thy might].
Thou hast fashioned [all] their [inhabi]tants according to Thy wisdom, and hast appointed all that is in them according to Thy will.
[And] to the spirit of man which Thou hast formed in the world,
[Thou hast given dominion over the works of Thy hands] for everlasting days and unending generations.
... in their ages
Thou hast allotted to them tasks during all their generations, and judgement in their appointed seasons according to the rule [of the two spirits.
For Thou hast established their ways] for ever and ever, [and hast ordained from eternity] their visitation for reward and chastisements;
Thou hast allotted it to all their seed for eternal generations and everlasting years...
In the wisdom of Thy knowledge Thou didst establish their destiny before ever they were.
All things [exist] according to [Thy will] and without Thee nothing is done.
These things I know by the wisdom which comes from Thee, for Thou hast unstopped my ears to marvellous mysteries.
And yet I, a shape of clay kneaded in water, a ground of shame and a source of pollution, a melting-pot of wickedness and an edifice of sin,
a straying and perverted spirit of no understanding, fearful of righteous judgements, what can I say that is not foreknown, and what can I utter that is not foretold?
All things are graven before Thee on a written Reminder for everlasting ages, and for the numbered cycles of the eternal years in all their seasons; they are not hidden or absent from Thee.
What shall a man say concerning his sin?
And how shall he plead concerning his iniquities?
And how shall he reply to righteous judgement?
For Thine, O God of knowledge, are all righteous deeds and the counsel of truth; but to the sons of men is the work of iniquity and deeds of deceit.
It is Thou who hast created breath for the tongue and Thou knowest its words;
Thou didst establish the fruit of the lips before ever they were.
Thou dost set words to measure and the flow of breath from the lips to metre.
Thou bringest forth sounds according to their mysteries, and the flow of breath from the lips according to its reckoning, that they may tell of Thy glory and recount Thy wonders in all Thy works of truth and [in all Thy] righteous [judgements];
and that Thy Name be praised by the mouth of all men, and that they may know Thee according to their understanding and bless Thee for ever.
By Thy mercies and by Thy great goodness, Thou hast strengthened the spirit of man in the face of the scourge, and hast purified [the erring spirit] of a multitude of sins, that it may declare Thy marvels
in the presence of all Thy creatures.
[I will declare to the assembly of the simple] the judgements by which I was scourged, and to the sons of men, all Thy wonders by which Thou hast shown Thyself mighty [in me in the presence of the sons of Adam].
Hear, O you wise men, and meditate on knowledge;
O you fearful, be steadfast!
Increase in prudence, [O all you simple];
O just men, put away iniquity!
Hold fast [to the Covenant], O all you perfect of way;
[O all you afflicted with] misery, be patient and despise no righteous judgement!
[but the foo]lish of heart shall not comprehend these things
X (formerly II)
Upon my [uncircumcised] lips Thou hast laid a reply.
Thou hast upheld my soul, strengthening my loins and restoring my power;
my foot has stood in the realm of ungodliness.
I have been a snare to those who rebel, but healing to those of them who repent, prudence to the simple, and steadfastness to the fearful of heart.
To traitors Thou hast made of me a mockery and scorn, but a counsel of truth and understanding to the upright of way.
I have been iniquity for the wicked, ill-repute on the lips of the fierce, the scoffers have gnashed their teeth. I have been a byword to traitors, the assembly of the wicked has raged against me;
they have roared like turbulent seas and their towering waves have spat out mud and slime.
But to the elect of righteousness Thou hast made me a banner, and a discerning interpreter of wonderful mysteries, to try [those who practise] truth and to test those who love correction.
To the interpreters of error I have been an opponent, [but a man of peace] to all those who see true things.
To all those who seek smooth things I have been a spirit of zeal;
like the sound of the roaring of many waters so have [all] the deceivers thundered against me; [all] their thoughts were devilish [schemings].
They have cast towards the Pit the life of the man whose mouth Thou hast confirmed, and into whose heart, Thou hast put teaching and understanding, that he might open a fountain of knowledge
to all men of insight.
They have exchanged them for lips of uncircumcision, and for the foreign tongue of a people without understanding, that they might come to ruin in their straying.
15
Hymn 11 (formerly 6)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou art as a fortified wall to me, and as an iron bar against all destroyers;
Thou hast set my feet upon rock...that I may walk in the way of eternity and in the paths which Thou hast chosen
Hymn 7 (formerly 2)
for Thou hast placed my soul in the bundle of the living, and hast hedged me about against all the snares of the Pit.
Violent men have sought after my life because I have clung to Thy Covenant.
For they, an assembly of deceit, and a horde of Belial, know not that my stand is maintained by Thee, and that in Thy mercy Thou wilt save my soul since my steps proceed from Thee.
From Thee it is that they assail my life, that Thou mayest be glorified by the judgement of the wicked, and manifest Thy might through me
in the presence of the sons of men; for it is by Thy mercy that I stand.
And I said, Mighty men have pitched their camps against me, and have encompassed me with all their weapons of war.
They have let fly arrows against which there is no cure, and the flame of (their) javelins is like a consuming fire among trees.
The clamour of their shouting is like the bellowing of many waters,
like a storm of destruction devouring a multitude of men;
as their waves rear up, Naught and Vanity spout upward to the stars.
But although my heart melted like water, my soul held fast to Thy Covenant, and the net which they spread for me has taken their own foot;
they have themselves fallen into the snares which they laid for my life.
But my foot remains upon level ground; apart from their assembly I will bless Thy Name.
Hymn 11 (formerly 6)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou art as a fortified wall to me, and as an iron bar against all destroyers;
Thou hast set my feet upon rock...that I may walk in the way of eternity and in the paths which Thou hast chosen
Hymn 7 (formerly 2)
for Thou hast placed my soul in the bundle of the living, and hast hedged me about against all the snares of the Pit.
Violent men have sought after my life because I have clung to Thy Covenant.
For they, an assembly of deceit, and a horde of Belial, know not that my stand is maintained by Thee, and that in Thy mercy Thou wilt save my soul since my steps proceed from Thee.
From Thee it is that they assail my life, that Thou mayest be glorified by the judgement of the wicked, and manifest Thy might through me
in the presence of the sons of men; for it is by Thy mercy that I stand.
And I said, Mighty men have pitched their camps against me, and have encompassed me with all their weapons of war.
They have let fly arrows against which there is no cure, and the flame of (their) javelins is like a consuming fire among trees.
The clamour of their shouting is like the bellowing of many waters,
like a storm of destruction devouring a multitude of men;
as their waves rear up, Naught and Vanity spout upward to the stars.
But although my heart melted like water, my soul held fast to Thy Covenant, and the net which they spread for me has taken their own foot;
they have themselves fallen into the snares which they laid for my life.
But my foot remains upon level ground; apart from their assembly I will bless Thy Name.
16
Hymn 8 (formerly 3)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast [fastened] Thine eye upon me.
Thou hast saved me from the zeal of lying interpreters, and from the congregation of those who seek smooth things.
Thou hast redeemed the soul of the poor one whom they planned to destroy by spilling his blood because he served Thee.
Because [they knew not] that my steps were directed by Thee, they made me an object of shame and derision in the mouth of all the seekers of falsehood.
But Thou, O my God, hast succoured the soul of the poor and the needy against one stronger than he;
Thou hast redeemed my soul from the hand of the mighty.
Thou hast not permitted their insults to dismay me so that I forsook Thy service for fear of the wickedness of the [ungodly], or bartered my steadfast heart for folly
Hymn 8 (formerly 3)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast [fastened] Thine eye upon me.
Thou hast saved me from the zeal of lying interpreters, and from the congregation of those who seek smooth things.
Thou hast redeemed the soul of the poor one whom they planned to destroy by spilling his blood because he served Thee.
Because [they knew not] that my steps were directed by Thee, they made me an object of shame and derision in the mouth of all the seekers of falsehood.
But Thou, O my God, hast succoured the soul of the poor and the needy against one stronger than he;
Thou hast redeemed my soul from the hand of the mighty.
Thou hast not permitted their insults to dismay me so that I forsook Thy service for fear of the wickedness of the [ungodly], or bartered my steadfast heart for folly
17
Hymn 10 (formerly 5)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast redeemed my soul from the Pit, and from the hell of Abaddon Thou hast raised me up to everlasting height.
I walk on limitless level ground, and I know there is hope for him
whom Thou hast shaped from dust for the everlasting Council.
Thou hast cleansed a perverse spirit of great sin that it may stand with the host of the Holy Ones, and that it may enter into community with the congregation of the Sons of Heaven.
Thou hast allotted to man an everlasting destiny, amidst the spirits of knowledge, that he may praise Thy Name in a common rejoicing and recount Thy marvels before all Thy works.
And yet I, a creature of clay, what am I?
Kneaded with water, what is my worth and my might?
For I have stood in the realm of wickedness and my lot was with the damned;
the soul of the poor one was carried away in the midst of great tribulation.
Miseries of torment dogged my steps while all the snares of the Pit were opened and the lures of wickedness were set up and the nets of the damned (were spread) on the waters;
while all the arrows of the Pit flew out without cease, and, striking, left no hope;
while the rope beat down in judgement and a destiny of wrath (fell) upon the abandoned and a venting of fury upon the cunning.
It was a time of the wrath of all Belial and the bonds of death tightened without any escape.
The torrents of Belial shall reach to all sides of the world.
In all their channels a consuming fire shall destroy every tree, green and barren, on their banks;
unto the end of their courses, it shall scourge with flames of fire, and shall consume the foundations of the earth and the expanse of dry land.
The bases of the mountains shall blaze and the roots of the rocks shall turn to torrents of pitch; it shall devour as far as the great Abyss.
The torrents of Belial shall break into Abaddon, and the deeps of the Abyss shall groan, amid the roar of heaving mud.
The land shall cry out because of the calamity fallen upon the world, and all its deeps shall howl.
And all those upon it shall rave and shall perish amid the great misfortune.
For God shall sound His mighty voice, and His holy abode shall thunder with the truth of His glory.
The heavenly hosts shall cry out and the world’s foundations
shall stagger and sway.
The war of the heavenly warriors shall scourge the earth; and it shall not end before the appointed destruction which shall be for ever and without compare.
Hymn 10 (formerly 5)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast redeemed my soul from the Pit, and from the hell of Abaddon Thou hast raised me up to everlasting height.
I walk on limitless level ground, and I know there is hope for him
whom Thou hast shaped from dust for the everlasting Council.
Thou hast cleansed a perverse spirit of great sin that it may stand with the host of the Holy Ones, and that it may enter into community with the congregation of the Sons of Heaven.
Thou hast allotted to man an everlasting destiny, amidst the spirits of knowledge, that he may praise Thy Name in a common rejoicing and recount Thy marvels before all Thy works.
And yet I, a creature of clay, what am I?
Kneaded with water, what is my worth and my might?
For I have stood in the realm of wickedness and my lot was with the damned;
the soul of the poor one was carried away in the midst of great tribulation.
Miseries of torment dogged my steps while all the snares of the Pit were opened and the lures of wickedness were set up and the nets of the damned (were spread) on the waters;
while all the arrows of the Pit flew out without cease, and, striking, left no hope;
while the rope beat down in judgement and a destiny of wrath (fell) upon the abandoned and a venting of fury upon the cunning.
It was a time of the wrath of all Belial and the bonds of death tightened without any escape.
The torrents of Belial shall reach to all sides of the world.
In all their channels a consuming fire shall destroy every tree, green and barren, on their banks;
unto the end of their courses, it shall scourge with flames of fire, and shall consume the foundations of the earth and the expanse of dry land.
The bases of the mountains shall blaze and the roots of the rocks shall turn to torrents of pitch; it shall devour as far as the great Abyss.
The torrents of Belial shall break into Abaddon, and the deeps of the Abyss shall groan, amid the roar of heaving mud.
The land shall cry out because of the calamity fallen upon the world, and all its deeps shall howl.
And all those upon it shall rave and shall perish amid the great misfortune.
For God shall sound His mighty voice, and His holy abode shall thunder with the truth of His glory.
The heavenly hosts shall cry out and the world’s foundations
shall stagger and sway.
The war of the heavenly warriors shall scourge the earth; and it shall not end before the appointed destruction which shall be for ever and without compare.
18
XII (formerly IV)
Hymn 12
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast illumined my face by Thy Covenant,
I seek Thee, and sure as the dawn Thou appearest as [perfect Light] to me.
Teachers of lies [have smoothed] Thy people [with words], and [false prophets] have led them astray;
they perish without understanding for their works are in folly.
For I am despised by them and they have no esteem for me that Thou mayest manifest Thy might through me.
They have banished me from my land like a bird from its nest;
all my friends and brethren are driven far from me and hold me for a broken vessel.
And they, teachers of lies and seers of falsehood, have schemed against me a devilish scheme, to exchange the Law engraved on my heart by Thee for the smooth things (which they speak) to Thy people.
And they withhold from the thirsty the drink of Knowledge, and assuage their thirst with vinegar, that they may gaze on their straying, on their folly concerning their feast-days, on their fall into their snares.
But Thou, O God, dost despise all Belial’s designs; it is Thy purpose that shall be done and the design of Thy heart that shall be established for ever.
As for them, they dissemble, they plan devilish schemes.
They seek Thee with a double heart and are not confirmed in Thy truth, A root bearing poisoned and bitter fruit is in their designs;
they walk in stubbornness of heart, and seek Thee among idols,
and they set before themselves the stumbling-block of their sin.
They come to inquire of Thee from the mouth of lying prophets deceived by error who speak [with strange] lips to Thy people,
and an alien tongue, that they may cunningly turn all their works to folly.
For [they hearken] not [to] Thy [voice], nor do they give ear to Thy word;
of the vision of knowledge they say, ‘It is unsure’, and of the way of Thy heart, ‘It is not (the way)’.
But Thou, O God, wilt reply to them, chastising them in Thy might
because of their idols and because of the multitude of their sins, that they who have turned aside from Thy Covenant may be caught in their own designs.
Thou wilt destroy in Judgement all men of lies, and there shall be no more seers of error;
for in Thy works is no folly, no guile in the design of Thy heart.
But those who please Thee shall stand before Thee for ever;
those who walk in the way of Thy heart shall be established for evermore.
Clinging to Thee, I will stand. I will rise against those who despise me and my hand shall be turned against those who deride me;
for they have no esteem for me [that Thou mayest] manifest Thy might through me.
Thou hast revealed Thyself to me in Thy power as perfect Light, and Thou hast not covered my face with shame.
All those who are gathered in Thy Covenant inquire of me, and they hearken to me who walk in the way of Thy heart, who array themselves for Thee in the Council of the holy.
Thou wilt cause their law to endure for ever and truth to go forward unhindered, and Thou wilt not allow them to be led astray by the hand of the damned when they plot against them.
Thou wilt put the fear of them into Thy people and (wilt make of them) a hammer to all the peoples of the lands, that at the Judgement they may cut off all those who transgress Thy word.
Through me Thou hast illumined the face of the Congregation and hast shown Thine infinite power.
For Thou hast given me knowledge through Thy marvellous mysteries, and hast shown Thyself mighty within me in the midst of Thy marvellous Council.
Thou hast done wonders before the Congregation for the sake of Thy glory, that they may make known Thy mighty deeds to all the living.
But what is flesh (to be worthy) of this? What is a creature of clay for such great marvels to be done,
whereas he is in iniquity from the womb and in guilty unfaithfulness until his old age?
Righteousness, I know, is not of man, nor is perfection of way of the son of man: to the Most High God belong all righteous deeds.
The way of man is not established except by the spirit which God created for him to make perfect a way for the children of men, that all His creatures may know the might of His power, and the abundance of His mercies towards all the sons of His grace.
As for me, shaking and trembling seize me and all my bones are broken;
my heart dissolves like wax before fire and my knees are like water
pouring down a steep place.
For I remember my sins and the unfaithfulness of my fathers.
When the wicked rose against Thy Covenant and the damned against Thy word, I said in my sinfulness, ‘I am forsaken by Thy Covenant.’
But calling to mind the might of Thy hand and the greatness of Thy compassion, I rose and stood, and my spirit was established in face of the scourge.
I lean on Thy grace and on the multitude of Thy mercies, for Thou wilt pardon iniquity, and through Thy righteousness [Thou wilt purify man] of his sin.
Not for his sake wilt Thou do it, [but for the sake of Thy glory].
For Thou hast created the just and the wicked
XII (formerly IV)
Hymn 12
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast illumined my face by Thy Covenant,
I seek Thee, and sure as the dawn Thou appearest as [perfect Light] to me.
Teachers of lies [have smoothed] Thy people [with words], and [false prophets] have led them astray;
they perish without understanding for their works are in folly.
For I am despised by them and they have no esteem for me that Thou mayest manifest Thy might through me.
They have banished me from my land like a bird from its nest;
all my friends and brethren are driven far from me and hold me for a broken vessel.
And they, teachers of lies and seers of falsehood, have schemed against me a devilish scheme, to exchange the Law engraved on my heart by Thee for the smooth things (which they speak) to Thy people.
And they withhold from the thirsty the drink of Knowledge, and assuage their thirst with vinegar, that they may gaze on their straying, on their folly concerning their feast-days, on their fall into their snares.
But Thou, O God, dost despise all Belial’s designs; it is Thy purpose that shall be done and the design of Thy heart that shall be established for ever.
As for them, they dissemble, they plan devilish schemes.
They seek Thee with a double heart and are not confirmed in Thy truth, A root bearing poisoned and bitter fruit is in their designs;
they walk in stubbornness of heart, and seek Thee among idols,
and they set before themselves the stumbling-block of their sin.
They come to inquire of Thee from the mouth of lying prophets deceived by error who speak [with strange] lips to Thy people,
and an alien tongue, that they may cunningly turn all their works to folly.
For [they hearken] not [to] Thy [voice], nor do they give ear to Thy word;
of the vision of knowledge they say, ‘It is unsure’, and of the way of Thy heart, ‘It is not (the way)’.
But Thou, O God, wilt reply to them, chastising them in Thy might
because of their idols and because of the multitude of their sins, that they who have turned aside from Thy Covenant may be caught in their own designs.
Thou wilt destroy in Judgement all men of lies, and there shall be no more seers of error;
for in Thy works is no folly, no guile in the design of Thy heart.
But those who please Thee shall stand before Thee for ever;
those who walk in the way of Thy heart shall be established for evermore.
Clinging to Thee, I will stand. I will rise against those who despise me and my hand shall be turned against those who deride me;
for they have no esteem for me [that Thou mayest] manifest Thy might through me.
Thou hast revealed Thyself to me in Thy power as perfect Light, and Thou hast not covered my face with shame.
All those who are gathered in Thy Covenant inquire of me, and they hearken to me who walk in the way of Thy heart, who array themselves for Thee in the Council of the holy.
Thou wilt cause their law to endure for ever and truth to go forward unhindered, and Thou wilt not allow them to be led astray by the hand of the damned when they plot against them.
Thou wilt put the fear of them into Thy people and (wilt make of them) a hammer to all the peoples of the lands, that at the Judgement they may cut off all those who transgress Thy word.
Through me Thou hast illumined the face of the Congregation and hast shown Thine infinite power.
For Thou hast given me knowledge through Thy marvellous mysteries, and hast shown Thyself mighty within me in the midst of Thy marvellous Council.
Thou hast done wonders before the Congregation for the sake of Thy glory, that they may make known Thy mighty deeds to all the living.
But what is flesh (to be worthy) of this? What is a creature of clay for such great marvels to be done,
whereas he is in iniquity from the womb and in guilty unfaithfulness until his old age?
Righteousness, I know, is not of man, nor is perfection of way of the son of man: to the Most High God belong all righteous deeds.
The way of man is not established except by the spirit which God created for him to make perfect a way for the children of men, that all His creatures may know the might of His power, and the abundance of His mercies towards all the sons of His grace.
As for me, shaking and trembling seize me and all my bones are broken;
my heart dissolves like wax before fire and my knees are like water
pouring down a steep place.
For I remember my sins and the unfaithfulness of my fathers.
When the wicked rose against Thy Covenant and the damned against Thy word, I said in my sinfulness, ‘I am forsaken by Thy Covenant.’
But calling to mind the might of Thy hand and the greatness of Thy compassion, I rose and stood, and my spirit was established in face of the scourge.
I lean on Thy grace and on the multitude of Thy mercies, for Thou wilt pardon iniquity, and through Thy righteousness [Thou wilt purify man] of his sin.
Not for his sake wilt Thou do it, [but for the sake of Thy glory].
For Thou hast created the just and the wicked
19
XIII (formerly V)
Hymn 13 (formerly 8)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast not abandoned me
whilst I sojourned among a people [burdened with sin].
[Thou hast not] judged me, according to my guilt, nor hast Thou abandoned me because of the designs of my inclination; but Thou hast saved my life from the Pit.
Thou hast brought [Thy servant deliverance] in the midst of lions destined for the guilty, and of lionesses which crush the bones of the mighty and drink the blood of the brave.
Thou hast caused me to dwell with the many fishers who spread a net upon the face of the waters, and with the hunters of the children of iniquity;
Thou hast established me there for justice.
Thou hast confirmed the counsel of truth in my heart and the waters of the Covenant for those who seek it.
Thou hast closed up the mouth of the young lions whose teeth are like a sword, and whose great teeth are like a pointed spear, like the venom of dragons.
All their design is for robbery and they have lain in wait; but they have not opened their mouth against me.
For Thou, O God, hast sheltered me from the children of men, and hast hidden Thy Law [within me] against the time when Thou shouldst reveal Thy salvation to me.
For Thou hast not forsaken me in my soul’s distress, and Thou hast heard my cry in the bitterness of my soul;
and when I groaned, Thou didst consider my sorrowful complaint.
Thou hast preserved the soul of the poor one in the den of lions which sharpened their tongue like a sword.
Thou hast closed up their teeth, O God, lest they rend the soul of the poor and needy.
Thou hast made their tongue go back like a sword to its scabbar [lest] the soul of Thy servant [be blotted out].
Thou hast dealt wondrously with the poor one to manifest Thy might within me in the presence of the sons of men.
Thou hast placed him in the melting-pot, [like gold] in the fire, and like silver refined in the melting-pot of the smelters, to be purified seven times.
The wicked and fierce have stormed against me with their afflictions;
they have pounded my soul all day.
But Thou, O my God, hast changed the tempest to a breeze;
Thou hast delivered the soul of the poor one like [a bird from the net
and like] prey from the mouth of lions.
XIII (formerly V)
Hymn 13 (formerly 8)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast not abandoned me
whilst I sojourned among a people [burdened with sin].
[Thou hast not] judged me, according to my guilt, nor hast Thou abandoned me because of the designs of my inclination; but Thou hast saved my life from the Pit.
Thou hast brought [Thy servant deliverance] in the midst of lions destined for the guilty, and of lionesses which crush the bones of the mighty and drink the blood of the brave.
Thou hast caused me to dwell with the many fishers who spread a net upon the face of the waters, and with the hunters of the children of iniquity;
Thou hast established me there for justice.
Thou hast confirmed the counsel of truth in my heart and the waters of the Covenant for those who seek it.
Thou hast closed up the mouth of the young lions whose teeth are like a sword, and whose great teeth are like a pointed spear, like the venom of dragons.
All their design is for robbery and they have lain in wait; but they have not opened their mouth against me.
For Thou, O God, hast sheltered me from the children of men, and hast hidden Thy Law [within me] against the time when Thou shouldst reveal Thy salvation to me.
For Thou hast not forsaken me in my soul’s distress, and Thou hast heard my cry in the bitterness of my soul;
and when I groaned, Thou didst consider my sorrowful complaint.
Thou hast preserved the soul of the poor one in the den of lions which sharpened their tongue like a sword.
Thou hast closed up their teeth, O God, lest they rend the soul of the poor and needy.
Thou hast made their tongue go back like a sword to its scabbar [lest] the soul of Thy servant [be blotted out].
Thou hast dealt wondrously with the poor one to manifest Thy might within me in the presence of the sons of men.
Thou hast placed him in the melting-pot, [like gold] in the fire, and like silver refined in the melting-pot of the smelters, to be purified seven times.
The wicked and fierce have stormed against me with their afflictions;
they have pounded my soul all day.
But Thou, O my God, hast changed the tempest to a breeze;
Thou hast delivered the soul of the poor one like [a bird from the net
and like] prey from the mouth of lions.
20
Hymn 14 (formerly 9)
I thank Thee (corrected: Blessed art Thou) O Lord, for Thou hast not abandoned the fatherless or despised the poor.
For Thy might [is boundless] and Thy glory beyond measure and wonderful Heroes minister to Thee;
yet [hast Thou done marvels] among the humble in the mire underfoot, and among those eager for righteousness, causing all the well-loved poor to rise up together from the trampling.
But I have been [iniquity to] those who contend with me, dispute and quarrelling to my friends, wrath to the members of my Covenant
and murmuring and protest to all my companions.
[All who have ea]ten my bread have lifted their heel against me,
and all those joined to my Council have mocked me with wicked lips.
The members of my [Covenant] have rebelled and have murmured round about me;
they have gone as talebearers before the children of mischief concerning the mystery which Thou hast hidden in me.
And to show Thy great[ness] through me, and because of their guilt, Thou hast hidden the fountain of understanding and the counsel of truth.
They consider but the mischief of their heart; [with] devilish [schemings] they unsheathe a perfidious tongue from which ever springs the poison of dragons.
And like (serpents) which creep in the dust, so do they let fly [their poisonous darts], viper’s [venom] against which there is no charm;
and this has brought incurable pain, a malignant scourge within the body of Thy servant, causing [his spirit] to faint and draining his strength so that he maintains no firm stand.
They have overtaken me in a narrow pass without escape and there is no [rest for me in my trial].
They sound my censure upon a harp and their murmuring and storming upon a zither.
Anguish [seizes me] like the pangs of a woman in travail, and my heart is troubled within me.
I am clothed in blackness and my tongue cleaves to the roof [of my mouth];
[for I fear the mischief of] their heart and their inclination (towards evil) appears as bitterness before me.
The light of my face is dimmed to darkness and my radiance is turned to decay.
For Thou, O God, didst widen my heart, but they straiten it with affliction and hedge me about with darkness.
I eat the bread of wailing and drink unceasing tears;
truly, my eyes are dimmed by grief, and my soul by daily bitterness.
[Groaning] and sorrow encompass me and ignominy covers my face.
My bread is turned into an adversary and my drink into an accuser;
it has entered into my bones causing my spirit to stagger and my strength to fail.
According to the mysteries of sin, they change the works of God by their transgression.
Truly, I am bound with untearable ropes and with unbreakable chains.
A thick wall [fences me in], iron bars and gates [of bronze]; my [prison] is counted with the Abyss as being without [any escape]
[The torrents of Belial] have encompassed my soul [leaving me without deliverance]
Hymn 14 (formerly 9)
I thank Thee (corrected: Blessed art Thou) O Lord, for Thou hast not abandoned the fatherless or despised the poor.
For Thy might [is boundless] and Thy glory beyond measure and wonderful Heroes minister to Thee;
yet [hast Thou done marvels] among the humble in the mire underfoot, and among those eager for righteousness, causing all the well-loved poor to rise up together from the trampling.
But I have been [iniquity to] those who contend with me, dispute and quarrelling to my friends, wrath to the members of my Covenant
and murmuring and protest to all my companions.
[All who have ea]ten my bread have lifted their heel against me,
and all those joined to my Council have mocked me with wicked lips.
The members of my [Covenant] have rebelled and have murmured round about me;
they have gone as talebearers before the children of mischief concerning the mystery which Thou hast hidden in me.
And to show Thy great[ness] through me, and because of their guilt, Thou hast hidden the fountain of understanding and the counsel of truth.
They consider but the mischief of their heart; [with] devilish [schemings] they unsheathe a perfidious tongue from which ever springs the poison of dragons.
And like (serpents) which creep in the dust, so do they let fly [their poisonous darts], viper’s [venom] against which there is no charm;
and this has brought incurable pain, a malignant scourge within the body of Thy servant, causing [his spirit] to faint and draining his strength so that he maintains no firm stand.
They have overtaken me in a narrow pass without escape and there is no [rest for me in my trial].
They sound my censure upon a harp and their murmuring and storming upon a zither.
Anguish [seizes me] like the pangs of a woman in travail, and my heart is troubled within me.
I am clothed in blackness and my tongue cleaves to the roof [of my mouth];
[for I fear the mischief of] their heart and their inclination (towards evil) appears as bitterness before me.
The light of my face is dimmed to darkness and my radiance is turned to decay.
For Thou, O God, didst widen my heart, but they straiten it with affliction and hedge me about with darkness.
I eat the bread of wailing and drink unceasing tears;
truly, my eyes are dimmed by grief, and my soul by daily bitterness.
[Groaning] and sorrow encompass me and ignominy covers my face.
My bread is turned into an adversary and my drink into an accuser;
it has entered into my bones causing my spirit to stagger and my strength to fail.
According to the mysteries of sin, they change the works of God by their transgression.
Truly, I am bound with untearable ropes and with unbreakable chains.
A thick wall [fences me in], iron bars and gates [of bronze]; my [prison] is counted with the Abyss as being without [any escape]
[The torrents of Belial] have encompassed my soul [leaving me without deliverance]
21
Hymn 14 (formerly 10)
XIV (formerly VI)
Thou hast unstopped my ears [to the correction] of those who reprove with justice
[Thou hast saved me] from the congregation of [vanity] and from the assembly of violence;
Thou hast brought me into the Council of...
[and hast purified me of]sin.
And I know there is hope for those who turn from transgression and for those who abandon sin and to walk without wickedness in the way of Thy heart.
I am consoled for the roaring of the peoples, and for the tumult of
k[ing]doms when they assemble;
[for] in a little while, I know, Thou wilt raise up survivors among Thy people and a remnant within Thine inheritance.
Thou wilt purify and cleanse them of their sin for all their deeds are in Thy truth.
Thou wilt judge them in Thy great loving-kindness and in the multitude of Thy mercies and in the abundance of Thy pardon, teaching them according to Thy word;
and Thou wilt establish them in Thy Council according to the uprightness of Thy truth.
Thou wilt do these things for Thy glory and for Thine own sake,
to [magnify] the Law and [the truth and to enlighten] the members of Thy Council in the midst of the sons of men, that they may recount Thy marvels for everlasting generations and [meditate] unceasingly upon Thy mighty deeds.
All the nations shall acknowledge Thy truth, and all the people Thy glory.
For Thou wilt bring Thy glorious [salvation] to all the men of Thy Council, to those who share a common lot with the Angels of the Face.
And among them shall be no mediator to [invoke Thee], and no messenger [to make] reply;
for ...
They shall reply according to Thy glorious word and shall be Thy princes in the company [of the Angels].
They shall send out a bud [for ever] like a flower [of the fields], and shall cause a shoot to grow into the boughs of an everlasting Plant.
It shall cover the whole [earth] with its shadow [and its crown] (shall reach) to the [clouds]; its roots (shall go down) to the Abyss [and all the rivers of Eden shall water its branches].
A source of light shall become an eternal ever-flowing fountain, and in its bright flames all the [sons of iniquity] shall be consumed;
[it shall be] a fire to devour all sinful men in utter destruction.
They who bore the yoke of my testimony have been led astray [by teachers of lies], [and have rebelled] against the service of righteousness.
Whereas Thou, O my God, didst command them to mend their ways by walking] in the way of [holiness], where no man goes who is uncircumcised or unclean or violent, they have staggered aside from the way of Thy heart and languish in [great] wretchedness.
A counsel of Belial is in their heart [and in accordance with] their wicked design they wallow in sin.
[I am] as a sailor in a ship amid furious seas; their waves and all their billows roar against me.
[There is no] calm in the whirlwind that I may restore my soul, no path that I may straighten my way on the face of the waters.
The deeps resound to my groaning and [my soul has journeyed] to the gates of death.
But I shall be as one who enters a fortified city, as one who seeks refuge behind a high wall until deliverance (comes);
I will [lean on] Thy truth, O my God. For Thou wilt set the foundation on rock and the framework by the measuring-cord of justice; and the tried stones [Thou wilt lay] by the plumb-line [of truth], to [build] a mighty [wall] which shall not sway; and no man entering there shall stagger.
For no enemy shall ever invade [it since its doors shall be] doors of protection through which no man shall pass; and its bars shall be firm and no man shall break them.
No rabble shall enter in with their weapons of war until all the [arrows] of the war of wickedness have come to an end.
And then at the time of Judgement the Sword of God shall hasten,
and all the sons of His truth shall awake to [overthrow] wickedness; all the sons of iniquity shall be no more.
The Hero shall bend his bow; the fortress shall open on to endless space and the everlasting gates shall send out weapons of war.
They shall be mighty from end to end [of the earth and there shall be no escape] for the guilty of heart [in their battle]; they shall be utterly trampled down without any [remnant.
There shall be no] hope in the greatness [of their might], no refuge for the mighty warriors;
for [the battle shall be] to the Most High God Hoist a banner,
O you who lie in the dust!
O bodies gnawed by worms, raise up an ensign for [the destruction of wickedness]!
[The sinful shall] be destroyed in the battles against the ungodly.
The scourging flood when it advances shall not invade the stronghold
XV (formerly VII)
As for me, I am dumb ...
[my arm] is torn from its shoulder and my foot has sunk into the mire.
My eyes are closed by the spectacle of evil, and my ears by the crying of blood.
My heart is dismayed by the mischievous design, for Belial is manifest in their (evil) inclination.
All the foundations of my edifice totter and my bones are pulled out of joint;
my bowels heave like a ship in a violent tempest
and my heart is utterly distressed.
A whirlwind engulfs me because of the mischief of their sin.
Hymn 14 (formerly 10)
XIV (formerly VI)
Thou hast unstopped my ears [to the correction] of those who reprove with justice
[Thou hast saved me] from the congregation of [vanity] and from the assembly of violence;
Thou hast brought me into the Council of...
[and hast purified me of]sin.
And I know there is hope for those who turn from transgression and for those who abandon sin and to walk without wickedness in the way of Thy heart.
I am consoled for the roaring of the peoples, and for the tumult of
k[ing]doms when they assemble;
[for] in a little while, I know, Thou wilt raise up survivors among Thy people and a remnant within Thine inheritance.
Thou wilt purify and cleanse them of their sin for all their deeds are in Thy truth.
Thou wilt judge them in Thy great loving-kindness and in the multitude of Thy mercies and in the abundance of Thy pardon, teaching them according to Thy word;
and Thou wilt establish them in Thy Council according to the uprightness of Thy truth.
Thou wilt do these things for Thy glory and for Thine own sake,
to [magnify] the Law and [the truth and to enlighten] the members of Thy Council in the midst of the sons of men, that they may recount Thy marvels for everlasting generations and [meditate] unceasingly upon Thy mighty deeds.
All the nations shall acknowledge Thy truth, and all the people Thy glory.
For Thou wilt bring Thy glorious [salvation] to all the men of Thy Council, to those who share a common lot with the Angels of the Face.
And among them shall be no mediator to [invoke Thee], and no messenger [to make] reply;
for ...
They shall reply according to Thy glorious word and shall be Thy princes in the company [of the Angels].
They shall send out a bud [for ever] like a flower [of the fields], and shall cause a shoot to grow into the boughs of an everlasting Plant.
It shall cover the whole [earth] with its shadow [and its crown] (shall reach) to the [clouds]; its roots (shall go down) to the Abyss [and all the rivers of Eden shall water its branches].
A source of light shall become an eternal ever-flowing fountain, and in its bright flames all the [sons of iniquity] shall be consumed;
[it shall be] a fire to devour all sinful men in utter destruction.
They who bore the yoke of my testimony have been led astray [by teachers of lies], [and have rebelled] against the service of righteousness.
Whereas Thou, O my God, didst command them to mend their ways by walking] in the way of [holiness], where no man goes who is uncircumcised or unclean or violent, they have staggered aside from the way of Thy heart and languish in [great] wretchedness.
A counsel of Belial is in their heart [and in accordance with] their wicked design they wallow in sin.
[I am] as a sailor in a ship amid furious seas; their waves and all their billows roar against me.
[There is no] calm in the whirlwind that I may restore my soul, no path that I may straighten my way on the face of the waters.
The deeps resound to my groaning and [my soul has journeyed] to the gates of death.
But I shall be as one who enters a fortified city, as one who seeks refuge behind a high wall until deliverance (comes);
I will [lean on] Thy truth, O my God. For Thou wilt set the foundation on rock and the framework by the measuring-cord of justice; and the tried stones [Thou wilt lay] by the plumb-line [of truth], to [build] a mighty [wall] which shall not sway; and no man entering there shall stagger.
For no enemy shall ever invade [it since its doors shall be] doors of protection through which no man shall pass; and its bars shall be firm and no man shall break them.
No rabble shall enter in with their weapons of war until all the [arrows] of the war of wickedness have come to an end.
And then at the time of Judgement the Sword of God shall hasten,
and all the sons of His truth shall awake to [overthrow] wickedness; all the sons of iniquity shall be no more.
The Hero shall bend his bow; the fortress shall open on to endless space and the everlasting gates shall send out weapons of war.
They shall be mighty from end to end [of the earth and there shall be no escape] for the guilty of heart [in their battle]; they shall be utterly trampled down without any [remnant.
There shall be no] hope in the greatness [of their might], no refuge for the mighty warriors;
for [the battle shall be] to the Most High God Hoist a banner,
O you who lie in the dust!
O bodies gnawed by worms, raise up an ensign for [the destruction of wickedness]!
[The sinful shall] be destroyed in the battles against the ungodly.
The scourging flood when it advances shall not invade the stronghold
XV (formerly VII)
As for me, I am dumb ...
[my arm] is torn from its shoulder and my foot has sunk into the mire.
My eyes are closed by the spectacle of evil, and my ears by the crying of blood.
My heart is dismayed by the mischievous design, for Belial is manifest in their (evil) inclination.
All the foundations of my edifice totter and my bones are pulled out of joint;
my bowels heave like a ship in a violent tempest
and my heart is utterly distressed.
A whirlwind engulfs me because of the mischief of their sin.
22
Hymn 15 (formerly 11)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me by Thy strength.
Thou hast shed Thy Holy Spirit upon me that I may not stumble.
Thou hast strengthened me before the battles of wickedness, and during all their disasters Thou hast not permitted that fear should cause me to desert Thy Covenant.
Thou hast made me like a strong tower, a high wall, and hast established my edifice upon rock;
eternal foundations serve for my ground, and all my ramparts are a tried wall which shall not sway.
Thou hast placed me, O my God, among the branches of the Council of Holiness;
Thou hast [established my mouth] in Thy Covenant, and my tongue is like that of Thy disciples; whereas the spirit of disaster is without a mouth and all the sons of iniquity without a reply; for the lying lips shall be dumb.
For Thou wilt condemn in Judgement all those who assail me,
distinguishing through me between the just and the wicked.
For Thou knowest the whole intent of a creature, Thou discernest every reply, and Thou hast established my heart [on] Thy teaching and truth, directing my steps into the paths of righteousness that I may walk before Thee in the land [of the living], into paths of glory and [infinite] peace which shall [never] end.
For Thou knowest the inclination of Thy servant, that I have not relied [upon the works of my hands] to raise up [my heart],
nor have I sought refuge in my own strength.
I have no fleshly refuge, [and Thy servant has] no righteous deeds to deliver him from the [Pit of no] forgiveness.
But I lean on the [abundance of Thy mercies] and hope [for the greatness] of Thy grace, that Thou wilt bring [salvation] to flower and the branch to growth, providing refuge in (Thy) strength [and raising up my heart].
[For in] Thy righteousness Thou hast appointed me for Thy Covenant, and I have clung to Thy truth and [gone forward in Thy ways].
Thou hast made me a father to the sons of grace, and as a foster- father to men of marvel;
they have opened their mouths like little babes ...
like a child playing in the lap of its nurse.
Thou hast lifted my horn above those who insult me, and those who attack me [sway like the boughs] (of a tree);
my enemies are like chaff before the wind, and my dominion is over the sons [of iniquity, For] Thou hast succoured my soul, O my God, and hast lifted my horn on high.
And I shall shine in a seven-fold light in [the Council appointed by] Thee for Thy glory;
for Thou art an everlasting heavenly light to me and wilt establish my feet [upon level ground for ever].
Hymn 15 (formerly 11)
I thank Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me by Thy strength.
Thou hast shed Thy Holy Spirit upon me that I may not stumble.
Thou hast strengthened me before the battles of wickedness, and during all their disasters Thou hast not permitted that fear should cause me to desert Thy Covenant.
Thou hast made me like a strong tower, a high wall, and hast established my edifice upon rock;
eternal foundations serve for my ground, and all my ramparts are a tried wall which shall not sway.
Thou hast placed me, O my God, among the branches of the Council of Holiness;
Thou hast [established my mouth] in Thy Covenant, and my tongue is like that of Thy disciples; whereas the spirit of disaster is without a mouth and all the sons of iniquity without a reply; for the lying lips shall be dumb.
For Thou wilt condemn in Judgement all those who assail me,
distinguishing through me between the just and the wicked.
For Thou knowest the whole intent of a creature, Thou discernest every reply, and Thou hast established my heart [on] Thy teaching and truth, directing my steps into the paths of righteousness that I may walk before Thee in the land [of the living], into paths of glory and [infinite] peace which shall [never] end.
For Thou knowest the inclination of Thy servant, that I have not relied [upon the works of my hands] to raise up [my heart],
nor have I sought refuge in my own strength.
I have no fleshly refuge, [and Thy servant has] no righteous deeds to deliver him from the [Pit of no] forgiveness.
But I lean on the [abundance of Thy mercies] and hope [for the greatness] of Thy grace, that Thou wilt bring [salvation] to flower and the branch to growth, providing refuge in (Thy) strength [and raising up my heart].
[For in] Thy righteousness Thou hast appointed me for Thy Covenant, and I have clung to Thy truth and [gone forward in Thy ways].
Thou hast made me a father to the sons of grace, and as a foster- father to men of marvel;
they have opened their mouths like little babes ...
like a child playing in the lap of its nurse.
Thou hast lifted my horn above those who insult me, and those who attack me [sway like the boughs] (of a tree);
my enemies are like chaff before the wind, and my dominion is over the sons [of iniquity, For] Thou hast succoured my soul, O my God, and hast lifted my horn on high.
And I shall shine in a seven-fold light in [the Council appointed by] Thee for Thy glory;
for Thou art an everlasting heavenly light to me and wilt establish my feet [upon level ground for ever].
23
Hymn 16 (formerly 12)
I [thank Thee, O Lord], for Thou hast enlightened me through Thy truth.
In Thy marvellous mysteries, and in Thy loving-kindness to a man [of vanity, and] in the greatness of Thy mercy to a perverse heart Thou hast granted me knowledge.
Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord, and who is according to Thy truth?
Who, when he is judged, shall be righteous before Thee?
For no spirit can reply to Thy rebuke, nor can any withstand Thy wrath.
Yet Thou bringest all the sons of Thy truth in forgiveness before Thee, [to cleanse] them of their faults through Thy great goodness, and to establish them before Thee through the multitude of Thy mercies for ever and ever.
For Thou art an eternal God; all Thy ways are determined for ever [and ever] and there is none other beside Thee.
And what is a man of Naught and Vanity that he should understand Thy marvellous mighty deeds?
Hymn 16 (formerly 12)
I [thank Thee, O Lord], for Thou hast enlightened me through Thy truth.
In Thy marvellous mysteries, and in Thy loving-kindness to a man [of vanity, and] in the greatness of Thy mercy to a perverse heart Thou hast granted me knowledge.
Who is like Thee among the gods, O Lord, and who is according to Thy truth?
Who, when he is judged, shall be righteous before Thee?
For no spirit can reply to Thy rebuke, nor can any withstand Thy wrath.
Yet Thou bringest all the sons of Thy truth in forgiveness before Thee, [to cleanse] them of their faults through Thy great goodness, and to establish them before Thee through the multitude of Thy mercies for ever and ever.
For Thou art an eternal God; all Thy ways are determined for ever [and ever] and there is none other beside Thee.
And what is a man of Naught and Vanity that he should understand Thy marvellous mighty deeds?
24
Hymn 17 (formerly 13)
[I thank] Thee, O God, for Thou hast not cast my lot in the congregation of Vanity, nor hast Thou placed {my decree} in the council of the cunning.
[Thou hast] called me to Thy grace and to [Thy] forgiveness Thou hast brought me, and, by the multitude of Thy mercies, to all judgements of [righteousness.
As for me, I am an] uncl[ean ma]n, and from the womb of her who conceived me I am an unclean man, and from the womb of her who has conceived me I am in sinful guilt, [and from the breast of my mother] in injustice, and in the bosom [of my nurse] in great impurity.
And from my youth (I am) in blo[od, and until [my old age in the iniquity of the flesh.
But Thou,] O my God, Thou hast established my feet in the way of Thy heart, and hast opened] my ears to [Thy wonderful] tidings, and my heart to understand Thy truth
XVI (formerly VIII)
for I have closed my ears to Thy teaching until...
... [without] knowledge hast Thou cut out of me, and glor[y] ...
[no] more for me a stumbling-block of iniquity.
For Thou dost rev[eal Thy salvation], and Thy righteousness is made firm for ever.
For m[an] is not the master of his way, f[or] Thou hast done [all this for Thy glory.]
Hymn 17 (formerly 13)
[I thank] Thee, O God, for Thou hast not cast my lot in the congregation of Vanity, nor hast Thou placed {my decree} in the council of the cunning.
[Thou hast] called me to Thy grace and to [Thy] forgiveness Thou hast brought me, and, by the multitude of Thy mercies, to all judgements of [righteousness.
As for me, I am an] uncl[ean ma]n, and from the womb of her who conceived me I am an unclean man, and from the womb of her who has conceived me I am in sinful guilt, [and from the breast of my mother] in injustice, and in the bosom [of my nurse] in great impurity.
And from my youth (I am) in blo[od, and until [my old age in the iniquity of the flesh.
But Thou,] O my God, Thou hast established my feet in the way of Thy heart, and hast opened] my ears to [Thy wonderful] tidings, and my heart to understand Thy truth
XVI (formerly VIII)
for I have closed my ears to Thy teaching until...
... [without] knowledge hast Thou cut out of me, and glor[y] ...
[no] more for me a stumbling-block of iniquity.
For Thou dost rev[eal Thy salvation], and Thy righteousness is made firm for ever.
For m[an] is not the master of his way, f[or] Thou hast done [all this for Thy glory.]
25
Hymn 18 (formerly 14)
I [thank Thee, O Lord, for] Thou hast placed me beside a fountain of streams in an arid land, and close to a spring of waters in a dry land,
and beside a watered garden [in a wilderness].
[For Thou didst set] a plantation of cypress, pine, and cedar for Thy glory, trees of life beside a mysterious fountain hidden among the trees by the water, and they put out a shoot of the everlasting Plant.
But before they did so, they took root and sent out their roots to the watercourse that its stem might be open to the living waters and be one with the everlasting spring.
And all [the beasts] of the forest fed on its leafy boughs; its stem was trodden by all who passed on the way and its branches by all the birds.
And all the [trees] by the water rose above it, for they grew in their plantation; but they sent out no root to the watercourse.
And the bud of the shoot of holiness of the Plant of truth was hidden and was not esteemed; and being unperceived, its mystery was sealed.
Thou didst hedge in its fruit, [O God], with the mystery of mighty Heroes and of spirits of holiness and of the whirling flame of fire.
No [man shall approach] the well-spring of life or drink the waters of holiness with the everlasting trees, or bear fruit with [the Plant] of heaven, who seeing has not discerned, and considering has not believed in the fountain of life, who has turned [his hand against] the everlasting [bud].
And I was despised by tumultuous rivers for they cast up their slime upon me.
But Thou, O my God, hast put into my mouth as it were rain for all [those who thirst] and a fount of living waters which shall not fail.
When they are opened they shall not run dry; they shall be a torrent [overflowing its banks] and like the [bottom]less seas.
They shall suddenly gush forth which were hidden in secret, [and shall be like the waters of the Flood to every tree], both the green and the barren; to every beast and bird [they shall be an abyss.
The trees shall sink like] lead in the mighty waters, fire [shall burn among them] and they shall be dried up;
but the fruitful Plant [by the] everlasting [spring shall be] an Eden of glory [bearing] fruits [of life].
By my hand Thou hast opened for them a well-spring and ditches, [that all their channels] may be laid out according to a certain measuring-cord, and the planting of their trees, according to the plumb-line of the sun, that [their boughs may becomea beautiful] Branch of glory.
When I lift my hand to dig its ditches its roots shall run deep into hardest rock and its stem ... in the earth;
in the season of heat it shall keep its strength.
But if I take away my hand it shall be like a thistle [in the wilderness]; its stem shall be like nettles in a salty land, and thistles and thorns shall grow from its ditches, and brambles and briars.
Its border [trees] shall be like the wild grapevine whose foliage withers before the heat, and its stem shall not be open to [the spring].
[Behold, I am] carried away with the sick; [I am acquainted] with scourges.
I am forsaken in [my sorrow] ... and without any strength.
For my sore breaks out in bitter pains and in incurable sickness impossible to stay;
[my heart laments] within me as in those who go down to Hell.
My spirit is imprisoned with the dead for [my life] has reached the Pit; my soul languishes [within me] day and night without rest.
My wound breaks out like burning fire shut up in [my bones], whose flames devour me for days on end, diminishing my strength for times on end and destroying my flesh for seasons on end.
The pains fly out [towards me] and my soul within me languishes even to death.
My strength has gone from my body and my heart runs out like water; my flesh is dissolved like wax and the strength of my loins is turned to fear.
My arm is torn from its socket [and I can] lift my hand [no more];
My [foot] is held by fetters and my knees slide like water; I can no longer walk.
I cannot step forward lightly, [for my legs and arms] are bound by shackles which cause me to stumble.
The tongue has gone back which Thou didst make marvellously mighty within my mouth; it can no longer give voice.
[I have no word] for my disciples to revive the spirit of those who stumble and to speak words of support to the weary.
My circumcised lips are dumb.
XVII (formerly IX)
[For] the throes of death [encompass me] and Hell is upon my bed; my couch utters a lamentation [and my pallet] the sound of a complaint.
My eyes are like fire in the furnace and my tears like rivers of water; my eyes grow dim with waiting, [for my salvation] is far from me and my life is apart from me.
But behold, from desolation to ruin, and from the pain to the sore, and from the travail to the throes, my soul meditates on Thy marvellous works.
In Thy mercies Thou hast not cast me aside; season by season, my soul shall delight in the abundance of mercy.
I will reply to him who slanders me and I will rebuke my oppressor;
I will declare his sentence unjust and declare Thy judgement righteous.
For I know by Thy truth, and I choose Thy judgement upon me:
I delight in my scourges for I hope for Thy loving-kindness.
Thou hast put a supplication in the mouth of Thy servant and Thou hast not threatened my life nor rejected my peace.
Thou hast not failed my expectation, but hast upheld my spirit in face of the scourge.
For it is Thou who hast founded my spirit and Thou knowest my intent; in my distress Thou hast comforted me.
I delight in forgiveness, and am consoled for the former transgression; for I know there is hope in Thy grace and expectation in Thy great power.
For no man can be just in Thy judgement or [righteous in] Thy trial.
Though one man be more just than another, one person [more] wise [than another],
one mortal more glorious than another creature [of clay], yet is there no power to compare with Thy might.
There is no [bound] to Thy glory, and to Thy wisdom, no measure; [to Thy truth] there is no ...
and all who forsake it ...
and my oppressor shall [not] prevail against me.
I will be a stumbling-block to [those who swallow me up, and a snare to] all those who battle against me;
[I will be for my enemies a] cause of shame, and a cause of disgrace, to those who murmur against me.
For Thou, O my God ...
Thou wilt plead my cause; for it is according to the mystery of Thy wisdom that Thou hast rebuked me.
Thou wilt conceal the truth until [its] time, [and righteousness] until its appointed moment.
Thy rebuke shall become my joy and gladness, and my scourges shall turn to [eternal] healing and everlasting [peace].
The scorn of my enemies shall become a crown of glory, and my stumbling (shall change) to everlasting might.
For in Thy ...
and my light shall shine forth in Thy glory.
For as a light from out of the darkness, so wilt Thou enlighten me.
[Thou wilt bring healing to] my wound, and marvellous might in place of my stumbling, and everlasting space to my straitened soul.
For Thou art my refuge, my high mountain, my stout rock and my fortress; in Thee will I shelter from all the [designs of ungodliness, for Thou wilt succour me] with eternal deliverance.
For Thou hast known me from (the time of) my father, [and hast chosen me] from the womb.
[From the belly of] my mother Thou hast dealt kindly with me, and from the breast of her who conceived me have Thy mercies been with me.
[Thy grace was with me] in the lap of her who reared me, and from my youth Thou hast illumined me with the wisdom of Thy judgement.
Thou hast upheld me with certain truth;
Thou hast delighted me with Thy Holy Spirit and [hast opened my heart] till this day.
Thy just rebuke accompanies my [faults] and Thy safeguarding peace delivers my soul.
The abundance of (Thy) forgiveness is with my steps and infinite mercy accompanies Thy judgement of me.
Until I am old Thou wilt care for me; for my father knew me not and my mother abandoned me to Thee.
For Thou art a father to all [the sons] of Thy truth, and as a woman who tenderly loves her babe, so dost Thou rejoice in them;
and as a foster-father bearing a child in his lap, so carest Thou for all Thy creatures.
Hymn 18 (formerly 14)
I [thank Thee, O Lord, for] Thou hast placed me beside a fountain of streams in an arid land, and close to a spring of waters in a dry land,
and beside a watered garden [in a wilderness].
[For Thou didst set] a plantation of cypress, pine, and cedar for Thy glory, trees of life beside a mysterious fountain hidden among the trees by the water, and they put out a shoot of the everlasting Plant.
But before they did so, they took root and sent out their roots to the watercourse that its stem might be open to the living waters and be one with the everlasting spring.
And all [the beasts] of the forest fed on its leafy boughs; its stem was trodden by all who passed on the way and its branches by all the birds.
And all the [trees] by the water rose above it, for they grew in their plantation; but they sent out no root to the watercourse.
And the bud of the shoot of holiness of the Plant of truth was hidden and was not esteemed; and being unperceived, its mystery was sealed.
Thou didst hedge in its fruit, [O God], with the mystery of mighty Heroes and of spirits of holiness and of the whirling flame of fire.
No [man shall approach] the well-spring of life or drink the waters of holiness with the everlasting trees, or bear fruit with [the Plant] of heaven, who seeing has not discerned, and considering has not believed in the fountain of life, who has turned [his hand against] the everlasting [bud].
And I was despised by tumultuous rivers for they cast up their slime upon me.
But Thou, O my God, hast put into my mouth as it were rain for all [those who thirst] and a fount of living waters which shall not fail.
When they are opened they shall not run dry; they shall be a torrent [overflowing its banks] and like the [bottom]less seas.
They shall suddenly gush forth which were hidden in secret, [and shall be like the waters of the Flood to every tree], both the green and the barren; to every beast and bird [they shall be an abyss.
The trees shall sink like] lead in the mighty waters, fire [shall burn among them] and they shall be dried up;
but the fruitful Plant [by the] everlasting [spring shall be] an Eden of glory [bearing] fruits [of life].
By my hand Thou hast opened for them a well-spring and ditches, [that all their channels] may be laid out according to a certain measuring-cord, and the planting of their trees, according to the plumb-line of the sun, that [their boughs may becomea beautiful] Branch of glory.
When I lift my hand to dig its ditches its roots shall run deep into hardest rock and its stem ... in the earth;
in the season of heat it shall keep its strength.
But if I take away my hand it shall be like a thistle [in the wilderness]; its stem shall be like nettles in a salty land, and thistles and thorns shall grow from its ditches, and brambles and briars.
Its border [trees] shall be like the wild grapevine whose foliage withers before the heat, and its stem shall not be open to [the spring].
[Behold, I am] carried away with the sick; [I am acquainted] with scourges.
I am forsaken in [my sorrow] ... and without any strength.
For my sore breaks out in bitter pains and in incurable sickness impossible to stay;
[my heart laments] within me as in those who go down to Hell.
My spirit is imprisoned with the dead for [my life] has reached the Pit; my soul languishes [within me] day and night without rest.
My wound breaks out like burning fire shut up in [my bones], whose flames devour me for days on end, diminishing my strength for times on end and destroying my flesh for seasons on end.
The pains fly out [towards me] and my soul within me languishes even to death.
My strength has gone from my body and my heart runs out like water; my flesh is dissolved like wax and the strength of my loins is turned to fear.
My arm is torn from its socket [and I can] lift my hand [no more];
My [foot] is held by fetters and my knees slide like water; I can no longer walk.
I cannot step forward lightly, [for my legs and arms] are bound by shackles which cause me to stumble.
The tongue has gone back which Thou didst make marvellously mighty within my mouth; it can no longer give voice.
[I have no word] for my disciples to revive the spirit of those who stumble and to speak words of support to the weary.
My circumcised lips are dumb.
XVII (formerly IX)
[For] the throes of death [encompass me] and Hell is upon my bed; my couch utters a lamentation [and my pallet] the sound of a complaint.
My eyes are like fire in the furnace and my tears like rivers of water; my eyes grow dim with waiting, [for my salvation] is far from me and my life is apart from me.
But behold, from desolation to ruin, and from the pain to the sore, and from the travail to the throes, my soul meditates on Thy marvellous works.
In Thy mercies Thou hast not cast me aside; season by season, my soul shall delight in the abundance of mercy.
I will reply to him who slanders me and I will rebuke my oppressor;
I will declare his sentence unjust and declare Thy judgement righteous.
For I know by Thy truth, and I choose Thy judgement upon me:
I delight in my scourges for I hope for Thy loving-kindness.
Thou hast put a supplication in the mouth of Thy servant and Thou hast not threatened my life nor rejected my peace.
Thou hast not failed my expectation, but hast upheld my spirit in face of the scourge.
For it is Thou who hast founded my spirit and Thou knowest my intent; in my distress Thou hast comforted me.
I delight in forgiveness, and am consoled for the former transgression; for I know there is hope in Thy grace and expectation in Thy great power.
For no man can be just in Thy judgement or [righteous in] Thy trial.
Though one man be more just than another, one person [more] wise [than another],
one mortal more glorious than another creature [of clay], yet is there no power to compare with Thy might.
There is no [bound] to Thy glory, and to Thy wisdom, no measure; [to Thy truth] there is no ...
and all who forsake it ...
and my oppressor shall [not] prevail against me.
I will be a stumbling-block to [those who swallow me up, and a snare to] all those who battle against me;
[I will be for my enemies a] cause of shame, and a cause of disgrace, to those who murmur against me.
For Thou, O my God ...
Thou wilt plead my cause; for it is according to the mystery of Thy wisdom that Thou hast rebuked me.
Thou wilt conceal the truth until [its] time, [and righteousness] until its appointed moment.
Thy rebuke shall become my joy and gladness, and my scourges shall turn to [eternal] healing and everlasting [peace].
The scorn of my enemies shall become a crown of glory, and my stumbling (shall change) to everlasting might.
For in Thy ...
and my light shall shine forth in Thy glory.
For as a light from out of the darkness, so wilt Thou enlighten me.
[Thou wilt bring healing to] my wound, and marvellous might in place of my stumbling, and everlasting space to my straitened soul.
For Thou art my refuge, my high mountain, my stout rock and my fortress; in Thee will I shelter from all the [designs of ungodliness, for Thou wilt succour me] with eternal deliverance.
For Thou hast known me from (the time of) my father, [and hast chosen me] from the womb.
[From the belly of] my mother Thou hast dealt kindly with me, and from the breast of her who conceived me have Thy mercies been with me.
[Thy grace was with me] in the lap of her who reared me, and from my youth Thou hast illumined me with the wisdom of Thy judgement.
Thou hast upheld me with certain truth;
Thou hast delighted me with Thy Holy Spirit and [hast opened my heart] till this day.
Thy just rebuke accompanies my [faults] and Thy safeguarding peace delivers my soul.
The abundance of (Thy) forgiveness is with my steps and infinite mercy accompanies Thy judgement of me.
Until I am old Thou wilt care for me; for my father knew me not and my mother abandoned me to Thee.
For Thou art a father to all [the sons] of Thy truth, and as a woman who tenderly loves her babe, so dost Thou rejoice in them;
and as a foster-father bearing a child in his lap, so carest Thou for all Thy creatures.
26
Hymn 19 (formerly 15)
[I thank Thee, O Lord]
XVIII (formerly X)
... and nothing exists except by Thy will;
none can consider [Thy deep secrets] or contemplate Thy [mysteries].
What then is man that is earth, that is shaped [from clay] and returns to the dust,
that Thou shouldst give him to understand such marvels and make known to him the counsel of [Thy truth]?
Clay and dust that I am, what can I devise unless Thou wish it, and what contrive unless Thou desire it?
What strength shall I have, unless Thou keep me upright, and how shall I understand unless by (the spirit) which Thou hast shaped for me?
What can I say unless Thou open my mouth and how can I answer unless Thou enlighten me?
Behold, Thou art Prince of gods and King of majesties, Lord of all spirits, and Ruler of all creatures;
nothing is done without Thee, and nothing is known without Thy will.
Beside Thee there is nothing, and nothing can compare with Thee in strength;
in the presence of Thy glory there is nothing, and Thy might is without price.
Who among Thy great and marvellous creatures can stand in the presence of Thy glory?
How then can he who returns to his dust?
For Thy glory’s sake alone hast Thou made all these things.
Hymn 19 (formerly 15)
[I thank Thee, O Lord]
XVIII (formerly X)
... and nothing exists except by Thy will;
none can consider [Thy deep secrets] or contemplate Thy [mysteries].
What then is man that is earth, that is shaped [from clay] and returns to the dust,
that Thou shouldst give him to understand such marvels and make known to him the counsel of [Thy truth]?
Clay and dust that I am, what can I devise unless Thou wish it, and what contrive unless Thou desire it?
What strength shall I have, unless Thou keep me upright, and how shall I understand unless by (the spirit) which Thou hast shaped for me?
What can I say unless Thou open my mouth and how can I answer unless Thou enlighten me?
Behold, Thou art Prince of gods and King of majesties, Lord of all spirits, and Ruler of all creatures;
nothing is done without Thee, and nothing is known without Thy will.
Beside Thee there is nothing, and nothing can compare with Thee in strength;
in the presence of Thy glory there is nothing, and Thy might is without price.
Who among Thy great and marvellous creatures can stand in the presence of Thy glory?
How then can he who returns to his dust?
For Thy glory’s sake alone hast Thou made all these things.
27
Hymn 20 (formerly 16)
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of mercy [and abundant] grace, for Thou hast made known [Thy wisdom to me that I should recount] Thy marvellous deeds, keeping silence neither by day nor [by night]! [For I have trusted] in Thy grace.
In Thy great goodness, and in [the multitude of Thy mercies] For I have leaned on Thy truth [And unless] Thou rebuke, there is no stumbling;
unless Thou foreknow it, [there is no] scourge; [nothing is done without] Thy [will].
[I will cling to Thy ways] according to my knowledge [of Thy] truth; contemplating Thy glory;
I will recount Thy wonderful works, and understanding [Thy goodness I will lean on the] multitude of Thy mercies and hope for Thy forgiveness.
For Thou Thyself hast shaped [my spirit] and established me [according to Thy will];
and Thou hast not placed my support in gain, [nor does] my [heart delight in riches];
Thou hast given me no fleshly refuge.
The might of warriors [rests] on abundant delights, [and on plenty of corn] and wine and oil;
they pride themselves in possessions and wealth. [But the righteous is like a] green [tree] beside streams of water, bringing forth leaves and multiplying its branches;
for [Thou hast chosen them from among the children of] men that they may all grow fat from the land.
Thou wilt give to the children of Thy truth [unending joy and] everlasting [gladness], and according to the measure of their knowledge, so shall they be honoured one more than another.
And likewise for the son of man ...
Thou wilt increase his portion in the knowledge of Thy truth, and according to the measure of his knowledge, so shall he be honoured ...
[For the soul] of Thy servant has loathed [riches] and gain, and he has not [desired] exquisite delights.
My heart rejoices in Thy Covenant and Thy truth delights my soul.
I shall flower [like the lily] and my heart shall be open to the everlasting fountain;
my support shall be in the might from on high.
But...
and withers like a flower before [the heat].
My heart is stricken with terror, and my loins with trembling; my groaning goes down to the Abyss, and is shut up in the chambers of Hell.
I am greatly afraid when I hear of Thy judgement of the mighty Heroes, and of Thy trial of the host of Thy Holy Ones
XIX (formerly XI)
Hymn 20 (formerly 16)
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, God of mercy [and abundant] grace, for Thou hast made known [Thy wisdom to me that I should recount] Thy marvellous deeds, keeping silence neither by day nor [by night]! [For I have trusted] in Thy grace.
In Thy great goodness, and in [the multitude of Thy mercies] For I have leaned on Thy truth [And unless] Thou rebuke, there is no stumbling;
unless Thou foreknow it, [there is no] scourge; [nothing is done without] Thy [will].
[I will cling to Thy ways] according to my knowledge [of Thy] truth; contemplating Thy glory;
I will recount Thy wonderful works, and understanding [Thy goodness I will lean on the] multitude of Thy mercies and hope for Thy forgiveness.
For Thou Thyself hast shaped [my spirit] and established me [according to Thy will];
and Thou hast not placed my support in gain, [nor does] my [heart delight in riches];
Thou hast given me no fleshly refuge.
The might of warriors [rests] on abundant delights, [and on plenty of corn] and wine and oil;
they pride themselves in possessions and wealth. [But the righteous is like a] green [tree] beside streams of water, bringing forth leaves and multiplying its branches;
for [Thou hast chosen them from among the children of] men that they may all grow fat from the land.
Thou wilt give to the children of Thy truth [unending joy and] everlasting [gladness], and according to the measure of their knowledge, so shall they be honoured one more than another.
And likewise for the son of man ...
Thou wilt increase his portion in the knowledge of Thy truth, and according to the measure of his knowledge, so shall he be honoured ...
[For the soul] of Thy servant has loathed [riches] and gain, and he has not [desired] exquisite delights.
My heart rejoices in Thy Covenant and Thy truth delights my soul.
I shall flower [like the lily] and my heart shall be open to the everlasting fountain;
my support shall be in the might from on high.
But...
and withers like a flower before [the heat].
My heart is stricken with terror, and my loins with trembling; my groaning goes down to the Abyss, and is shut up in the chambers of Hell.
I am greatly afraid when I hear of Thy judgement of the mighty Heroes, and of Thy trial of the host of Thy Holy Ones
XIX (formerly XI)
28
Hymn 21 (formerly 17)
I thank Thee, my God, for Thou hast dealt wondrously to dust, and mightily towards a creature of clay!
I thank Thee, I thank Thee!
What am I, that Thou shouldst [teach] me the counsel of Thy truth, and give me understanding of Thy marvellous works;
that Thou shouldst lay hymns of thanksgiving within my mouth and [praise] upon my tongue, and that of my circumcised lips, (Thou shouldst make) a seat of rejoicing?
I will sing Thy mercies, and on Thy might I will meditate all day long.
I will bless Thy Name evermore.
I will declare Thy glory in the midst of the sons of men and my soul shall delight in Thy great goodness.
I know that Thy word is truth, and that righteousness is in Thy hand; that all knowledge is in Thy purpose, and that all power is in Thy might, and that every glory is Thine.
In Thy wrath are all chastisements, but in Thy goodness is much forgiveness and Thy mercy is towards the sons of Thy goodwill.
For Thou hast made known to them the counsel of Thy truth, and hast taught them Thy marvellous mysteries.
For the sake of Thy glory Thou hast purified man of sin that he may be made holy for Thee, with no abominable uncleanness and no guilty wickedness;
that he may be one [with] the children of Thy truth and partake of the lot of Thy Holy Ones;
that bodies gnawed by worms may be raised from the dust to the counsel [of Thy truth], and that the perverse spirit (may be lifted) to the understanding [which comes from Thee];
that he may stand before Thee with the everlasting host and with [Thy] spirits [of holiness], to be renewed together with all the living and to rejoice together with them that know.
29
Hymn 22 (formerly 18)
I thank Thee, my God!
I praise Thee, my Rock!
For Thou hast made known to me the counsel of Thy truth [and hast taught me Thy marvellous mysteries;] and hast revealed Thy [wonders] to me.
I have beheld {Thy marvels} (4Q427 fr. 1, i) [towards the children] of grace, and I know [that] righteousness is Thine, that in Thy mercies there is [hope for me], but without Thy grace [destruction] without end.
But a fountain of bitter mourning opens for me, [and my tears fall down].
Distress is not hidden from my eyes when I think of the (evil) inclinations of man, of his return [to dust],
{I understand and observe} (4Q427 fr. 1, iii) sin and the sorrow of guilt.
They enter my heart and reach into my bones to...
and to meditate in sorrowful meditation.
I will groan with the zither of lamentation in all grief-stricken mourning and bitter complaint until iniquity and [wickedness] are consumed and the disease-bringing scourge is no more.
Then will I play on the zither of deliverance and the harp of joy, [on the tabors of prayer] and the pipe of praise without end.
Who among all Thy creatures is able to recount [Thy wonders]?
May Thy Name be praised by the mouth of all men!
May they bless Thee for ever in accordance with [their understanding], and proclaim Thee with the voice of praise in the company of [the Sons of Heaven]!
There shall be neither groaning nor complaint and wickedness [shall be destroyed for ever];
Thy truth shall be revealed in eternal glory and everlasting peace.
Blessed art [Thou, O my Lord], who hast given to [Thy servant] the knowledge of wisdom that he may comprehend Thy wonders, and recount Thy ...
in Thy abundant grace!
Blessed art Thou, O God of mercy and compassion, for the might of Thy [power] and the greatness of Thy truth, and for the multitude of Thy favours in all Thy works!
Rejoice the soul of Thy servant with Thy truth and cleanse me by Thy righteousness.
Even as I have hoped in Thy goodness, and waited for Thy grace,
so hast Thou freed me from my calamities, in accordance with Thy forgiveness;
and in my distress Thou hast comforted me for I have leaned on Thy mercy.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, for it is Thou who hast done these things!
Thou hast set [hymns of praise] within the mouth of Thy servant, and hast established for me a response of the tongue.
Hymn 23 (formerly 19)
XX (formerly XII)
... {with the ever[lasting] spirits} (4Q427, fr. 3 ii, 1. 4)
securely in a dwelling {of peac[e,} (4Q427, fr. 2, 11. 1-2)
in sil]ence and quietness in the tents of security and salvation.
I will praise Thy Name among them that fear Thee.
Bowing down in prayer I will beg Thy favours from season to season always:
when light emerges from [its dwelling-place], and when the day reaches its appointed end in accordance with the laws of the Great Light of heaven;
when evening falls and light departs at the beginning of the dominion of darkness, at the hour appointed for night, and at its end when morning returns and (the shadows) retire to their dwelling-place before the approach of light;
always;
at the genesis of every period and at the beginning of every age and at the end of every season, according to the statute and signs, appointed to every dominion by the certain law from the mouth of God, by the precept which is and shall be for ever and ever without end.
Without it nothing is nor shall be, for the God of knowledge established it and there is no other beside Him.
I, the Master, know Thee O my God, by the spirit which Thou hast given to me, and by Thy Holy Spirit I have faithfully hearkened to Thy marvellous counsel.
In the mystery of Thy wisdom, Thou hast opened knowledge to me, and in Thy mercies [Thou hast unlocked for me] the fountain of Thy might.
Before Thee no man is just ...
[that he may] understand all Thy mysteries or give answer [to Thy rebuke.
But the children of Thy grace shall delight in] Thy correction and watch for Thy goodness, for in Thy mercies [Thou wilt show Thyself to them] and they shall know Thee;
at the time of Thy glory they shall rejoice.
[Thou hast caused them to draw near] in accordance [with their knowledge], and hast admitted them in accordance with their understanding, and in their divisions they shall serve Thee throughout their dominion [without ever turning aside] from Thee or transgressing Thy word.
Behold, [I was taken] from dust [and] fashioned [out of clay] as a source of uncleanness, and a shameful nakedness, a heap of dust, and a kneading [with water,] and a house of darkness, a creature of clay returning to dust, returning [at the appointed time to dwell] in the dust whence it was taken.
How then shall dust reply to its Maker, [and how] understand His [works]?
How shall it stand before Him who reproves it?
[and the Spring of] Eternity, the Well of Glory and the Fountain of Knowledge.
Not even [the wonderful] Heroes [can] declare all Thy glory or stand in face of Thy wrath, and there is none among them, that can answer Thy rebuke; for Thou art just and none can oppose Thee.
How then can (man) who returns to his dust?
I hold my peace; what more shall I say than this?
I have spoken in accordance with my knowledge, out of the righteousness given to a creature of clay.
And how shall I speak unless Thou open my mouth; how understand unless Thou teach me?
How shall I seek Thee unless Thou uncover my heart, and how follow the way that is straight unless [Thou guide me?
How shall my foot] stay on [the path unless Thou] give it strength; and how shall I rise...
XXI (formerly XVIII, 16-33+fr- 3)
Hymn 22 (formerly 18)
I thank Thee, my God!
I praise Thee, my Rock!
For Thou hast made known to me the counsel of Thy truth [and hast taught me Thy marvellous mysteries;] and hast revealed Thy [wonders] to me.
I have beheld {Thy marvels} (4Q427 fr. 1, i) [towards the children] of grace, and I know [that] righteousness is Thine, that in Thy mercies there is [hope for me], but without Thy grace [destruction] without end.
But a fountain of bitter mourning opens for me, [and my tears fall down].
Distress is not hidden from my eyes when I think of the (evil) inclinations of man, of his return [to dust],
{I understand and observe} (4Q427 fr. 1, iii) sin and the sorrow of guilt.
They enter my heart and reach into my bones to...
and to meditate in sorrowful meditation.
I will groan with the zither of lamentation in all grief-stricken mourning and bitter complaint until iniquity and [wickedness] are consumed and the disease-bringing scourge is no more.
Then will I play on the zither of deliverance and the harp of joy, [on the tabors of prayer] and the pipe of praise without end.
Who among all Thy creatures is able to recount [Thy wonders]?
May Thy Name be praised by the mouth of all men!
May they bless Thee for ever in accordance with [their understanding], and proclaim Thee with the voice of praise in the company of [the Sons of Heaven]!
There shall be neither groaning nor complaint and wickedness [shall be destroyed for ever];
Thy truth shall be revealed in eternal glory and everlasting peace.
Blessed art [Thou, O my Lord], who hast given to [Thy servant] the knowledge of wisdom that he may comprehend Thy wonders, and recount Thy ...
in Thy abundant grace!
Blessed art Thou, O God of mercy and compassion, for the might of Thy [power] and the greatness of Thy truth, and for the multitude of Thy favours in all Thy works!
Rejoice the soul of Thy servant with Thy truth and cleanse me by Thy righteousness.
Even as I have hoped in Thy goodness, and waited for Thy grace,
so hast Thou freed me from my calamities, in accordance with Thy forgiveness;
and in my distress Thou hast comforted me for I have leaned on Thy mercy.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord, for it is Thou who hast done these things!
Thou hast set [hymns of praise] within the mouth of Thy servant, and hast established for me a response of the tongue.
Hymn 23 (formerly 19)
XX (formerly XII)
... {with the ever[lasting] spirits} (4Q427, fr. 3 ii, 1. 4)
securely in a dwelling {of peac[e,} (4Q427, fr. 2, 11. 1-2)
in sil]ence and quietness in the tents of security and salvation.
I will praise Thy Name among them that fear Thee.
Bowing down in prayer I will beg Thy favours from season to season always:
when light emerges from [its dwelling-place], and when the day reaches its appointed end in accordance with the laws of the Great Light of heaven;
when evening falls and light departs at the beginning of the dominion of darkness, at the hour appointed for night, and at its end when morning returns and (the shadows) retire to their dwelling-place before the approach of light;
always;
at the genesis of every period and at the beginning of every age and at the end of every season, according to the statute and signs, appointed to every dominion by the certain law from the mouth of God, by the precept which is and shall be for ever and ever without end.
Without it nothing is nor shall be, for the God of knowledge established it and there is no other beside Him.
I, the Master, know Thee O my God, by the spirit which Thou hast given to me, and by Thy Holy Spirit I have faithfully hearkened to Thy marvellous counsel.
In the mystery of Thy wisdom, Thou hast opened knowledge to me, and in Thy mercies [Thou hast unlocked for me] the fountain of Thy might.
Before Thee no man is just ...
[that he may] understand all Thy mysteries or give answer [to Thy rebuke.
But the children of Thy grace shall delight in] Thy correction and watch for Thy goodness, for in Thy mercies [Thou wilt show Thyself to them] and they shall know Thee;
at the time of Thy glory they shall rejoice.
[Thou hast caused them to draw near] in accordance [with their knowledge], and hast admitted them in accordance with their understanding, and in their divisions they shall serve Thee throughout their dominion [without ever turning aside] from Thee or transgressing Thy word.
Behold, [I was taken] from dust [and] fashioned [out of clay] as a source of uncleanness, and a shameful nakedness, a heap of dust, and a kneading [with water,] and a house of darkness, a creature of clay returning to dust, returning [at the appointed time to dwell] in the dust whence it was taken.
How then shall dust reply to its Maker, [and how] understand His [works]?
How shall it stand before Him who reproves it?
[and the Spring of] Eternity, the Well of Glory and the Fountain of Knowledge.
Not even [the wonderful] Heroes [can] declare all Thy glory or stand in face of Thy wrath, and there is none among them, that can answer Thy rebuke; for Thou art just and none can oppose Thee.
How then can (man) who returns to his dust?
I hold my peace; what more shall I say than this?
I have spoken in accordance with my knowledge, out of the righteousness given to a creature of clay.
And how shall I speak unless Thou open my mouth; how understand unless Thou teach me?
How shall I seek Thee unless Thou uncover my heart, and how follow the way that is straight unless [Thou guide me?
How shall my foot] stay on [the path unless Thou] give it strength; and how shall I rise...
XXI (formerly XVIII, 16-33+fr- 3)
30
Hymn 24(formerly 25)
[How] shall I look, unless Thou open my eyes?
Or hear, [unless Thou unstop my ears]?
My heart is astounded, for to the uncircumcised ear, a word has been disclosed, and a heart [of stone has understood the right precepts].
I know it is for Thyself that Thou hast done these things, O God;
for what is flesh [that Thou shouldst act] marvellously [towards it]?
It is Thy purpose to do mightily and to establish all things for Thy glory.
[Thou hast created] the host of knowledge to declare (Thy) mighty deeds to flesh, and the right precepts to him that is born [of woman].
Thou hast [caused the perverse heart to enter] into a Covenant with Thee, and hast uncovered the heart of dust that it may be preserved from evil and saved from the snares of Judgement in accordance with Thy mercies.
And I, a creature [of clay kneaded with water, a heap of dust] and a heart of stone, for what am I reckoned to be worthy of this?
For into an ear of dust [Thou hast put a new word] and hast engraved on a heart of [stone] things everlasting.
Thou hast caused [the straying spirit] to return that it may enter into a Covenant with Thee, and stand [before Thee for ever] in the everlasting abode, illumined with perfect Light for ever, with [no more] darkness, [for un]ending [seasons of joy] and un[numbered] ages of peace.
And as for me, a creature of dust, ...
Fr. 3
Pile of dust, how shall I stand in front of the tempest?
... and He will guard me according to the mysteries of His good pleasure.
For He knows...
And they will hide snares of wickedness, net after net.
... every creature of deceit will come to an end ...
[wickedness will] turn to nothing and the inclination towards iniquity will vanish and deeds of deceit [will perish].
As for me, creature of [clay] ...
... how will it gain strength for Thee?
Thou art the God of [knowledge] Thou hast made them [according to Thy design] and without Thee [nothing exists].
[As for me, creature] of dust, I know through the spirit which Thou hast put into me that ...
injustice and deceit will be awe-struck and insolence will cease.
[wo]rks of uncleanness will (turn into) sickness and judgements (leading to) plague and destruction ...
XXII (formerly XVIII ii, 27-29+fr. I i+fr. 52
bottom+fr. 4+fr. 47)
... [hol]iness that are in heaven
... and He is wonder.
But they cannot [understand] Thy [marvel]s and they will not be able to know all[Thy mysteries].
[How then can he who retur]ns to his dust?
As for me, I am a man of sin who has wallowed [in the ways of uncleanness] [and been defiled] by the guilt of wickedness.
As for me, in the times of wrath [I have fallen(?)].
How can I rise in view of my wound and keep myself...
For there is hope for man...
As for me, creature of clay, I have leaned [on Thy loving-kindness and on the multitude of Thy mysteries,] O my God.
And I know that truthful is [Thy mouth, and that Thy words are not] revoked.
As for me, I will rely in my time [on Thy Covenant and will rai]se myself to the post
which Thou hast established for me ...
Fr. 4
... As for me, I was frightened by Thy judgements
Who is found clean in Thy judgement?
And what is [man before Thee?
Thou bringest] him to judgement and he returns to his dust.
... [my G]o[d].
Thou hast opened my heart for Thy understanding and hast unstopped [my] ear[s] ...
to lean on Thy goodness.
My heart murmurs ...
and my heart melts like wax because of iniquity and sin....
Blessed art Thou, God of knowledge, who hast established...
And Thou hast met Thy servant with this for Thy sake.
For I know Thy [loving-kindness and in] Thy [mercies] I hope in all my existence, and I bless Thy name always.
Do not forsake me in the times [of distress (?)]
XXIII (formerly XVIII, 1-16+fr. 57 i+fr. 2 i)
they are confirmed in [the ears] of Thy servant for ever
... [to announce] Thy marvellous tidings
Withdraw not Thy hand ...
that he may be confirmed in Thy Covenant and stand before Thee [for ever].
[For Thou, O my God,] didst open a [fountain] in the mouth of Thy Servant.
Thou didst engrave by the measuring-cord [Thy mysteries] upon his tongue, [that] out of his understanding [he might] preach to a creature, and interpret these things to dust like myself.
Thou didst open [his fountain] that he might rebuke the creature of clay for his way, and him who is born of woman for the guilt of his deeds;
that he might open [the fount of] Thy truth to a creature whom Thou upholdest by Thy might;
[that he might be], according to Thy truth, a messenger [in the season] of Thy goodness;
that to the humble he might bring glad tidings of Thy great mercy, [proclaiming salvation] from out of the fountain [of holiness to the contrite] of spirit, and everlasting joy to those who mourn.
Fr. 2
... [to prai]se Thee and to recount all Thy glory.
As for me, what am I?
For I was taken from dust.
But Th[ou, O my God], Thou hast done all these [for] Thy [g]lory.
According to the greatness of Thy loving-kindness put the guard of Thy righteousness [in the hand of Th]y [servant] for ever until deliverance.
May the interpreters of knowledge be with all my steps and those who decide truth [in all my ways].
For what is dust among al[1] ...
Ashes are in their hand: nothing at all.
and Thou hast shed [Thy Holy] Spirit over dust [to bring him into the company] of the ‘gods’ and unite them with the Sons of Heaven.
Thou hast shed Thy [Ho]ly [Spirit] to atone for guilt for they are established in Thy truth.
[And Thou, my God], Thou hast acted wondrously for Thy glory
Hymn 24(formerly 25)
[How] shall I look, unless Thou open my eyes?
Or hear, [unless Thou unstop my ears]?
My heart is astounded, for to the uncircumcised ear, a word has been disclosed, and a heart [of stone has understood the right precepts].
I know it is for Thyself that Thou hast done these things, O God;
for what is flesh [that Thou shouldst act] marvellously [towards it]?
It is Thy purpose to do mightily and to establish all things for Thy glory.
[Thou hast created] the host of knowledge to declare (Thy) mighty deeds to flesh, and the right precepts to him that is born [of woman].
Thou hast [caused the perverse heart to enter] into a Covenant with Thee, and hast uncovered the heart of dust that it may be preserved from evil and saved from the snares of Judgement in accordance with Thy mercies.
And I, a creature [of clay kneaded with water, a heap of dust] and a heart of stone, for what am I reckoned to be worthy of this?
For into an ear of dust [Thou hast put a new word] and hast engraved on a heart of [stone] things everlasting.
Thou hast caused [the straying spirit] to return that it may enter into a Covenant with Thee, and stand [before Thee for ever] in the everlasting abode, illumined with perfect Light for ever, with [no more] darkness, [for un]ending [seasons of joy] and un[numbered] ages of peace.
And as for me, a creature of dust, ...
Fr. 3
Pile of dust, how shall I stand in front of the tempest?
... and He will guard me according to the mysteries of His good pleasure.
For He knows...
And they will hide snares of wickedness, net after net.
... every creature of deceit will come to an end ...
[wickedness will] turn to nothing and the inclination towards iniquity will vanish and deeds of deceit [will perish].
As for me, creature of [clay] ...
... how will it gain strength for Thee?
Thou art the God of [knowledge] Thou hast made them [according to Thy design] and without Thee [nothing exists].
[As for me, creature] of dust, I know through the spirit which Thou hast put into me that ...
injustice and deceit will be awe-struck and insolence will cease.
[wo]rks of uncleanness will (turn into) sickness and judgements (leading to) plague and destruction ...
XXII (formerly XVIII ii, 27-29+fr. I i+fr. 52
bottom+fr. 4+fr. 47)
... [hol]iness that are in heaven
... and He is wonder.
But they cannot [understand] Thy [marvel]s and they will not be able to know all[Thy mysteries].
[How then can he who retur]ns to his dust?
As for me, I am a man of sin who has wallowed [in the ways of uncleanness] [and been defiled] by the guilt of wickedness.
As for me, in the times of wrath [I have fallen(?)].
How can I rise in view of my wound and keep myself...
For there is hope for man...
As for me, creature of clay, I have leaned [on Thy loving-kindness and on the multitude of Thy mysteries,] O my God.
And I know that truthful is [Thy mouth, and that Thy words are not] revoked.
As for me, I will rely in my time [on Thy Covenant and will rai]se myself to the post
which Thou hast established for me ...
Fr. 4
... As for me, I was frightened by Thy judgements
Who is found clean in Thy judgement?
And what is [man before Thee?
Thou bringest] him to judgement and he returns to his dust.
... [my G]o[d].
Thou hast opened my heart for Thy understanding and hast unstopped [my] ear[s] ...
to lean on Thy goodness.
My heart murmurs ...
and my heart melts like wax because of iniquity and sin....
Blessed art Thou, God of knowledge, who hast established...
And Thou hast met Thy servant with this for Thy sake.
For I know Thy [loving-kindness and in] Thy [mercies] I hope in all my existence, and I bless Thy name always.
Do not forsake me in the times [of distress (?)]
XXIII (formerly XVIII, 1-16+fr. 57 i+fr. 2 i)
they are confirmed in [the ears] of Thy servant for ever
... [to announce] Thy marvellous tidings
Withdraw not Thy hand ...
that he may be confirmed in Thy Covenant and stand before Thee [for ever].
[For Thou, O my God,] didst open a [fountain] in the mouth of Thy Servant.
Thou didst engrave by the measuring-cord [Thy mysteries] upon his tongue, [that] out of his understanding [he might] preach to a creature, and interpret these things to dust like myself.
Thou didst open [his fountain] that he might rebuke the creature of clay for his way, and him who is born of woman for the guilt of his deeds;
that he might open [the fount of] Thy truth to a creature whom Thou upholdest by Thy might;
[that he might be], according to Thy truth, a messenger [in the season] of Thy goodness;
that to the humble he might bring glad tidings of Thy great mercy, [proclaiming salvation] from out of the fountain [of holiness to the contrite] of spirit, and everlasting joy to those who mourn.
Fr. 2
... [to prai]se Thee and to recount all Thy glory.
As for me, what am I?
For I was taken from dust.
But Th[ou, O my God], Thou hast done all these [for] Thy [g]lory.
According to the greatness of Thy loving-kindness put the guard of Thy righteousness [in the hand of Th]y [servant] for ever until deliverance.
May the interpreters of knowledge be with all my steps and those who decide truth [in all my ways].
For what is dust among al[1] ...
Ashes are in their hand: nothing at all.
and Thou hast shed [Thy Holy] Spirit over dust [to bring him into the company] of the ‘gods’ and unite them with the Sons of Heaven.
Thou hast shed Thy [Ho]ly [Spirit] to atone for guilt for they are established in Thy truth.
[And Thou, my God], Thou hast acted wondrously for Thy glory
31
4Q427 7 i-ii (1QH, frs. 7, 46, 55, 56, 4Q428
15,40431 1)
I...
For I am made to stand with the ‘gods’, and I will not... [glory or majes]ty for me with fine gold;
gold and purified gold, [I will] not... in me;
... will not be reckoned for me.
Chant, O beloved, sing to the King [of glory.
Rejoice, in the cong]regation of God.
Exult in the tents of salvation.
Give thanks in the dwelling [of holiness], extol together with the eternal host.
Magnify our God and glorify our King.
Sanctify His name with powerful lips and a victorious tongue.
Lift up alone your voice in all ages, let a joyous meditation be heard.
Burst out in eternal rejoicings and prostrate incessantly in the common assembly.
Bless the wonderful Maker of exalted things, Him who proclaims the power of His hand, sealing mysteries and revealing secrets, lifting up those who stumble and fall, [rest]oring the progress of those who hope for knowledge and humbling the meetings of the everlastingly haughty;
[seal]ing the mysteries of sp[lendour] and establi[shing the wonlders of glory.
O Judge, whose anger is destructive,
... in righteous loving-kindness and great mercy, be gracious to ...
... mercy to those who bear fruits of His great goodness, and the source of...
II ... wickedness ends... [op]pression [ceases], the tyrant ceases... treachery [sto]ps and there are no senseless perversities.
Light shines and joy bursts forth;
mourning [vanishes] and sorrow flees.
Peace is revealed, dread ceases.
A spring has opened up for an [eternal] bles[sing] and for healing in all the everlasting ages.
Iniquity has stopped, plague has ceased with no more illn[ess].
... has been gathered in and... will be no more.
Announce and say: Great is God, Ma[ker of marvels].
For He humbles the proud spirit with no remnant and from the dust He lifts up the poor to [eternal heights].
And He lifts him up to the clouds to share a common assembly with the ‘gods’.
And...
anger for everlasting destruction.
He raises freely the totterers on earth, and [His] mi[ght is with] their steps, and everlasting joy is in their dwellings, eternal glory without end [for ever].
Let them say: Blessed be God, Author of majestic [w]onders, who reveals might splendidly, and justifies with knowledge all His creatures, so that goodness is on their faces.
They know the multitude of [His] loving [kindness] and the abundance of His mercies to all the children of His truth.
We know Thee, O God of righteousness, and we comprehend [Thy ... , O King]
of glory.
For we have seen Thy zeal through Thy mighty power and have observed [Thy] d[eeds in the abundance] of Thy mercies and wondrous forgiveness.
What is flesh compared to these?
What do [dust and ashes] amoun[t to] that they recite these things from age to age, and hold themselves upright [before Thee, and enter into communion with] the Sons of Heaven.
No interpreter can answer according to Thy mouth and... to Thee.
For Thou hast established us according to [Thy] ple[asure] in the territory [of iniquity] ...
... we have spoken to Thee and not to a medi[ator] ...
[And Thou hast lent] an ea[r] to the issue of our lips.
Annou[nce and say: Blessed be God, Creator of the heavens by His power,
Desig[ner] of all their devices [by] His strength, of the earth by [His] migh[t] ...
Hymnic Fragment
(4Q433a)
Fr. 2
... for the everlasting sea[sons].
For the Master. A sim[il]itude about the glory of ...
A plant of delight, a plant in His garden and in his vineyard.
Its twigs will bear fruit and its branches will increase...
and its branches (reaching) above the elevated support of heaven;
and its splendour offers itself for everlasting generations, producing fru[it] for all who are to taste it.
There will be no wild grapes among its fruits.
It will have foliage, leaves and blossoms.
None of its roots will be pulled up from its bed of balsam for...
4Q427 7 i-ii (1QH, frs. 7, 46, 55, 56, 4Q428
15,40431 1)
I...
For I am made to stand with the ‘gods’, and I will not... [glory or majes]ty for me with fine gold;
gold and purified gold, [I will] not... in me;
... will not be reckoned for me.
Chant, O beloved, sing to the King [of glory.
Rejoice, in the cong]regation of God.
Exult in the tents of salvation.
Give thanks in the dwelling [of holiness], extol together with the eternal host.
Magnify our God and glorify our King.
Sanctify His name with powerful lips and a victorious tongue.
Lift up alone your voice in all ages, let a joyous meditation be heard.
Burst out in eternal rejoicings and prostrate incessantly in the common assembly.
Bless the wonderful Maker of exalted things, Him who proclaims the power of His hand, sealing mysteries and revealing secrets, lifting up those who stumble and fall, [rest]oring the progress of those who hope for knowledge and humbling the meetings of the everlastingly haughty;
[seal]ing the mysteries of sp[lendour] and establi[shing the wonlders of glory.
O Judge, whose anger is destructive,
... in righteous loving-kindness and great mercy, be gracious to ...
... mercy to those who bear fruits of His great goodness, and the source of...
II ... wickedness ends... [op]pression [ceases], the tyrant ceases... treachery [sto]ps and there are no senseless perversities.
Light shines and joy bursts forth;
mourning [vanishes] and sorrow flees.
Peace is revealed, dread ceases.
A spring has opened up for an [eternal] bles[sing] and for healing in all the everlasting ages.
Iniquity has stopped, plague has ceased with no more illn[ess].
... has been gathered in and... will be no more.
Announce and say: Great is God, Ma[ker of marvels].
For He humbles the proud spirit with no remnant and from the dust He lifts up the poor to [eternal heights].
And He lifts him up to the clouds to share a common assembly with the ‘gods’.
And...
anger for everlasting destruction.
He raises freely the totterers on earth, and [His] mi[ght is with] their steps, and everlasting joy is in their dwellings, eternal glory without end [for ever].
Let them say: Blessed be God, Author of majestic [w]onders, who reveals might splendidly, and justifies with knowledge all His creatures, so that goodness is on their faces.
They know the multitude of [His] loving [kindness] and the abundance of His mercies to all the children of His truth.
We know Thee, O God of righteousness, and we comprehend [Thy ... , O King]
of glory.
For we have seen Thy zeal through Thy mighty power and have observed [Thy] d[eeds in the abundance] of Thy mercies and wondrous forgiveness.
What is flesh compared to these?
What do [dust and ashes] amoun[t to] that they recite these things from age to age, and hold themselves upright [before Thee, and enter into communion with] the Sons of Heaven.
No interpreter can answer according to Thy mouth and... to Thee.
For Thou hast established us according to [Thy] ple[asure] in the territory [of iniquity] ...
... we have spoken to Thee and not to a medi[ator] ...
[And Thou hast lent] an ea[r] to the issue of our lips.
Annou[nce and say: Blessed be God, Creator of the heavens by His power,
Desig[ner] of all their devices [by] His strength, of the earth by [His] migh[t] ...
Hymnic Fragment
(4Q433a)
Fr. 2
... for the everlasting sea[sons].
For the Master. A sim[il]itude about the glory of ...
A plant of delight, a plant in His garden and in his vineyard.
Its twigs will bear fruit and its branches will increase...
and its branches (reaching) above the elevated support of heaven;
and its splendour offers itself for everlasting generations, producing fru[it] for all who are to taste it.
There will be no wild grapes among its fruits.
It will have foliage, leaves and blossoms.
None of its roots will be pulled up from its bed of balsam for...
32
Glorification Hymn A (4Q491, fr. 11)
... the righ[teo]us exult [in the streng]th of His might and the holy ones rejoice in ...
in righteousness ... He has established it in Israel Since ancient times His truth and the mysteries of His wisdom (have been) in al[l] ... power
... and the council of the poor into an eternal congregation
... the perfect... [et]ernity a throne of strength in the congregation of ‘gods’ so that not a single king of old shall sit on it, neither shall their noble men...
My glory is incomparable, and apart from me none is exalted.
None shall come to me for I dwell in ... in heaven, and there is no...
I am reckoned with the ‘gods’ and my dwelling-place is in the congregation of holiness.
[My] des[ire] is not according to the flesh, [and] all that I value is in the glory of... [... the pl]ace of holiness.
Who is counted despicable on my account, and who is comparable to me in my glory?
Who is like... the young (?) like me?
Is there a companion who resembles me? There is none!
I have been taught and no instruction resembles [my instruction] ...
Who shall attack me when [I] op[en my mouth]?
And who can contain the issue of my lips?
Who shall summon me to be destroyed by my judgement? ...
[F]or I am reckoned with the ‘gods’, and my glory is with the sons of the King.
No pure gold or gold of Ophir ...
Glorification Hymn B
(4Q471b)
I am reckoned with the ‘gods’ and my dwelling-place is in the congregation of holiness.
Who is counted as me to be despised and who is despised as me?
And who is like me, forsaken [by men (Isa. liii, 3), and is there] a companion who resembles me?
And no instruction resembles my instruction.
[For] I sit...
Who is like me among the ‘gods’?
[And who shall attack me when I open my mouth]?
And who can contain the issue of my lips?
And who [shall summon me to be destroyed by my judgement]?
[For I am] the beloved of the King and the friend of the ho[ly ones].
[No-one] ... and no-one is comparable [to my glory].
For I [have my station with the ‘gods’, and my glory is with the sons of the King].
I will not be cr[owned with pure gold nor with the gold of Ophir] ... Sing...
11Q6
Column XIX
Fragment A
Impoverished and feeble am I for
[ . . . ]
For not even a worm can praise You nor insects recount Your grace
The living can thank You and those who fall shall praise You highly.
You show them the ways of Your holiness and grace for You care for the souls of every living thing;
You provide for all living things. Judge us, O God, with Your kind ways, Your grace, and Your
Justice. The Lord hears the please of his followers.
He has not shunned them. Praise be to God who does good things
and rewards his followers with His kindness. May my spirit lift up Your Name,
to recount with joy Your righteous deeds, and proclaim Your eternal steadfastness.
Fragment B
And in Your grace, I have sought sanctuary. The images of Your might life up my heart. I find peace in Your righteousness.
Forgive me, Lord, and free me from my sins.
Give to me a sense of honor and knowledge. May I not be shamed in ruin.
Protect me from unclean spirits, save me from pain and temptation.
For You, O Lord, are my salvation, and I praise You everyday.
My people rejoice with me and are awestruck by Your power.
I will adore You and worship You for all eternity.
Glorification Hymn A (4Q491, fr. 11)
... the righ[teo]us exult [in the streng]th of His might and the holy ones rejoice in ...
in righteousness ... He has established it in Israel Since ancient times His truth and the mysteries of His wisdom (have been) in al[l] ... power
... and the council of the poor into an eternal congregation
... the perfect... [et]ernity a throne of strength in the congregation of ‘gods’ so that not a single king of old shall sit on it, neither shall their noble men...
My glory is incomparable, and apart from me none is exalted.
None shall come to me for I dwell in ... in heaven, and there is no...
I am reckoned with the ‘gods’ and my dwelling-place is in the congregation of holiness.
[My] des[ire] is not according to the flesh, [and] all that I value is in the glory of... [... the pl]ace of holiness.
Who is counted despicable on my account, and who is comparable to me in my glory?
Who is like... the young (?) like me?
Is there a companion who resembles me? There is none!
I have been taught and no instruction resembles [my instruction] ...
Who shall attack me when [I] op[en my mouth]?
And who can contain the issue of my lips?
Who shall summon me to be destroyed by my judgement? ...
[F]or I am reckoned with the ‘gods’, and my glory is with the sons of the King.
No pure gold or gold of Ophir ...
Glorification Hymn B
(4Q471b)
I am reckoned with the ‘gods’ and my dwelling-place is in the congregation of holiness.
Who is counted as me to be despised and who is despised as me?
And who is like me, forsaken [by men (Isa. liii, 3), and is there] a companion who resembles me?
And no instruction resembles my instruction.
[For] I sit...
Who is like me among the ‘gods’?
[And who shall attack me when I open my mouth]?
And who can contain the issue of my lips?
And who [shall summon me to be destroyed by my judgement]?
[For I am] the beloved of the King and the friend of the ho[ly ones].
[No-one] ... and no-one is comparable [to my glory].
For I [have my station with the ‘gods’, and my glory is with the sons of the King].
I will not be cr[owned with pure gold nor with the gold of Ophir] ... Sing...
11Q6
Column XIX
Fragment A
Impoverished and feeble am I for
[ . . . ]
For not even a worm can praise You nor insects recount Your grace
The living can thank You and those who fall shall praise You highly.
You show them the ways of Your holiness and grace for You care for the souls of every living thing;
You provide for all living things. Judge us, O God, with Your kind ways, Your grace, and Your
Justice. The Lord hears the please of his followers.
He has not shunned them. Praise be to God who does good things
and rewards his followers with His kindness. May my spirit lift up Your Name,
to recount with joy Your righteous deeds, and proclaim Your eternal steadfastness.
Fragment B
And in Your grace, I have sought sanctuary. The images of Your might life up my heart. I find peace in Your righteousness.
Forgive me, Lord, and free me from my sins.
Give to me a sense of honor and knowledge. May I not be shamed in ruin.
Protect me from unclean spirits, save me from pain and temptation.
For You, O Lord, are my salvation, and I praise You everyday.
My people rejoice with me and are awestruck by Your power.
I will adore You and worship You for all eternity.
33
Apocryphal Psalms (III)
(11QapPsa=11Q11)
To David. O[n words of incanta]tion. [Cry out al]l the time in the name
of the Lor[d]
towards heave[n when] Beli[al] comes to you.
[And sa]y to him:
Who are you? [Be afraid of] man and of the seed of the ho[ly ones].
Your face is a face of [nothin]g and your horns are horns of dr[eam].
[You ar]e [d]arkness and not light; [injustic]e and not righteousness.
[The prin]ce of the h[os]t [is against you]; the Lord [will cast] you [to]
the nethermost [hell],
[closed by] bronze ga[tes] through [which n]o light [shall pass];
nor [shall shine there the light of the] sun which [will rise] over the
righteous to il[lumine his face.
...
“…praises. Benedictions for the King of glory. Words of thanksgiving
in psalms of…to the God of knowledge, the Splendour of power, the God
of Gods. Lord of all the holy. His dominion is over all the powerful
mighty ones and by the power of his might all shall be terrified and
shall be terrified and shall scatter and be put to flight by the
splendor of the dwelling of his kingly glory. And I, the Master,
proclaim the majesty of his beauty to frighten and terrify all the
spirits of the destroying angels and the spirits of the bastards, the
demons, Lilith, the howlers and the yelpers…they who strike suddenly
to lead astray the spirit of understanding and to appal their heart
and their…in the age of the domination of wickedness and the appointed
times for the humiliation of the sons of light, in the guilt of the
ages of those smitten by iniquity, not for eternal destruction but for
the humiliation of sin. Exalt, O just, the God of marvels. My psalms
are for the upright…May all whose way is perfect exalt him.”
...
One of the earliest extant texts that directly uses the name Lilith is Songs of the Sage (4Q510-511) fragment 1- or Songs of the Maskil (Instructor). The work contains incantations for protection from evil spirits, lists of infernal names, and instructions for exorcism.
"And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, Lilith, howlers, and [desert dwellers…] and those which fall upon men without warning to lead them astray from a spirit of understanding and to make their heart and their […] desolate during the present dominion of wickedness and predetermined time of humiliations for the sons of lig[ht], by the guilt of the ages of [those] smitten by iniquity – not for eternal destruction, [bu]t for an era of humiliation for transgression.
Sing for joy, O righteous ones, for the God of wonder- my psalms are for the upright and [let...] all who are blameless exalt Him."
III ...
Who [has] pe[rformed these signs] and marv[els on] the earth?
The Lord is the one [who] performed th[ese through] His [might].
He adjures all [His] a[ngels] and all the see[d of holiness] who stand before [Him, and makes all the hea]vens testify and the whole earth [against those] who sinned against [all men], and acted [wickedly] against every hu[man.
And] they know [the mysteries of] His m[arvels] which they do not...
[and they fear] the Lord... to kill...
... the Lord... the Lord...
and they will fear that great blow.
IV ...
The Lord will strike you with a [grea]t b[low] for your destruction...
and in His anger He will send against you a mighty angel [to execute] all His decisions, who will be [without] mercy on you... against all these, who [will take] you [down] to the great abyss,
[and to] the nethermost [hell.]
... dark [in the gr]eat abyss... no more on the earth.
... for ever, and... by the curse of Abaddon (the bottom of hell)
...the furious anger of the L[ord]....
V...
[Ra]phael healed them. Amen, amen. Selah.
Of David ... [an incan]tation in the name of the Lor[d.
Call an]y time on heav[en], for He will come to you in the ni[ght, and] you will say to Him:
Who are you, [one born of] man And of the seed of the ho[ly on]es?
Your face is a face of in[anity] And your horns are horns of dream.
You are darkness and not light, Injustice and not righteousness.
The Prince of the host, the Lord, [will send] you [down to the lowest he]ll, [and will close the ga]tes of bronze through [which n]o light [passes] and [the] sun wh[ich rises on the] righteous [will] not [enlighten you] ...
And you will say...
...
Is [there not an angel with the ri]ghteous when [judgement] comes [for]
S[atan for] he caused him evil?
[And the spirit of t]ruth [will save him] from dar[kness because
right]eousness is for him.
... for ever [all the] son of Bel[ial. Amen, amen.] Selah.
VI ...
To David. O[n words of incanta]tion.
[Cry out al]l the time in the name of the Lor[d] towards heave[n when] Beli[al] comes to you.
[And sa]y to him:
Who are you? [Be afraid of] man and of the seed of the ho[ly ones].
Your face is a face of [nothin]g and your horns are horns of dr[eam].
[You ar]e [d]arkness and not light; [injustic]e and not righteousness.
[The prin]ce of the h[os]t [is against you]; the Lord [will cast] you [to] the nethermost [hell], [closed by] bronze ga[tes] through [which n]o light [shall pass];
nor [shall shine there the light of the] sun which [will rise] over the righteous to
il[lumine his face.
And] you will say:
Is [there not an angel with the ri]ghteous when [judgement] comes [for] S[atan for] he caused him evil?
[And the spirit of t]ruth [will save him] from dar[kness because right]eousness is for him.
... for ever [all the] son of Bel[ial. Amen, amen.] Selah.
Apocryphal Psalms (III)
(11QapPsa=11Q11)
To David. O[n words of incanta]tion. [Cry out al]l the time in the name
of the Lor[d]
towards heave[n when] Beli[al] comes to you.
[And sa]y to him:
Who are you? [Be afraid of] man and of the seed of the ho[ly ones].
Your face is a face of [nothin]g and your horns are horns of dr[eam].
[You ar]e [d]arkness and not light; [injustic]e and not righteousness.
[The prin]ce of the h[os]t [is against you]; the Lord [will cast] you [to]
the nethermost [hell],
[closed by] bronze ga[tes] through [which n]o light [shall pass];
nor [shall shine there the light of the] sun which [will rise] over the
righteous to il[lumine his face.
...
“…praises. Benedictions for the King of glory. Words of thanksgiving
in psalms of…to the God of knowledge, the Splendour of power, the God
of Gods. Lord of all the holy. His dominion is over all the powerful
mighty ones and by the power of his might all shall be terrified and
shall be terrified and shall scatter and be put to flight by the
splendor of the dwelling of his kingly glory. And I, the Master,
proclaim the majesty of his beauty to frighten and terrify all the
spirits of the destroying angels and the spirits of the bastards, the
demons, Lilith, the howlers and the yelpers…they who strike suddenly
to lead astray the spirit of understanding and to appal their heart
and their…in the age of the domination of wickedness and the appointed
times for the humiliation of the sons of light, in the guilt of the
ages of those smitten by iniquity, not for eternal destruction but for
the humiliation of sin. Exalt, O just, the God of marvels. My psalms
are for the upright…May all whose way is perfect exalt him.”
...
One of the earliest extant texts that directly uses the name Lilith is Songs of the Sage (4Q510-511) fragment 1- or Songs of the Maskil (Instructor). The work contains incantations for protection from evil spirits, lists of infernal names, and instructions for exorcism.
"And I, the Instructor, proclaim His glorious splendour so as to frighten and to te[rrify] all the spirits of the destroying angels, spirits of the bastards, demons, Lilith, howlers, and [desert dwellers…] and those which fall upon men without warning to lead them astray from a spirit of understanding and to make their heart and their […] desolate during the present dominion of wickedness and predetermined time of humiliations for the sons of lig[ht], by the guilt of the ages of [those] smitten by iniquity – not for eternal destruction, [bu]t for an era of humiliation for transgression.
Sing for joy, O righteous ones, for the God of wonder- my psalms are for the upright and [let...] all who are blameless exalt Him."
III ...
Who [has] pe[rformed these signs] and marv[els on] the earth?
The Lord is the one [who] performed th[ese through] His [might].
He adjures all [His] a[ngels] and all the see[d of holiness] who stand before [Him, and makes all the hea]vens testify and the whole earth [against those] who sinned against [all men], and acted [wickedly] against every hu[man.
And] they know [the mysteries of] His m[arvels] which they do not...
[and they fear] the Lord... to kill...
... the Lord... the Lord...
and they will fear that great blow.
IV ...
The Lord will strike you with a [grea]t b[low] for your destruction...
and in His anger He will send against you a mighty angel [to execute] all His decisions, who will be [without] mercy on you... against all these, who [will take] you [down] to the great abyss,
[and to] the nethermost [hell.]
... dark [in the gr]eat abyss... no more on the earth.
... for ever, and... by the curse of Abaddon (the bottom of hell)
...the furious anger of the L[ord]....
V...
[Ra]phael healed them. Amen, amen. Selah.
Of David ... [an incan]tation in the name of the Lor[d.
Call an]y time on heav[en], for He will come to you in the ni[ght, and] you will say to Him:
Who are you, [one born of] man And of the seed of the ho[ly on]es?
Your face is a face of in[anity] And your horns are horns of dream.
You are darkness and not light, Injustice and not righteousness.
The Prince of the host, the Lord, [will send] you [down to the lowest he]ll, [and will close the ga]tes of bronze through [which n]o light [passes] and [the] sun wh[ich rises on the] righteous [will] not [enlighten you] ...
And you will say...
...
Is [there not an angel with the ri]ghteous when [judgement] comes [for]
S[atan for] he caused him evil?
[And the spirit of t]ruth [will save him] from dar[kness because
right]eousness is for him.
... for ever [all the] son of Bel[ial. Amen, amen.] Selah.
VI ...
To David. O[n words of incanta]tion.
[Cry out al]l the time in the name of the Lor[d] towards heave[n when] Beli[al] comes to you.
[And sa]y to him:
Who are you? [Be afraid of] man and of the seed of the ho[ly ones].
Your face is a face of [nothin]g and your horns are horns of dr[eam].
[You ar]e [d]arkness and not light; [injustic]e and not righteousness.
[The prin]ce of the h[os]t [is against you]; the Lord [will cast] you [to] the nethermost [hell], [closed by] bronze ga[tes] through [which n]o light [shall pass];
nor [shall shine there the light of the] sun which [will rise] over the righteous to
il[lumine his face.
And] you will say:
Is [there not an angel with the ri]ghteous when [judgement] comes [for] S[atan for] he caused him evil?
[And the spirit of t]ruth [will save him] from dar[kness because right]eousness is for him.
... for ever [all the] son of Bel[ial. Amen, amen.] Selah.
34
(1) The Prayer of Hezekiah when enemies surrounded him.
(2) Praise God in a loud voice. Testify to his glory in the assembly.
(3) Lift up His name with the righteous and speak of His greatness with the faithful.
(4) Become one with the perfect and the good to praise the Lord.
(5) Join and worship together to tell of His salvation. And be swift in making known His fortitude and His righteousness to all the simple.
(6) Knowledge is granted so that we may praise the Lord and tell of his greatness.
(7) She is made known to mankind, to speak of His strength and tell of his greatness to the ignorant, who have strayed from her gates and have sinned.
(8) For God is the Lord of Jacob and his grace is seen in all his works.
(9) A person who praises God is recognized by Him
because the worshiper brings and offering and sacrifice of livestock,
because the worshiper fills the altar with gifts.
(10) Her voice and her songs are heard and sung by the righteous.
(11) When they feast together, she is mentioned.
(12) Their thoughts are on the Law of God and they speak to testify of His strength.
(13) The evil and the rebellious are far from her grace.
(14) See how God has mercy on the good, and it is great for those who praise Him;
(15) He is their soul's salvation from wickedness.
(16) Praise the Lord who saves the meek from the grasp of the unknown and delivers the righteous from evil,
(17) Who lifts up a horn from Jacob and a moderator from Israel.
(18) He wants his gathering place to be in Zion, and He picks Jerusalem for all eternity.
(1) The Prayer of Hezekiah when enemies surrounded him.
(2) Praise God in a loud voice. Testify to his glory in the assembly.
(3) Lift up His name with the righteous and speak of His greatness with the faithful.
(4) Become one with the perfect and the good to praise the Lord.
(5) Join and worship together to tell of His salvation. And be swift in making known His fortitude and His righteousness to all the simple.
(6) Knowledge is granted so that we may praise the Lord and tell of his greatness.
(7) She is made known to mankind, to speak of His strength and tell of his greatness to the ignorant, who have strayed from her gates and have sinned.
(8) For God is the Lord of Jacob and his grace is seen in all his works.
(9) A person who praises God is recognized by Him
because the worshiper brings and offering and sacrifice of livestock,
because the worshiper fills the altar with gifts.
(10) Her voice and her songs are heard and sung by the righteous.
(11) When they feast together, she is mentioned.
(12) Their thoughts are on the Law of God and they speak to testify of His strength.
(13) The evil and the rebellious are far from her grace.
(14) See how God has mercy on the good, and it is great for those who praise Him;
(15) He is their soul's salvation from wickedness.
(16) Praise the Lord who saves the meek from the grasp of the unknown and delivers the righteous from evil,
(17) Who lifts up a horn from Jacob and a moderator from Israel.
(18) He wants his gathering place to be in Zion, and He picks Jerusalem for all eternity.
35
The Blessing of the High Priest
III May the Lord lift His countenance towards you; [may He delight in
the] sweet odour [of your sacrifices]!
May He choose [all] them that sit in your pries[tly college]; may He
store up all your sacred offerings, and in the [season of] ... all your
seed!
May He [lift] His countenance towards all your congregation!
May He place upon your head [a diadem] ... in [everlasting] glory; may
He sanctify your seed in glory without end!
May He grant you everlasting [peace] ...
May He fight [at the head of] your Thousands [until the generation of
falsehood is ended] ... [to bend] many peoples before you ... all the
riches of the world ...
For God has established all the foundations of ... may He lay the
foundation of your peace for ever!
The Blessing of the High Priest
III May the Lord lift His countenance towards you; [may He delight in
the] sweet odour [of your sacrifices]!
May He choose [all] them that sit in your pries[tly college]; may He
store up all your sacred offerings, and in the [season of] ... all your
seed!
May He [lift] His countenance towards all your congregation!
May He place upon your head [a diadem] ... in [everlasting] glory; may
He sanctify your seed in glory without end!
May He grant you everlasting [peace] ...
May He fight [at the head of] your Thousands [until the generation of
falsehood is ended] ... [to bend] many peoples before you ... all the
riches of the world ...
For God has established all the foundations of ... may He lay the
foundation of your peace for ever!
36
The Blessing of the Priests
Words of blessing.
The M[aster shall bless] the sons of Zadok the Priests, whom God has chosen to confirm His Covenant for [ever, and to inquire] into all His precepts in the midst of His people, and to instruct them as He commanded;
who have established [His Covenant] on truth and watched over all His laws with righteousness and walked according to the way of His choice.
May the Lord bless you from His holy [Abode]; may He set you as a splendid jewel in the midst of the congregation of the saints!
May He [renew] for you the Covenant of the [everlasting] priesthood;
may He sanctify you [for the House] of Holiness!
May He [judge all] the leaders by your works, and all [the princes] of the peoples by the words from out of your lips!
May He give you as your portion the firstfruits of [all delectable things];
may He bless by your hand the counsel of all flesh!
IV ... may everlasting blessings be the crown upon your head!
... [For] He has chosen you [to] ... and to number the saints and to
[bless] your people ... the men of the Council of God by your hand, and not by the hand of a prince ...
... May you be as an Angel of the Presence in the Abode of Holiness to the glory of the God of [hosts] ...
May you attend upon the service in the Temple of the Kingdom and decree destiny in company with the Angels of the Presence, in common council [with the Holy Ones] for everlasting ages and time without end; for [all] His judgements are [truth]!
May He make you holy among His people, and an [eternal] light [to illumine] the world with knowledge and to enlighten the face of the Congregation [with wisdom]!
[May He] consecrate you to the Holy of Holies! For [you are made] holy for Him and you shall glorify His Name and His holiness ...
The Blessing of the Priests
Words of blessing.
The M[aster shall bless] the sons of Zadok the Priests, whom God has chosen to confirm His Covenant for [ever, and to inquire] into all His precepts in the midst of His people, and to instruct them as He commanded;
who have established [His Covenant] on truth and watched over all His laws with righteousness and walked according to the way of His choice.
May the Lord bless you from His holy [Abode]; may He set you as a splendid jewel in the midst of the congregation of the saints!
May He [renew] for you the Covenant of the [everlasting] priesthood;
may He sanctify you [for the House] of Holiness!
May He [judge all] the leaders by your works, and all [the princes] of the peoples by the words from out of your lips!
May He give you as your portion the firstfruits of [all delectable things];
may He bless by your hand the counsel of all flesh!
IV ... may everlasting blessings be the crown upon your head!
... [For] He has chosen you [to] ... and to number the saints and to
[bless] your people ... the men of the Council of God by your hand, and not by the hand of a prince ...
... May you be as an Angel of the Presence in the Abode of Holiness to the glory of the God of [hosts] ...
May you attend upon the service in the Temple of the Kingdom and decree destiny in company with the Angels of the Presence, in common council [with the Holy Ones] for everlasting ages and time without end; for [all] His judgements are [truth]!
May He make you holy among His people, and an [eternal] light [to illumine] the world with knowledge and to enlighten the face of the Congregation [with wisdom]!
[May He] consecrate you to the Holy of Holies! For [you are made] holy for Him and you shall glorify His Name and His holiness ...
37
The Blessing of the Prince of the Congregation
The Master shall bless the Prince of the Congregation ...
and shall renew for him the Covenant of the Community that he may establish the kingdom of His people for ever, [that he may judge the poor with righteousness and] dispense justice with {equity to the oppressed}
(Schøyen) of the land, and that he may walk perfectly before Him in all the ways [of truth], and that he may establish His holy Covenant at the time of the affliction of those who seek God.
May the Lord raise you up to everlasting heights, and as a fortified
tower upon a high wall!
[May you smite the peoples] with the might of your hand and ravage the earth with your sceptre; may you bring death to the ungodly with the
breath of your lips!
[May He shed upon you the spirit of counsel] and everlasting might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of God; may righteousness be the girdle [of your loins] and may your reins be girdled [with faithfulness]!
May He make your horns of iron and your hooves of bronze; may you toss like a young bull [and trample the peoples] like the mire of the streets!
For God has established you as the sceptre.
The rulers ... [and all the kings of the] nations shall serve you.
He shall strengthen you with His holy Name and you shall be as a [lion; and you shall not lie down until you have devoured the] prey which naught shall deliver ...
The Blessing of the Prince of the Congregation
The Master shall bless the Prince of the Congregation ...
and shall renew for him the Covenant of the Community that he may establish the kingdom of His people for ever, [that he may judge the poor with righteousness and] dispense justice with {equity to the oppressed}
(Schøyen) of the land, and that he may walk perfectly before Him in all the ways [of truth], and that he may establish His holy Covenant at the time of the affliction of those who seek God.
May the Lord raise you up to everlasting heights, and as a fortified
tower upon a high wall!
[May you smite the peoples] with the might of your hand and ravage the earth with your sceptre; may you bring death to the ungodly with the
breath of your lips!
[May He shed upon you the spirit of counsel] and everlasting might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of God; may righteousness be the girdle [of your loins] and may your reins be girdled [with faithfulness]!
May He make your horns of iron and your hooves of bronze; may you toss like a young bull [and trample the peoples] like the mire of the streets!
For God has established you as the sceptre.
The rulers ... [and all the kings of the] nations shall serve you.
He shall strengthen you with His holy Name and you shall be as a [lion; and you shall not lie down until you have devoured the] prey which naught shall deliver ...
38
4Q286=4QBerakhota
Blessings
Fr. 1a ii
II The seat of Thy splendour and the footstool of Thy glory in the [h]eights of Thy standing and Thy holy stepping-place. And Thy glorious chariots, their cherubim and their wheels and all [their] companies;
foundations of fire and flames of brightness and shinings of majesty and
str[eams of fire and wonderful luminaries;
[majes]ty and splendour and glorious height, holy foundation and sou[rce of] majesty and height of glory, ma[rvel of than]ksgivings and reservoir of might, splendour of praises and great in wonderful things and healing[s] and miraculous deeds, foundation of wisdom and pattern of knowledge and source of
understanding, source of prudence and holy counsel and true foundation, treasure-house of intelligence, building of righteousness and place of
upright[ness, great] in loving-kindness and in meekness and true loving-kindness and everlasting mercies and mysteries of mar[vels] in [the]ir reve[lations] and holy weeks in their appointed time and squads of months ... [... of ye]ars in their circuits and glorious festive seasons in [their] ... fixed moments ... and the sabbatical years of the land in [their] divi[sions, ap]pointed times for libe[rty ... eternity ...
[l]ight and dar[kness ... ]
4Q405 14-15, i
... tongue of blessing from the likeness [of the gods] issues a [v]oice of blessing for the King of those who exalt, and their wonderful praise is for the God of gods ... their many-coloured ... and they sing ... the
vestibules by which they enter, the spirits of the most holy inner Temple ...
[And the likene]ss of the living ‘gods’ is engraved on the vestibules by which the King enters, luminous spiritual figures ...
[K]ing, figures of a glorious l[ight, wonderful] spirits; [amo]ng the spirits of splendour there are works of (art of) marvellous colours, figures of the living ‘gods’ ...
[in the] glorious innermost Temple chambers, the structure of [the most ho]ly [sanctuary] in the innermost chambers of the King, design[s of ‘go] ds’ ... likeness of ... most holy ... [the Temple] chambers of the Ki[ng] ... figur[es of the ‘g]o[ds’ and from] the likeness ... of the Holy of Holies ...
4Q405 19 ABCD (IIQ17 vii, 5-6)
The figures of the ‘gods’ shall praise Him, [the most] h[oly] spirits ... of glory; the floor of the marvellous innermost chambers, the spirits of the eternal gods, all ... fi[gures of the innermost] chamber of the King, the spiritual works of the marvellous firmament are purified with salt, [spi]rits of knowledge, truth [and] righteousness in the holy of [hollies, [f]orms of the living ‘gods’, forms of the illuminating spirits.
All their [works (of art)] are marvellously linked, many-coloured [spirits], artistic figures of the ‘gods’, engraved all around their glorious bricks, glorious figures on
b[ricks of splendour and majes[ty].
All their works (of art) are living ‘gods’, and their artistic figures are holy angels.
From beneath the marvellous inner[most chambers] comes a sound of quiet silence: the ‘gods’ bless ... the King ...
4Q405 20 ii, 21—2
... His glorious chariots. When they go ... they do not turn aside ... but advance straight
4Q286=4QBerakhota
Blessings
Fr. 1a ii
II The seat of Thy splendour and the footstool of Thy glory in the [h]eights of Thy standing and Thy holy stepping-place. And Thy glorious chariots, their cherubim and their wheels and all [their] companies;
foundations of fire and flames of brightness and shinings of majesty and
str[eams of fire and wonderful luminaries;
[majes]ty and splendour and glorious height, holy foundation and sou[rce of] majesty and height of glory, ma[rvel of than]ksgivings and reservoir of might, splendour of praises and great in wonderful things and healing[s] and miraculous deeds, foundation of wisdom and pattern of knowledge and source of
understanding, source of prudence and holy counsel and true foundation, treasure-house of intelligence, building of righteousness and place of
upright[ness, great] in loving-kindness and in meekness and true loving-kindness and everlasting mercies and mysteries of mar[vels] in [the]ir reve[lations] and holy weeks in their appointed time and squads of months ... [... of ye]ars in their circuits and glorious festive seasons in [their] ... fixed moments ... and the sabbatical years of the land in [their] divi[sions, ap]pointed times for libe[rty ... eternity ...
[l]ight and dar[kness ... ]
4Q405 14-15, i
... tongue of blessing from the likeness [of the gods] issues a [v]oice of blessing for the King of those who exalt, and their wonderful praise is for the God of gods ... their many-coloured ... and they sing ... the
vestibules by which they enter, the spirits of the most holy inner Temple ...
[And the likene]ss of the living ‘gods’ is engraved on the vestibules by which the King enters, luminous spiritual figures ...
[K]ing, figures of a glorious l[ight, wonderful] spirits; [amo]ng the spirits of splendour there are works of (art of) marvellous colours, figures of the living ‘gods’ ...
[in the] glorious innermost Temple chambers, the structure of [the most ho]ly [sanctuary] in the innermost chambers of the King, design[s of ‘go] ds’ ... likeness of ... most holy ... [the Temple] chambers of the Ki[ng] ... figur[es of the ‘g]o[ds’ and from] the likeness ... of the Holy of Holies ...
4Q405 19 ABCD (IIQ17 vii, 5-6)
The figures of the ‘gods’ shall praise Him, [the most] h[oly] spirits ... of glory; the floor of the marvellous innermost chambers, the spirits of the eternal gods, all ... fi[gures of the innermost] chamber of the King, the spiritual works of the marvellous firmament are purified with salt, [spi]rits of knowledge, truth [and] righteousness in the holy of [hollies, [f]orms of the living ‘gods’, forms of the illuminating spirits.
All their [works (of art)] are marvellously linked, many-coloured [spirits], artistic figures of the ‘gods’, engraved all around their glorious bricks, glorious figures on
b[ricks of splendour and majes[ty].
All their works (of art) are living ‘gods’, and their artistic figures are holy angels.
From beneath the marvellous inner[most chambers] comes a sound of quiet silence: the ‘gods’ bless ... the King ...
4Q405 20 ii, 21—2
... His glorious chariots. When they go ... they do not turn aside ... but advance straight
39
For the Mas[ter. Song of the holocaust of] the twelfth [S]abbath [on the twenty-first of the third month.]
[Praise the God of... w]onder, and exalt Him ... of glory in the te[nt of the God ofknowledge.
The [cheru]bim prostrate themselves before Him and bless.
As they rise, a whispered divine voice [is heard], and there is a roar of praise.
When they drop their wings, there is a [whispere]d divine voice.
The cherubim bless the image of the thronechariot above the firmament, [and] they praise [the majes]ty of the luminous firmament beneath His seat of glory.
When the wheels advance, angels of holiness come and go.
From between His glorious wheels, there is as it were a fiery vision of most holy spirits.
About them, the appearance of rivulets of fire in the likeness of gleaming brass, and a work of ... radiance in many-coloured glory, marvellous pigments, clearly mingled.
The spirits of the living ‘gods’ move perpetually with the glory of the marvellous chariot(s).
The whispered voice of blessing accompanies the roar of their advance, and they praise the Holy One on their way of return.
When they ascend, they ascend marvellously and when they settle, they stand still. The sound of joyful praise is silenced and there is a whispered blessing of the ‘gods’ in all the camps of God.
And the sound of praise ... from among all their divisions ... and all their numbered ones praise, each in his turn
4Q405 23 i
... his whole-offering.
The ‘gods’ praise Him [when they take] up their station, and all the s[pirits of] the clear firm[am]ent rejoice in His glory.
A sound of blessing (is heard) from all His divisions speaking of the firmaments of His glory, and His gates praise with a resounding voice.
When the gods of knowledge enter by the doors of glory, and when the holy angels depart towards their realm, the entrance doors and the gates of exit proclaim the glory of the King, blessing and praising all the spirits of God when they depart and enter by the gates.
None among them skips over a precept, nor do they ... against the saying of the King ... They run not away from the path, nor slip away from His domain.
They are neither too high for His commission nor too lowly.
For He shall be compassionate in the realm of His furious, destr[oying ange]r;
He will not judge in the provinces of His glorious wrath.
The fear of the King of ‘gods’ is awe-inspiring to [al]l the ‘gods’, [and they undertake] all His commissions by virtue of His true order, and they go
4Q405 23 ii
... At their marvellous stations are spirits, many-coloured like the work of a weaver, splendid engraved figures. In the midst of a glorious appearance of scarlet, colours of the most holy spiritual light, they hold to their holy station before [the K]ing, spirits of [pure] colours in the midst of an appearance of whiteness.
The likeness of the glorious spirit is like a work (of art) of sparkling fine gold.
All their pattern is clearly mingled like the work (of art) of a weaver.
These are the Princes of those marvellously clothed for service, the Princes of the kingdom, the kingdom of the holy ones of the King of holiness in all the heights of the sanctuaries of His glorious kingdom.
The Princes in charge of offerings have tongues of knowledge, [and] they bless the God of knowledge among all His glorious works ...
IIQ17 viii
... their [mar]vellous marvels by the power of the God of [eter]nity;
and they shall exalt the mighty deeds of the G[od] ...
From the four foundations of the marvellous firmament they shall pr[oclaim soundlessly (?) a divine oracle ... wall.
They bless and praise the God of gods ...
For the Mas[ter. Song of the holocaust of] the twelfth [S]abbath [on the twenty-first of the third month.]
[Praise the God of... w]onder, and exalt Him ... of glory in the te[nt of the God ofknowledge.
The [cheru]bim prostrate themselves before Him and bless.
As they rise, a whispered divine voice [is heard], and there is a roar of praise.
When they drop their wings, there is a [whispere]d divine voice.
The cherubim bless the image of the thronechariot above the firmament, [and] they praise [the majes]ty of the luminous firmament beneath His seat of glory.
When the wheels advance, angels of holiness come and go.
From between His glorious wheels, there is as it were a fiery vision of most holy spirits.
About them, the appearance of rivulets of fire in the likeness of gleaming brass, and a work of ... radiance in many-coloured glory, marvellous pigments, clearly mingled.
The spirits of the living ‘gods’ move perpetually with the glory of the marvellous chariot(s).
The whispered voice of blessing accompanies the roar of their advance, and they praise the Holy One on their way of return.
When they ascend, they ascend marvellously and when they settle, they stand still. The sound of joyful praise is silenced and there is a whispered blessing of the ‘gods’ in all the camps of God.
And the sound of praise ... from among all their divisions ... and all their numbered ones praise, each in his turn
4Q405 23 i
... his whole-offering.
The ‘gods’ praise Him [when they take] up their station, and all the s[pirits of] the clear firm[am]ent rejoice in His glory.
A sound of blessing (is heard) from all His divisions speaking of the firmaments of His glory, and His gates praise with a resounding voice.
When the gods of knowledge enter by the doors of glory, and when the holy angels depart towards their realm, the entrance doors and the gates of exit proclaim the glory of the King, blessing and praising all the spirits of God when they depart and enter by the gates.
None among them skips over a precept, nor do they ... against the saying of the King ... They run not away from the path, nor slip away from His domain.
They are neither too high for His commission nor too lowly.
For He shall be compassionate in the realm of His furious, destr[oying ange]r;
He will not judge in the provinces of His glorious wrath.
The fear of the King of ‘gods’ is awe-inspiring to [al]l the ‘gods’, [and they undertake] all His commissions by virtue of His true order, and they go
4Q405 23 ii
... At their marvellous stations are spirits, many-coloured like the work of a weaver, splendid engraved figures. In the midst of a glorious appearance of scarlet, colours of the most holy spiritual light, they hold to their holy station before [the K]ing, spirits of [pure] colours in the midst of an appearance of whiteness.
The likeness of the glorious spirit is like a work (of art) of sparkling fine gold.
All their pattern is clearly mingled like the work (of art) of a weaver.
These are the Princes of those marvellously clothed for service, the Princes of the kingdom, the kingdom of the holy ones of the King of holiness in all the heights of the sanctuaries of His glorious kingdom.
The Princes in charge of offerings have tongues of knowledge, [and] they bless the God of knowledge among all His glorious works ...
IIQ17 viii
... their [mar]vellous marvels by the power of the God of [eter]nity;
and they shall exalt the mighty deeds of the G[od] ...
From the four foundations of the marvellous firmament they shall pr[oclaim soundlessly (?) a divine oracle ... wall.
They bless and praise the God of gods ...
40
Songs for the Holocaust of the Sabbath
(4Q400—407, 11Q17, Masada 1039-200)
[To the Master. Song of the holocaust of the] first [Sabba]th, on the
fourth of the first month.
Praise [the God of ... ] the ‘gods’ (= elohim) of supreme holiness; in [his] divine [kingship, rejoice. For he has established] supreme holiness among the everlastingly holy, the Holy of Holies, to be for him, the priests of [the inner Temple in his royal sanctuary], ministers of the Presence in his glorious innermost Temple chamber.
In the congregation of all the gods (= elim) of [knowledge, and in the congregation of all the ‘gods’ of] God, he engraved his precepts for all the spiritual works, and [his glorious] judgements [for all who lay the foundations of] knowledge, the people (endowed with) his glorious understanding, the ‘gods’ who are close to knowledge ... of eternity and from the fountain of holiness to the sanctuary of supreme [holiness]
... prie[sts] of the inner Temple, ministers of the Presence of the [most] holy King ... his glory.
They shall grow in strength decree by decree to be seven [eternal councils. For he fo]unded them [for] himself as the most [holy, who minister in the h]oly of holies ... do not endure [those who per]vert the way.
There is [n]othing impure in their sanctuaries.
He engraved for them [precepts relating to ho]ly gifts; by them, all the everlastingly holy shall sanctify themselves.
He shall purify the [luminously] pure [to repa]y all those who render their way crooked.
Their expiations shall obtain his goodwill for all those who repent from sin... knowledge among the priests of the inner Temple, and from their mouth (proceed the teachings of the holy with the judgements of [his glory] ...
his [gra]ces for everlasting merciful forgiveness.
In his zealousvengeance ...
he has established for himself as priests of the inner Temple, the most holy ...
of gods, the priests of the highest heights who are near [to] ...
4Q4002 (4Q401, fr. 14, 7-8)
... wonderfully to extol Thy glory among the divine beings of knowledge, and the praises of Thy kingship among the most ho[ly].
More wonderfully than ‘gods’ and men they are glorified amid all the camps of the ‘gods’ and feared by companies of men.
They recount his royal majesty according to their knowledge and exalt [his glory in all] his royal heavens.
In all the highest heights [they shall sing] marvellous psalms according to all [their understanding, and the glorious splendour] of the King of the ‘gods’ they shall recount on their stations
... for what shall we be counted among them?
For what shall our priesthood be counted in their dwellings?
[How shall our] ho[liness compare with their supreme] holiness?
How does the offering of our tongue of dust compare with the knowledge of the divine [beings] ... our jubilation.
Let us extol the God of knowledge ... Holy of Holies and His understanding is above all those who possess knowledge ...
4Q402, fr. 4, 9-10
... ‘gods’ run to his visitation and the voice of a crowd ... of ‘gods’ in the war of heaven.
And it will be ...
4Q402 4, 11-15=MASADA FRAGMENT 1, 1-7
... wonderful new works.
All these he has done wonder[fully with all the eternally hidden things] ...
all the words of knowledge; for from the God of knowledge (comes) all that exists for ever, [and from] his [plan]s (come) all the eternally appointed.
He produces the former things in their appointed times, and the latter things in their seasons.
None among those who know the [wonderfully] revealed things can comprehend them before he makes them. When he makes them, none of [the doers of righteous]ness can understand his plan, for they are his glorious works.
Before they come into being, (they derive) [from] his [pla]n.
Songs for the Holocaust of the Sabbath
(4Q400—407, 11Q17, Masada 1039-200)
[To the Master. Song of the holocaust of the] first [Sabba]th, on the
fourth of the first month.
Praise [the God of ... ] the ‘gods’ (= elohim) of supreme holiness; in [his] divine [kingship, rejoice. For he has established] supreme holiness among the everlastingly holy, the Holy of Holies, to be for him, the priests of [the inner Temple in his royal sanctuary], ministers of the Presence in his glorious innermost Temple chamber.
In the congregation of all the gods (= elim) of [knowledge, and in the congregation of all the ‘gods’ of] God, he engraved his precepts for all the spiritual works, and [his glorious] judgements [for all who lay the foundations of] knowledge, the people (endowed with) his glorious understanding, the ‘gods’ who are close to knowledge ... of eternity and from the fountain of holiness to the sanctuary of supreme [holiness]
... prie[sts] of the inner Temple, ministers of the Presence of the [most] holy King ... his glory.
They shall grow in strength decree by decree to be seven [eternal councils. For he fo]unded them [for] himself as the most [holy, who minister in the h]oly of holies ... do not endure [those who per]vert the way.
There is [n]othing impure in their sanctuaries.
He engraved for them [precepts relating to ho]ly gifts; by them, all the everlastingly holy shall sanctify themselves.
He shall purify the [luminously] pure [to repa]y all those who render their way crooked.
Their expiations shall obtain his goodwill for all those who repent from sin... knowledge among the priests of the inner Temple, and from their mouth (proceed the teachings of the holy with the judgements of [his glory] ...
his [gra]ces for everlasting merciful forgiveness.
In his zealousvengeance ...
he has established for himself as priests of the inner Temple, the most holy ...
of gods, the priests of the highest heights who are near [to] ...
4Q4002 (4Q401, fr. 14, 7-8)
... wonderfully to extol Thy glory among the divine beings of knowledge, and the praises of Thy kingship among the most ho[ly].
More wonderfully than ‘gods’ and men they are glorified amid all the camps of the ‘gods’ and feared by companies of men.
They recount his royal majesty according to their knowledge and exalt [his glory in all] his royal heavens.
In all the highest heights [they shall sing] marvellous psalms according to all [their understanding, and the glorious splendour] of the King of the ‘gods’ they shall recount on their stations
... for what shall we be counted among them?
For what shall our priesthood be counted in their dwellings?
[How shall our] ho[liness compare with their supreme] holiness?
How does the offering of our tongue of dust compare with the knowledge of the divine [beings] ... our jubilation.
Let us extol the God of knowledge ... Holy of Holies and His understanding is above all those who possess knowledge ...
4Q402, fr. 4, 9-10
... ‘gods’ run to his visitation and the voice of a crowd ... of ‘gods’ in the war of heaven.
And it will be ...
4Q402 4, 11-15=MASADA FRAGMENT 1, 1-7
... wonderful new works.
All these he has done wonder[fully with all the eternally hidden things] ...
all the words of knowledge; for from the God of knowledge (comes) all that exists for ever, [and from] his [plan]s (come) all the eternally appointed.
He produces the former things in their appointed times, and the latter things in their seasons.
None among those who know the [wonderfully] revealed things can comprehend them before he makes them. When he makes them, none of [the doers of righteous]ness can understand his plan, for they are his glorious works.
Before they come into being, (they derive) [from] his [pla]n.
41
[For the Master. So]ng of the holocaust of the sixth Sabbath on the
ninth of the [second] month.
[Praise the G]od of gods, you inhabitants of the highest heights...
[h]oly of holies and exalt his glory ...
[kn]owledge of the everlasting gods ...
4Q403 1, i, 1-29 (4Q404-5)=MASADA FRAGMENT
1039-200
[Psalm of exaltation (uttered) by the tongue] of the third of the sovereign Princes, an exaltation ...
He shall exalt the God of the angels on high seven times with seven wonderful exaltations.
Psalm of praise (uttered) by the tongue of the four[th] to the Mighty One above all the [gods], seven wonderful mighty deeds.
He shall praise the God of mighty deeds seven times with seven words of [marvellous] prais[e].
Psalm of thanksgiving (uttered) by the tongue of the fifth to the [K]in[g] of glory with its seven wonderful thanksgivings.
He shall thank the God of glory se[ven times with se]v[en wor]ds of wonderful thanksgivings.
[Psalm of] exultation (uttered) by the tongue of the sixth to [the] God of goodness with its seven [wonderful] exultations.
He shall exult before the Ki[ng of] goodness seven times with sev[en words of wonderful exultation.
Psalm of [singing (uttered) by the t] ongue of the seventh of the [sovereign] Prin[ces], a powerful song [to the Go]d of ho[liness] with its se[ven] marvellous [songs].
He shall sing [to] the Kin[g of ho]liness seven times with [seven w]ords of [wonderful] so[ngs;
sev]en psa[lms (singing) his blessings;
sev]en [psalm]s of magnification of [his righteousness;
seven psalms] of exaltation of [his] kingshi[p;
seven] psalms of [praises of his glory;
sev]en p[salms of thanksgivings for his marvellous deeds];
[seven psalms of ex]ul[tation of] his power;
seven [psalms singin]g his holiness; ...
[seven times with seven wonderful words, words of exaltation of the Sovereign Princes.]
In the glo[ri]ous name of God, [the first of] the sov[erei]gn Princes sha[ll bless] all the ... [with seven wonderful words blessing all] their [councils] in [his holy] sanctuary [with sev]en wonderful wo[rd]s, [and he shall bless those who kn]ow the everlasting things.
[In the name of] his truth, [the second of the sovereign Princes shall bless] all [their] sta[tions with] se[ven] wonderful word[s and he shall bless with] seven [wonderful]words.
[He shall bless all those who exalt the] King with seven g[lor]iou[s] w[ords of his] marvels, [all the] eternally pure.
[In the name of] his exalted kingship, the third [of the sovereign Princes shall bless all who are lif]ted up [in kn]owledge with se[ven w]ords of exal[ta]tion ... [of his true kn]ow[ledge], he shall bless with
seven marvellous words; and he shall bless all [who are destined] for righteousness [with seven] wonderful [w]ords.
In the name of the King’s majesty, [the fourth] of the [sovereign] Princes shall bless with seven [majestic] words [all who] walk [up]rightly.
He shall bless all the gods [close to] true knowledge [with seve]n righteous words (for gaining) [his gl]o[rious] favours.
In the name of [the majesty] of his marvellous deeds, the fifth [sovereign] Prince shall bless with seven [words] of his exalted truth [all who] ... purity.
[He shall bless] all who eagerly do his will with seven [marvellous words.
And he shall bless] all who confess him with seven majestic [wor]ds that they may thank [him for ever].
In the name of [the mighty deeds of] the gods the sixth sovereign Prince shall bless with seven words of his marvellous mighty deeds all who are mighty in wisdom.
He shall bless all the perfect of way with seven marvellous words to be in attendance for [ever].
He shall bless all who wait for him with seven marvellous words that they may obtain
the return of his [gracious] favours.
In the name of his holiness, the seventh of the sovereign Princes shall bless with seven words of his marvellous holiness all the holy founders of kno[wledge.
He shall bless] all who exalt his statutes with sev[en] marvellous [wo]rds (which shall be for them) stout shields.
He shall bless all [who are destined for] righteousness [and always] forever [pra]ise his glorious kingship with seven [marvellous words] for everlasting peace.
In [the name of his holiness] all the [sovereign] Princes [shall bless together] the God of the divine beings [in] all their sevenfold t[estimonies].
They shall bless those destined for righteousness and all the blessed... the eter[na]ll[y ble]ssed for them.
Blessed be [the] Lo[r]d, the Kin[g of] all, who is above all blessing and p[raise.
He shall bless all the holy] who bless [him and proclaim him righ]te[ous] in the name of his glory.
[And he shall b]less all who are blessed for ever.
[For the Master. So]ng of the holocaust of the sixth Sabbath on the
ninth of the [second] month.
[Praise the G]od of gods, you inhabitants of the highest heights...
[h]oly of holies and exalt his glory ...
[kn]owledge of the everlasting gods ...
4Q403 1, i, 1-29 (4Q404-5)=MASADA FRAGMENT
1039-200
[Psalm of exaltation (uttered) by the tongue] of the third of the sovereign Princes, an exaltation ...
He shall exalt the God of the angels on high seven times with seven wonderful exaltations.
Psalm of praise (uttered) by the tongue of the four[th] to the Mighty One above all the [gods], seven wonderful mighty deeds.
He shall praise the God of mighty deeds seven times with seven words of [marvellous] prais[e].
Psalm of thanksgiving (uttered) by the tongue of the fifth to the [K]in[g] of glory with its seven wonderful thanksgivings.
He shall thank the God of glory se[ven times with se]v[en wor]ds of wonderful thanksgivings.
[Psalm of] exultation (uttered) by the tongue of the sixth to [the] God of goodness with its seven [wonderful] exultations.
He shall exult before the Ki[ng of] goodness seven times with sev[en words of wonderful exultation.
Psalm of [singing (uttered) by the t] ongue of the seventh of the [sovereign] Prin[ces], a powerful song [to the Go]d of ho[liness] with its se[ven] marvellous [songs].
He shall sing [to] the Kin[g of ho]liness seven times with [seven w]ords of [wonderful] so[ngs;
sev]en psa[lms (singing) his blessings;
sev]en [psalm]s of magnification of [his righteousness;
seven psalms] of exaltation of [his] kingshi[p;
seven] psalms of [praises of his glory;
sev]en p[salms of thanksgivings for his marvellous deeds];
[seven psalms of ex]ul[tation of] his power;
seven [psalms singin]g his holiness; ...
[seven times with seven wonderful words, words of exaltation of the Sovereign Princes.]
In the glo[ri]ous name of God, [the first of] the sov[erei]gn Princes sha[ll bless] all the ... [with seven wonderful words blessing all] their [councils] in [his holy] sanctuary [with sev]en wonderful wo[rd]s, [and he shall bless those who kn]ow the everlasting things.
[In the name of] his truth, [the second of the sovereign Princes shall bless] all [their] sta[tions with] se[ven] wonderful word[s and he shall bless with] seven [wonderful]words.
[He shall bless all those who exalt the] King with seven g[lor]iou[s] w[ords of his] marvels, [all the] eternally pure.
[In the name of] his exalted kingship, the third [of the sovereign Princes shall bless all who are lif]ted up [in kn]owledge with se[ven w]ords of exal[ta]tion ... [of his true kn]ow[ledge], he shall bless with
seven marvellous words; and he shall bless all [who are destined] for righteousness [with seven] wonderful [w]ords.
In the name of the King’s majesty, [the fourth] of the [sovereign] Princes shall bless with seven [majestic] words [all who] walk [up]rightly.
He shall bless all the gods [close to] true knowledge [with seve]n righteous words (for gaining) [his gl]o[rious] favours.
In the name of [the majesty] of his marvellous deeds, the fifth [sovereign] Prince shall bless with seven [words] of his exalted truth [all who] ... purity.
[He shall bless] all who eagerly do his will with seven [marvellous words.
And he shall bless] all who confess him with seven majestic [wor]ds that they may thank [him for ever].
In the name of [the mighty deeds of] the gods the sixth sovereign Prince shall bless with seven words of his marvellous mighty deeds all who are mighty in wisdom.
He shall bless all the perfect of way with seven marvellous words to be in attendance for [ever].
He shall bless all who wait for him with seven marvellous words that they may obtain
the return of his [gracious] favours.
In the name of his holiness, the seventh of the sovereign Princes shall bless with seven words of his marvellous holiness all the holy founders of kno[wledge.
He shall bless] all who exalt his statutes with sev[en] marvellous [wo]rds (which shall be for them) stout shields.
He shall bless all [who are destined for] righteousness [and always] forever [pra]ise his glorious kingship with seven [marvellous words] for everlasting peace.
In [the name of his holiness] all the [sovereign] Princes [shall bless together] the God of the divine beings [in] all their sevenfold t[estimonies].
They shall bless those destined for righteousness and all the blessed... the eter[na]ll[y ble]ssed for them.
Blessed be [the] Lo[r]d, the Kin[g of] all, who is above all blessing and p[raise.
He shall bless all the holy] who bless [him and proclaim him righ]te[ous] in the name of his glory.
[And he shall b]less all who are blessed for ever.
42
4Q403 I, i, 30-46 (4Q405)
For the Master. Song of the holocaust of the seventh Sabbath on the
sixteenth of the month.
Praise the most high God, O you high among all the gods of knowledge.
Let the holy ones of the ‘gods’ sanctify the King of glory, who sanctifies by his holiness all his holy ones.
O Princes of the praises of all the ‘gods’, praise the God of majestic praises, For in the splendour of praises is the glory of His kingship.
In it are (contained) the praises of all the ‘gods’ together with the splendour of all [His] king[ship].
Exalt His exaltation on high, O ‘gods’, above the gods on high, and His glorious divinity above all the highest heights.
For He [is the God of gods], of all the Princes on high, and the King of king[s] of all the eternal councils.
By a discerning goodwill (expressed by) the words of His mouth a[ll the gods on high]come into being, at the opening of His lips, all the eternal spirits, by His discerning goodwill, all His creatures in their undertakings.
Exult, O you who exult [in his knowledge, with] an exultation among the wonderful ‘gods’;
utter His glory with the tongue of all who utter knowledge;
may His wonderful exultation be in the mouth of all who utter [His knowledge].
[For He] is the God of all who exult in everlasting knowledge, and the Judge through His might of all the spirits of understanding.
Celebrate O all celebrating gods, the King of majesty, for all the gods of knowledge celebrate His glory, and all the spirits of righteousness celebrate His truth, and seek
acceptance of their knowledge by the judgements of His mouth, and of their celebrations when His mighty hand executes (?) judgements of reward.
Sing to the God of power with an offering of the princely spirit, a song of divine joy,
and a jubilation among all the holy, a wonderful song for eter[nal] rejoicing.
With these all the f[oundations of the hol]y of holies shall praise, the pillars bearing the highest abode, and all the corners of its structure.
Sing to the Go[d who is a]wesome in strength ...
to extol together the splendid firmament, the supreme purity of [His] holy sanctuary.
[Praise] Him, O divine spirits, prai[sing for ever and] ever the firmament of the highest heavens, all ...
and its walls, a[l]l its [structure, its shape.
[The spi]rits of the hol[y] of holies, the living ‘gods’, [the spir]its of [et]ernal holiness above all the holy [ones];
... marvellous marvel, majesty and beauty and marvel.
[Gl]ory is in the perfect light of knowledge ... in all the marvellous sanctuaries.
The divine spirits surround the dwelling of the King of truth and righteousness;
all its walls ...
4Q403 I, ii, 6-29
... and from among them run ‘gods’ with the appearance of coals of [fire] ...
walking round about, most holy spirits ...
Holy of Holies, divine spirits, ever(lasting] appearances ...
and divine spirits, forms of flaming fire round about it ... wonderful spirits.
And the chief dwelling on high, the glory of His kingdom, the innermost sanctuary ... And He consecrates the seven elevated holy places.
And a voice of blessing (comes) from the chiefs of His innermost sanctuary ...
And a glorious voice of blessing ... is heard by God (the ‘gods’) and the foundations ...
of blessing.
And all the ornaments of the innermost sanctuary burst into wonderful prayers in the innermost sanctuary ... of wonder, one innermost sanctuary to another, by the voice of holy crowds, and all their ornaments ...
And the chariots of His innermost sanctuary will utter praises together and their cherubim and wheels will bless wonderfully the chiefs of the ‘godly’ figure and will bless Him in the holy innermost sanctuary.
4Q403 I, i, 30-46 (4Q405)
For the Master. Song of the holocaust of the seventh Sabbath on the
sixteenth of the month.
Praise the most high God, O you high among all the gods of knowledge.
Let the holy ones of the ‘gods’ sanctify the King of glory, who sanctifies by his holiness all his holy ones.
O Princes of the praises of all the ‘gods’, praise the God of majestic praises, For in the splendour of praises is the glory of His kingship.
In it are (contained) the praises of all the ‘gods’ together with the splendour of all [His] king[ship].
Exalt His exaltation on high, O ‘gods’, above the gods on high, and His glorious divinity above all the highest heights.
For He [is the God of gods], of all the Princes on high, and the King of king[s] of all the eternal councils.
By a discerning goodwill (expressed by) the words of His mouth a[ll the gods on high]come into being, at the opening of His lips, all the eternal spirits, by His discerning goodwill, all His creatures in their undertakings.
Exult, O you who exult [in his knowledge, with] an exultation among the wonderful ‘gods’;
utter His glory with the tongue of all who utter knowledge;
may His wonderful exultation be in the mouth of all who utter [His knowledge].
[For He] is the God of all who exult in everlasting knowledge, and the Judge through His might of all the spirits of understanding.
Celebrate O all celebrating gods, the King of majesty, for all the gods of knowledge celebrate His glory, and all the spirits of righteousness celebrate His truth, and seek
acceptance of their knowledge by the judgements of His mouth, and of their celebrations when His mighty hand executes (?) judgements of reward.
Sing to the God of power with an offering of the princely spirit, a song of divine joy,
and a jubilation among all the holy, a wonderful song for eter[nal] rejoicing.
With these all the f[oundations of the hol]y of holies shall praise, the pillars bearing the highest abode, and all the corners of its structure.
Sing to the Go[d who is a]wesome in strength ...
to extol together the splendid firmament, the supreme purity of [His] holy sanctuary.
[Praise] Him, O divine spirits, prai[sing for ever and] ever the firmament of the highest heavens, all ...
and its walls, a[l]l its [structure, its shape.
[The spi]rits of the hol[y] of holies, the living ‘gods’, [the spir]its of [et]ernal holiness above all the holy [ones];
... marvellous marvel, majesty and beauty and marvel.
[Gl]ory is in the perfect light of knowledge ... in all the marvellous sanctuaries.
The divine spirits surround the dwelling of the King of truth and righteousness;
all its walls ...
4Q403 I, ii, 6-29
... and from among them run ‘gods’ with the appearance of coals of [fire] ...
walking round about, most holy spirits ...
Holy of Holies, divine spirits, ever(lasting] appearances ...
and divine spirits, forms of flaming fire round about it ... wonderful spirits.
And the chief dwelling on high, the glory of His kingdom, the innermost sanctuary ... And He consecrates the seven elevated holy places.
And a voice of blessing (comes) from the chiefs of His innermost sanctuary ...
And a glorious voice of blessing ... is heard by God (the ‘gods’) and the foundations ...
of blessing.
And all the ornaments of the innermost sanctuary burst into wonderful prayers in the innermost sanctuary ... of wonder, one innermost sanctuary to another, by the voice of holy crowds, and all their ornaments ...
And the chariots of His innermost sanctuary will utter praises together and their cherubim and wheels will bless wonderfully the chiefs of the ‘godly’ figure and will bless Him in the holy innermost sanctuary.
43
For the Master. Song of the holocaust for the eighth Sabbath on the
tw[enty]-third [of the second month].
[Praise the God of all the highest heights, all the holy ones for ever] and ever, they who are second among the priests of the inner Temple, the second council in the wonderful dwelling, with seven words of ... eternally.
Extol Him, O sovereign Princes, in his marvellous portion, praise [the God of gods, O you seven priesthoods of His inner Temple].
... height, the seven wonderful domains by the precept concerning His sanctuaries.
The sovereign Princes of the [wonderful] priest[hood] ... the seven
priest[hoods] in the wonderful sanctuary for seven councils of holiness
... the Prince, the angels of the King in the wonderful dwellings.
The knowledge of their understanding is for seven ...
Prince from the priest of the inner Temple.
The Princes of the congregation of the King in the assembly of ... and praises of exaltation to the King of glory and a tower of ... for the God of gods, the King of purity.
The offering of their tongues ... the seven mysteries of knowledge in the wonderful mystery of the seven domains [of] the Ho[ly of holies] ...
[The tongue of the first shall be seven times stronger than the tongue of the second;
the tongue of the second shall be] seven times [stronger] than that of the third;
[the to]ngue of the thi[rd shall be] seven tim[es] stronger [than that of the fourth; the tongue of the fourth shall be seven times stronger than the tongue of the fifth; the tongue of the fifth shall be seven times stronger than the tongue of] the sixth; the tongu[e of the sixth shall be seven times stronger than the] t[ongue of the seventh];
the tongue of the seventh shall be [seven times] stronger [than the tongue of the
eighth] ...
4Q405 14-15, i
... tongue of blessing from the likeness [of the gods] issues a [v]oice of blessing for the King of those who exalt, and their wonderful praise is for the God of gods ... their many-coloured ... and they sing ... the vestibules by which they enter, the spirits of the most holy inner Temple
... [And the likene]ss of the living ‘gods’ is engraved on the vestibules by which the King enters, luminous spiritual figures ...
[K]ing, figures of a glorious l[ight, wonderful] spirits; [amo]ng the spirits of splendour there are works of (art of) marvellous colours, figures of the living
‘gods’ ... [in the] glorious innermost Temple chambers, the structure of [the most ho]ly [sanctuary] in the innermost chambers of the King,
design[s of ‘go] ds’ ... likeness of ... most holy ... [the Temple] chambers of the
Ki[ng] ... figur[es of the ‘g]o[ds’ and from] the likeness
... of the Holy of Holies ...
4Q405 19 ABCD (IIQ17 vii, 5-6)
The figures of the ‘gods’ shall praise Him, [the most] h[oly] spirits ... of glory;
the floor of the marvellous innermost chambers, the spirits of the eternal gods, all ... fi[gures of the innermost] chamber of the King,
the spiritual works of the marvellous firmament are purified with salt, [spi]rits of knowledge, truth [and] righteousness in the holy of [hollies, [f]orms of the living ‘gods’, forms of the illuminating spirits.
All their [works (of art)] are marvellously linked, many-coloured [spirits], artistic figures of the ‘gods’, engraved all around their glorious bricks, glorious
figures on b[ri]cks of splendour and majes[ty].
All their works (of art) are living ‘gods’, and their artistic figures are holy angels. From beneath the marvellous inner[most chambers] comes a sound of quiet
silence: the ‘gods’ bless ... the King ...
4Q405 20 ii, 21—2
... His glorious chariots.
When they go ... they do not turn aside ... but advance straight ...
For the Master. Song of the holocaust for the eighth Sabbath on the
tw[enty]-third [of the second month].
[Praise the God of all the highest heights, all the holy ones for ever] and ever, they who are second among the priests of the inner Temple, the second council in the wonderful dwelling, with seven words of ... eternally.
Extol Him, O sovereign Princes, in his marvellous portion, praise [the God of gods, O you seven priesthoods of His inner Temple].
... height, the seven wonderful domains by the precept concerning His sanctuaries.
The sovereign Princes of the [wonderful] priest[hood] ... the seven
priest[hoods] in the wonderful sanctuary for seven councils of holiness
... the Prince, the angels of the King in the wonderful dwellings.
The knowledge of their understanding is for seven ...
Prince from the priest of the inner Temple.
The Princes of the congregation of the King in the assembly of ... and praises of exaltation to the King of glory and a tower of ... for the God of gods, the King of purity.
The offering of their tongues ... the seven mysteries of knowledge in the wonderful mystery of the seven domains [of] the Ho[ly of holies] ...
[The tongue of the first shall be seven times stronger than the tongue of the second;
the tongue of the second shall be] seven times [stronger] than that of the third;
[the to]ngue of the thi[rd shall be] seven tim[es] stronger [than that of the fourth; the tongue of the fourth shall be seven times stronger than the tongue of the fifth; the tongue of the fifth shall be seven times stronger than the tongue of] the sixth; the tongu[e of the sixth shall be seven times stronger than the] t[ongue of the seventh];
the tongue of the seventh shall be [seven times] stronger [than the tongue of the
eighth] ...
4Q405 14-15, i
... tongue of blessing from the likeness [of the gods] issues a [v]oice of blessing for the King of those who exalt, and their wonderful praise is for the God of gods ... their many-coloured ... and they sing ... the vestibules by which they enter, the spirits of the most holy inner Temple
... [And the likene]ss of the living ‘gods’ is engraved on the vestibules by which the King enters, luminous spiritual figures ...
[K]ing, figures of a glorious l[ight, wonderful] spirits; [amo]ng the spirits of splendour there are works of (art of) marvellous colours, figures of the living
‘gods’ ... [in the] glorious innermost Temple chambers, the structure of [the most ho]ly [sanctuary] in the innermost chambers of the King,
design[s of ‘go] ds’ ... likeness of ... most holy ... [the Temple] chambers of the
Ki[ng] ... figur[es of the ‘g]o[ds’ and from] the likeness
... of the Holy of Holies ...
4Q405 19 ABCD (IIQ17 vii, 5-6)
The figures of the ‘gods’ shall praise Him, [the most] h[oly] spirits ... of glory;
the floor of the marvellous innermost chambers, the spirits of the eternal gods, all ... fi[gures of the innermost] chamber of the King,
the spiritual works of the marvellous firmament are purified with salt, [spi]rits of knowledge, truth [and] righteousness in the holy of [hollies, [f]orms of the living ‘gods’, forms of the illuminating spirits.
All their [works (of art)] are marvellously linked, many-coloured [spirits], artistic figures of the ‘gods’, engraved all around their glorious bricks, glorious
figures on b[ri]cks of splendour and majes[ty].
All their works (of art) are living ‘gods’, and their artistic figures are holy angels. From beneath the marvellous inner[most chambers] comes a sound of quiet
silence: the ‘gods’ bless ... the King ...
4Q405 20 ii, 21—2
... His glorious chariots.
When they go ... they do not turn aside ... but advance straight ...
44
For the Mas[ter. Song of the holocaust of] the twelfth [S]abbath [on
the twenty-first of the third month.]
[Praise the God of... w]onder, and exalt Him ...
of glory in the te[nt of the God of]knowledge.
The [cheru]bim prostrate themselves before Him and bless.
As they rise, a whispered divine voice [is heard], and there is a roar of praise.
When they drop their wings, there is a [whispere] d divine voice.
The cherubim bless the image of the thronechariot above the firmament, [and] they praise [the majes]ty of the luminous firmament beneath His seat of glory.
When the wheels advance, angels of holiness come and go.
From between His glorious wheels, there is as it were a fiery vision of most holy spirits.
About them, the appearance of rivulets of fire in the likeness of gleaming brass, and a work of ... radiance in many-coloured glory, marvellous pigments, clearly mingled.
The spirits of the living ‘gods’ move perpetually with the glory of the marvellous chariot(s).
The whispered voice of blessing accompanies the roar of their advance, and they praise the Holy One on their way of return.
When they ascend, they ascend marvellously and when they settle, they stand still. The sound of joyful praise is silenced and there is a whispered blessing of the ‘gods’
in all the camps of God.
And the sound of praise ... from among all their divisions ... and all their numbered ones praise, each in his turn.
4Q405 23 i
... his whole-offering. The ‘gods’ praise Him [when they take] up their station, and all the s[pirits of] the clear firm[am]ent rejoice in His glory.
A sound of blessing (is heard) from all His divisions speaking of the firmaments of His glory, and His gates praise with a resounding voice.
When the gods of knowledge enter by the doors of glory, and when the holy angels depart towards their realm, the entrance doors and the gates of exit proclaim the glory of the King, blessing and praising all the spirits of God when they depart and enter by the gates.
None among them skips over a precept, nor do they ... against the saying of the King ... They run not away from the path, nor slip away from His domain.
They are neither too high for His commission nor too lowly.
For He shall be compassionate in the realm of His furious, destr[oying ange]r;
He will not judge in the provinces of His glorious wrath.
The fear of the King of ‘gods’ is awe-inspiring to [al]l the ‘gods’, [and they undertake] all His commissions by virtue of His true order, and they go
4Q405
4Q405 23 ii
... At their marvellous stations are spirits, many-coloured like the work of a weaver, splendid engraved figures.
In the midst of a glorious appearance of scarlet, colours of the most holy spiritual light, they hold to their holy station before [the K]ing, spirits of [pure] colours in the midst of an appearance of whiteness.
The likeness of the glorious spirit is like a work (of art) of sparkling fine gold.
All their pattern is clearly mingled like the work (of art) of a weaver.
These are the Princes of those marvellously clothed for service, the Princes of the
kingdom, the kingdom of the holy ones of the King of holiness in all the heights of the sanctuaries of His glorious kingdom.
The Princes in charge of offerings have tongues of knowledge, [and] they bless the
God of knowledge among all His glorious works ...
IIQ17 viii
... their [mar]vellous marvels by the power of the God of [eter]nity;
and they shall exalt the mighty deeds of the G[od] ... From the four foundations of the marvellous firmament they shall pr[oclaim] soundlessly (?) a divine oracle ... wall.
They bless and praise the God of gods ...
For the Mas[ter. Song of the holocaust of] the twelfth [S]abbath [on
the twenty-first of the third month.]
[Praise the God of... w]onder, and exalt Him ...
of glory in the te[nt of the God of]knowledge.
The [cheru]bim prostrate themselves before Him and bless.
As they rise, a whispered divine voice [is heard], and there is a roar of praise.
When they drop their wings, there is a [whispere] d divine voice.
The cherubim bless the image of the thronechariot above the firmament, [and] they praise [the majes]ty of the luminous firmament beneath His seat of glory.
When the wheels advance, angels of holiness come and go.
From between His glorious wheels, there is as it were a fiery vision of most holy spirits.
About them, the appearance of rivulets of fire in the likeness of gleaming brass, and a work of ... radiance in many-coloured glory, marvellous pigments, clearly mingled.
The spirits of the living ‘gods’ move perpetually with the glory of the marvellous chariot(s).
The whispered voice of blessing accompanies the roar of their advance, and they praise the Holy One on their way of return.
When they ascend, they ascend marvellously and when they settle, they stand still. The sound of joyful praise is silenced and there is a whispered blessing of the ‘gods’
in all the camps of God.
And the sound of praise ... from among all their divisions ... and all their numbered ones praise, each in his turn.
4Q405 23 i
... his whole-offering. The ‘gods’ praise Him [when they take] up their station, and all the s[pirits of] the clear firm[am]ent rejoice in His glory.
A sound of blessing (is heard) from all His divisions speaking of the firmaments of His glory, and His gates praise with a resounding voice.
When the gods of knowledge enter by the doors of glory, and when the holy angels depart towards their realm, the entrance doors and the gates of exit proclaim the glory of the King, blessing and praising all the spirits of God when they depart and enter by the gates.
None among them skips over a precept, nor do they ... against the saying of the King ... They run not away from the path, nor slip away from His domain.
They are neither too high for His commission nor too lowly.
For He shall be compassionate in the realm of His furious, destr[oying ange]r;
He will not judge in the provinces of His glorious wrath.
The fear of the King of ‘gods’ is awe-inspiring to [al]l the ‘gods’, [and they undertake] all His commissions by virtue of His true order, and they go
4Q405
4Q405 23 ii
... At their marvellous stations are spirits, many-coloured like the work of a weaver, splendid engraved figures.
In the midst of a glorious appearance of scarlet, colours of the most holy spiritual light, they hold to their holy station before [the K]ing, spirits of [pure] colours in the midst of an appearance of whiteness.
The likeness of the glorious spirit is like a work (of art) of sparkling fine gold.
All their pattern is clearly mingled like the work (of art) of a weaver.
These are the Princes of those marvellously clothed for service, the Princes of the
kingdom, the kingdom of the holy ones of the King of holiness in all the heights of the sanctuaries of His glorious kingdom.
The Princes in charge of offerings have tongues of knowledge, [and] they bless the
God of knowledge among all His glorious works ...
IIQ17 viii
... their [mar]vellous marvels by the power of the God of [eter]nity;
and they shall exalt the mighty deeds of the G[od] ... From the four foundations of the marvellous firmament they shall pr[oclaim] soundlessly (?) a divine oracle ... wall.
They bless and praise the God of gods ...
45
SyriacPsalm iii =Psalm 155
(When the People obtained permission from Cyrus to return home.)
1. XXIV O Lord, I have called to Thee, hear me.
2. I have spread out my hands towards Thy holy dwelling-place.
3. Turn Thine ear and grant me my request,
4. and do not withhold my plea from me.
5. Construct my soul and do not cast it away,
6. and do not leave it alone before the wicked.
7. May the true judge turn away from me the rewards of evil.
8. Lord, do not judge me according to my sins, for no living man is
righteous before Thee.
9. Lord, cause me to understand Thy Law and teach me Thy
judgements.
10. And the multitude shall hear of Thy deeds, and peoples shall
honour Thy glory.
11. Remember me and forget me not, and bring me not to
unbearable hardships.
12. Put away from me the sin of my youth, and may my sins not be
remembered against me.
13. Lord, cleanse me from the evil plague, and let it not return to
me.
14. Dry up its roots within me, and permit not its leaves to flourish
in me.
15. Lord, Thou art glory; therefore my plea is fulfilled before Thee.
16. 6 To whom shall I cry so that he will grant it to me? What more
can the po[wer] of the sons of men do?
17. From before Thee, O Lord, comes my trust. I cried to the Lord
and he answered me; he healed the brokenness of my heart.
18. 8 I was sleepy [and I] slept; I dreamt and also [I awoke].
19. [Lord, Thou didst support me when my heart was stricken, and
I called upon the Lor]d [my saviour].
20. Now I will see their shame; I have relied on Thee, and I will not
be ashamed. (Render glory for ever and ever.)
21. Redeem Israel, Thy pious one, O Lord, and the house of
Jacob, Thine elect.
SyriacPsalm iii =Psalm 155
(When the People obtained permission from Cyrus to return home.)
1. XXIV O Lord, I have called to Thee, hear me.
2. I have spread out my hands towards Thy holy dwelling-place.
3. Turn Thine ear and grant me my request,
4. and do not withhold my plea from me.
5. Construct my soul and do not cast it away,
6. and do not leave it alone before the wicked.
7. May the true judge turn away from me the rewards of evil.
8. Lord, do not judge me according to my sins, for no living man is
righteous before Thee.
9. Lord, cause me to understand Thy Law and teach me Thy
judgements.
10. And the multitude shall hear of Thy deeds, and peoples shall
honour Thy glory.
11. Remember me and forget me not, and bring me not to
unbearable hardships.
12. Put away from me the sin of my youth, and may my sins not be
remembered against me.
13. Lord, cleanse me from the evil plague, and let it not return to
me.
14. Dry up its roots within me, and permit not its leaves to flourish
in me.
15. Lord, Thou art glory; therefore my plea is fulfilled before Thee.
16. 6 To whom shall I cry so that he will grant it to me? What more
can the po[wer] of the sons of men do?
17. From before Thee, O Lord, comes my trust. I cried to the Lord
and he answered me; he healed the brokenness of my heart.
18. 8 I was sleepy [and I] slept; I dreamt and also [I awoke].
19. [Lord, Thou didst support me when my heart was stricken, and
I called upon the Lor]d [my saviour].
20. Now I will see their shame; I have relied on Thee, and I will not
be ashamed. (Render glory for ever and ever.)
21. Redeem Israel, Thy pious one, O Lord, and the house of
Jacob, Thine elect.
46
Lamentations
(4Q]179,4Q501)
4Q179, fr. 2
[How] solitary [lies] the city, the princess of all the peoples is desolate like a forsaken woman;
and all her [daughters are forsak[en] [like] a forsaken woman, like a woman hurt and forsaken by her [husband].
All her palaces and [her] wal[ls] are like a barren woman; and like a sheltered woman are all [her] paths;
[all her] ...
like a woman of bitterness, and all her daughters are like women mourning fo [their] hus[bands];
[all her] ... like women deprived of their only children.
Weep, weep, Jer[usalem] [her tears flow] upon her cheeks because of her sons ...
4Q501
Give not our inheritance to strangers, nor our (hard-earned) property to foreigners.
Remember that we are [the forsaken] of Thy people and the forsaken of Thine inheritance.
Remember the desolate children of Thy Covenant...
T[hy] freely devoted ... ;
they err with no one to bring them back;
they are broken with none to bind them;
[they are bent down with none to ra]ise them up.
The damned of Thy people have surrounded me with their lying tongues.
They have been turned ...
and Thy boughs to the progeny of a woman.
Look and see the shame of the sons of [Thy people (?), for] our skin [is burning] and feverish heat has seized us because of their reviling tongue.
...
...
...
Liturgical Prayer
(1Q 34 and 34 bis)
I ... Thou wilt cause the wicked to be our ransom and the unfaithful to be our redemption.
[Thou wilt] blot out all our oppressors and we shall praise Thy Name for ever [and ever].
For this hast Thou created us and [to say to Thee] this: Blessed art Thou ...
II ... the Great Light (of heaven) for the [day]time, [and the Little Light
(of heaven) for the night] ... without transgressing their laws, ... and their dominion is over all the world.
But the seed of man did not understand all that Thou caused them to inherit;
they did not discern Thee in all Thy words and wickedly turned aside from every one. They heeded not Thy great power and therefore Thou didst reject them.
For wickedness pleases Thee not, and the ungodly shall not be established before Thee.
But in the time of Thy goodwill Thou didst choose for Thyself a people.
Thou didst remember Thy Covenant and [granted] that they should be set apart for Thyself from among all the peoples as a holy thing.
And Thou didst renew for them Thy Covenant (founded) on a glorious vision and the words of Thy Holy [Spirit], on the works of Thy hands and the writing of Thy Right Hand, that they might know the foundations of glory and the steps towards eternity... [Thou didst raise up] for them a faithful shepherd ...
Lamentations
(4Q]179,4Q501)
4Q179, fr. 2
[How] solitary [lies] the city, the princess of all the peoples is desolate like a forsaken woman;
and all her [daughters are forsak[en] [like] a forsaken woman, like a woman hurt and forsaken by her [husband].
All her palaces and [her] wal[ls] are like a barren woman; and like a sheltered woman are all [her] paths;
[all her] ...
like a woman of bitterness, and all her daughters are like women mourning fo [their] hus[bands];
[all her] ... like women deprived of their only children.
Weep, weep, Jer[usalem] [her tears flow] upon her cheeks because of her sons ...
4Q501
Give not our inheritance to strangers, nor our (hard-earned) property to foreigners.
Remember that we are [the forsaken] of Thy people and the forsaken of Thine inheritance.
Remember the desolate children of Thy Covenant...
T[hy] freely devoted ... ;
they err with no one to bring them back;
they are broken with none to bind them;
[they are bent down with none to ra]ise them up.
The damned of Thy people have surrounded me with their lying tongues.
They have been turned ...
and Thy boughs to the progeny of a woman.
Look and see the shame of the sons of [Thy people (?), for] our skin [is burning] and feverish heat has seized us because of their reviling tongue.
...
...
...
Liturgical Prayer
(1Q 34 and 34 bis)
I ... Thou wilt cause the wicked to be our ransom and the unfaithful to be our redemption.
[Thou wilt] blot out all our oppressors and we shall praise Thy Name for ever [and ever].
For this hast Thou created us and [to say to Thee] this: Blessed art Thou ...
II ... the Great Light (of heaven) for the [day]time, [and the Little Light
(of heaven) for the night] ... without transgressing their laws, ... and their dominion is over all the world.
But the seed of man did not understand all that Thou caused them to inherit;
they did not discern Thee in all Thy words and wickedly turned aside from every one. They heeded not Thy great power and therefore Thou didst reject them.
For wickedness pleases Thee not, and the ungodly shall not be established before Thee.
But in the time of Thy goodwill Thou didst choose for Thyself a people.
Thou didst remember Thy Covenant and [granted] that they should be set apart for Thyself from among all the peoples as a holy thing.
And Thou didst renew for them Thy Covenant (founded) on a glorious vision and the words of Thy Holy [Spirit], on the works of Thy hands and the writing of Thy Right Hand, that they might know the foundations of glory and the steps towards eternity... [Thou didst raise up] for them a faithful shepherd ...
47
"The blessing thus predicted pertains, without [fear of] contradiction, to the times of the kingdom, when the just, rising from the dead, will reign, when even the creation, renewed and liberated, will produce a multitude of foods of all kinds from the dew of heaven and the fertility of the earth, just as the elders who saw John the disciple of the Lord remembered that they had heard from him how the Lord would teach about those times and would say:"
"The days will come in which vines will grow, each having ten thousand shoots, and on each shoot ten thousand branches, and on each branch ten thousand twigs, and on each twig ten thousand clusters, and in each cluster ten thousand grapes, and each grape, when pressed, will give twenty-five measures of wine. And, when one of those saints takes hold of a cluster, another cluster will clamor: I am better, take me, bless the Lord through me! Similarly a grain of wheat also will generate ten thousand heads, and each head will have ten thousand grains, and each grain five double pounds of clear and clean flour. And the remaining fruits and seeds and herbiage will follow through in congruence with these, and all the animals using these foods which are taken from the earth will in turn become peaceful and consenting, subject to men with every subjection."
Apocryphal Psalms (II)
(4Q88)
IX ...
Congregation
and they shall praise the name of the Lord, for He has come to judge every action, to remove the wicked from the earth [so that the sons] of iniquity shall not be found.
The heavens [shall give] their dew and there shall be no... [within] their [boundarie]s.
And the earth shall [give] its fruit in its time and its [prod]uct shall not fail.
The fruit trees [shall] ... of its vineyards and its ... shall not lie.
The poor shall eat and the God-fearers shall be sated.
X ...
Then heaven and earth shall exult together.
Let all the stars of the evening twilight exult.
Rejoice, Judah, rejoice!
Rejoice, rejoice and be glad with gladness!
Celebrate your feasts and pay your vows for there is no Belial in your midst.
Raise your hand and fortify your right hand!
Behold the enemy shall perish and all the workers of iniquity shall be dispersed.
But Thou, O Lord, art for eve[r].
Thy glory shall be for eve[r and eve]r.
[Ha]ll[eluiah].
"The blessing thus predicted pertains, without [fear of] contradiction, to the times of the kingdom, when the just, rising from the dead, will reign, when even the creation, renewed and liberated, will produce a multitude of foods of all kinds from the dew of heaven and the fertility of the earth, just as the elders who saw John the disciple of the Lord remembered that they had heard from him how the Lord would teach about those times and would say:"
"The days will come in which vines will grow, each having ten thousand shoots, and on each shoot ten thousand branches, and on each branch ten thousand twigs, and on each twig ten thousand clusters, and in each cluster ten thousand grapes, and each grape, when pressed, will give twenty-five measures of wine. And, when one of those saints takes hold of a cluster, another cluster will clamor: I am better, take me, bless the Lord through me! Similarly a grain of wheat also will generate ten thousand heads, and each head will have ten thousand grains, and each grain five double pounds of clear and clean flour. And the remaining fruits and seeds and herbiage will follow through in congruence with these, and all the animals using these foods which are taken from the earth will in turn become peaceful and consenting, subject to men with every subjection."
Apocryphal Psalms (II)
(4Q88)
IX ...
Congregation
and they shall praise the name of the Lord, for He has come to judge every action, to remove the wicked from the earth [so that the sons] of iniquity shall not be found.
The heavens [shall give] their dew and there shall be no... [within] their [boundarie]s.
And the earth shall [give] its fruit in its time and its [prod]uct shall not fail.
The fruit trees [shall] ... of its vineyards and its ... shall not lie.
The poor shall eat and the God-fearers shall be sated.
X ...
Then heaven and earth shall exult together.
Let all the stars of the evening twilight exult.
Rejoice, Judah, rejoice!
Rejoice, rejoice and be glad with gladness!
Celebrate your feasts and pay your vows for there is no Belial in your midst.
Raise your hand and fortify your right hand!
Behold the enemy shall perish and all the workers of iniquity shall be dispersed.
But Thou, O Lord, art for eve[r].
Thy glory shall be for eve[r and eve]r.
[Ha]ll[eluiah].
48
A Liturgical Work
Fr. 1
... each to be united with [G]od and not to depart from a[ll] ...
and their soul will cling to His Covenant and ...
the words of the mouth of ...
The Go[d] ... the heaven above and to search out the ways of the sons of man (leaving) no secret [in their heart(?)].
He created darkness [and l]ight is His, and in His dwelling is the most perfect light, and all gloominess ceases before Him.
It is not for Himself the distinction between light and darkness, for He has distinguished them for the sons of man: light during the day by means of the sun; (and during the) night (by means of) moon and stars.
The inscrutable light is with Him, and His knowledge is without [end, f]or all the works of God are multiple (?).
We who are flesh, should we not consider this? With us ...
for countless signs and wonders ... [wi]nds and lightnings ... [s]ervants
of the most holy pla[ce].
From before Him proceed the lu[minaries] ...
Frs. 2 and 5 (4Q393 1 i)
... [they did not lis]ten to the signs and wonders ... plagues [which no kingdom has seen] until this day and ...
He has brought us out [of the land of Egypt] without being counted.
In the mighty waters he made a path ...
the great [abyss] [and He made] him [sin]k like stone in the deep ...
A Liturgical Work
Fr. 1
... each to be united with [G]od and not to depart from a[ll] ...
and their soul will cling to His Covenant and ...
the words of the mouth of ...
The Go[d] ... the heaven above and to search out the ways of the sons of man (leaving) no secret [in their heart(?)].
He created darkness [and l]ight is His, and in His dwelling is the most perfect light, and all gloominess ceases before Him.
It is not for Himself the distinction between light and darkness, for He has distinguished them for the sons of man: light during the day by means of the sun; (and during the) night (by means of) moon and stars.
The inscrutable light is with Him, and His knowledge is without [end, f]or all the works of God are multiple (?).
We who are flesh, should we not consider this? With us ...
for countless signs and wonders ... [wi]nds and lightnings ... [s]ervants
of the most holy pla[ce].
From before Him proceed the lu[minaries] ...
Frs. 2 and 5 (4Q393 1 i)
... [they did not lis]ten to the signs and wonders ... plagues [which no kingdom has seen] until this day and ...
He has brought us out [of the land of Egypt] without being counted.
In the mighty waters he made a path ...
the great [abyss] [and He made] him [sin]k like stone in the deep ...
The Triumph of Righteousness or Mysteries
I ... all {so that they might know the difference between g[ood and evil]
...} (4Q300) the mysteries of sin ... {all their wisdom} (4Q300).
They know not the mystery to come, nor do they understand the things of the past.
They know not that which shall befall them, nor do they save their soul from the mystery to come.
And this shall be the sign for you that these things shall come to
pass.
When the breed of iniquity is shut up, wickedness shall then be banished by righteousness as darkness is banished by the light.
As smoke clears and is no more, so shall wickedness perish for ever and
righteousness be revealed like a sun governing the world.
All who cleave to the mysteries of sin shall be no more; knowledge shall fill the
world and folly shall exist no longer.
This word shall surely come to pass; this prophecy is true.
And by this may it be known to you that it shall not be taken back.
Do not all the peoples loathe iniquity?
And yet it is spread by them all.
Does not the fame of truth issue from the mouth of all the nations?
Yet is there a lip or tongue which holds to it?
Which nation likes to be oppressed by another stronger than itself, or likes its wealth to be wickedly seized?
And yet which nation has not oppressed another,
and where is there a people which has not seized [another]’s wealth?
4Q299, fr. 3a 4-6 (4Q300 5)
... And what shall man be called ... wise and righteous, for man has no ... ,
nor concealed wisdom save the wisdom of wicked cunning and the de[sign of] ... a deed that shall not be done again except ...
the word of his Maker.
And what shall a m[an] do ... who rebels against the word of his Maker, his name shall be expunged from the mouth of all ...
Listen, you who hold up [truth (?)] ... eternity and the plans of existence and the
thou[ghts] ... every mystery and establishes every plan.
He is the author of all [that is to come.]
He is from before eternity. ‘He’ is His name and for e[ver] ...
4Q300 1a-b ii 4=4Q299 2 i 14
... [the sorc]erers, experts in sin, have uttered the parable and proclaimed the riddle in advance.
And then you will know if you have considered ... and the attestations of heave[n] ... your foolishness for the [s]eal of the vision is sealed away from you.
And you have not considered the mysteries of eternity and have not comprehended understanding.
Th[en] you will say ... for you have not considered the root of wisdom.
And if you open the vision, it will remain shut from you
... all your wisdom for the ... is for you ... his name for [wh]at is the hidden wisdom ...
4Q301
Fr.1
I will cause my spirit to flow and I will divide my words for you according
to your kinds ... [a p]arable and a riddle.
And those who search for the roots of understanding together with those who hold unto the [wonderful] my[steries] ...
those who are silly, and the scheming men for all the acomplishments of their actions ...
I ... all {so that they might know the difference between g[ood and evil]
...} (4Q300) the mysteries of sin ... {all their wisdom} (4Q300).
They know not the mystery to come, nor do they understand the things of the past.
They know not that which shall befall them, nor do they save their soul from the mystery to come.
And this shall be the sign for you that these things shall come to
pass.
When the breed of iniquity is shut up, wickedness shall then be banished by righteousness as darkness is banished by the light.
As smoke clears and is no more, so shall wickedness perish for ever and
righteousness be revealed like a sun governing the world.
All who cleave to the mysteries of sin shall be no more; knowledge shall fill the
world and folly shall exist no longer.
This word shall surely come to pass; this prophecy is true.
And by this may it be known to you that it shall not be taken back.
Do not all the peoples loathe iniquity?
And yet it is spread by them all.
Does not the fame of truth issue from the mouth of all the nations?
Yet is there a lip or tongue which holds to it?
Which nation likes to be oppressed by another stronger than itself, or likes its wealth to be wickedly seized?
And yet which nation has not oppressed another,
and where is there a people which has not seized [another]’s wealth?
4Q299, fr. 3a 4-6 (4Q300 5)
... And what shall man be called ... wise and righteous, for man has no ... ,
nor concealed wisdom save the wisdom of wicked cunning and the de[sign of] ... a deed that shall not be done again except ...
the word of his Maker.
And what shall a m[an] do ... who rebels against the word of his Maker, his name shall be expunged from the mouth of all ...
Listen, you who hold up [truth (?)] ... eternity and the plans of existence and the
thou[ghts] ... every mystery and establishes every plan.
He is the author of all [that is to come.]
He is from before eternity. ‘He’ is His name and for e[ver] ...
4Q300 1a-b ii 4=4Q299 2 i 14
... [the sorc]erers, experts in sin, have uttered the parable and proclaimed the riddle in advance.
And then you will know if you have considered ... and the attestations of heave[n] ... your foolishness for the [s]eal of the vision is sealed away from you.
And you have not considered the mysteries of eternity and have not comprehended understanding.
Th[en] you will say ... for you have not considered the root of wisdom.
And if you open the vision, it will remain shut from you
... all your wisdom for the ... is for you ... his name for [wh]at is the hidden wisdom ...
4Q301
Fr.1
I will cause my spirit to flow and I will divide my words for you according
to your kinds ... [a p]arable and a riddle.
And those who search for the roots of understanding together with those who hold unto the [wonderful] my[steries] ...
those who are silly, and the scheming men for all the acomplishments of their actions ...
49
We beg thee
with the strength and greatness of thy right arm-Untangle our knotted fate.
Accept your people's song,
elevate and purify us, oh awesome one.
Please, heroic one,
those who pursue your uniqueness-
guard them as the pupil of an eye.
Bless them, purify them, pity them,
may your righteousness always reward them.
Powerful and Holy One,
in goodness lead your flock.
Unique and proud one,
to your people turn,
who remember your holiness.
Accept our cries,
and hear our screams,
oh knower of mysteries.
Non-canonical Psalms
(4Q380-81)
I ... [Jeru]salem, that is [the city chosen by the L]ord from everlasting to [everlasting.]
... the holy ones [for the na]me of the Lord is called on her, [and his glory] is seen on Jerusalem and Zion.
Who will utter the name of the Lord, and who makes all his praises heard?
The Lord [remem]bered him in his favour and visited him that he might show him the prosperity [of] his [cho]sen ones, making him re[joice in the gladness of his nation]
(cf. Ps. cvi, 2,4-5).
II [And] he made for you a man w[ho ... ]
for he is the one [whose] words they kept which are for all the sons of Israel...
... your hand will [not] save you, for the strength of [your] God does good.
And those (filled with) wicked hatred, how long will you delight to do evil? ...
vacat
(4Q380-81)
I ... [Jeru]salem, that is [the city chosen by the L]ord from everlasting to [everlasting.]
... the holy ones [for the na]me of the Lord is called on her, [and his glory] is seen on Jerusalem and Zion.
Who will utter the name of the Lord, and who makes all his praises heard?
The Lord [remem]bered him in his favour and visited him that he might show him the prosperity [of] his [cho]sen ones, making him re[joice in the gladness of his nation]
(cf. Ps. cvi, 2,4-5).
II [And] he made for you a man w[ho ... ]
for he is the one [whose] words they kept which are for all the sons of Israel...
... your hand will [not] save you, for the strength of [your] God does good.
And those (filled with) wicked hatred, how long will you delight to do evil? ...
vacat
Psalm of Obadiah.
God... truth is in it, and his loving kindness ...
Fr. 2
... mountains and hills...
All who are founded on it will shake...
[and they will cry to] the Lord in their distress.
From their oppression He will deliver them, For the Lord is gracious to the pious...
To the man...
4Q381, fr. I
... [his wisdom] I have declared, and I will meditate on his marvel, and it will become my teacher.
Judgement... of my mouth, and to the simple and they will understand, and to the senseless and they will know.
O Lord, how mi[ghty] ... marvels
He made heaven and earth in his days (?), and by his word ... the riverbeds
He...
night and st[a]rs and constellations...
and He caused them to shine ...
[every] tree and every fru[it of the vineyar]d and every produce of the field.
And according to his words... all...
m[ankind] and by his spirit he established them to have dominion over all this,
over the ground and all [its produce(?)]
from new moon to new moon, from festival to festival, from day to day to eat its fruit, fruit of ...
... and birds and all that belongs to them to eat the best of everything and also...
... in them and all his hosts and His ange[ls] ...
to serve man and to minister to him...
Fr. 15
... Thou wilt turn my heart ...
[Turn to me and take pity on me;
give thy strength to Thy servant] and save the son of Thy handmaid.
Show me [a sign of Thy favour, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because Thou,] my [G]od, hast helped me (Ps. lxxxvi, 16-17)
and I will prepare (a sacrifice) for Thee, my God.
... [Thou dost rule the rag]ing of the sea;
Thou stillest its waves.
[Thou didst crush Rahab like a carcass, Thou didst scatter Thine enemies with Thy mighty arm]
(Ps. lxxxix, 10-11).
[The world and] all that is in it, Thou hast founded them
(ibid. 12).
Thou hast a [mighty] arm; strong is Thy hand, high Thy right hand (ibid. 14)
[For who in the skies can be compared to thee,] my God?
And who among the sons of ‘gods’ and in all [the council of the holy ones? ...
... For Thou] art the glory of its majesty.
As for me, Thine anointed one, I have understood...
[I will make] thee [know]n, for Thou hast made me know;
I will have insight, for Thou hast given me insight...
For on Thy name, my God, we shall call, and [we shall wait] for Thy salvation.
And they will put it on like a garment and like a dress...
Fr. 17
...In splendour Thou wilt look on Judah and...
My God, Thou wilt swallow them up And [fire] will de[vour them] ...
God... truth is in it, and his loving kindness ...
Fr. 2
... mountains and hills...
All who are founded on it will shake...
[and they will cry to] the Lord in their distress.
From their oppression He will deliver them, For the Lord is gracious to the pious...
To the man...
4Q381, fr. I
... [his wisdom] I have declared, and I will meditate on his marvel, and it will become my teacher.
Judgement... of my mouth, and to the simple and they will understand, and to the senseless and they will know.
O Lord, how mi[ghty] ... marvels
He made heaven and earth in his days (?), and by his word ... the riverbeds
He...
night and st[a]rs and constellations...
and He caused them to shine ...
[every] tree and every fru[it of the vineyar]d and every produce of the field.
And according to his words... all...
m[ankind] and by his spirit he established them to have dominion over all this,
over the ground and all [its produce(?)]
from new moon to new moon, from festival to festival, from day to day to eat its fruit, fruit of ...
... and birds and all that belongs to them to eat the best of everything and also...
... in them and all his hosts and His ange[ls] ...
to serve man and to minister to him...
Fr. 15
... Thou wilt turn my heart ...
[Turn to me and take pity on me;
give thy strength to Thy servant] and save the son of Thy handmaid.
Show me [a sign of Thy favour, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because Thou,] my [G]od, hast helped me (Ps. lxxxvi, 16-17)
and I will prepare (a sacrifice) for Thee, my God.
... [Thou dost rule the rag]ing of the sea;
Thou stillest its waves.
[Thou didst crush Rahab like a carcass, Thou didst scatter Thine enemies with Thy mighty arm]
(Ps. lxxxix, 10-11).
[The world and] all that is in it, Thou hast founded them
(ibid. 12).
Thou hast a [mighty] arm; strong is Thy hand, high Thy right hand (ibid. 14)
[For who in the skies can be compared to thee,] my God?
And who among the sons of ‘gods’ and in all [the council of the holy ones? ...
... For Thou] art the glory of its majesty.
As for me, Thine anointed one, I have understood...
[I will make] thee [know]n, for Thou hast made me know;
I will have insight, for Thou hast given me insight...
For on Thy name, my God, we shall call, and [we shall wait] for Thy salvation.
And they will put it on like a garment and like a dress...
Fr. 17
...In splendour Thou wilt look on Judah and...
My God, Thou wilt swallow them up And [fire] will de[vour them] ...
Fr. 24
... Psalm of the Man of God.
Lord, God ...
He has redeemed Judah from all distress and from Ephraim...
... generation.
Those who have passed his test will praise him and say, ‘Arise [O God’] ...
Thy name is my salvation, my rock, my fortress and [my] refuge [is my God] (Ps. xviii, 3).
On the day of... I will call on the Lord and he will answer me, my help... those who hate me.
And he will say,...
[My c]ry be[fore him] comes to his ears (Ps. xviii, 7)
[From his temple he will hear my] voi[ce].
[And] the earth will [re]el [and rock, and the foundations of the mountains tremble... for he is angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils (Ps. xviii, 7-9) ...
Fr. 31
... in the net which they have concealed ...
I will sing to ...
I will meditate over Thy wonders for to ... before Thee...
Thou dost save me and lift me up from the tents of death
... before all ...
All its ways come to ...
In a holy place ... [Selah.] vacat
... Psalm of the Man of God.
Lord, God ...
He has redeemed Judah from all distress and from Ephraim...
... generation.
Those who have passed his test will praise him and say, ‘Arise [O God’] ...
Thy name is my salvation, my rock, my fortress and [my] refuge [is my God] (Ps. xviii, 3).
On the day of... I will call on the Lord and he will answer me, my help... those who hate me.
And he will say,...
[My c]ry be[fore him] comes to his ears (Ps. xviii, 7)
[From his temple he will hear my] voi[ce].
[And] the earth will [re]el [and rock, and the foundations of the mountains tremble... for he is angry.
Smoke went up from his nostrils (Ps. xviii, 7-9) ...
Fr. 31
... in the net which they have concealed ...
I will sing to ...
I will meditate over Thy wonders for to ... before Thee...
Thou dost save me and lift me up from the tents of death
... before all ...
All its ways come to ...
In a holy place ... [Selah.] vacat
... [Prayer of... k]ing of Judah.
Hear o [my] Go[d] ...
I will recount before those who fear Thee...
Who can understand Thy [th]oughts?
For my oppressors have increased before Thee.
Thou hast known them and Thou hast subdued the enemies of my soul before Thine
e[yes].
For I will live ...
[and] Thou shalt [not] conceal my iniquity to those with understanding.
Thou shalt slay them (the enemies) O God of my salvation.
The days of my existence are treasured up.
What can a man say (but) ‘Here I am’ ?
And how [dost Thou deliver] to the sword those who wait for me, those who say... on the day of wrath?
They have woven a crown for my head.
For their glory is a splendid pillar...
... from the Book of li[fe].
Those who frighten me will be cut off
And my enemies will finish ...
Hear o [my] Go[d] ...
I will recount before those who fear Thee...
Who can understand Thy [th]oughts?
For my oppressors have increased before Thee.
Thou hast known them and Thou hast subdued the enemies of my soul before Thine
e[yes].
For I will live ...
[and] Thou shalt [not] conceal my iniquity to those with understanding.
Thou shalt slay them (the enemies) O God of my salvation.
The days of my existence are treasured up.
What can a man say (but) ‘Here I am’ ?
And how [dost Thou deliver] to the sword those who wait for me, those who say... on the day of wrath?
They have woven a crown for my head.
For their glory is a splendid pillar...
... from the Book of li[fe].
Those who frighten me will be cut off
And my enemies will finish ...
... a song and thanksgiving ...
Fr. 33
... Rise [above the heaven]s, O Lord, and [my] God ...
And let us glory in Thy might for [Thy wonders] are inscrutable
... Thou shalt place me and Thy chastisement will be my [joy].
... everlasting and to extol. Thee.
For my sins have become too many for me...
But Thou, my God, shalt send Thy spi[rit] [and Thy mercy] to the son of Thy handmaid and Thy loving-kindness to the servant who is near Thee ...
I will exult and rejoice in Thee before those who fear [Thee], for [Thou shalt judge] Thy servants in Thy righteousness, and according to Thy loving-kindness
... to save ... to thee. Selah.
vacat
Fr. 33
... Rise [above the heaven]s, O Lord, and [my] God ...
And let us glory in Thy might for [Thy wonders] are inscrutable
... Thou shalt place me and Thy chastisement will be my [joy].
... everlasting and to extol. Thee.
For my sins have become too many for me...
But Thou, my God, shalt send Thy spi[rit] [and Thy mercy] to the son of Thy handmaid and Thy loving-kindness to the servant who is near Thee ...
I will exult and rejoice in Thee before those who fear [Thee], for [Thou shalt judge] Thy servants in Thy righteousness, and according to Thy loving-kindness
... to save ... to thee. Selah.
vacat
Prayer of Manasseh, King of Judah when the King of Assyria
gaoled him.
... [my G]od ... my salvation is near in Thine eyes ...
I wait for Thy delivering presence, and I feel faint before Thee because of my s[in].
For [Thou hast] enlarged [Thy mercies(?)], and I have multiplied guilt.
And thus ...
from eternal joy and my soul shall not see goodness ...
He has lifted me up on high above a nation ...
And I did not remember thee [in Thy plac]e of h[oliness];
I did not serve [Thee] ...
gaoled him.
... [my G]od ... my salvation is near in Thine eyes ...
I wait for Thy delivering presence, and I feel faint before Thee because of my s[in].
For [Thou hast] enlarged [Thy mercies(?)], and I have multiplied guilt.
And thus ...
from eternal joy and my soul shall not see goodness ...
He has lifted me up on high above a nation ...
And I did not remember thee [in Thy plac]e of h[oliness];
I did not serve [Thee] ...
Fr. 45
... I will make understand .... - - . :
I fear Thee and will cleanse myself Of abominations known to me.
I give my soul to be humbled before Thee.
They have multiplied sin And they plot against me to imprison me.
But I have trusted Thee ...
And do not judge me, my God, ...
Those who conspire against me Let loose their lying tongue ...
Fr. 46
... [f]ools.
... Thy precepts and Thy splendour and Thy beauty ...
and like clouds they spread over the fa[ce] of the earth.
They will be scattered greatly until ...
Man will not be strong and will not rise
... [and] Thou hast [t]ested all.
And the elect, like offerings, Thou wilt purify before Thee, but the hated ones Thou wilt reject like impurity.
And a stormy wind ... their [p]ractice.
And those who fear Thee shall be before Thee always.
(Their) horns are horns made of iron to gore many, and they will gore ...
And Thou wilt make their hoofs of bronze, but sinners like dung shall be trampled upon the ground ...
Fr. 69
... When he saw that the peoples [of the la]nd behaved abominably,
... all the land (turned) wholly into impure uncleanness, and from the beginning marvellously ... he consulted his heart to destroy them from it (the land) and make on it a [holy(?)] people.
... in you and he gave you through his spirit prophets to instruct and teach you ...
... your [God(?)] descended from heaven and spoke to you to instruct you and bring you back from the works of the inhabitants [of the land].
... [pre]cepts, laws and commandments he established through a covenant by the hand [of Moses].
... dwelt (?) on the land. Then it will be cleansed and ...
... to consider you whether you will be his.
And if [not,] ...
And to breach the covenant which he made with you and to become a stranger and not ...
... over wickedness and to change the words of his mouth ...
Frs. 76-7
... [the congregati]on of the Holy of Holies and the lot of the King of Kings ...
... my words and they will consider the wisdom which is issued from my mouth.
... and a true judge and faithful witness.
Is there strength in you to answer Him ...
... to hear.
... Who among you will answer and stand up against his rebuke? ...
... For you have many judges and countless (hostile) witnesses.
But ... the Lord will sit in judgement against you, judging truly and without injustice ...
... his spirits to pronounce on you true judgements.
Is there understanding for you to learn ... ?
... Lord of lords, mighty and marvellous and none is like him.
He has chosen y[ou instead of power]ful [peoples] and great nations to be his people to rule over all ...
... [hea]ven and earth and as the highest above all the nations of the earth ...
... I will make understand .... - - . :
I fear Thee and will cleanse myself Of abominations known to me.
I give my soul to be humbled before Thee.
They have multiplied sin And they plot against me to imprison me.
But I have trusted Thee ...
And do not judge me, my God, ...
Those who conspire against me Let loose their lying tongue ...
Fr. 46
... [f]ools.
... Thy precepts and Thy splendour and Thy beauty ...
and like clouds they spread over the fa[ce] of the earth.
They will be scattered greatly until ...
Man will not be strong and will not rise
... [and] Thou hast [t]ested all.
And the elect, like offerings, Thou wilt purify before Thee, but the hated ones Thou wilt reject like impurity.
And a stormy wind ... their [p]ractice.
And those who fear Thee shall be before Thee always.
(Their) horns are horns made of iron to gore many, and they will gore ...
And Thou wilt make their hoofs of bronze, but sinners like dung shall be trampled upon the ground ...
Fr. 69
... When he saw that the peoples [of the la]nd behaved abominably,
... all the land (turned) wholly into impure uncleanness, and from the beginning marvellously ... he consulted his heart to destroy them from it (the land) and make on it a [holy(?)] people.
... in you and he gave you through his spirit prophets to instruct and teach you ...
... your [God(?)] descended from heaven and spoke to you to instruct you and bring you back from the works of the inhabitants [of the land].
... [pre]cepts, laws and commandments he established through a covenant by the hand [of Moses].
... dwelt (?) on the land. Then it will be cleansed and ...
... to consider you whether you will be his.
And if [not,] ...
And to breach the covenant which he made with you and to become a stranger and not ...
... over wickedness and to change the words of his mouth ...
Frs. 76-7
... [the congregati]on of the Holy of Holies and the lot of the King of Kings ...
... my words and they will consider the wisdom which is issued from my mouth.
... and a true judge and faithful witness.
Is there strength in you to answer Him ...
... to hear.
... Who among you will answer and stand up against his rebuke? ...
... For you have many judges and countless (hostile) witnesses.
But ... the Lord will sit in judgement against you, judging truly and without injustice ...
... his spirits to pronounce on you true judgements.
Is there understanding for you to learn ... ?
... Lord of lords, mighty and marvellous and none is like him.
He has chosen y[ou instead of power]ful [peoples] and great nations to be his people to rule over all ...
... [hea]ven and earth and as the highest above all the nations of the earth ...
Hymnsforthe Sabbath Day
Give thanks ...
[Bless] His holy Name always
... all the angels of the holy firmament
... [above] the heavens, the earth and all its deep places, the great [Abyss] and Abaddon and the waters and all that is [in them.]
[Let] all His creatures [bless Him] always for everlasting [ages. Amen! Amen!]
... bless His holy Name.
Sing to God...
II ... Blessed be the God who has given us rest. [Amen], amen.
Give thanks ...
[Bless] His holy Name always
... all the angels of the holy firmament
... [above] the heavens, the earth and all its deep places, the great [Abyss] and Abaddon and the waters and all that is [in them.]
[Let] all His creatures [bless Him] always for everlasting [ages. Amen! Amen!]
... bless His holy Name.
Sing to God...
II ... Blessed be the God who has given us rest. [Amen], amen.
[Prayer on the] fourth [da]y.
Remember, O Lord ...
Fr. 4
II ... We know these through Thy Ho[ly] Spirit which Thou hast granted us.
[Have mercy on us] and remember us not for the iniquities of the men of old in all their evi[l] dealings, [nor] their stiff necks.
Thou redeem us and, [pray,] forgive our iniquities and [our] s[ins].
Fr. 6
II ... Remember, pray, that we are Thy people and that Thou hast carried us marvellously [on the wings of] eagles and hast brought us towards Thee.
And like an eagle which rouses its nestlings and hovers over [its young], spreads out its wings, takes one and carries it on [its pinions], so we dwell apart and are not reckoned among the nations and ...
Thou art in our midst in the pillar of fire and the cloud [of] Thy [holi]ness walking before us, and as it were Thy glory in our mid[st] ...
Fr. 8 recto
II ... [Rememb]er, O Lo[r]d that... Thou hast fashioned A[dam], our [f]ather, in the likeness of [Thy] glory;
Thou didst breathe [a breath of life] into his nostrils and, with understanding, knowledge [Thou didst give him] ...
Thou didst make [him] to rule [over the Gar]den of Eden which Thou didst plant... and to walk in the land of glory... he guarded.
And Thou didst enjoin him not to st[ray ...]... he is flesh and to dust [he will return (?)] ... And Thou, Thou knowest... for everlasting generations
... a living God and Thy hand ... man in the ways of... [to fill the] earth with [vi]olence and to shed [innocent blood] ...
Remember, O Lord ...
Fr. 4
II ... We know these through Thy Ho[ly] Spirit which Thou hast granted us.
[Have mercy on us] and remember us not for the iniquities of the men of old in all their evi[l] dealings, [nor] their stiff necks.
Thou redeem us and, [pray,] forgive our iniquities and [our] s[ins].
Fr. 6
II ... Remember, pray, that we are Thy people and that Thou hast carried us marvellously [on the wings of] eagles and hast brought us towards Thee.
And like an eagle which rouses its nestlings and hovers over [its young], spreads out its wings, takes one and carries it on [its pinions], so we dwell apart and are not reckoned among the nations and ...
Thou art in our midst in the pillar of fire and the cloud [of] Thy [holi]ness walking before us, and as it were Thy glory in our mid[st] ...
Fr. 8 recto
II ... [Rememb]er, O Lo[r]d that... Thou hast fashioned A[dam], our [f]ather, in the likeness of [Thy] glory;
Thou didst breathe [a breath of life] into his nostrils and, with understanding, knowledge [Thou didst give him] ...
Thou didst make [him] to rule [over the Gar]den of Eden which Thou didst plant... and to walk in the land of glory... he guarded.
And Thou didst enjoin him not to st[ray ...]... he is flesh and to dust [he will return (?)] ... And Thou, Thou knowest... for everlasting generations
... a living God and Thy hand ... man in the ways of... [to fill the] earth with [vi]olence and to shed [innocent blood] ...
... Prayer for the Day of Atonement.
Remember O Lord, the feast of mercies and the time of return (?)...
Thou hast established it for us as a feast of fasting, and an everlas[ting] precept ... Thou knowest the hidden things and the things reveal[ed] ...
Fr. 3
... Thou didst establish [Thy Covenant] with Noah ...
4Q509, fr. 3 (cf. 1Q34 bis)
For Thou hast caused us to rejoice, removing our grief, and hast assembled our banished ones for a feast of...
Thou shalt gather our dispersed women for the season of ...
Thy [me]rcies on our congregation like ra[in-drops on the earth in the season of sowing...
and like showers on the gr]ass in the seasons of sprouting and...
We shall recount Thy marvels from generation to generation.
Blessed be the Lord who has caused us to rejoice...
Fr. 132
II [Prayer for the Day of] Firstfruits.
Remember, O Lord, the feast of ...
and the pleasing free-will offerings which Thou hast commanded...
[to br]ing before Thee the firstfruits of [Thy] works ...
Remember O Lord, the feast of mercies and the time of return (?)...
Thou hast established it for us as a feast of fasting, and an everlas[ting] precept ... Thou knowest the hidden things and the things reveal[ed] ...
Fr. 3
... Thou didst establish [Thy Covenant] with Noah ...
4Q509, fr. 3 (cf. 1Q34 bis)
For Thou hast caused us to rejoice, removing our grief, and hast assembled our banished ones for a feast of...
Thou shalt gather our dispersed women for the season of ...
Thy [me]rcies on our congregation like ra[in-drops on the earth in the season of sowing...
and like showers on the gr]ass in the seasons of sprouting and...
We shall recount Thy marvels from generation to generation.
Blessed be the Lord who has caused us to rejoice...
Fr. 132
II [Prayer for the Day of] Firstfruits.
Remember, O Lord, the feast of ...
and the pleasing free-will offerings which Thou hast commanded...
[to br]ing before Thee the firstfruits of [Thy] works ...
Prayers for Festivals
(4Q 507-9)
4Q507, fr. 1
We are (encompassed) by iniquity since the womb, and since the breast by guilt. While we live, we walk in iniquity...
4Q508, fr. 1 (cf. 1Q34 bis)
[And the righteous... to grow fat thanks to the clouds of heaven and the produce of the land, to distingui]sh the righteous from the wicked.
And Thou shalt make of the wicked our expiation, and by the upright Thou shalt destroy all our oppressors.
And we will praise Thy na[m]e for ever and ever.
For [Thou hast created us for this] and we answer Thee with this: Blessed be ...
Fr. 2 (cf. 1Q34 bis)
(4Q 507-9)
4Q507, fr. 1
We are (encompassed) by iniquity since the womb, and since the breast by guilt. While we live, we walk in iniquity...
4Q508, fr. 1 (cf. 1Q34 bis)
[And the righteous... to grow fat thanks to the clouds of heaven and the produce of the land, to distingui]sh the righteous from the wicked.
And Thou shalt make of the wicked our expiation, and by the upright Thou shalt destroy all our oppressors.
And we will praise Thy na[m]e for ever and ever.
For [Thou hast created us for this] and we answer Thee with this: Blessed be ...
Fr. 2 (cf. 1Q34 bis)
Daily Prayers
(4Q 503)
III And when the sun rises... the firmament of heaven, they shall bless.
Answer[ing they shall say:] Blessed be the Go[d of Israel ... ]
Today... in the fourt[h of the gates of light... ]
On the fifth [of the month in the eve]ning, they shall bless.
Answering, they shall say: Blessed be the God [of Israel] who hides...
before him in every division of his glory...
today the fourte[enth] ... light of the day.
Peace be on you, Israel ...
[When the sun] rise[s] to illumine the earth, they shall bless, and again the numbe[r shall be] ele[ven days] to the feasts of joy and the appointed times of g[lory,] for [this d]ay is in the fifteenth of the gate[s of light] ...
[Peace be on you,] Israel.
On the sixth of the month in the evening, they shall bless.
Answering, they shall [say]: Bles[sed be theь God] of Israel ...
And when [the sun rises to illumine the earth, they shall bless. Answering, they shall say]
Frs. 7-9
IV ... Peace [be on you, Israel] ...
On the seventh of [the month in the evening, they shall bless.
Answering, they shall say:] Blessed be the God of Is[rael] ...
Fr. 11
[On the t]welfth of the month in the evening [they shall bless] ... (This probably continues up to the 26th of the month.)
(4Q 503)
III And when the sun rises... the firmament of heaven, they shall bless.
Answer[ing they shall say:] Blessed be the Go[d of Israel ... ]
Today... in the fourt[h of the gates of light... ]
On the fifth [of the month in the eve]ning, they shall bless.
Answering, they shall say: Blessed be the God [of Israel] who hides...
before him in every division of his glory...
today the fourte[enth] ... light of the day.
Peace be on you, Israel ...
[When the sun] rise[s] to illumine the earth, they shall bless, and again the numbe[r shall be] ele[ven days] to the feasts of joy and the appointed times of g[lory,] for [this d]ay is in the fifteenth of the gate[s of light] ...
[Peace be on you,] Israel.
On the sixth of the month in the evening, they shall bless.
Answering, they shall [say]: Bles[sed be theь God] of Israel ...
And when [the sun rises to illumine the earth, they shall bless. Answering, they shall say]
Frs. 7-9
IV ... Peace [be on you, Israel] ...
On the seventh of [the month in the evening, they shall bless.
Answering, they shall say:] Blessed be the God of Is[rael] ...
Fr. 11
[On the t]welfth of the month in the evening [they shall bless] ... (This probably continues up to the 26th of the month.)
Prayer or Hymn Celebrating the Morning and the
Evening
(4Q 408)
Fr. I
... [B1]essed art Thou, O Lord, who art righteous in all Thy ways.
Be mighty in strength ... [in Thy judge]ments.
Thou who art faithful ... Thou art understanding [with all in]telligence ... might.
Thou who art ... to bring out ... who hast created the morning as a sign to reveal the dominion of the light as the boundary of the daytime ... for their work.
To bless Thy holy name Thou hast created them. For the light is good ... [Thou art ... ]who hast created the evening as a sign to reveal the dominion [of darkness] ... from labour.
Thou hast [c]reated them to bless Thy holy name] when they see that the light is good and when ...
Thou hast created the evening as a sign (to mark) the appearance of the dominion of [darkness] ...
Fr. 2
... [thei]r ... in the strength of their majesty and all the [sp]irits of those who bring to the Sanctua[ry] ...
in [their] comp[anies and in] their [do]minions, the mighty of the ‘gods’ with power.
vacat
... zeal for judgement with strength.
vacat
... [they shall] all [bless in com]munity Thy holy name....
[Ho]ly of Holies [they] will curse
... knowledge of understanding ...
vacat
... joyous cry ...
Fr. 3
... ru[ling] angels ... in (a]ll their services ... [sp]arks and lightnings ...
the angels of rain cl[oud]s, and heavy clouds and thick [clouds] and dewdrops
... and all the spirits of dominations ...
when they were created ... [suc]ceed one another ...
Fr. 5
... the earth and everything [on it, and the world and all its] inhabitants.
The ground and all its devices; [the earth and al]l that exist on it.
[The mountains and al]l the hills; the valleys and all the ravines;
the dry lan[d ...] its [ce]dars; the low-lying woods and all the deserts of desolation
... and its voids; and the foundations of its structure.
The jackals and ...
... the tall trees, their fruit and all the cedars of Leban[on] ...
[Grain, win]e and oil and all the produce.
... and all the wave-offerings of the world in tw[elve] months ...
... Thy words. Amen, amen.
Fr. 7a i
I ... and all their elect ... ... and all who know the song of ... and the
blessings of truth in the fe[stive] times ... and the kingdom shall be lifted
up among the p[eople]s ...
the assembly of the pure ‘gods’ and all who possess everlasting knowledge to prai[se and to bl]ess Thy glorious name in all the [everlasting ages]. Amen, amen.
Evening
(4Q 408)
Fr. I
... [B1]essed art Thou, O Lord, who art righteous in all Thy ways.
Be mighty in strength ... [in Thy judge]ments.
Thou who art faithful ... Thou art understanding [with all in]telligence ... might.
Thou who art ... to bring out ... who hast created the morning as a sign to reveal the dominion of the light as the boundary of the daytime ... for their work.
To bless Thy holy name Thou hast created them. For the light is good ... [Thou art ... ]who hast created the evening as a sign to reveal the dominion [of darkness] ... from labour.
Thou hast [c]reated them to bless Thy holy name] when they see that the light is good and when ...
Thou hast created the evening as a sign (to mark) the appearance of the dominion of [darkness] ...
Fr. 2
... [thei]r ... in the strength of their majesty and all the [sp]irits of those who bring to the Sanctua[ry] ...
in [their] comp[anies and in] their [do]minions, the mighty of the ‘gods’ with power.
vacat
... zeal for judgement with strength.
vacat
... [they shall] all [bless in com]munity Thy holy name....
[Ho]ly of Holies [they] will curse
... knowledge of understanding ...
vacat
... joyous cry ...
Fr. 3
... ru[ling] angels ... in (a]ll their services ... [sp]arks and lightnings ...
the angels of rain cl[oud]s, and heavy clouds and thick [clouds] and dewdrops
... and all the spirits of dominations ...
when they were created ... [suc]ceed one another ...
Fr. 5
... the earth and everything [on it, and the world and all its] inhabitants.
The ground and all its devices; [the earth and al]l that exist on it.
[The mountains and al]l the hills; the valleys and all the ravines;
the dry lan[d ...] its [ce]dars; the low-lying woods and all the deserts of desolation
... and its voids; and the foundations of its structure.
The jackals and ...
... the tall trees, their fruit and all the cedars of Leban[on] ...
[Grain, win]e and oil and all the produce.
... and all the wave-offerings of the world in tw[elve] months ...
... Thy words. Amen, amen.
Fr. 7a i
I ... and all their elect ... ... and all who know the song of ... and the
blessings of truth in the fe[stive] times ... and the kingdom shall be lifted
up among the p[eople]s ...
the assembly of the pure ‘gods’ and all who possess everlasting knowledge to prai[se and to bl]ess Thy glorious name in all the [everlasting ages]. Amen, amen.
Frs. 20+13+4Q288
[Every one should rebuke his fellow in truth, and virtuous humility and with] righteous [intenti]on [in the Community of God.
And whoever] has erred when returning [to the truth], they shall rebuke him [according to] their [commandments].
They shall rebuke him and have mercy [on him if he transgr]esses.
Let no [man] bear gru[dge against his fellow from one day] to [ano]ther.
[Let him] not hate him in his heart [so as n]o[t to bear guilt because of him.
And whatever is revealed to the men] of the Community let him instruct [him with] his mer[ciful love] and with the spirit [of humility he shall distance him from the deeds of]
deceitfulness.
The [Guardian of the Congregation shall ad]monish him regarding all [the regulations] perfecting his deeds from all [sin through re]buking him before wi[tnesses.
Let no man take revenge] on his own behalf in any matter for he will be punished [for six months/one year (?)]
... Let no one take the law [in his own hand, disobeying the order of his fellow.
Let him not speak to him] in anger or out of envy prompted by the spirit of wickedness, disregarding the dignity of his colleague with [heated] anger, standing up against him without [justification].
4Q287 fr. 3
... and they shall bless Thy holy name with benedictions of...
the Holy of Holies.
And all the creatures of flesh [shall bl]ess Thee, all of them that Thou has crea[ted] ... the beasts and the birds and the worms and the fish of the sea and all ...
Thou hast created them all renewing ...
[Every one should rebuke his fellow in truth, and virtuous humility and with] righteous [intenti]on [in the Community of God.
And whoever] has erred when returning [to the truth], they shall rebuke him [according to] their [commandments].
They shall rebuke him and have mercy [on him if he transgr]esses.
Let no [man] bear gru[dge against his fellow from one day] to [ano]ther.
[Let him] not hate him in his heart [so as n]o[t to bear guilt because of him.
And whatever is revealed to the men] of the Community let him instruct [him with] his mer[ciful love] and with the spirit [of humility he shall distance him from the deeds of]
deceitfulness.
The [Guardian of the Congregation shall ad]monish him regarding all [the regulations] perfecting his deeds from all [sin through re]buking him before wi[tnesses.
Let no man take revenge] on his own behalf in any matter for he will be punished [for six months/one year (?)]
... Let no one take the law [in his own hand, disobeying the order of his fellow.
Let him not speak to him] in anger or out of envy prompted by the spirit of wickedness, disregarding the dignity of his colleague with [heated] anger, standing up against him without [justification].
4Q287 fr. 3
... and they shall bless Thy holy name with benedictions of...
the Holy of Holies.
And all the creatures of flesh [shall bl]ess Thee, all of them that Thou has crea[ted] ... the beasts and the birds and the worms and the fish of the sea and all ...
Thou hast created them all renewing ...
Confession Ritual
(4Q393)
Fragmentary remains of a communal confession of sins, spoken in the first person plural, recall the language of Psalm li, Jeremiah and Deuteronomy, and resemble confession prayers in Ezra ix, 5-15; Daniel ix, 4-19; 1QS 1, 24-11, 1.
In the latter text, the parallel confession is part of the ceremony of the renewal of the Covenant.
The script is dated to mid-first century BCE.
For the editio princeps, see Daniel Falk, DJD, XXIX, 45-61.
I ... in order that Thou be justified by Thy wor[ds] ... we were poured out
through our iniquities ... they [stiff]ened the neck.
Our God, hide Thy face from [our] si[ns and] blot out [al]l our iniquities and create in us a new spirit, O Lord.... [do not] withhold faithfulness and to rebels ... and
bring back sinners to Thee.
And [do not] reject from Thee the broken [spir]it, O God. According to Thy people in order to ... and always on ...
nations and kingdoms ... their word[s] ... to Thy peoples in order to ...
II ... the faithful God who keep [the] covenant and loving-kindness to those who love [Thee and who keep Thy commandments which Thou didst command] to Moses.
Do not forsake Thy people [and] Thine [in]heritance.
And let no man walk in the stubbornness of his [evil] heart.
O God, in Thy goodwill ...
Thy people and Thine inheritance shall not be forsa[k]en and let no man walk in the stubbornness of his evil heart.
And where is Strength? And on whom shalt Thou cause Thy face to shine without his being purified?
And they shall be sanctified and exalted above everything.
It is Thou O Lord who hast chosen our fathers from of old.
Thou hast caused us to stand for them as a remnant to give us (the covenant) which Thou hast established with Abraham for Israel that they might possess the proud ... mighty men, the hosts of those who are powerful, giving us houses filled with ...
water, vineyards and olive trees [and] an inheritance of the people ...
Frs. 29-32
VII And he will bless there [the God of Israel. Answering, he will say:
Blessed art Thou, God of Israel. And I stand] before Thee on the feas[t]
... Thou hast ... me for purity ... and his burnt-offering and he will bless.
Answering he will say: Blessed art Thou, [God of Israel, who hast delivered me from al]l my sins and purified me from impure indecency and hast atoned so that I come ... purification and the blood of the burnt-offering of Thy goodwill and the pleasing memorial ...
(Blessed is the name of his noble kingdom
forever and ever.)
(4Q393)
Fragmentary remains of a communal confession of sins, spoken in the first person plural, recall the language of Psalm li, Jeremiah and Deuteronomy, and resemble confession prayers in Ezra ix, 5-15; Daniel ix, 4-19; 1QS 1, 24-11, 1.
In the latter text, the parallel confession is part of the ceremony of the renewal of the Covenant.
The script is dated to mid-first century BCE.
For the editio princeps, see Daniel Falk, DJD, XXIX, 45-61.
I ... in order that Thou be justified by Thy wor[ds] ... we were poured out
through our iniquities ... they [stiff]ened the neck.
Our God, hide Thy face from [our] si[ns and] blot out [al]l our iniquities and create in us a new spirit, O Lord.... [do not] withhold faithfulness and to rebels ... and
bring back sinners to Thee.
And [do not] reject from Thee the broken [spir]it, O God. According to Thy people in order to ... and always on ...
nations and kingdoms ... their word[s] ... to Thy peoples in order to ...
II ... the faithful God who keep [the] covenant and loving-kindness to those who love [Thee and who keep Thy commandments which Thou didst command] to Moses.
Do not forsake Thy people [and] Thine [in]heritance.
And let no man walk in the stubbornness of his [evil] heart.
O God, in Thy goodwill ...
Thy people and Thine inheritance shall not be forsa[k]en and let no man walk in the stubbornness of his evil heart.
And where is Strength? And on whom shalt Thou cause Thy face to shine without his being purified?
And they shall be sanctified and exalted above everything.
It is Thou O Lord who hast chosen our fathers from of old.
Thou hast caused us to stand for them as a remnant to give us (the covenant) which Thou hast established with Abraham for Israel that they might possess the proud ... mighty men, the hosts of those who are powerful, giving us houses filled with ...
water, vineyards and olive trees [and] an inheritance of the people ...
Frs. 29-32
VII And he will bless there [the God of Israel. Answering, he will say:
Blessed art Thou, God of Israel. And I stand] before Thee on the feas[t]
... Thou hast ... me for purity ... and his burnt-offering and he will bless.
Answering he will say: Blessed art Thou, [God of Israel, who hast delivered me from al]l my sins and purified me from impure indecency and hast atoned so that I come ... purification and the blood of the burnt-offering of Thy goodwill and the pleasing memorial ...
(Blessed is the name of his noble kingdom
forever and ever.)
50
1. The soul of every living being shall bless Your Name, Hashem our God, the spirit of all flesh shall always glorify and exalt Your remembrance, our King.
2. From this world to the World to Come, You are God, and other than You we have no king, redeemer, or savior.
3. He who liberates, rescues and sustains, answers and is merciful in every time of distress and anguish, we have no king, helper or supporter but You!
4. God of the first and the last, God of all creatures, Master of all Generations, Who is extolled through a multitude of praises, Who guides His world with kindness and His creatures with mercy.
5. Hashem is truth; He neither slumbers nor sleeps.
6. He Who rouses the sleepers and awakens the slumberers.
7. Who raises the dead and heals the sick, causes the blind to see and straightens the bent.
8. Who makes the mute speak and reveals what is hidden. To You alone we give thanks!
9. Were our mouth as full of song as the sea, and our tongue as full of joyous song as its multitude of waves, and our lips as full of praise as the breadth of the heavens, and our eyes as brilliant as the sun and the moon, and our hands as outspread as the eagles of the sky and our feet as swift as hinds -- we still could not thank You sufficiently, HaShem our God and God of our forefathers,
10. and to bless Your Name for even one of the thousand thousand, thousands of thousands and myriad myriads of favors, miracles and wonders that you performed for our ancestors and for us.
11. At first You redeemed us from Egypt, Hashem our God, and liberated us from the house of bondage.
12. In famine You nourished us, and in plenty you sustained us.
13. From sword you saved us; from plague you let us escape; and from severe and enduring diseases you spared us.
14. Until now Your mercy has helped us, and Your kindness has not forsaken us.
15. Do not abandon us, Hashem our God, forever.
16. Therefore the organs that you set within us and the spirit and soul that you breathed into our nostrils, and the tongue that you placed in our mouth - all of them shall thank and bless and praise and glorify, exalt and revere, be devoted, sanctify and declare the sovereignty of Your Name, our King.
16. For every mouth shall offer thanks to You; every tongue shall vow allegiance to You; every knee shall bend to You; every erect spine shall prostrate itself before You; all hearts shall fear You; and all innermost feelings and thoughts shall sing praises to Your name, [...]
17. The outcry of the poor You hear, the screams of the destitute You listen to, and You save. [...]
18. By the mouth of the upright You shall be exalted;
19. By the lips of the righteous shall You be blessed;
20. By the tongue of the devout shall You be sanctified;
21. And amid the holy shall You be lauded.
22. And in the assemblies of the myriads of Your people, the House of Israel, it is the duty of all creatures, before you O Hashem, our God and God of our forefathers to thank, laud, praise, glorify, exalt, adore, render triumphant, bless, raise high, and sing praises - even beyond all expressions of the songs and praises of David, the son of Jesse, Your servant, Your anointed.
23. And thus may Your name be praised forever- our King, the God, the Great and holy King - in heaven and on earth.
24. Because for you it is fitting - O Hashem our God and God of our forefathers - song and praise, lauding and hymns, power and dominion, triumph, greatness and strength, praise and splendor, holiness and sovereignty, blessings and thanksgivings to Your Great and Holy Name; 25. from this world to the World to Come You are God.
26. Blessed are You Hashem , God, King exalted through praises, God of thanksgivings, Master of Wonders, Creator of all souls, Master of all deeds, Who chooses the musical songs of praise - King, Unique One, God, Life-Giver of the world.
1. The soul of every living being shall bless Your Name, Hashem our God, the spirit of all flesh shall always glorify and exalt Your remembrance, our King.
2. From this world to the World to Come, You are God, and other than You we have no king, redeemer, or savior.
3. He who liberates, rescues and sustains, answers and is merciful in every time of distress and anguish, we have no king, helper or supporter but You!
4. God of the first and the last, God of all creatures, Master of all Generations, Who is extolled through a multitude of praises, Who guides His world with kindness and His creatures with mercy.
5. Hashem is truth; He neither slumbers nor sleeps.
6. He Who rouses the sleepers and awakens the slumberers.
7. Who raises the dead and heals the sick, causes the blind to see and straightens the bent.
8. Who makes the mute speak and reveals what is hidden. To You alone we give thanks!
9. Were our mouth as full of song as the sea, and our tongue as full of joyous song as its multitude of waves, and our lips as full of praise as the breadth of the heavens, and our eyes as brilliant as the sun and the moon, and our hands as outspread as the eagles of the sky and our feet as swift as hinds -- we still could not thank You sufficiently, HaShem our God and God of our forefathers,
10. and to bless Your Name for even one of the thousand thousand, thousands of thousands and myriad myriads of favors, miracles and wonders that you performed for our ancestors and for us.
11. At first You redeemed us from Egypt, Hashem our God, and liberated us from the house of bondage.
12. In famine You nourished us, and in plenty you sustained us.
13. From sword you saved us; from plague you let us escape; and from severe and enduring diseases you spared us.
14. Until now Your mercy has helped us, and Your kindness has not forsaken us.
15. Do not abandon us, Hashem our God, forever.
16. Therefore the organs that you set within us and the spirit and soul that you breathed into our nostrils, and the tongue that you placed in our mouth - all of them shall thank and bless and praise and glorify, exalt and revere, be devoted, sanctify and declare the sovereignty of Your Name, our King.
16. For every mouth shall offer thanks to You; every tongue shall vow allegiance to You; every knee shall bend to You; every erect spine shall prostrate itself before You; all hearts shall fear You; and all innermost feelings and thoughts shall sing praises to Your name, [...]
17. The outcry of the poor You hear, the screams of the destitute You listen to, and You save. [...]
18. By the mouth of the upright You shall be exalted;
19. By the lips of the righteous shall You be blessed;
20. By the tongue of the devout shall You be sanctified;
21. And amid the holy shall You be lauded.
22. And in the assemblies of the myriads of Your people, the House of Israel, it is the duty of all creatures, before you O Hashem, our God and God of our forefathers to thank, laud, praise, glorify, exalt, adore, render triumphant, bless, raise high, and sing praises - even beyond all expressions of the songs and praises of David, the son of Jesse, Your servant, Your anointed.
23. And thus may Your name be praised forever- our King, the God, the Great and holy King - in heaven and on earth.
24. Because for you it is fitting - O Hashem our God and God of our forefathers - song and praise, lauding and hymns, power and dominion, triumph, greatness and strength, praise and splendor, holiness and sovereignty, blessings and thanksgivings to Your Great and Holy Name; 25. from this world to the World to Come You are God.
26. Blessed are You Hashem , God, King exalted through praises, God of thanksgivings, Master of Wonders, Creator of all souls, Master of all deeds, Who chooses the musical songs of praise - King, Unique One, God, Life-Giver of the world.
51
An Account of David’s Poems
XXVII David son of Jesse was wise and brilliant like the light of the
sun; (he was) a scribe, intelligent and perfect in all his ways before
God and men.
YHWH gave him an intelligent and brilliant spirit, and he wrote 3,600
psalms and 364 songs to sing before the altar for the daily perpetual
sacrifice, for all the days of the year; and 52 songs for the Sabbath
offerings; and 30 songs for the New Moons, for Feast-days and for the
Day of Atonement.
In all, the songs which he uttered were 446, and 4 songs to make
music on behalf of those stricken (by evil spirits).
In all, they were 4,050.
All these he uttered through prophecy which was given him from
before the Most High.
An Account of David’s Poems
XXVII David son of Jesse was wise and brilliant like the light of the
sun; (he was) a scribe, intelligent and perfect in all his ways before
God and men.
YHWH gave him an intelligent and brilliant spirit, and he wrote 3,600
psalms and 364 songs to sing before the altar for the daily perpetual
sacrifice, for all the days of the year; and 52 songs for the Sabbath
offerings; and 30 songs for the New Moons, for Feast-days and for the
Day of Atonement.
In all, the songs which he uttered were 446, and 4 songs to make
music on behalf of those stricken (by evil spirits).
In all, they were 4,050.
All these he uttered through prophecy which was given him from
before the Most High.
(1) Thanksgiving of David, composed when he fought in single combat with Goliad.
(2) (1) I was the youngest among my brethren, and a youth in my father's house.
(3) My brothers were bigger than me and I was the youngest of my father's sons;
(4) He made me the master of His flocks, and shepherd of his goats.
(5) My hands created a flute, my fingers a lyre, and I praised God.
(6) I told myself that neither the mountains nor the hills tell me of the glory of God, nor the trees His words, nor the flocks His actions.
(7) Who, then will tell of God's deeds? God saw all He heard all and listened.
(8) He sent his prophet to anoint me, Samuel, to sift me up.
(9) My brothers went out to meet him, well built, beautifully presented.
(10) They were very tall and had lovely hair, but the Lord did not pick them,
(11) He sent for me from tending the flock and anointed me with holy oil and made me a ruler of His people and of the sons of His covenant.
(12) First of David's exploits after the Lord's prophet had anointed him
(13) Then I saw a Philistine threatening from enemy lines
(14) (7) And I went forth to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols.
(15) (8) But I drew his sword and cut off his head, and took away the reproach from the children of Israel.
(2) (1) I was the youngest among my brethren, and a youth in my father's house.
(3) My brothers were bigger than me and I was the youngest of my father's sons;
(4) He made me the master of His flocks, and shepherd of his goats.
(5) My hands created a flute, my fingers a lyre, and I praised God.
(6) I told myself that neither the mountains nor the hills tell me of the glory of God, nor the trees His words, nor the flocks His actions.
(7) Who, then will tell of God's deeds? God saw all He heard all and listened.
(8) He sent his prophet to anoint me, Samuel, to sift me up.
(9) My brothers went out to meet him, well built, beautifully presented.
(10) They were very tall and had lovely hair, but the Lord did not pick them,
(11) He sent for me from tending the flock and anointed me with holy oil and made me a ruler of His people and of the sons of His covenant.
(12) First of David's exploits after the Lord's prophet had anointed him
(13) Then I saw a Philistine threatening from enemy lines
(14) (7) And I went forth to meet the Philistine, and he cursed me by his idols.
(15) (8) But I drew his sword and cut off his head, and took away the reproach from the children of Israel.
A formulary of Blessing
For Blessing laymen.
Form of blessing (greeting) to be used by the 'enlightened' in blessing (greeting) those who fear {God, do] His will, keep His commandments, hold fast to His holy Covenant and walk blamelessly [in all the ways of] His truth -that is, such men as He has chosen to be partners in an eternal Covenant [which shall] stand for ever.
THE LORD BLESS YOU [from His holy habitation] and open for you from heaven the perpetual spring un[failing].
[………………….] in/at your hand, and FAVOR YOU with all manner of blessing, and make you [privy] to that knowledge which is possessed by the Holy Beings.
[Verily, with Him is] a perpetual spring, and He [ withholds] no [living waters from] such a thirst (for them). So that you may too [drink from there].
[THE LORD KEEP YOU from all evil and] deliver you from all [domination by Belial], and may the frenzy thereof be (destroyed) without re[mnant].
[THE LORD KEEP YOU and deliver you] from every satanic (*Hebrew 'satan' i.e. adversary) spirit [and from every corrupting spirit].
{There follow three broken lines, in two of which there is a specific mention of 'holiness' (or something holy) and the third of which refers to 'holy teaching.' This is followed in turn by three more broken lines, the first and the last of which contain specific reference to 'eternity' or to something eternal), and the second of which alludes to 'all appointed times'.}
THE LORD KEEP [unto you the covenant sworn to] your fathers.
{There follow five broken lines containing various elaboration's of the formula,
THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UNTO YOU.}
THE LORD FAVOR YOU WITH [His salvation] [………] and cause you to delight in peace [abounding].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU also with [……].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU with the holy spirit, with loving kindness [……….].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU also with [His] eternal covenant and [……..] you [……..].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU by visiting upon you just judgment, [that] your [foot may not] stumble [upon your way].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU also in all your works [and in all that] your [hand undertakes] and in all the [……….].
[THE LORD GIVE PEACE to you and] unto all your offspring [……..].
For blessing the high priest.
[Introductory words missing]
THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE TO YOU and [accept] the sweet savor of [your sacrifices] and choose as His own all them that abide in [your] priestly care, and take note of all your sacred acts and be pleased with all your seas[onal offices, and increase] your seed.
THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE to all your congregation.
THE LORD LIFT UP upon your head [a crown of honor], and may your [….] [abide] in glory [eternal], and may He hallow your seed with glory everlasting.
THE LORD LIFT UP [HIS COUNTENANCE UNTO YOU] and grant you grace [and peace everlast]ing, and [an inheritance in] the kingdom of [heaven].
[THE LORD LIFT UP your soul and raise your spirit] out of the flesh and [set it] amid the holy angels.
[THE LORD LIFT UP HIS banner and] do battle for you [at the head of] your thousands [against this] iniquitous generation.
[Three fragmentary lines.]
[THE LORD LIFT UP HIS sword for you] to humble many peoples before you [….], and may you not [rely] upon worldly wealth, to become estranged from the perpetual spring, [but find it when] you seek it. [So may He stay your steps.]
[Verily, He establishes the world upon its basis. So] may He establish your wellbeing for ever.
For blessing the priests.
Formula of blessing to be used by the 'enlightened' in blessing the sons of Zadok-that is, the priests whom God has chosen to keep His covenant firm for ever, to act as the testers of all matters involving the performance of His rules among His people and to teach then according to that which He has commanded, to the end that they may confirm His covenant in truth and supervise correctly [the performance] of all His ordinances and walk in the way which He has chosen:
THE LORD BLESS YOU from His holy habitation and set you crowned in majesty in the midst of the Holy Beings, and renew unto you the covenant of priesthood everlasting and give you place in the holy habitation.
By your offices may all princes be judged, and all the [lords] of the peoples by your unstained lips.
May He give you as your inheritance the first-fruits of all delights, and at your hand may He bless all mortal designs.
May He be pleased with [all] the steps of your feet, and make you acceptable in the eyes of men and of the Holy Beings.
May He apportion to you [……..] an may you immerse yourself therein. And all mortal […] and delights […].
May He set eternal blessings as a crown upon your head, and fill your hands with holiness and [……].
[Line missing]
May He cause you to do rightly in all your ministrations. For you has He chosen [to perform the office] and to carry out the charge at the head of them that be sacred, and to give His blessing unto your people, and you [has He appointed] that the men of the company of God may be [rendered pure?] at your hand and not at the hand of any monarch or [potentate; and with you He speaks] as a man unto his neighbour; and you are as a ministering angel in the holy habitation. {May you serve ever] unto the glory of the God of Hosts, and may you be about Him as one that ministers in a royal palace. And may you share the lot of the ministering angels {Note: Hebrew 'angel(s) of the Presence'} and be one in the company of [the Holy Beings] for all time and for all the epochs of eternity. [For He hath entrusted you with] His judgments, and has made you an holy thing among His people, to be as light […] to [illumine] the world with knowledge and to enlighten the faces of men far and wide.
May He set upon your head a diadem to proclaim you holy of holies, for [it is you that evinces His] holiness and shows forth the glory of His name.
And may His Holy Beings [wait upon you].
For blessing the king.
You have been set apart from [all other men] […..] them that see you [….].
May He renew unto you [……..].
[Line missing.]
[…..] who has commissioned you [……] for all time and for all the seasons of eternity. And may He not gi[ve] your glory [to another].
May God [set] the fear of you upon all that hear and tell of you, and be your majesty [upon all that] […].
For blessing the prefect of the community.
Formula of blessing to be used by the 'enlightened' in blessing (greeting) the prefect of the community-that is, the man whom God has chosen to represent His power and through whom He renews the covenant contracted with the community, to the end that he may maintain the sovereignty of His people for ever, and [whom He has appointed to judge the needy in righteousness] and to reprove in equi[ty the me]ek of the earth, and to walk blamelessly in all the ways of [His truth], and to confirm His holy covenant when distress befalls them that seek Him:
THE LORD LIFT you up unto the summit of the world, like a strong tower on a lofty wall.
May you [smite nations] with the vehemence of your mouth. With your rod may you dry up the [fountainheads] of the earth, and with the breath of your lips may you slay the wicked.
[THE LORD FAVOR YOU with a spirit of sound counsel] and with perpetual strength and with a spirit of knowledge and with the fear of God.
May righteousness be the girding [of the loins and faithfulness] that of your thighs.
May God make your horns of iron and your hoofs of brass; and may you gore the [iniquitous] like a steer [and trample nations] like mire in the streets.
For God has appointed you to be the scourge of rulers. They shall [come] before you [and make obeisance unto you, and all peoples] shall serve you. By His holy Name may He give you power that you be as a lion [which raventh and as a wolf which smi]tes the prey, with none to retrieve it. And may your charges ride abroad over [all the broad places of the earth].
For Blessing laymen.
Form of blessing (greeting) to be used by the 'enlightened' in blessing (greeting) those who fear {God, do] His will, keep His commandments, hold fast to His holy Covenant and walk blamelessly [in all the ways of] His truth -that is, such men as He has chosen to be partners in an eternal Covenant [which shall] stand for ever.
THE LORD BLESS YOU [from His holy habitation] and open for you from heaven the perpetual spring un[failing].
[………………….] in/at your hand, and FAVOR YOU with all manner of blessing, and make you [privy] to that knowledge which is possessed by the Holy Beings.
[Verily, with Him is] a perpetual spring, and He [ withholds] no [living waters from] such a thirst (for them). So that you may too [drink from there].
[THE LORD KEEP YOU from all evil and] deliver you from all [domination by Belial], and may the frenzy thereof be (destroyed) without re[mnant].
[THE LORD KEEP YOU and deliver you] from every satanic (*Hebrew 'satan' i.e. adversary) spirit [and from every corrupting spirit].
{There follow three broken lines, in two of which there is a specific mention of 'holiness' (or something holy) and the third of which refers to 'holy teaching.' This is followed in turn by three more broken lines, the first and the last of which contain specific reference to 'eternity' or to something eternal), and the second of which alludes to 'all appointed times'.}
THE LORD KEEP [unto you the covenant sworn to] your fathers.
{There follow five broken lines containing various elaboration's of the formula,
THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE UNTO YOU.}
THE LORD FAVOR YOU WITH [His salvation] [………] and cause you to delight in peace [abounding].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU also with [……].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU with the holy spirit, with loving kindness [……….].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU also with [His] eternal covenant and [……..] you [……..].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU by visiting upon you just judgment, [that] your [foot may not] stumble [upon your way].
THE LORD FAVOR YOU also in all your works [and in all that] your [hand undertakes] and in all the [……….].
[THE LORD GIVE PEACE to you and] unto all your offspring [……..].
For blessing the high priest.
[Introductory words missing]
THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE TO YOU and [accept] the sweet savor of [your sacrifices] and choose as His own all them that abide in [your] priestly care, and take note of all your sacred acts and be pleased with all your seas[onal offices, and increase] your seed.
THE LORD LIFT UP HIS COUNTENANCE to all your congregation.
THE LORD LIFT UP upon your head [a crown of honor], and may your [….] [abide] in glory [eternal], and may He hallow your seed with glory everlasting.
THE LORD LIFT UP [HIS COUNTENANCE UNTO YOU] and grant you grace [and peace everlast]ing, and [an inheritance in] the kingdom of [heaven].
[THE LORD LIFT UP your soul and raise your spirit] out of the flesh and [set it] amid the holy angels.
[THE LORD LIFT UP HIS banner and] do battle for you [at the head of] your thousands [against this] iniquitous generation.
[Three fragmentary lines.]
[THE LORD LIFT UP HIS sword for you] to humble many peoples before you [….], and may you not [rely] upon worldly wealth, to become estranged from the perpetual spring, [but find it when] you seek it. [So may He stay your steps.]
[Verily, He establishes the world upon its basis. So] may He establish your wellbeing for ever.
For blessing the priests.
Formula of blessing to be used by the 'enlightened' in blessing the sons of Zadok-that is, the priests whom God has chosen to keep His covenant firm for ever, to act as the testers of all matters involving the performance of His rules among His people and to teach then according to that which He has commanded, to the end that they may confirm His covenant in truth and supervise correctly [the performance] of all His ordinances and walk in the way which He has chosen:
THE LORD BLESS YOU from His holy habitation and set you crowned in majesty in the midst of the Holy Beings, and renew unto you the covenant of priesthood everlasting and give you place in the holy habitation.
By your offices may all princes be judged, and all the [lords] of the peoples by your unstained lips.
May He give you as your inheritance the first-fruits of all delights, and at your hand may He bless all mortal designs.
May He be pleased with [all] the steps of your feet, and make you acceptable in the eyes of men and of the Holy Beings.
May He apportion to you [……..] an may you immerse yourself therein. And all mortal […] and delights […].
May He set eternal blessings as a crown upon your head, and fill your hands with holiness and [……].
[Line missing]
May He cause you to do rightly in all your ministrations. For you has He chosen [to perform the office] and to carry out the charge at the head of them that be sacred, and to give His blessing unto your people, and you [has He appointed] that the men of the company of God may be [rendered pure?] at your hand and not at the hand of any monarch or [potentate; and with you He speaks] as a man unto his neighbour; and you are as a ministering angel in the holy habitation. {May you serve ever] unto the glory of the God of Hosts, and may you be about Him as one that ministers in a royal palace. And may you share the lot of the ministering angels {Note: Hebrew 'angel(s) of the Presence'} and be one in the company of [the Holy Beings] for all time and for all the epochs of eternity. [For He hath entrusted you with] His judgments, and has made you an holy thing among His people, to be as light […] to [illumine] the world with knowledge and to enlighten the faces of men far and wide.
May He set upon your head a diadem to proclaim you holy of holies, for [it is you that evinces His] holiness and shows forth the glory of His name.
And may His Holy Beings [wait upon you].
For blessing the king.
You have been set apart from [all other men] […..] them that see you [….].
May He renew unto you [……..].
[Line missing.]
[…..] who has commissioned you [……] for all time and for all the seasons of eternity. And may He not gi[ve] your glory [to another].
May God [set] the fear of you upon all that hear and tell of you, and be your majesty [upon all that] […].
For blessing the prefect of the community.
Formula of blessing to be used by the 'enlightened' in blessing (greeting) the prefect of the community-that is, the man whom God has chosen to represent His power and through whom He renews the covenant contracted with the community, to the end that he may maintain the sovereignty of His people for ever, and [whom He has appointed to judge the needy in righteousness] and to reprove in equi[ty the me]ek of the earth, and to walk blamelessly in all the ways of [His truth], and to confirm His holy covenant when distress befalls them that seek Him:
THE LORD LIFT you up unto the summit of the world, like a strong tower on a lofty wall.
May you [smite nations] with the vehemence of your mouth. With your rod may you dry up the [fountainheads] of the earth, and with the breath of your lips may you slay the wicked.
[THE LORD FAVOR YOU with a spirit of sound counsel] and with perpetual strength and with a spirit of knowledge and with the fear of God.
May righteousness be the girding [of the loins and faithfulness] that of your thighs.
May God make your horns of iron and your hoofs of brass; and may you gore the [iniquitous] like a steer [and trample nations] like mire in the streets.
For God has appointed you to be the scourge of rulers. They shall [come] before you [and make obeisance unto you, and all peoples] shall serve you. By His holy Name may He give you power that you be as a lion [which raventh and as a wolf which smi]tes the prey, with none to retrieve it. And may your charges ride abroad over [all the broad places of the earth].
THE HYMN OF THE INITIANTS
[Manual 0f Discipline, cols. x-xi]
1[Day and night will I offer my praise] and at all the appointed times which God has prescribed. When daylight begins its rule, when it reaches its turning-point,1 and when it again withdraws to its appointed abode; When the watches of darkness begin, when God opens the storehouse thereof,2 when He sets that darkness against the light,8 when it reaches its turning-point,4 and when it again withdraws in face of the light; When sun and moon shine forth from the holy Height, and when they again withdraw to the glorious Abode;5 When the formal seasons come on the days of new moon,6 when they reach their turning points,7 and when they yield place to one another, as each comes round anew;*
5 When the natural seasons come, at whatever time may be;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*The text here incorporates a series of esoteric glosses which have been omitted from the translation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
when, too, the months begin; on their feasts and on holy days, as they come in order due, each as a memorial in its season8-I shall hold it as one of the laws engraven of old on the tablets9 to render to God as my tribute the blessings of my lips.1O When the [natural] years begin; at the turning-points of their seasons, and when each completes its term on its natural day, yielding each to each-reaping-time to summer, sowing4ime to verdure;
In the [formal] years of weeks, in the several seasons thereof, and when, at the jubilee, the series of weeks begins11-yea, throughout my life, I shall hold it as one of the laws engraven of old on the tablets to offer to God as my fruits-the praises of my tongue, and to cull for him as my tithe the skilled melody of my lips. 12 All my music shall be for the glory of God; my lyre and my harp shall be devoted to tell of His holy dispensation; I shall put the flute to my lips to rehearse the due poise of His judgments.
10 With the coming of day and night I shall come ever anew into God’s covenant; and when evening and morning depart, shall ob<ser>ve how He sets their bounds.13 Only where God sets bounds. the unchangeable bounds of His Law-will I too set my domain.14 I shall hold it as one of the laws engraven of old on the tablets to face my sin and transgression and avouch the justice of God. I shall say unto God: ‘You, for me, art the Right!’ and unto the Most High: ‘For me You art cause of all good!’ Fountain of all knowledge, Spring of holiness, Zenith of all glory, Might omnipotent, Beauty that never fades, I will choose the path He shows me, and be content with His judgments.
Whenever I first put forth my hand or foot, I will bless His name;15 when first I go or come, when I sit and when I rise,16 when I lie down on my couch, I will sing unto Him. At the common board, or ever I raise my hand to enjoy the rich yield of the earth, with the fruit of my own lips I will bless Him as with an oblation.17
At the onset of fear and alarm, or when trouble and stress are at hand, I will bless him with special thanksgiving and muse upon His power, and rely on His mercies always, and come thereby to know that in His hand lies the judgment of all living, and that all His works are truth.18 Whenever distress breaks out, I still will praise Him; and when His salvation comes, join the chorus of praise.19 I will heap no evil on any, but pursue all men with good,20 knowing that only with God lies the judgment of all living, and He it is will award each man his deserts. I will not be envious of the profit of wickedness; for wealth unrighteously gotten my soul shall not 1ust21 I will not engage in strife with reprobate men,22 forestalling the Day of Requital.23 I will not turn back my wrath from froward men, nor rest content until justice be affirmed.
I will harbor no angry grudge against those that indeed repent,24 but neither will I show compassion to any that turn from the way. I will not console the smitten until they amend their course. I will cherish no baseness in my heart, nor shall there be heard in my mouth coarseness25 or wanton deceit; neither shall there be found upon my lips deception and lies.28
The fruit of holiness shall be on my tongue, and no heathen filth be found thereon. I will open my mouth with thanksgiving, and my tongue shall ever relate the righteousness of God and the perfidy of men until men’s transgressions be ended. Empty words will I banish from my lips; filth and perverseness from my mind. I will hedge in knowledge with sound counsel,
25 and protect [it] with shrewdness of mind. I will [set] a sober limit to all defending of faith and exacting of justice by force. I will bound God’s righteousness by the measuring-line of occasion. [I will temper] justice [with mercy], will show kindness to men downtrodden,
xi,1 bring firmness to fearful hearts, discernment to spirits that stray, enlighten the bowed with sound doctrine, reply to the proud with meekness, with humility answer the base -men rich in worldly goods, who point the finger of scorn and utter iniquitous thoughts.
To God I commit my cause. It is His to perfect my way, His to make straight my heart. He, in His charity, will wipe away my transgression. For He from the Wellspring of Knowledge has made His light to burst forth, and mine eye has gazed on His wonders; and the light that is in my heart has pierced the deep things of existence. He is ever the stay of my right hand.27 The path beneath my feet is set on a mighty rock28 unshaken before all things. For that rock beneath my feet 5 is the truth of God, and His power is the stay of my right hand; from the fount of His charity my vindication goes forth. Through His mysterious wonder light is come into my heart; mine eye has set its gaze on everlasting things. A virtue hidden from man, a knowledge and subtle lore concealed from human kind; a fount of righteousness, a reservoir of strength, a wellspring of all glory wherewith no flesh has converse-these has God bestowed on them that He has chosen, to possess them for ever. He has given them an inheritance in the lot of the Holy Beings, and joined them in communion with the Sons of Heaven,29 to form one congregation, one single communion, a fabric of holiness, a plant evergreen,30 for all time to come. But I—I belong to wicked mankind, to the communion of sinful flesh. My transgressions, my iniquities and sins, and the waywardness of my heart
10 condemn me to communion with the worm and with all that walk in darkness. For a mortal’s way is [not] of himself, neither can a man direct his own steps. The judgment lies with God, and ‘it is His to perfect man’s way. Only through His knowledge have all things come to be, and all that is, is ordained by His thought; and apart from Him is nothing wrought.31 Behold, if I should totter, God’s mercies will be my salvation. If I stumble in the waywardness of flesh, I shall be set aright through God’s righteousness ever-enduring. If distress break out, He will snatch my soul from perdition, and set my foot on the path. For He, in His compassion, has drawn me near unto Him,32 and His judgment upon me shall be rendered in His mercy. In his righteous truth He has judged me, and in His abundant goodness will shrive my iniquities, and in His righteousness cleanse me from all the pollution of man
15 and the sin of human kind, that I may acknowledge unto God His righteousness, and unto the Most High His majestic splendor. Blessed art You, 0 my God, Who have opened the heart of Thy servant unto knowledge. Direct all his works in righteousness, and vouchsafe unto the son of Your handmaid the favor which You have assured to all the mortal elect, to stand in Thy presence for ever. For apart from Thee no man’s way can be perfect, and without Thy will is nothing wrought. You it is that have taught all knowledge, and all things exist by Thy will; and there is none beside Thee to controvert Thy plan; none to understand all Thy holy thought, none to gaze into the depths of Thy secrets, none to perceive all Thy wonders and the might of Thy power.
20 Who can compass the sum of Thy glory? And what is mere mortal man amid Thy wondrous works? And what the child of woman to sit in Thy presence? For, behold, he is kneaded of dust, and his [ ] is the food of worms. He is but a molded heap,83 a thing nipped out of clay,34 whose attachment is but to the dust. What can such clay reply, or that which is molded by hand? What thought can it comprehend?
[Manual 0f Discipline, cols. x-xi]
1[Day and night will I offer my praise] and at all the appointed times which God has prescribed. When daylight begins its rule, when it reaches its turning-point,1 and when it again withdraws to its appointed abode; When the watches of darkness begin, when God opens the storehouse thereof,2 when He sets that darkness against the light,8 when it reaches its turning-point,4 and when it again withdraws in face of the light; When sun and moon shine forth from the holy Height, and when they again withdraw to the glorious Abode;5 When the formal seasons come on the days of new moon,6 when they reach their turning points,7 and when they yield place to one another, as each comes round anew;*
5 When the natural seasons come, at whatever time may be;
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*The text here incorporates a series of esoteric glosses which have been omitted from the translation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
when, too, the months begin; on their feasts and on holy days, as they come in order due, each as a memorial in its season8-I shall hold it as one of the laws engraven of old on the tablets9 to render to God as my tribute the blessings of my lips.1O When the [natural] years begin; at the turning-points of their seasons, and when each completes its term on its natural day, yielding each to each-reaping-time to summer, sowing4ime to verdure;
In the [formal] years of weeks, in the several seasons thereof, and when, at the jubilee, the series of weeks begins11-yea, throughout my life, I shall hold it as one of the laws engraven of old on the tablets to offer to God as my fruits-the praises of my tongue, and to cull for him as my tithe the skilled melody of my lips. 12 All my music shall be for the glory of God; my lyre and my harp shall be devoted to tell of His holy dispensation; I shall put the flute to my lips to rehearse the due poise of His judgments.
10 With the coming of day and night I shall come ever anew into God’s covenant; and when evening and morning depart, shall ob<ser>ve how He sets their bounds.13 Only where God sets bounds. the unchangeable bounds of His Law-will I too set my domain.14 I shall hold it as one of the laws engraven of old on the tablets to face my sin and transgression and avouch the justice of God. I shall say unto God: ‘You, for me, art the Right!’ and unto the Most High: ‘For me You art cause of all good!’ Fountain of all knowledge, Spring of holiness, Zenith of all glory, Might omnipotent, Beauty that never fades, I will choose the path He shows me, and be content with His judgments.
Whenever I first put forth my hand or foot, I will bless His name;15 when first I go or come, when I sit and when I rise,16 when I lie down on my couch, I will sing unto Him. At the common board, or ever I raise my hand to enjoy the rich yield of the earth, with the fruit of my own lips I will bless Him as with an oblation.17
At the onset of fear and alarm, or when trouble and stress are at hand, I will bless him with special thanksgiving and muse upon His power, and rely on His mercies always, and come thereby to know that in His hand lies the judgment of all living, and that all His works are truth.18 Whenever distress breaks out, I still will praise Him; and when His salvation comes, join the chorus of praise.19 I will heap no evil on any, but pursue all men with good,20 knowing that only with God lies the judgment of all living, and He it is will award each man his deserts. I will not be envious of the profit of wickedness; for wealth unrighteously gotten my soul shall not 1ust21 I will not engage in strife with reprobate men,22 forestalling the Day of Requital.23 I will not turn back my wrath from froward men, nor rest content until justice be affirmed.
I will harbor no angry grudge against those that indeed repent,24 but neither will I show compassion to any that turn from the way. I will not console the smitten until they amend their course. I will cherish no baseness in my heart, nor shall there be heard in my mouth coarseness25 or wanton deceit; neither shall there be found upon my lips deception and lies.28
The fruit of holiness shall be on my tongue, and no heathen filth be found thereon. I will open my mouth with thanksgiving, and my tongue shall ever relate the righteousness of God and the perfidy of men until men’s transgressions be ended. Empty words will I banish from my lips; filth and perverseness from my mind. I will hedge in knowledge with sound counsel,
25 and protect [it] with shrewdness of mind. I will [set] a sober limit to all defending of faith and exacting of justice by force. I will bound God’s righteousness by the measuring-line of occasion. [I will temper] justice [with mercy], will show kindness to men downtrodden,
xi,1 bring firmness to fearful hearts, discernment to spirits that stray, enlighten the bowed with sound doctrine, reply to the proud with meekness, with humility answer the base -men rich in worldly goods, who point the finger of scorn and utter iniquitous thoughts.
To God I commit my cause. It is His to perfect my way, His to make straight my heart. He, in His charity, will wipe away my transgression. For He from the Wellspring of Knowledge has made His light to burst forth, and mine eye has gazed on His wonders; and the light that is in my heart has pierced the deep things of existence. He is ever the stay of my right hand.27 The path beneath my feet is set on a mighty rock28 unshaken before all things. For that rock beneath my feet 5 is the truth of God, and His power is the stay of my right hand; from the fount of His charity my vindication goes forth. Through His mysterious wonder light is come into my heart; mine eye has set its gaze on everlasting things. A virtue hidden from man, a knowledge and subtle lore concealed from human kind; a fount of righteousness, a reservoir of strength, a wellspring of all glory wherewith no flesh has converse-these has God bestowed on them that He has chosen, to possess them for ever. He has given them an inheritance in the lot of the Holy Beings, and joined them in communion with the Sons of Heaven,29 to form one congregation, one single communion, a fabric of holiness, a plant evergreen,30 for all time to come. But I—I belong to wicked mankind, to the communion of sinful flesh. My transgressions, my iniquities and sins, and the waywardness of my heart
10 condemn me to communion with the worm and with all that walk in darkness. For a mortal’s way is [not] of himself, neither can a man direct his own steps. The judgment lies with God, and ‘it is His to perfect man’s way. Only through His knowledge have all things come to be, and all that is, is ordained by His thought; and apart from Him is nothing wrought.31 Behold, if I should totter, God’s mercies will be my salvation. If I stumble in the waywardness of flesh, I shall be set aright through God’s righteousness ever-enduring. If distress break out, He will snatch my soul from perdition, and set my foot on the path. For He, in His compassion, has drawn me near unto Him,32 and His judgment upon me shall be rendered in His mercy. In his righteous truth He has judged me, and in His abundant goodness will shrive my iniquities, and in His righteousness cleanse me from all the pollution of man
15 and the sin of human kind, that I may acknowledge unto God His righteousness, and unto the Most High His majestic splendor. Blessed art You, 0 my God, Who have opened the heart of Thy servant unto knowledge. Direct all his works in righteousness, and vouchsafe unto the son of Your handmaid the favor which You have assured to all the mortal elect, to stand in Thy presence for ever. For apart from Thee no man’s way can be perfect, and without Thy will is nothing wrought. You it is that have taught all knowledge, and all things exist by Thy will; and there is none beside Thee to controvert Thy plan; none to understand all Thy holy thought, none to gaze into the depths of Thy secrets, none to perceive all Thy wonders and the might of Thy power.
20 Who can compass the sum of Thy glory? And what is mere mortal man amid Thy wondrous works? And what the child of woman to sit in Thy presence? For, behold, he is kneaded of dust, and his [ ] is the food of worms. He is but a molded heap,83 a thing nipped out of clay,34 whose attachment is but to the dust. What can such clay reply, or that which is molded by hand? What thought can it comprehend?
THE BOOK OF HYMNS OR PSALMS OF THANKSGIVING
11: 1, 5-39
5 [You are the source of all might] and the wellspring of all power; [yet are You also rich in wisdom] [and] great in counsel2 Your fury [is vented] in the presence of [ [yet are Your mercies] beyond number. [You are a God that visits wrongdoing;] [yet also a God] longsuffering in judgment5 In whatsoever You do, You have ever done justly.
In Your wisdom did [You call into being] [spirits] immortal, and ere You did create them, did foreknow their works for all time. [Apart from You] can naught be done, and naught apprehended save by Your will.4 You it is formed every spirit, [and set due rule] and role for all their works.
10 When You did stretch out the heavens for Your glory, and [command] all [their host] to do Your will, You did also make potent spirits to keep them in bounds. Or ever spirits immortal took on the form of ho[ly] angels, You did assign them to bear rule over divers domains: over the sun and moon, to govern their hidden powers; over the stars, to hold them to their courses; over [rain and snow,] to make them fulfill their functions; over meteors and lightning's, to make them discharge their tasks;7 [and You did set them in] promptuaries8 [whence You did cause them to issue] for their several purposes, to govern the mysteries of these things.9 When, too, in Your power You did create earth and seas and deeps, in Your wisdom10 did You set [with]in them [spirits immortal],
15 thereby to dispose to Your will all that therein is. [So have You made [his] flesh a promptuary] in [this] world for that spirit of man which You did create11 to last throughout all time and for ages infinite, that it might gov[ern his deeds]. You have assigned the tasks of men's spirits duly, moment by moment,12 throughout their generations; and You have determined the mode in which they shall wield their sway, season by season; yea, [You have prescribed] their [works,] age after age alike when they shall be visited with peace and when they shall suffer affliction.13 You have [ man's spirit] and duly assigned its role for all his offspring throughout the generations of time; and [You have ] it for all years of eternity. And in Your knowing wisdom You have ordained its fate, or ever it came into being.
20 By [Your will all things exi]st, and without You is nothing wrought.14 Shapen of clay and kneaded with water, a bedrock of shame and a source of pollution, a cauldron of iniquity and a fabric of sin, a spirit errant and wayward,1~ distraught by every just judgment-what can I say that hath not been foreknown, or what disclose that hath not been foretold? All things are inscribed before You in a recording script,16 for every moment of time, for the infinite cycles of years, in their several appointed times.
25 No single thing is hidden, naught missing from Your presence.
How can man say aught to account for his sins? How argue in excuse of his misdeeds? How can he enter reply to any just sentence upon him? Thine, 0 God of all knowledge,1~ are all works of righteousness and the secret of truth; while man's is but thralldom to wrongdoing, and works of deceit. The spirit that lies in man's speech, You did create.
You have known all the words of man's tongue and determined the frult of his lips,18 ere those lips themselves had being. It is You that disposeth all words in due sequence19 and giveth to the spirit of the lips ordered mode of expression;20 that bringeth forth their secrets in measured utterances,21 and granteth unto spirits means to express their Youghts, that Your glory may be made known,
30 and Your wonders told forth in all Thine unerring works, and that Your righteousness [may be proclaimed,] and Your name be praised in the mouth of all things, and that all creatures may know You, each to the meed of his insight, and bless You alway. Moreover, in Your mercy and great loving kindness You have given man's spirit the strength to endure afflictions, and the power to come forth clean, Yough never so great its transgressions; showing thereby unto all Your works what wonders You canst perfor~ [So, for my own pare, what I tell is, to sim]ple minds, but a tale of my sufferings and how just they are; but to the world at large 'tis a tale of miracles which You have evinced through me in the sight of all mankind.
Hear, then, ye that are wise, and sanely reflect; Ye that are simple-minded,22 learn to think with more depth!23 Ye that are righteous put an end to perversity! Ye that are blameless of conduct keep a firm stance! Be patient and spurn not correction! Yough men that are foolish at heare cannot understand these things, God's ways are ever just; while men who behave unbridled will [be left to] gnash their teeth.24
2: II, 2-19
[I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord,] for You are my strength and [my stronghold,1] and You have delivered my soul from all works of unrighteousness. [For You have] put [truth in my heare] and righteousness [in my spirit,] along with all gifts of Your wisd[om;]
5 and have crushed the loins [of them] [that have risen up against me.2]
You bringest me cheer, 0 Lord,8 amid the sorrow of mourning, words of peace amid havoc, stoutness of heare when I faint, fortitude in the face of affliction.
You have given free flow of speech to my stammering lips; stayed my drooping spirit with vigor and strength; made my feet to stand firm when they stood where wickedness reigns.4
To transgressors I am a snare, but healing to them that repent, prudence to the unwary, temperance to the rash.
10 You have made me a reproach and a derision to them that live by deceit, but a symbol of truth and understanding to all whose way is straight.
I am become an eyesore unto the wicked, a slander on the lips of the unbridled;5 scoffers gnash their teeth. A song am I unto transgressors,6 and the hordes of the wicked rage against me;7 like ocean gales they storm which, when their billows rage, cast up mire and dirt.8
Yet, You have set me as a banner in the vanguard9 of Righteousness, as one who interprets with knowledge deep, mysterious things; as a touchstone for them that seek the truth, a standard for them that love correction.10 To them that preach misguidance I am but a man of strife;11
15 but to them that see straight,12 [a very symbol of pe]ace. To them that pursue del[usion] I am but a gust of zeal;13 men that live by deceit roar against me like the roar of many waters.
Naught is there in their Youghts save mischievous designs. When, opening the fount of knowledge to all that have understanding, You have set a man's life to rights by the words of my mouth, and have taught unto him Your lesson and put understanding in his heare -they thrust him back into the piL In place of these Your gifts they offer a witless folk~14 stammering lips and barbarous tongue,15 that, wandering astray, they rush headlong to their doom.18
3: II, 20-30
20 I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have put my soul in the bundle of life1 and hedged me2 against all the snares of corruption.
Because I clung to Your covenant, fierce men sought after my life.3 But they-a league of Falsehood, a congregation of Belial-they knew not that through You I would stan~ For You in Your mercy dost save my life; for by You are my footsteps guided.
Of Your doing it was that they assailed me, to the end that by Your judgment on the wicked Your glory might stand revealed, and that You mightest show forth through me
25 Your power over mankind; for by Your mercy I have stood.
Mighty men, I said, have pitched their camp against me; their weapons have compassed me, their shafts have been loosed unceasing; the flash of their spears is like fire devouring timber, and the roar of their voices like the roar of many waters. Like a flood burst bringing ruin far and wide,4 all weak things and frail they crush in a pounding cascade.5
Yet, while my heare was dissolving like water, my soul held firm to Your covenant, and they-their own foot was caught in the net they had spread for me; in the traps they had hidden for my soul themselves they fell.8
'Now that my foot on level ground doth rest, 30 Far from the madding crowd, I call You blest'.7
4: II 31-36
I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for Thine eye is ever awake, watching over my soul. You have delivered me from envy of them that preach falsehood, and have freed this hapless soul1 from the congregation of them that seek smooth things men who sought to destroy me and spill my blood in Your service.
Little did they know that my steps were ordered of You, when they made me a mock and a reproach in the mouths of all men of deceit. But ever, 0 my God, have You holpen the soul of the needy and weak and snatched him from the grasp
35 of him that was stronger than he.2 So have You freed my soul from the grasp of mighty men, nor suffered me so to be crushed by their taunts that for fear of the mischief which the wicked might wreak I should forsake Your service, or change for wild delusion the sound spirit which You have vouchsafed me.
5: II, 3-18
11: 1, 5-39
5 [You are the source of all might] and the wellspring of all power; [yet are You also rich in wisdom] [and] great in counsel2 Your fury [is vented] in the presence of [ [yet are Your mercies] beyond number. [You are a God that visits wrongdoing;] [yet also a God] longsuffering in judgment5 In whatsoever You do, You have ever done justly.
In Your wisdom did [You call into being] [spirits] immortal, and ere You did create them, did foreknow their works for all time. [Apart from You] can naught be done, and naught apprehended save by Your will.4 You it is formed every spirit, [and set due rule] and role for all their works.
10 When You did stretch out the heavens for Your glory, and [command] all [their host] to do Your will, You did also make potent spirits to keep them in bounds. Or ever spirits immortal took on the form of ho[ly] angels, You did assign them to bear rule over divers domains: over the sun and moon, to govern their hidden powers; over the stars, to hold them to their courses; over [rain and snow,] to make them fulfill their functions; over meteors and lightning's, to make them discharge their tasks;7 [and You did set them in] promptuaries8 [whence You did cause them to issue] for their several purposes, to govern the mysteries of these things.9 When, too, in Your power You did create earth and seas and deeps, in Your wisdom10 did You set [with]in them [spirits immortal],
15 thereby to dispose to Your will all that therein is. [So have You made [his] flesh a promptuary] in [this] world for that spirit of man which You did create11 to last throughout all time and for ages infinite, that it might gov[ern his deeds]. You have assigned the tasks of men's spirits duly, moment by moment,12 throughout their generations; and You have determined the mode in which they shall wield their sway, season by season; yea, [You have prescribed] their [works,] age after age alike when they shall be visited with peace and when they shall suffer affliction.13 You have [ man's spirit] and duly assigned its role for all his offspring throughout the generations of time; and [You have ] it for all years of eternity. And in Your knowing wisdom You have ordained its fate, or ever it came into being.
20 By [Your will all things exi]st, and without You is nothing wrought.14 Shapen of clay and kneaded with water, a bedrock of shame and a source of pollution, a cauldron of iniquity and a fabric of sin, a spirit errant and wayward,1~ distraught by every just judgment-what can I say that hath not been foreknown, or what disclose that hath not been foretold? All things are inscribed before You in a recording script,16 for every moment of time, for the infinite cycles of years, in their several appointed times.
25 No single thing is hidden, naught missing from Your presence.
How can man say aught to account for his sins? How argue in excuse of his misdeeds? How can he enter reply to any just sentence upon him? Thine, 0 God of all knowledge,1~ are all works of righteousness and the secret of truth; while man's is but thralldom to wrongdoing, and works of deceit. The spirit that lies in man's speech, You did create.
You have known all the words of man's tongue and determined the frult of his lips,18 ere those lips themselves had being. It is You that disposeth all words in due sequence19 and giveth to the spirit of the lips ordered mode of expression;20 that bringeth forth their secrets in measured utterances,21 and granteth unto spirits means to express their Youghts, that Your glory may be made known,
30 and Your wonders told forth in all Thine unerring works, and that Your righteousness [may be proclaimed,] and Your name be praised in the mouth of all things, and that all creatures may know You, each to the meed of his insight, and bless You alway. Moreover, in Your mercy and great loving kindness You have given man's spirit the strength to endure afflictions, and the power to come forth clean, Yough never so great its transgressions; showing thereby unto all Your works what wonders You canst perfor~ [So, for my own pare, what I tell is, to sim]ple minds, but a tale of my sufferings and how just they are; but to the world at large 'tis a tale of miracles which You have evinced through me in the sight of all mankind.
Hear, then, ye that are wise, and sanely reflect; Ye that are simple-minded,22 learn to think with more depth!23 Ye that are righteous put an end to perversity! Ye that are blameless of conduct keep a firm stance! Be patient and spurn not correction! Yough men that are foolish at heare cannot understand these things, God's ways are ever just; while men who behave unbridled will [be left to] gnash their teeth.24
2: II, 2-19
[I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord,] for You are my strength and [my stronghold,1] and You have delivered my soul from all works of unrighteousness. [For You have] put [truth in my heare] and righteousness [in my spirit,] along with all gifts of Your wisd[om;]
5 and have crushed the loins [of them] [that have risen up against me.2]
You bringest me cheer, 0 Lord,8 amid the sorrow of mourning, words of peace amid havoc, stoutness of heare when I faint, fortitude in the face of affliction.
You have given free flow of speech to my stammering lips; stayed my drooping spirit with vigor and strength; made my feet to stand firm when they stood where wickedness reigns.4
To transgressors I am a snare, but healing to them that repent, prudence to the unwary, temperance to the rash.
10 You have made me a reproach and a derision to them that live by deceit, but a symbol of truth and understanding to all whose way is straight.
I am become an eyesore unto the wicked, a slander on the lips of the unbridled;5 scoffers gnash their teeth. A song am I unto transgressors,6 and the hordes of the wicked rage against me;7 like ocean gales they storm which, when their billows rage, cast up mire and dirt.8
Yet, You have set me as a banner in the vanguard9 of Righteousness, as one who interprets with knowledge deep, mysterious things; as a touchstone for them that seek the truth, a standard for them that love correction.10 To them that preach misguidance I am but a man of strife;11
15 but to them that see straight,12 [a very symbol of pe]ace. To them that pursue del[usion] I am but a gust of zeal;13 men that live by deceit roar against me like the roar of many waters.
Naught is there in their Youghts save mischievous designs. When, opening the fount of knowledge to all that have understanding, You have set a man's life to rights by the words of my mouth, and have taught unto him Your lesson and put understanding in his heare -they thrust him back into the piL In place of these Your gifts they offer a witless folk~14 stammering lips and barbarous tongue,15 that, wandering astray, they rush headlong to their doom.18
3: II, 20-30
20 I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have put my soul in the bundle of life1 and hedged me2 against all the snares of corruption.
Because I clung to Your covenant, fierce men sought after my life.3 But they-a league of Falsehood, a congregation of Belial-they knew not that through You I would stan~ For You in Your mercy dost save my life; for by You are my footsteps guided.
Of Your doing it was that they assailed me, to the end that by Your judgment on the wicked Your glory might stand revealed, and that You mightest show forth through me
25 Your power over mankind; for by Your mercy I have stood.
Mighty men, I said, have pitched their camp against me; their weapons have compassed me, their shafts have been loosed unceasing; the flash of their spears is like fire devouring timber, and the roar of their voices like the roar of many waters. Like a flood burst bringing ruin far and wide,4 all weak things and frail they crush in a pounding cascade.5
Yet, while my heare was dissolving like water, my soul held firm to Your covenant, and they-their own foot was caught in the net they had spread for me; in the traps they had hidden for my soul themselves they fell.8
'Now that my foot on level ground doth rest, 30 Far from the madding crowd, I call You blest'.7
4: II 31-36
I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for Thine eye is ever awake, watching over my soul. You have delivered me from envy of them that preach falsehood, and have freed this hapless soul1 from the congregation of them that seek smooth things men who sought to destroy me and spill my blood in Your service.
Little did they know that my steps were ordered of You, when they made me a mock and a reproach in the mouths of all men of deceit. But ever, 0 my God, have You holpen the soul of the needy and weak and snatched him from the grasp
35 of him that was stronger than he.2 So have You freed my soul from the grasp of mighty men, nor suffered me so to be crushed by their taunts that for fear of the mischief which the wicked might wreak I should forsake Your service, or change for wild delusion the sound spirit which You have vouchsafed me.
5: II, 3-18
[I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord,] for You have illumined [my face] [with the vision of Your truth;] [wherefore I yet shall wa]lk in glory everlasting along with all [the holy that hear the words of] Your mouth;
5 and You wilt deliver me from [the pit and the slough.]
Howbeit, at this hour my soul is [sore dism]ayed. Men deem me a [worthless shard] and render my life like a ship stormtossed on the deep, or like a bastion city1 beleaguered by the [foe.] Yea, I am in distress as a woman in travail bringing forth her firstborn,2 when, as her time draws near, the pangs come swiftly upon he~ and all the racking pains4 in the crucible of conception.
For now, amid throes of death, new life is coming to birth,5 and the pangs of travail set in, as at last there enters the world the man-child long conceived. Now, amid throes of death, that man-child long foretold is about to be brought forth.6
10 Now, 'mid the pangs of hell,7 there will burst forth from the womb that marvel of mind and might,8 and that man child will spring from the throes!9
From the moment that he was conceived pangs have been sweeping apace over the whole wide world;10 new things have been coming to birth amid racking pains, and tremors have beset the wombs in which they lie.
And when he comes to birth, all those pangs of travail that rack the world's great womb11
-that crucible of conception- will take a sudden turn;12 what has been conceived with all the bale of a viper18 will end, at the moment of birth, in mere racking pain, and all the tremors be but labor lost,14 For lo, the wall shall rock unto its prime foundation, even as rocks a ship storm tossed on the waters. The heavens shall thunder loud, and they that now do dwell on the crumbling dust of the earth be as sailors on the seas, aghave at the roaring of the waters; and all the wise men thereof be as mariners on the deep
15 when all their skill is confounded15 by the surging of the seas, the seething of the depths,16 as high o'er the swirling tides17 the billows [surge], the breakers roar, while the gates of Hell18 burst open, and at every step they take, they face Perdition's shafts,19 and only the raging deep hears their cries.20 Yet anon shall the gates of [salvation]21 be opened; all baleful deeds [will cease],22 while the doors of Perdition shall close on all that Perverseness has conceived, and everlasting bars28 shut in all baleful spirits.
6: II, 19-36
I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have freed my soul from the pit1 and drawn me up from the slough of hell2
20 to the crest of the world. So walk I on uplands unbounded and know that there is hope8 for that which You did mold out of dust to have consort with things eternal. For lo, You have taken a spirit distorted by sin,4 and purged it of the taint of much transgression,5 and given it a place in the host of the holy beings, and brought it into communion with the sons of heaven. You have made a mere man to share the lot of the Spirits of Knowledge,6 to praise Your name in their chorus7 and rehearse Your wondrous deeds before all Your works.8
I, that am molded of clay, what am I? I, that am kneaded with water, what is my worth? I, that have taken my stand where wickedness reigns,9
25 that have cast my lot with the froward; whose soul has lodged like a beggar in a place of wild unrest;10 I, whose every step has been amid ruin and rout11-on what strength of mine own may I count when Corruption's snares are laid, and the nets of Wickedness spread, when far and wide on the waters Frowardness sets her drags,12 when the shafts of Corruption fly18 with none to turn them back, when they are hurled apace with no hope of escape; when the hour of judgment strikes,* when the lot of God's anger is cast upon the abandoned, when His fury is poured forth14 upon dissemblers,15 when the final doom of His rage falls on all worthless things; when the torrents of Death do swirl,18 and there is none escape; when the rivers of Belial17 burst their high banks rivers that are like fire devouring all. . rivers whose runnels destroy
30 green tree and dry tree alike,18 rivers that are like fire which sweeps with flaming sparks devouring all that drink their waters -a fire which consumes all foundations of clay, every solid bedrock; when the foundations of the mountains become a raging blaze,19
_______________________________
* Heb. 'When the line falls upon judgment'; cf. Isa. 28.27.
_______________________________
when granite roots are turned to streams of pitch,20 when the flame devours down to the great abyss,21 when the floods of Belial burst forth unto hell itself; when the depths of the abyss are in turmoil, cast up mire in abundance,22 when the earth cries out in anguish for the havoc wrought in the world, when all its depths are aquake, and all that is on it quails and quivers in [mighty] havoc; when with His mighty roar God thunders forth,23 and His holy welkin24 trembles as His glorious truth is revealed,
35 and the hosts of heaven give forth their voice, and the world's foundations rock and reel; when warfare waged by the soldiers of heaven sweeps through the world25 and turns not back until final doom26 warfare the like of which has never been?
7: III, 37-IV, 4
[Fragment]
I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have been unto me a strong wall1 against all that would destroy me and all that would [traduce me.] You dost shelter me from the dlsasters of a turbulent time, [ ] that it come not [ ]
IV,3 [You have set] my foot upon a rock2
------------------
[I will walk] the age-old way and the paths which You have chosen.
------------------
8: IV, 5-V, 5
5 and You wilt deliver me from [the pit and the slough.]
Howbeit, at this hour my soul is [sore dism]ayed. Men deem me a [worthless shard] and render my life like a ship stormtossed on the deep, or like a bastion city1 beleaguered by the [foe.] Yea, I am in distress as a woman in travail bringing forth her firstborn,2 when, as her time draws near, the pangs come swiftly upon he~ and all the racking pains4 in the crucible of conception.
For now, amid throes of death, new life is coming to birth,5 and the pangs of travail set in, as at last there enters the world the man-child long conceived. Now, amid throes of death, that man-child long foretold is about to be brought forth.6
10 Now, 'mid the pangs of hell,7 there will burst forth from the womb that marvel of mind and might,8 and that man child will spring from the throes!9
From the moment that he was conceived pangs have been sweeping apace over the whole wide world;10 new things have been coming to birth amid racking pains, and tremors have beset the wombs in which they lie.
And when he comes to birth, all those pangs of travail that rack the world's great womb11
-that crucible of conception- will take a sudden turn;12 what has been conceived with all the bale of a viper18 will end, at the moment of birth, in mere racking pain, and all the tremors be but labor lost,14 For lo, the wall shall rock unto its prime foundation, even as rocks a ship storm tossed on the waters. The heavens shall thunder loud, and they that now do dwell on the crumbling dust of the earth be as sailors on the seas, aghave at the roaring of the waters; and all the wise men thereof be as mariners on the deep
15 when all their skill is confounded15 by the surging of the seas, the seething of the depths,16 as high o'er the swirling tides17 the billows [surge], the breakers roar, while the gates of Hell18 burst open, and at every step they take, they face Perdition's shafts,19 and only the raging deep hears their cries.20 Yet anon shall the gates of [salvation]21 be opened; all baleful deeds [will cease],22 while the doors of Perdition shall close on all that Perverseness has conceived, and everlasting bars28 shut in all baleful spirits.
6: II, 19-36
I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have freed my soul from the pit1 and drawn me up from the slough of hell2
20 to the crest of the world. So walk I on uplands unbounded and know that there is hope8 for that which You did mold out of dust to have consort with things eternal. For lo, You have taken a spirit distorted by sin,4 and purged it of the taint of much transgression,5 and given it a place in the host of the holy beings, and brought it into communion with the sons of heaven. You have made a mere man to share the lot of the Spirits of Knowledge,6 to praise Your name in their chorus7 and rehearse Your wondrous deeds before all Your works.8
I, that am molded of clay, what am I? I, that am kneaded with water, what is my worth? I, that have taken my stand where wickedness reigns,9
25 that have cast my lot with the froward; whose soul has lodged like a beggar in a place of wild unrest;10 I, whose every step has been amid ruin and rout11-on what strength of mine own may I count when Corruption's snares are laid, and the nets of Wickedness spread, when far and wide on the waters Frowardness sets her drags,12 when the shafts of Corruption fly18 with none to turn them back, when they are hurled apace with no hope of escape; when the hour of judgment strikes,* when the lot of God's anger is cast upon the abandoned, when His fury is poured forth14 upon dissemblers,15 when the final doom of His rage falls on all worthless things; when the torrents of Death do swirl,18 and there is none escape; when the rivers of Belial17 burst their high banks rivers that are like fire devouring all. . rivers whose runnels destroy
30 green tree and dry tree alike,18 rivers that are like fire which sweeps with flaming sparks devouring all that drink their waters -a fire which consumes all foundations of clay, every solid bedrock; when the foundations of the mountains become a raging blaze,19
_______________________________
* Heb. 'When the line falls upon judgment'; cf. Isa. 28.27.
_______________________________
when granite roots are turned to streams of pitch,20 when the flame devours down to the great abyss,21 when the floods of Belial burst forth unto hell itself; when the depths of the abyss are in turmoil, cast up mire in abundance,22 when the earth cries out in anguish for the havoc wrought in the world, when all its depths are aquake, and all that is on it quails and quivers in [mighty] havoc; when with His mighty roar God thunders forth,23 and His holy welkin24 trembles as His glorious truth is revealed,
35 and the hosts of heaven give forth their voice, and the world's foundations rock and reel; when warfare waged by the soldiers of heaven sweeps through the world25 and turns not back until final doom26 warfare the like of which has never been?
7: III, 37-IV, 4
[Fragment]
I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have been unto me a strong wall1 against all that would destroy me and all that would [traduce me.] You dost shelter me from the dlsasters of a turbulent time, [ ] that it come not [ ]
IV,3 [You have set] my foot upon a rock2
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[I will walk] the age-old way and the paths which You have chosen.
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8: IV, 5-V, 5
5 I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have illumined my face with the light of Your covenant. [Day by day] I seek You, and ever You shinest upon me bright as the perfect dawn.1
But as for them-they have [dealt treacherously] with You, have made smooth their words.2 Garblers of truth are [they all,] witlessly stumbling along8 They [have turned] all their deeds to folly; they have become abhorrent unto themselves. Yough You show Your power through me, they regard me not, but thrust me forth from my land like a sparrow from its nest; all my friends and familiars are thrust away from me, and deem me a broken pot.4 Preachers of lies are they,
10 prophets of deceit. They have plotted mischief against me, to make Your people exchange for smooth words Your teaching which You have engraven on my heare. They have kept the draught of knowledge from them that are athirst, and given them in their thirst vinegar to drink,5 to feast their eyes upon them as they wander astray,6 make sport of them as they falter and are caught in their snares.
But You, 0 God, wilt spurn all the schemes of Belial. Your plan it is will prevail,7 and the Yought of Your heare endure for ever.
Crafty men are they;8 they think base Youghts, seek You with heare divided, stand not firm in Your truth. In their every Yought is a root which blossoms to wormwood and gall.9
15 In the stubbornness of their heares they wander astray and go seeking You through idols. They make their iniquity a stumbling-block before them,10 and come to inquire of You from the mouths of lying prophets, men by error seduced. Then, with stammering tongue and with alien lipsil they speak unto Your people, seeking guilefully to turn their deeds to delusion. They have [paid no heed to] Your teaching, nor given ear to Your word, but have said of the vision of knowledge, 'It is not sure', and of the way You desirest, 'There is no such thing'.
But You, 0 God, wilt give them their answer, judging them in Your power for all their idolatrous acts and their manifold transgressions, to the end that they shall be caught in their own designs12 who have turned away from Your covenant
20 You wilt sentence all men of deceit to be cut off,18 and all the prophets of error will be found no more. For in all You do there is no delusion, and in all You thinkest no deceit And they that are pleasing to You shall stand in Your presence for ever, and they that walk in the way You desirest rest firm for all time.
So, for mine own pare, because I have clung unto You, I shall yet arise and stand upright14 against them that revile me; and my hand shall yet be upon all that hold me in contempt. Though You show Your power through me, they regard me not Howbeit, You in Your might have shed upon me the Perfect Light, and bedaubed not their faces with shame15 that have let themselves be found when that I sought them out; who, in a common accord, have pledged themselves to You. They that walked in the way You desirest have hearkened unto me and rallied to Your cause
25 in the legion of the saints.16 And You wilt vindicate them and plainly show forth the truth;17 and suffer them not to stray at the hand of froward men, what time these plot against them.
You wilt yet cause Your people to stand in awe of them. But for them that transgress Your word You shalt ordain dispersal among all the peoples on earth, passing sentence on them that they be cut off.
Through me have You illumined the faces of full many, and countless be the times You have shown Your power through m~ For You have made known unto me Your deep, mysterious things, have shared Your secret with me and so shown forth Your power; and before the eyes of full many this token stands revealed, that Your glory may be shown forth, and all living know of Your power. Yet, never could flesh alone attain unto this, nor that which is molded of clay do wonders so great
30 -steeped in sin from the womb and in guilt of perfidy unto old age.
Verily I know that righteousness lies not with man, nor perfection of conduct with mortals. Only with God On High are all works of righteousness; and ne'er can the way of man be stablished save by the spirit which God has fashioned for him, to bring unto perfection the life of mortal man; that all His works may know how mighty is His power, how plenteous His love to all who do His will. When I called to mind all my guilty deeds and the perfidy of my sires -when wicked men opposed Your covenant,
35 and froward men Your word-trembling seized hold on me and quaking, all my bones were a-quiver; my heare became like wax melting before a fire, my knees were like to water18 pouring over a steep;19 and I said: 'Because of my transgressions I have been abandoned, that Your covenant holds not with me'.
But then, when I remembered the strength of Your hand and Your multitudinous mercies, I rose again and stood upright, and my spirit was fortified to stand against affliction; for I was stayed by Your grace. You in Your plenteous compassion dost wipe out 5in,20 and with Your righteousness purge away man's guil~ Man alone cannot do as You have done; for You it is did create both the righteous and the wicked. And I said: through Your covenant I shall go strengthened for ever,
-------------------
[and on Your gralce [be stayed.]
40 For You Yourself are truth, and all Your works are righteousness'.
--------------------
9: V, 5-19
5 I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have not forsaken me Yough I dwell as a sojourner among an alien people,1 [nor cast me forth from Your sight,] [nor] judged me according to my guilt, nor abandoned me to my lusts; but have rescued my life from the pit
Yough You have set [my soul] amid lions2 prompt to spring on the guilty -fearful lions that break men's bones, mighty lions that drink their blood-and Yough You have placed me full oft in ready reach of their haul who spread their nets for the froward like fishers upon the waters, or seek, like hunters, to trap them,8 yet, when You have placed me there, You have dealt justly with me.4
For You have set firm in my heare Your deep, deep truth; and to them that seek after that truth You bindest Yourself in pledge. So have You put a lock upon the mouths of those lions,
10 whose teeth are like a sword,5 whose fangs like a sharp spear,8 <whose breath> is the venom of serpents.7 Yough ever they seek to raven, and Yough ever they lie in wait,
they have oped not their jaws against me. You have sheltered me, 0 my God, in the face of all mankind, and hidden Your teaching [within me], until it be shown unto me that the hour of Your triumph is come.8
In all the distress of my soul You have not abandoned me. In the bitterness of my spirit You have heard my cry, and in my sighing discerned the song of my pain.
When I have found myself in a very den of lions,9 whetting their tongues like a sword,10 You have rescued me in my plight Yea, 0 my God, You have locked their teeth lest they rend a hapless man apare; and You have drawn back their tongue
15 like a sword into its sheath,11 lest it [do hurt] to Your servant.
Moreover, to show forth Your power in the sight of all men, You have singled me out, a hapless wretch and worked a wonder in me, passing me [like gold] through a furn[ace,] even through the action of fire, and like silver that is refined in the crucible of the smith, to come forth sevenfold pure.12
The wicked rush wildly upon me to [grasp] me in their vice, and they crush my spirit all day, but You, 0 my God, dost turn the storm to a calm.15 From the jaws of very lions You have snatched a poor lost soul, [when it was nigh] to be rent
10: V, 20-VI, 35
20 Blessed are You, 0 Lord, for You have never abandoned the orphan neither despised the poor. [Unbounded is] Your power, and Your glory hath no measure.
Angels of wondrous strength minister unto You, and [they walk] at the side of the meek and of them that are eager for right-doing,1 and of all the lost and lorn that stand in need of mercy, lifting them out of the slough2 when that their feet are mired.8
So, for mine own pare, to them that were once my [familiars] I am become [a reproach], an object of strife and discord4 unto my friends; an occasion of fury and anger unto my fellows; of murmuring and complaint to all mine acquaintances. [All] that ate of my bread5 have lifted their heels against me;6 all that shared my board have mouthed distortions about me;7 and they with whom I [consorted] have turned their backs upon me and defamed me up and down
25 By reason of the secret which You have hidden within me they have spread slander against me to men that were bent on mischief.
Because they have he[mmed in my w]ay8 and because they are laden with guilt, You have [perforce] kept hidden [from them] the fount of understanding and the secret of truth, while they-they go on contriving the mischief of their heares, opening their shameless [mouths,] unleashing their lying tongues which are like the venom of adders9 fitfully spurting forth;lO like reptiles they shoot forth their his[sing] -vipers that cannot be charmed.11 It becomes like a constant pain, a fretting wound18 in the body of Your servant, causing his spirit to droop, wearing down his strength,14 until he cannot withstand. They have o'ertaken me between the straits,15 and I have no escape.
30 They have thundered abuse of me to the tune of the harp, and in jingles chorused their jeers. Confusion and panic beset me,18 horrendous anguish17 and pain, like to the throes of travail. My heare is distraught within me; I clothe me in mourning garb;18 my tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth.19 [In] their heares they rev[ile me,] and openly vented their spleen. The light of my face is turned to darkness, my radiance to gl[oom].
You, 0 my God, have enlarged my heare, but ever they seek to constrict it They have hedged me about with thick darkness I eat my bread amid sighs, and my drink is mingled with tears20 which have none end. Mine eyes are dimmed with anguish,21 and with all that beclouds the daylight22 my soul is over[cast] Sorrow and sighing are all about me,
35 and the pall of shame o'er my face. The very bre[ad] that I eat seems to be quarreling with me, the very driak that I drink to be at odds with me. They purpose to trammel my spirit, to wear down all my strength with blasphemous mystic lore, converting the works of God into that which they guiltily imagine. I am bound with unbreakable cords, with fetters that cannot be sundered. A strong wail [is upreared against me;] bars of iron [restrain me] and doors of brass.23
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Over my soul swirl the torrents of hell.24
------------------------
vi,2 My heare [is sore distraught] because of their obloquy which they have heaped upon me.
-------------------------
[Ruin encompasses me,] disaster which knows no bound, destruction which hath no [end.]
-------------------------
[Howbeit, 0 my God,] You have opened mine ear withal to the lessons which they impare who reprove with justice,25 [and have thereby delivered me]
5 from company with the vain from fellowship with crime and have brought me into communion [with Your holy truth], [purging my soul of] guilt So am I come to know that in [Your] loving[kindness] lies hope for them that repent and for them that abandon sin, [and confidence for him] who walks in the way of Your heare wiYout perversity. Therefore, Yough peoples roar, Yough kingdoms rage,28 when that they gather together, I shall go comforted. I shall [not] be dismayed, knowing that in a space You wilt raise a reviving for Your people and grant to Thine inheritance a remnant,27 and refine them, to purge them of guilt Whenas in all their deeds they have done as Your truth* enjoined, You wilt judge them with lovingkindness, with plenteous compassion and abundance of forgiveness, guiding them according to Your word,
10 stablishing them by Your counsel,** by Thine unswerving truth'
_______________________________
* i.e., the scriptures.
** Or, 'in Your council'.
_______________________________
You have acted for Yourself and for Your glory, that the Law may come to [fruition,] and have [sent] among mankind men that be schooled in Your counsel to tell forth Your wonders through the ages, world wiYout end, to [rehea]rse Your deeds of power wiYout surcease, that all nations may know Your truth, and all peoples Your glory. All them that follow Your counsel have You brought into [com]munion with You, and have given them common estate with the Angels of Your Presence28 There stands no intermediary among them to appr[oach You in their behalf and] bring them back Your word29 filtered through his mind [?];80 for they themselves are answered from out of Your glorious mouth' They are Your courtiers,* sharing the high estate of [all the heavenly beings.]
15 [For these have You planted a tree] which blooms with flowers unfading, whose boughs put forth thick leaves, which stands firm-planted for ever, and gives shade to all [ [whose branches tower] to hea[ven], whose roots sink down to the abyss.81 All the rivers of Eden [water] its boughs;32 it thrives beyond [all bounds], [burgeons beyond all] measure. [Its branches stretch] endless across the world, [and its roots go down] to the nethermost depths.
_______________________________
* Heb. 'princes'. The word is commonly used in post-Biblical Hebrew to denote angels.
_______________________________
But as for them-they have [dealt treacherously] with You, have made smooth their words.2 Garblers of truth are [they all,] witlessly stumbling along8 They [have turned] all their deeds to folly; they have become abhorrent unto themselves. Yough You show Your power through me, they regard me not, but thrust me forth from my land like a sparrow from its nest; all my friends and familiars are thrust away from me, and deem me a broken pot.4 Preachers of lies are they,
10 prophets of deceit. They have plotted mischief against me, to make Your people exchange for smooth words Your teaching which You have engraven on my heare. They have kept the draught of knowledge from them that are athirst, and given them in their thirst vinegar to drink,5 to feast their eyes upon them as they wander astray,6 make sport of them as they falter and are caught in their snares.
But You, 0 God, wilt spurn all the schemes of Belial. Your plan it is will prevail,7 and the Yought of Your heare endure for ever.
Crafty men are they;8 they think base Youghts, seek You with heare divided, stand not firm in Your truth. In their every Yought is a root which blossoms to wormwood and gall.9
15 In the stubbornness of their heares they wander astray and go seeking You through idols. They make their iniquity a stumbling-block before them,10 and come to inquire of You from the mouths of lying prophets, men by error seduced. Then, with stammering tongue and with alien lipsil they speak unto Your people, seeking guilefully to turn their deeds to delusion. They have [paid no heed to] Your teaching, nor given ear to Your word, but have said of the vision of knowledge, 'It is not sure', and of the way You desirest, 'There is no such thing'.
But You, 0 God, wilt give them their answer, judging them in Your power for all their idolatrous acts and their manifold transgressions, to the end that they shall be caught in their own designs12 who have turned away from Your covenant
20 You wilt sentence all men of deceit to be cut off,18 and all the prophets of error will be found no more. For in all You do there is no delusion, and in all You thinkest no deceit And they that are pleasing to You shall stand in Your presence for ever, and they that walk in the way You desirest rest firm for all time.
So, for mine own pare, because I have clung unto You, I shall yet arise and stand upright14 against them that revile me; and my hand shall yet be upon all that hold me in contempt. Though You show Your power through me, they regard me not Howbeit, You in Your might have shed upon me the Perfect Light, and bedaubed not their faces with shame15 that have let themselves be found when that I sought them out; who, in a common accord, have pledged themselves to You. They that walked in the way You desirest have hearkened unto me and rallied to Your cause
25 in the legion of the saints.16 And You wilt vindicate them and plainly show forth the truth;17 and suffer them not to stray at the hand of froward men, what time these plot against them.
You wilt yet cause Your people to stand in awe of them. But for them that transgress Your word You shalt ordain dispersal among all the peoples on earth, passing sentence on them that they be cut off.
Through me have You illumined the faces of full many, and countless be the times You have shown Your power through m~ For You have made known unto me Your deep, mysterious things, have shared Your secret with me and so shown forth Your power; and before the eyes of full many this token stands revealed, that Your glory may be shown forth, and all living know of Your power. Yet, never could flesh alone attain unto this, nor that which is molded of clay do wonders so great
30 -steeped in sin from the womb and in guilt of perfidy unto old age.
Verily I know that righteousness lies not with man, nor perfection of conduct with mortals. Only with God On High are all works of righteousness; and ne'er can the way of man be stablished save by the spirit which God has fashioned for him, to bring unto perfection the life of mortal man; that all His works may know how mighty is His power, how plenteous His love to all who do His will. When I called to mind all my guilty deeds and the perfidy of my sires -when wicked men opposed Your covenant,
35 and froward men Your word-trembling seized hold on me and quaking, all my bones were a-quiver; my heare became like wax melting before a fire, my knees were like to water18 pouring over a steep;19 and I said: 'Because of my transgressions I have been abandoned, that Your covenant holds not with me'.
But then, when I remembered the strength of Your hand and Your multitudinous mercies, I rose again and stood upright, and my spirit was fortified to stand against affliction; for I was stayed by Your grace. You in Your plenteous compassion dost wipe out 5in,20 and with Your righteousness purge away man's guil~ Man alone cannot do as You have done; for You it is did create both the righteous and the wicked. And I said: through Your covenant I shall go strengthened for ever,
-------------------
[and on Your gralce [be stayed.]
40 For You Yourself are truth, and all Your works are righteousness'.
--------------------
9: V, 5-19
5 I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have not forsaken me Yough I dwell as a sojourner among an alien people,1 [nor cast me forth from Your sight,] [nor] judged me according to my guilt, nor abandoned me to my lusts; but have rescued my life from the pit
Yough You have set [my soul] amid lions2 prompt to spring on the guilty -fearful lions that break men's bones, mighty lions that drink their blood-and Yough You have placed me full oft in ready reach of their haul who spread their nets for the froward like fishers upon the waters, or seek, like hunters, to trap them,8 yet, when You have placed me there, You have dealt justly with me.4
For You have set firm in my heare Your deep, deep truth; and to them that seek after that truth You bindest Yourself in pledge. So have You put a lock upon the mouths of those lions,
10 whose teeth are like a sword,5 whose fangs like a sharp spear,8 <whose breath> is the venom of serpents.7 Yough ever they seek to raven, and Yough ever they lie in wait,
they have oped not their jaws against me. You have sheltered me, 0 my God, in the face of all mankind, and hidden Your teaching [within me], until it be shown unto me that the hour of Your triumph is come.8
In all the distress of my soul You have not abandoned me. In the bitterness of my spirit You have heard my cry, and in my sighing discerned the song of my pain.
When I have found myself in a very den of lions,9 whetting their tongues like a sword,10 You have rescued me in my plight Yea, 0 my God, You have locked their teeth lest they rend a hapless man apare; and You have drawn back their tongue
15 like a sword into its sheath,11 lest it [do hurt] to Your servant.
Moreover, to show forth Your power in the sight of all men, You have singled me out, a hapless wretch and worked a wonder in me, passing me [like gold] through a furn[ace,] even through the action of fire, and like silver that is refined in the crucible of the smith, to come forth sevenfold pure.12
The wicked rush wildly upon me to [grasp] me in their vice, and they crush my spirit all day, but You, 0 my God, dost turn the storm to a calm.15 From the jaws of very lions You have snatched a poor lost soul, [when it was nigh] to be rent
10: V, 20-VI, 35
20 Blessed are You, 0 Lord, for You have never abandoned the orphan neither despised the poor. [Unbounded is] Your power, and Your glory hath no measure.
Angels of wondrous strength minister unto You, and [they walk] at the side of the meek and of them that are eager for right-doing,1 and of all the lost and lorn that stand in need of mercy, lifting them out of the slough2 when that their feet are mired.8
So, for mine own pare, to them that were once my [familiars] I am become [a reproach], an object of strife and discord4 unto my friends; an occasion of fury and anger unto my fellows; of murmuring and complaint to all mine acquaintances. [All] that ate of my bread5 have lifted their heels against me;6 all that shared my board have mouthed distortions about me;7 and they with whom I [consorted] have turned their backs upon me and defamed me up and down
25 By reason of the secret which You have hidden within me they have spread slander against me to men that were bent on mischief.
Because they have he[mmed in my w]ay8 and because they are laden with guilt, You have [perforce] kept hidden [from them] the fount of understanding and the secret of truth, while they-they go on contriving the mischief of their heares, opening their shameless [mouths,] unleashing their lying tongues which are like the venom of adders9 fitfully spurting forth;lO like reptiles they shoot forth their his[sing] -vipers that cannot be charmed.11 It becomes like a constant pain, a fretting wound18 in the body of Your servant, causing his spirit to droop, wearing down his strength,14 until he cannot withstand. They have o'ertaken me between the straits,15 and I have no escape.
30 They have thundered abuse of me to the tune of the harp, and in jingles chorused their jeers. Confusion and panic beset me,18 horrendous anguish17 and pain, like to the throes of travail. My heare is distraught within me; I clothe me in mourning garb;18 my tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth.19 [In] their heares they rev[ile me,] and openly vented their spleen. The light of my face is turned to darkness, my radiance to gl[oom].
You, 0 my God, have enlarged my heare, but ever they seek to constrict it They have hedged me about with thick darkness I eat my bread amid sighs, and my drink is mingled with tears20 which have none end. Mine eyes are dimmed with anguish,21 and with all that beclouds the daylight22 my soul is over[cast] Sorrow and sighing are all about me,
35 and the pall of shame o'er my face. The very bre[ad] that I eat seems to be quarreling with me, the very driak that I drink to be at odds with me. They purpose to trammel my spirit, to wear down all my strength with blasphemous mystic lore, converting the works of God into that which they guiltily imagine. I am bound with unbreakable cords, with fetters that cannot be sundered. A strong wail [is upreared against me;] bars of iron [restrain me] and doors of brass.23
-------------------------
Over my soul swirl the torrents of hell.24
------------------------
vi,2 My heare [is sore distraught] because of their obloquy which they have heaped upon me.
-------------------------
[Ruin encompasses me,] disaster which knows no bound, destruction which hath no [end.]
-------------------------
[Howbeit, 0 my God,] You have opened mine ear withal to the lessons which they impare who reprove with justice,25 [and have thereby delivered me]
5 from company with the vain from fellowship with crime and have brought me into communion [with Your holy truth], [purging my soul of] guilt So am I come to know that in [Your] loving[kindness] lies hope for them that repent and for them that abandon sin, [and confidence for him] who walks in the way of Your heare wiYout perversity. Therefore, Yough peoples roar, Yough kingdoms rage,28 when that they gather together, I shall go comforted. I shall [not] be dismayed, knowing that in a space You wilt raise a reviving for Your people and grant to Thine inheritance a remnant,27 and refine them, to purge them of guilt Whenas in all their deeds they have done as Your truth* enjoined, You wilt judge them with lovingkindness, with plenteous compassion and abundance of forgiveness, guiding them according to Your word,
10 stablishing them by Your counsel,** by Thine unswerving truth'
_______________________________
* i.e., the scriptures.
** Or, 'in Your council'.
_______________________________
You have acted for Yourself and for Your glory, that the Law may come to [fruition,] and have [sent] among mankind men that be schooled in Your counsel to tell forth Your wonders through the ages, world wiYout end, to [rehea]rse Your deeds of power wiYout surcease, that all nations may know Your truth, and all peoples Your glory. All them that follow Your counsel have You brought into [com]munion with You, and have given them common estate with the Angels of Your Presence28 There stands no intermediary among them to appr[oach You in their behalf and] bring them back Your word29 filtered through his mind [?];80 for they themselves are answered from out of Your glorious mouth' They are Your courtiers,* sharing the high estate of [all the heavenly beings.]
15 [For these have You planted a tree] which blooms with flowers unfading, whose boughs put forth thick leaves, which stands firm-planted for ever, and gives shade to all [ [whose branches tower] to hea[ven], whose roots sink down to the abyss.81 All the rivers of Eden [water] its boughs;32 it thrives beyond [all bounds], [burgeons beyond all] measure. [Its branches stretch] endless across the world, [and its roots go down] to the nethermost depths.
_______________________________
* Heb. 'princes'. The word is commonly used in post-Biblical Hebrew to denote angels.
_______________________________
Moreover, there shall well forth for them a fountain of light a perpetual spring unfailing. Howbeit, in its [fiery] sparks all [infamous] men shall be burned; it shall be as a flame devouring the guilty, until they are destroyed. These men who were once my comrades, pledged to the selfsame task of bearing witness to You, have let themselves be seduced by garbl[ers of truth], [that they are concerned no more] with working for righteousness.
20 You hadst given them commandments, 0 God, that they might have profit of their lives by wailing Your ho[ly way,] whereon the uncircumcised and unclean and profane may not pass.88 But they veered from the way of Your heare and ensnared themselves in their lusts. Belial has been counseling their heares84 and, through their wicked devisings, they have been wallowing in guilt.
Wherefore on their account I was as a sailor in a ship when the seas do froth and foam. All the breakers thereof kept pounding against me, and the whirlwind35 blew about me, [and there was no] moment of calm wherein to catch my breath, neither could I steer a course upon the waters. The deeps echoed my groaning, and I [came near] to the gates of death.30 But now I am as one.
25 that hath reached a fortified city, found refuge behind a high wall until deliverance come. For I have stayed myself on Your truth, 0 my God, knowing full well that You foundest Your structure on a rock, that Righteousness is the line by which You layest its bricks, that Justice is the gauge You usest to set its footing, that of solid stone87 is its wall, unshakeable; that all who repair unto it shall never be moved, for there shall no stranger invade it. Its doors are a sheet of protection which none may force, and its bars are strong bars which cannot be broken. No armed band can storm it, neither all the war hosts of wickedness together.
But anon, in the Moment of Judgment, the sword of God will be swift and all who acknowledge His truth will rouse themselves to [do battle]
30 [against the forces of] wickedness, and all the sons of guilt will be no more. The Warrior38 will bend his bow, and lift the siege for ever, and open the gates everlasting to bring forth His weapons of war; and His legions shall go marching from end to [end of the earth,] [and there shall be no es]cape for the guilty impulse of men They shall trample it to destruction, that naught re[main thereof.] [There shall be no] hope for it in [weapons] never so many, neither any escape for all that fight in its cause.
For the [victory] shall belong unto God on High,
…………………………………
and Yough they that lie in the dust will have raised their flag,39 and Yough this worm which is man40 will have lifted up his banner to do [battle against the truth,] [yet shall they be] cut off
35 when battle is joined with the presumptuous; and he that sought to bring the scourge of a flood overflowing41 will never reach that stronghold.
…………………………….
lOa: VII, 1-5
Lo, I am stricken dumb, [for naught comes out of men's mouths but] swearing [and lying]. My arm is wrenched from its socket;1 my foot is sunken in mire; mine eyes are dimmed2 from looking on evil; mine ears are deafened from hearing of bloodshed; my heare is numbed with thinking on evil; for where-so-ever men show the temper of their being, there is the spirit of baseness. The structure of my being is rocked to its very foundation; my bones are out of joint;3 mine inwards heave like a ship
5 when the searing east wind soughs;4 my heare is sore distraught. In the havoc of their transgression a whirlwind swallows me up.
11:VII, 6-25
I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for by Thine own strength have You stayed me, and have wafted o'er me Your holy spirit that I cannot be moved. You have braced me for all the battles that Wickedness wages against me, and have let not the havoc dlsmay me to break faith with You. You have made me like a strong tower upon a lofty wall,1 founded upon a rock,2 reared on eternal foundations, whose walls are a proven bulwark that cannot be shaken
10 -a tower which You have provided, 0 my God, for [this] holy community -these men that rise as on wings.8
[You have brought me into] Your covenant Words flow free on my tongue, as it were trained by You,4 while the Spirit of Havoc stays speechless, and the reprobate open not their mouth.
Through me You have kept Your pledge: 'False lips shall be stricken dumb'.* * All them that challenge me You makest to stand condemned, distinguisbin~ through me the right from the wrong. You knowest the impulse of every act, and discernest the purport of every speech,
_______________________________
**ps 31.18.
_______________________________
yet, by Your guidance* and truth You have directed my heare, to set my steps straight forward on paths of righteousness, and walk where Your Presence is,
15 within bounds of [holiness], on roads of infinite glory and peace, ending all [waywardness] for ever. You knowest also the nature of this Your servant, how that I have not relied [upon the things of the world,] lifting [my heare] in pride, vaunting my strength. No refuge have I in flesh, nor righteousness [in my soul,] that I may be saved from the snare except by Your pardon.
On [Your mercy alone] I rely, and for Your grace I hope, to bring [what I have plan]ted to flower, to make the shoot to grow, to find cause for vaunting strength, for [lifting heare.] And You, 0 God of mercy, have in Your bounty given me place
20 among those to whom You are pledged;5 and unto Your truth will I cling. You have [shown me Your grace] and set me as a father to them You holdest dear,6 and as a nurse unto them whom You have made exemplars of men.7 They open their mouths for my words, like sucklings [at the breast,] and like as a babe that plays on the bosom of its nurse.
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* Heb. Torah.
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15 within bounds of [holiness], on roads of infinite glory and peace, ending all [waywardness] for ever. You knowest also the nature of this Your servant, how that I have not relied [upon the things of the world,] lifting [my heare] in pride, vaunting my strength. No refuge have I in flesh, nor righteousness [in my soul,] that I may be saved from the snare except by Your pardon.
On [Your mercy alone] I rely, and for Your grace I hope, to bring [what I have plan]ted to flower, to make the shoot to grow, to find cause for vaunting strength, for [lifting heare.] And You, 0 God of mercy, have in Your bounty given me place
20 among those to whom You are pledged;5 and unto Your truth will I cling. You have [shown me Your grace] and set me as a father to them You holdest dear,6 and as a nurse unto them whom You have made exemplars of men.7 They open their mouths for my words, like sucklings [at the breast,] and like as a babe that plays on the bosom of its nurse.
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* Heb. Torah.
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You have raised high my horn8 over all that revile me, and all who wage battle against me are rou[ted wiYout remnant,] and all that contend with me are as chaff before the wind;9 and all impiety bows to my sway. For You, O my God, have holpen my soul and raised high my horn. I am lit with a light sevenfold, with that same [lustre] of glory which You did create for Yourself.10
25 For You are unto me as a light eternal11 guiding my feet upon [the way.]
12: VII, 26-33
25 For You are unto me as a light eternal11 guiding my feet upon [the way.]
12: VII, 26-33
I give [thanks unto You, 0 Lord,] for You have given me insight into Your truth and knowledge of Your wondrous secrets.
In loving kindness to [lowly] man, in abundance of mercy to wayward heares, who is like You among the gods, 0 Lord,1 and what truth is like Thine? Who can prove righteous in Your sight when You bringest him unto judgment? Not even a spirit can answer Your charge, and none can withstand Your wrath. Yet, all that are children of Your truth
30 You bringest before You with forgiveness, [clean]sing them of their transgressions through Thine abundant goodness, and, through Your plenteous mercies, causing them to stand in Your presence for ever. For You are a God everlasting, and all Your ways hold firm for all time;2 and there is none else beside You. But what is man-vain, empty man, that he should understand Your great wondrous works?
13: VII, 34-VHI, 3
[I give thanks] unto You, 0 Lord, for You have cast not my lot in the congregation of the false, nor set my portion in the company of dissemblers.
35 Behold, in Your mercy [I trust], in Your pardon [confide], and on Thine abundant mercies [I lean], when all [just] judgments are passed upon me. [For You dost tend me as a mother tendeth] her babe, and [like a child] on the bosom of [its nurse dost You sustain me].
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Your justice holdeth firm for ever, for [You dost] not [abandon them that seek You].1
----------------------------
In loving kindness to [lowly] man, in abundance of mercy to wayward heares, who is like You among the gods, 0 Lord,1 and what truth is like Thine? Who can prove righteous in Your sight when You bringest him unto judgment? Not even a spirit can answer Your charge, and none can withstand Your wrath. Yet, all that are children of Your truth
30 You bringest before You with forgiveness, [clean]sing them of their transgressions through Thine abundant goodness, and, through Your plenteous mercies, causing them to stand in Your presence for ever. For You are a God everlasting, and all Your ways hold firm for all time;2 and there is none else beside You. But what is man-vain, empty man, that he should understand Your great wondrous works?
13: VII, 34-VHI, 3
[I give thanks] unto You, 0 Lord, for You have cast not my lot in the congregation of the false, nor set my portion in the company of dissemblers.
35 Behold, in Your mercy [I trust], in Your pardon [confide], and on Thine abundant mercies [I lean], when all [just] judgments are passed upon me. [For You dost tend me as a mother tendeth] her babe, and [like a child] on the bosom of [its nurse dost You sustain me].
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Your justice holdeth firm for ever, for [You dost] not [abandon them that seek You].1
----------------------------
14: VII, 4-36
I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, because, in a dry place, You have set me beside a fountain; in an arid land, beside a spring;1
5 in a de[sert], beside an oasis; like one of those evergreen trees-fir or pine or cypress-planted together to Your glory,2 which, hidden 'mid other trees-trees that stand beside water-are fed from a secret spring, and which put forth blossom unfading upon an eternal trunk, striking firm root ere they burgeon, spreading their roots to the stream;3 a tree whose stem is exposed to living waters, and whose stock lies beside a perpetual fount; a tree on whose flowering leaves all the beasts of the woodland can feed; whose roots are so widespread that all wayfarers cannot but tread them;4 upon whose dangling boughs there is room for every bird.5 All those other trees-those trees that stand beside water-keep railing against it,6 because they grow entangled in their plantations,1
10 and can send not their roots to the stream, while this one, which puts forth the shoot of Holiness upon the stock of Truth, keeps its secret hidden, unknown, sealed and unsuspected. Moreover, O God, You has hedged in its fruit by the mystic power of stalware angels,8 by holy spirits, and by a flaming sword turning this way and that;9 that [the wicked] may not [drink] from the Fountain of Life nor, like those evergreens, imbibe the waters of Holiness;10 that he never may bring his fruit to blossom through the [sho]wers of heaven,11 because, Yough indeed he has seen it, he has never sensed what it was,12 nor, Yough he has had notion thereof,18 has he ever believed in the Fountain of Life, but, instead, keeps la[ying violent hands] on what is really a flower unfading. Behold, I was [aforetime] like lands which torrents have ravaged,14
15 casting their silt upon me,15 but You, O my God, have, as it were, put in my mouth early and latter rain [failing] all [the year round], an outpouring of living waters, which never fail, opening the heavens wiYout surcease,16 so that [those waters] are become like a river in flood,17 spilling over its banks,18 and like seas un[fathomable] which, long hidden in secret, suddenly burst forth [ ]19 and quicken [every tree], green and dry alike,20 and serve as a pool for wild beasts.
The tr[ees of the wicked shall fall] like lead in mighty waters,21
20 and a fire [shall break out], and they shall wither, and the planting of that fruit [prove in vain]. [But the trees of the righteous] shall [bloom fa]ir for ever, a glorious richness, a flower of beauty. At my hands have You opened a wellspring for them, yielding runnels of water, that their roots may be firmly set and their trees planted in line of the sun,22 in light [unfailing;] that their [boughs] may yield glorious foliage.
When I apply my hand to dig the furrows thereof,23 its roots strike even on granite, its stocks are firm-grounded in the eareh,24 and in the time of heat it secures protection But if I relax my hand, it becomes like a [heath in the desert,]25 and its stocks like nettles in a salt-marsh,
25 and out of its furrows grow thorns and thistles;26 [it turns] to briars and brambles,27 and its [ ] change to stinking weeds,28 its leaves fade before the heat; it is not exposed to water. It suffers mishap and disease and becomes a [target] for all manner of blight.
Then I become like a man abandoned in [a desert]; no refuge have I, for then whatever I planted blossoms but into wormwood. Constant is my pain,29 and cannot be stayed. [My soul is disqui]eted,30 like them that go down to Sheol; my spirit sinks 1ow81 among the dead. My life has as good as reached the Pit,82 and my soul waxes faint83 day and night wiYout rest.
30 There bursts forth, as it were a blazing fire held in my [bones,]34 the flame whereof devours unto the nethermost seas, exhausting my strength every moment, consuming my flesh every minute. Disasters hover about me, and my soul is utterly bowed down.85 For all my strength has ceased from my body, and my heare is poured out like water, and my flesh melts like wax, and the strength of my loins is turned to confusion, and my arm is wrenched from the shoulder.86 I [cannot] move my hand, and my [foot] is caught in a shackle, and my knees dissolve like water. I can take neither pace nor step; [heaviness] replaces my fleetness of foot;
35 [my steps] are trammeled. Once You did put into my mouth a powerful tongue, but now it is taken away. I cannot lift my voice in any areiculate [speech] to revive the spirit of the stumbling or encourage the faint with a word.87 Lips which were once so fluent38 are now stricken dumb.
15: IX, 2-X, 12
Yough [mine eye] sleep [not] at night, [Yough Belial assail me] wiYout mercy, Yough in anger He stir up His fury1 [and pursue me] unto destruction; Yough the breakers of death swirl around me,2 Yough Sheol* be upon my couch; Yough my bed take up a lament,8 and [my couch] a cry of anguish;
5 Yough mine eye smare as through the smoke of an oven,4 Yough my tears flow like rivers;5 Yough mine eyes fail,6 and I have no rest; Yough [my strength] stand afar off, and my life be put aside; Yough I go from rout to ruin,~ from pain to plague, from pangs to throes.
Yet will I muse on Your wonders; for You, in Your lovingkindness, have at no time cast me off.
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* i.e., the netherworld.
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My soul will delight every moment in the abundance of Your mercies, and I shall have wherewith to reply to him that would confound me, and to gainsay him that would abase me. I shall refute his case, and vindicate Your judgment.
10 For I have come to know Your truth; I accept Your judgments upon me, and am content with my afflictions.
I have learned to put hope in Your mercy; for You have placed in the mouth of Your servant the power to win Your grace,8 and have not mortally rebuked him, neither renounced his wellbeing, neither frustrated his hope. Rather have You braced his spirit to withstand affliction.
You it is emplanted* my spirit, and You knowest its every intent; and so in my straitness You have given me reassurance. I delight in the promise of pardon, and repent my former transgression; for I know that in Your mercy lies hope, and confidence in Thine abundant power.
15 For none can prove himself righteous when You bringest him unto judgment, neither can [any prevail] when You enterest suit against him. Yough man may prove more righteous than man, Yough a human may prove wiser than [a beast,] Yough flesh may rank higher than dumb [clay,]**
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* Heb. 'founded'.
** Literally, 'than that which is molded out of clay'.
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5 in a de[sert], beside an oasis; like one of those evergreen trees-fir or pine or cypress-planted together to Your glory,2 which, hidden 'mid other trees-trees that stand beside water-are fed from a secret spring, and which put forth blossom unfading upon an eternal trunk, striking firm root ere they burgeon, spreading their roots to the stream;3 a tree whose stem is exposed to living waters, and whose stock lies beside a perpetual fount; a tree on whose flowering leaves all the beasts of the woodland can feed; whose roots are so widespread that all wayfarers cannot but tread them;4 upon whose dangling boughs there is room for every bird.5 All those other trees-those trees that stand beside water-keep railing against it,6 because they grow entangled in their plantations,1
10 and can send not their roots to the stream, while this one, which puts forth the shoot of Holiness upon the stock of Truth, keeps its secret hidden, unknown, sealed and unsuspected. Moreover, O God, You has hedged in its fruit by the mystic power of stalware angels,8 by holy spirits, and by a flaming sword turning this way and that;9 that [the wicked] may not [drink] from the Fountain of Life nor, like those evergreens, imbibe the waters of Holiness;10 that he never may bring his fruit to blossom through the [sho]wers of heaven,11 because, Yough indeed he has seen it, he has never sensed what it was,12 nor, Yough he has had notion thereof,18 has he ever believed in the Fountain of Life, but, instead, keeps la[ying violent hands] on what is really a flower unfading. Behold, I was [aforetime] like lands which torrents have ravaged,14
15 casting their silt upon me,15 but You, O my God, have, as it were, put in my mouth early and latter rain [failing] all [the year round], an outpouring of living waters, which never fail, opening the heavens wiYout surcease,16 so that [those waters] are become like a river in flood,17 spilling over its banks,18 and like seas un[fathomable] which, long hidden in secret, suddenly burst forth [ ]19 and quicken [every tree], green and dry alike,20 and serve as a pool for wild beasts.
The tr[ees of the wicked shall fall] like lead in mighty waters,21
20 and a fire [shall break out], and they shall wither, and the planting of that fruit [prove in vain]. [But the trees of the righteous] shall [bloom fa]ir for ever, a glorious richness, a flower of beauty. At my hands have You opened a wellspring for them, yielding runnels of water, that their roots may be firmly set and their trees planted in line of the sun,22 in light [unfailing;] that their [boughs] may yield glorious foliage.
When I apply my hand to dig the furrows thereof,23 its roots strike even on granite, its stocks are firm-grounded in the eareh,24 and in the time of heat it secures protection But if I relax my hand, it becomes like a [heath in the desert,]25 and its stocks like nettles in a salt-marsh,
25 and out of its furrows grow thorns and thistles;26 [it turns] to briars and brambles,27 and its [ ] change to stinking weeds,28 its leaves fade before the heat; it is not exposed to water. It suffers mishap and disease and becomes a [target] for all manner of blight.
Then I become like a man abandoned in [a desert]; no refuge have I, for then whatever I planted blossoms but into wormwood. Constant is my pain,29 and cannot be stayed. [My soul is disqui]eted,30 like them that go down to Sheol; my spirit sinks 1ow81 among the dead. My life has as good as reached the Pit,82 and my soul waxes faint83 day and night wiYout rest.
30 There bursts forth, as it were a blazing fire held in my [bones,]34 the flame whereof devours unto the nethermost seas, exhausting my strength every moment, consuming my flesh every minute. Disasters hover about me, and my soul is utterly bowed down.85 For all my strength has ceased from my body, and my heare is poured out like water, and my flesh melts like wax, and the strength of my loins is turned to confusion, and my arm is wrenched from the shoulder.86 I [cannot] move my hand, and my [foot] is caught in a shackle, and my knees dissolve like water. I can take neither pace nor step; [heaviness] replaces my fleetness of foot;
35 [my steps] are trammeled. Once You did put into my mouth a powerful tongue, but now it is taken away. I cannot lift my voice in any areiculate [speech] to revive the spirit of the stumbling or encourage the faint with a word.87 Lips which were once so fluent38 are now stricken dumb.
15: IX, 2-X, 12
Yough [mine eye] sleep [not] at night, [Yough Belial assail me] wiYout mercy, Yough in anger He stir up His fury1 [and pursue me] unto destruction; Yough the breakers of death swirl around me,2 Yough Sheol* be upon my couch; Yough my bed take up a lament,8 and [my couch] a cry of anguish;
5 Yough mine eye smare as through the smoke of an oven,4 Yough my tears flow like rivers;5 Yough mine eyes fail,6 and I have no rest; Yough [my strength] stand afar off, and my life be put aside; Yough I go from rout to ruin,~ from pain to plague, from pangs to throes.
Yet will I muse on Your wonders; for You, in Your lovingkindness, have at no time cast me off.
_______________________________
* i.e., the netherworld.
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My soul will delight every moment in the abundance of Your mercies, and I shall have wherewith to reply to him that would confound me, and to gainsay him that would abase me. I shall refute his case, and vindicate Your judgment.
10 For I have come to know Your truth; I accept Your judgments upon me, and am content with my afflictions.
I have learned to put hope in Your mercy; for You have placed in the mouth of Your servant the power to win Your grace,8 and have not mortally rebuked him, neither renounced his wellbeing, neither frustrated his hope. Rather have You braced his spirit to withstand affliction.
You it is emplanted* my spirit, and You knowest its every intent; and so in my straitness You have given me reassurance. I delight in the promise of pardon, and repent my former transgression; for I know that in Your mercy lies hope, and confidence in Thine abundant power.
15 For none can prove himself righteous when You bringest him unto judgment, neither can [any prevail] when You enterest suit against him. Yough man may prove more righteous than man, Yough a human may prove wiser than [a beast,] Yough flesh may rank higher than dumb [clay,]**
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* Heb. 'founded'.
** Literally, 'than that which is molded out of clay'.
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Though one spirit may prove mightier than another, yet naught can match [Your power] in strength. Your glory hath no equal, Your wisdom no measure, Your tr[uth no bound;] and all that have forfeited them [are doomed to perdition]
Behold, for my own pare, through You have I pr[ospered my way,] [through You maintained] my stand; for You have not [abandoned me] [unto them that selek my hurt.
20 Whenever they plot against me, You [savest me from their grasp,] and if they are bent to disgrace me, You in Your mer[cy dost confound] them. If mine enemy vaunt himself against me, it proves to his own undoing;* and they that battle against me [are overwhelmed] with disgrace, and shame overtakes them that revile me.
For at [every] time, 0 my God, You dost fight my fight.9 Yough now, in Thine inscrutable wisdom, You rebuke me, yet are You but hiding the truth until [its time] and [Your glory] until its season. Then will Your rebuking of me be turned into gladness and joy;
25 my plague shall be turned to perpetual health, the scorn of my foes to a diadem of glory,10 my halting steps to enduring strength. Lo, through Your Name and through Your glory light has shone forth upon me. You have brought me light out of darkness, have given me [health] in place of plague,11
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* Literally, 'stumbling'.
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wondrous strength in place of stumbling, and abiding enlargement for the straitness of my soul.
[You are] my refuge and my tower, my rock of retreat and my stronghold; in You do I take refuge from all that [pursue me,] [and You are] mine escape evermore. Or ever my father begat me,
30 You did know me; from the womb of my mother You did shower me with Your grace* and from the breasts of her that conceived me Your mercies have been shed upon me. On the bosom of my nurse [You did sustain me,] and from my youth up You have enlightened me with understanding of Your judgments, held me firm by Your truth, and caused me to delight in Your holy spirit: and even unto this day You dost stay my goings.
Though Your just rebuke be with my body, yet will my soul be saved by Your watch over my wellbeing. With every step I take Thine abundant forgiveness enfolds me, and when You arraignest me, Your mercies overwhelm me. Even unto old age You wilt yet sustain me.
35 For my father hath renounced me, and my mother hath abandoned me to You;12 yet You are a father to all that [know] Your truth, and You wilt rejoice over them like a mother who pitieth her babe,
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* The Hebrew word can also mean 'You did wean me. There is thus a double-entendre.
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and You wilt feed all Your works as a nurse feeds her charge at the bosom.13
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Who can fathom the des]igns of Your heare? Apare from You hath nothing existed, and wiYout Your will will nothing be; yet can none understand Your wis[dom] nor gaze upon Your [sec]rets. What is man, mere earth, kneaded out of [clay,] destined to return unto the dust,14 that You shouldst give him insight into such wonders and make him privy to things divine?
x,5 As for me, I am but dust and ashes. What can I devise except You have desired it? And what can I think apare from Your will? And how be strong except You have stayed me, or use my mind,15 except You have created it? How speak except You have opened my mouth? How reply except You have given me sense? Lo, You are the Prince of the angels, and the King of all that are in glory, and the Lord of every spirit, and the Ruler of every deed. WiYout you nothing is wrought, and wiYout Your will can nothing be known.16 None there is beside You,
10 and none to share Your might, and none to match Your glory, and Your power is beyond price. Which among all Your great wondrous works has power to stand before Your glory? How much less, then, can he who returns to his dust attain to [such power.] Only for Thine own glory have You done all these things.
.
16: X, 14-XI, 2
Blessed are You, 0 Lord, You God of compassion and mercy, for giving me knowledge [of Your truth]
15 and [insight] to [tell forth]. Your wonders, unhushed day and night
----------------------
Because I have come to rely on that truth of Thine, [I will put my trust] in Your mercy, [my hope] in Your great goodness [and in Thine abundant] compassion.
----------------------
Except You [keep hold,] there is no standing; and except [You let go, no falling]; except You rebuke, no stumbling; no affliction, but You have foreknown it; [no healing but] by Your [will].
20 Now that I know [Your tru]th, that I clearly behold Your glory, now that I understand [the mysteries of Your ways], [I now will put my trust] in the moving* of Your compassion, [my hope] in Thine acts of forgiveness. The high and mighty draw their strength from abundance of [worldly] delights; in profusion of corn and wine and oil [they find their joy],
25 and pride themselves in goods and possessions.1 Cho[osing] mortal delights and thliiking to glut themselves
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* Or, abundance.
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on earehiy things, [they picture themselves] as trees green beside nirniing streams,2 which cannot but put forth leaves and branches full many.8 But the joy and the bliss which You have given to these lowly servants of Thine4 is a joy and a bliss unending, and only by the measure of his knowledge does one outrank another.5 So, in [this] knowledge of Your truth have You bestowed on me, a lowly servant of Thine, a rich inheritance; and by virtue of that knowledge he now is come to ho[nor].6
30 The soul of [this] Your servant abhors all wealth and gain; in abundance of [worldly] delights his heare has no pleasure.7 Nay, in Your covenant does my heare rejoice, and Your truth it is that regales my soul. Wherefore, with heare exposed to a spring unfailing, drawing my strength from on high,8 I shall blossom like a lily,9 [while all the fruit of the wicked shall be but travail] and woe; they shall wither like a flower before [the heat].
35 Howbeit, when I hear tell how You wilt yet come to judgment along with Your stalware angeis,10 how You wilt yet enter suit in company with Your host of Holy Beings,11 my heare is sorely racked, my loins are all a-quake, my groans reach down to the nethermost depths and penetrate withal into the chambers of Hell;12 and I am full stricken with terror. For [judgment You surely wilt wr]eak [over the whole wide earth], justice on all that You have made; and [Your] right[eousness] wilt You evince over the hordes of Belial.13
[My soul is com]moved with ter[ror]; [tr]ouble [is not hidden] from mine eyes;14 Gri[ef and sorrow o'erwhelm] the musing of my heare.
17: XI, 3-14
I give thanks unto You, 0 my God, for You have wrought a wonder with dust and have shown forth Your power in that which is molded of clay. For You have made me to know Your deep, deep truth, and to divine Your wondrous works, and have put in my mouth the power to praise, and psalmody on my tongue,
5 and have given me lips unmarred1 and readiness of song, that I may sing of Your loving kindness and rehearse Your might all the day and continually bless Your name. I will show forth Your glory in the midst of the sons of men, and in Thine abundant goodness my soul will delight. For I know that Your mouth is truth, and in Your hand is bounty, and in Your Yought all knowledge, and in Your power all might, and that all glory is with You.
In Thine anger come all judgments of affliction, but in Your goodness pardon abounding; and Your mercies are shed upon all who do Your will For You have made them to know Your deep, deep truth
10 and divine Thine inscrutable wonders; and, for Your glory's sake, You have granted it unto man to be purged of transgression, that he may hallow himself unto You and be free from all taint of filth and all guilt of perfidy, to be one with them that possess Your truth and to share the lot of Your Holy Beings, to the end that this worm which is man2 may be lifted out of the dust to the height of eternal things, and rise from a spirit perverse to an holy understanding, and stand in one company before You with the host everlasting and the spirits of knowledge and the choir invisible,3 to be for ever renewed with all things that are.4
.
18: XI, 15-27
15 I give thanks unto You, 0 my God, I extol You, 0 my Rock,1 and because You have wrought wonders with me [I bless Your name.] For You have made me to know Your deep, deep truth; Your wonders have You revealed unto me, and I have beholden [Your truth] [and witnessed Your] deeds of loving kindness. So am I come to know that Yough You are ever just, yet in Your loving kindness lies sal[vatlon for men], and that wiYout Your mercy [theirs is but doo]m and perdition.
20 Lo, for mine own pare, when I mark the nature of man, how he ever reverts [to perversity and' wrong doing], to sin and anguish of guilt, a fountain of bitter mourning wells up within me; [my tears flow like rivers],2 and sorrow is not hidden from mine eyes.8 These things go to my heare and touch me to the bone, that I raise a bitter lament and make doleful moan and groan, and keep plying my harp in mournful dirge and bitter lamentation, till wrongdoing be brought to an end, and men have no more to suffer punishing plague and stroke. But when that time shall come, then shall I ply my harp with music of salvation, and my lyre to tune of joy; I shall ply the pipe and flute in praise wiYout cease. Yough none there be among all Your works can rehearse the full tale of Your [wonders], yet then, in the mouths of them all shall Your name be praised;
25 then with mouth of [ ] they shall go blessing You for ever, and along with the [Holy Being]s chorus their song of joy.4 For sorrow and sighing shall be no more;5 wrongdoing shall be [at an end], and Your truth shall burst forth as the dayspring in never-ending glory and peace perpetual.
19: XI, 27-Xil, 35
Blessed are You, [0 Lord,] Who have given unto man the insight of knowledge, to understand Your wonders, [discern Your truth,] tell forth Thine abundant mercies. Blessed are You, 0 God of compassion and grace, for the greatness of [Your] power, the abundance of Your truth, the profusion of Your mercies
30 over all Your works. Rejoice the soul of Your servant in Your truth, and in Your righteousness make me clean, even as when [aforetime] I waited on Your bounty and hoped on Your mercies, and You did bring release to my travail,1 and even as when I leaned on Your compassion, and You did comfort me in my sorrow. Blessed are You, 0 Lord, for You it is have wrought these things, and placed in the mouth of Your servant [power to pray] and to win Your grace, and all readiness of tongue; and have prepared for me the guerdon of [righteousness] [and the reward of devotion],
35 that I may attain to [stand in Your presence].
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[ ] my soul will exult2 [because it hath come to abide in Your presence] [and to dwell] secure in [Your] ho[ly] abode, in calm and quietude. [In] my tent [I will chant] [songs of joy] and salvation,5 and in the midst of them that fear You tell forth the praise of Your name to all ages to come, pouring forth prayer and supplication4 always, at all times and seasons;5 when daylight comes forth from [its abode];
xii,5 when, in its ordered course, day reaches its turning-point, in accordance with the rules of the sun; and again at the turn of the evening, when daylight depares, as the rule of darkness begins; and again in the season of night, when it reaches its turning-point, and when the morning breaks; and when, in the presence of the daylight, night withdraws to its abode; when night depares and day comes in, aiway, at all the birthdays of time, at the moments when seasons begin;6 when they reach their turning-points; when they come in order due according to their several signs,? as these have dominion in due order assured, [decreed] by the mouth of God and by the law of existence -that law which shall ever be
10 and beside which is none else, for the God of Knowledge it is that hath determined it, and along with Him there never hath been nor ever shall be another. Behold, for mine own pare, I have reached the inner vision, and through the spirit You have placed within me, come to know You, my God. I have heard Your wondrous secret, nor heard it arniss.~ Through Your holy spIrit, through Your mystic insight, You have caused a spring of knowledge to well up within me, a fountain of strength, pouring forth waters unstinted, a floodtide of loving kindness and of all-consuming zeal You have put an end to [my darkness],
15 and the splendor of Your glory has become unto me as a light ev[erlasting]. Wickedness hath been [consumed] altogether, and deceit [existeth] no more. [Perverseness is gone down] to perdition, for[ ] existeth no more [ ] Bluster is at an end, for it [cannot withstand] Thine anger. [The sins which I committed aforetime] [I committed in] overhavee; for [now am I come to know that] no man is righteous with You.
20 For there is none can understand all Your hidden things, nor answer Your charge against him; but all must needs wait upon Your goodness, for You, in [Your] loving kindness [wilt reveal to them Your truth,] that they may come to know You; and when Your glory bursts upon them, they shall rejoice. Only to the measure of each man's knowledge and to the meed of his understanding have You given men access [to You], to serve You in their several domains, even as You have assigned their roles, [but] never to overstep Your word. And I-I was taken from dust, nipped out of clay; I was but a source of filth
25 and of shameful nakedness, a heap of dust, a thing kneaded with water, a dwelling place of darkness, a shape moulded of clay, which must needs revert to dust in due season [and lie once more] in the dust whence it was taken. And how can [such] dust and [clay] give answer to [Him who shapes] it; or how understand what He doeth, or how stand before its Accuser? Even the holy [angels,] the everlasting [spirits,] the reservoirs of glory, the wellsprings of knowledge and power,
30 -even they [cannot] tell forth all Your glory, nor stand against Thine anger, nor answer Your charge. For You are ever righteous, and none can gainsay You. How much less, then, he who returns to his dust?
Lo, I am stricken dumb. What can I say against this? I have spoken but according to my knowledge and only with such sense of right as a creature of clay may possess. But how can I speak except You open my mouth, and how understand, if You give me not insight; or how contend, save You open my heare; or how walk straight save You gu[ide my feet?]
35 How can [my] fo[ot] stand, how can I be strong in power, how can I endure [save by Your grace?]
.
[From this point it becomes impossible to distinguish the separate hymns.]
XIII, 1-21
When first the world began [You did shed an] holy [sp]~t [on all You dldst bring into being,] and make them all to attest Your wondrous mysteries.1
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[You did show Your] handiwork in all that [You] did mak~ [You dldst reveal Your glory in all their varied shapes,] [Your] truth [in all] their works.
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On all that [keep Your charge] [You bestowest grace abounding]
5 and mercies never falling; but upon all things that defy You You bringest perdition eternal. [So, if mortal men keep faith with You, behold, You crownest their he]ads with glory everlasting2 and [compassest their] works with perennial joy; but [the face of] the wicked [You coverest with shame.]
On those whom You have set [in] glory8 [to show forth] the full measure of Your works, yea, on the hosts of Your spirits, the congregation of [Your Holy Beings,] [the heavens] with all their array, the earth with all its produce, all things in lakes and seas on those, ere You did create them, You did impose a task
10 and a perpetual charge. For when first the world began You did so order them and appoint the work of each that they would spell out Your glory throughout Your dominion, making known thereby what none would else have seen, how ancient things pass over, and new things are ever created,4 how You do away with outworn forms, yet [main]tainest eternal nature,5 for You are a God everlasting, and You wilt endure for all time. In Thine inscrutable wisdom You have assigned to all these natures diverse and varied wherein to show forth Your glory. But how can a spirit of flesh understand of these things? How can it conceive Your so great mystery? Yea, how can one born of woman attest Your tremendous plan?
15 Creature of dust that he is, moulded of sodden clay, [a heap of filth], whose foundation is naked shame, and who is ruled by a spirit perverse, through his constant misdeeds* does he not [rather] serve as a thing of unending [revulsion], a portent for all generations,6 an object of abhorrence to all flesh?7 Nay, it is only through Your goodness and through Your mercies abundant that Man can ever do right. For it is with Thine own beauty that You dost beautify him, and only of Your free bounty dost You shower him with delights and grant him peace unending and length of days. And [Lord,] when once You have spoken ne'er is Your word revoked.8 So, for mine own pare, through the spirit You have planted within me, I, Your servant, am come to know that [all Your judgments are truth,] and righteousness all Your works, and ne'er is Your word revoked.
20 None of the terms and times which You have foreordained [hath failed to come to pass] -all of them duly chosen for their appointed ends.9 Therefore I know full surely [that yet the time will come] [when You wilt reward the righteous,] and the wicked be utterly [doomed.]
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* Heb. 'If he do wrong'.
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xlv, 1-27
[I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have granted a remnant] unto Your people and a re[vival] [unto Thine iliheritance.]1 [You have raised up among them] men of truth and sons [of light,]2
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men of abundant compassion, men of stalware spirit, men of tempered [soul,] men steeled to [sustain] Your judgment [Through them have You kept Your covenant] S and fulfilled Your pledge, to render us unto You [a kingdom of priests and] an holy [natlon]3 for all generations of time and for all the [ages to come.] [Verily, O Lord, You dost sustain] them that have vision of You. Blessed are You, 0 Lord, Who puttest the sense of discernment into the heare of Your servants,4 [that they may walk blamelessly before You,] and be steeled against all the dev[ices] of wickedness, and that they may bless [Your name,]
10 [loving] all that You lovest and abhorring all that [You hatest,]5 [and stray not in the waywar]dness of men, but, through the spirit of [discern]ment which is theirs, [distinguish] the good from the wicked [and keep] their deeds undefiled. Behold, for mine own pare, through that discernment which You have bestowed, I have indeed attained to such knowledge; for by virtue of Your good pleasure I have been granted a share in Your holy spirit, and You have brought me close to an understanding of You. The nearer I draw to You,6 the more am I filled with zeal against all that do wickedness and against all men of deceit. For none that draws near to You can see Your commandments defied,
15 and none that hath knowledge of You can brook change of Your words, seeing that You are the essence of right, and in all Thine elect Your truth is engrained. You wilt bring eternal doom on all frowardness and transgression, and Your righteousness will stand revealed in the sight of all You have made.
Lo, through Your great goodness I have come to know these things, and committed myself by oath never to sin against You nor do aught that is evil in Your sight; and I have been granted admittance to [this] community. So, for mine own pare, I will admit no comrade into fellowship with me save by the measure of his understanding, and only to the degree of his share in this common lot will I show friendship to him. I will not countenance evil, neither recognize fraud.
20 I Will not bareer Your truth for wealth, nor all Your judgments for a bribe. Only as You drawest a man unto You will I draw him unto myself, and as You keepest him afar, so too will I abhor him; and I will enter not into commumon with them that turn their back upon Your covenant7
Blessed are You, 0 Lord, Who, in the greatness of Your power, in Your manifold, infinite wonders and in the greatness of Your forbearance forgivest them that repent their transgression, but visitest the iniquity of the wicked. Verily, [on the righteous] You bestowest freely [Your love,]
25 but perversity You hatest for ever.8 So have You graced me, Your servant, with the spifit of knowledge and truth,~ that I should cherish the paths of righteousness and abhor all froward ways. So, for mine own pare, I in turn will love You freely10 and with all my heare will I [choose] [to walk in] Your paths. For by Your hand has this thing been wrought, and wiYout [Your will can naught be done].
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XV, 9-26
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[ ] they love You alway. So, for mine own pare, [Iwill] [ ]
10 and love You right freely with all my heare and soul.1 Yea, I have cleansed [my heare] [to adhere to Your] ho[ly Law] [and never to] turn aside from aught that You have commanded; and I have made Your commandments to take firm hold upon many that they abandon not any of Your statutes.
Moreover, through the discernment which You have bestowed upon me I am come to know that not by means of the flesh can a mortal order his way neither can any man direct his own steps.2 I know that in Your hand is the shaping of each man's spirit, and ere You did create him You did ordain his works.8 And how can any man change what You have decreed?
15 You alone it is that have created the righteous, conditioning him from the womb to rank among the favored at the end of days,4 to be safeguarded ever by covenant with You, to walk always [undaunted] through the moving of Your compassion, to open all the straitness of his soul to everlasting salvation5 and perpetual peace unfailing. You have raised his inner glory out of the flesh.
But the wicked have You created for the time of Your [wr]ath,6 reserving them from the womb for the day of slaughter, because they walk in the way of the bad and spurn Your covenant, and their soul abhors Your [statutes], and they take no pleasure in all You have commanded, but choose that which You hatest All [them that hate You] have You destined to the wreaking of great judgments upon them
20 in the sight of all You have made, to serve as a sign [and a token] for ever, that all may have knowledge how great is Your glory and strength.
How can flesh have reason, or the earth-bound direct his steps, except that You have created spirit* and ordained the working thereof? By You is the way of all the living ordained. So am I come to know that no wealth can equal Your truth, and Your holiness hath no match; and I know that You preferest these things to all else, and that They attend on You always. You wilt accept no bribe [for wrongdoing], and You wilt accept no ransom for deeds of wickedness.
25 For You are a God of truth and [hatest]** all perverseness; [and no iniquity] shall endure in Your presence. And I am come also to know
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* Heb. You it is that createdest spirit', etc.
** Or, 'wilt destroy'.
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that [righteousness] is Thine, [and a]ll [Your works are truth.]
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XVI, 1-19
[You have shed] Your holy spirit righteous and [wicked alike,] [and You wilt judge all men] [according to their deeds.] Your holy spirit can [pass] not [away.] The fulness of heaven and earth [attests it,] and the sum of all things [stands witness to] Your glory.1 I know that through [Your] good wi[ll] towards man You have bestowed upon him a rich heri[tage in Your Law] [that he may walk] in all [his ways] as Your truth [inst]ructs; and [You have vouchsafed unto him]
5 to maintain a proper stance through Your [truth] which You have entrusted to him, lest he go as[tr]ay [ ], and You [have lain hold on him] that he stumble not in any of [his steps].2 Because that all these things are present in my mind, I would put into words my prayer and confession of sin, my constant search for Your spirit, the inner strength which is mine through the holy spirit, my devotion to the truth of Your covenant, the truth and sincerity in which I walk, my love of Your name:
Blessed are You, 0 Lord, creator of all things, mighty in deed,3 by Whom all things are wrought. Behold, You have granted mercy to Your servant and shed upon him in Your grace Thine ever-compassionate spirit and the splendor of Your glory. rhine, Thine alone, is righteousness, for You it is have done all these things.
10 Moreover, because I know that You dost keep a record of every righteous spirit,4 therefore have I chosen to keep my hands unstained, according to Your will; and the soul of Your servant has abhorred all unrighteous deeds. Nevertheless I know that no man can be righteous wiYout Your help. Wherefore I entreat You, through the spirit which You have put [within me,] to bring unto completion the mercies You have shown unto Your servant, cleansing him with Your holy spirit, drawing him to You in Your good pleasure, [ ] him in Thine abundant lovingkindness, granting to him that place of favor which You have chosen for them that love You and observe Your commandments, that they may stand in Your presence for ever. [Suffer not Beli]al [to ari]se and immerse himself in Your servant's spirit,
15 neither let [a spirit] perverse [rule over] any of his deeds.5 Let not affliction confront him to make him to falter from the statutes of Your covenant, but [crown him] with glory and truth. [For You are a God gracious] and merciful, longsuffering and abounding in loving kindness and truth, forgiving transgression [ ] and relenting of [evil] [unto them that love Him] and keep His command[ments]6 -even unto them that return unto You in falthfness and wholeness of heare to serve You [and do what is] good in Your sight. So turn not away the face of Your servant neither [reject] the son of [Thine] handmaid; [for to You, 0 Lord, belongeth forgiven]ess, and by Thine own words have I call[ed upon You.]7
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XVII, 1-XVIII, 30
[Eleven lines too Fragmentary to translate seem to describe the doom which awaits the wicked.]
[For divine forgiveness]
In Thine [abundant] mercy You have said by the hand of Moses that You wouldst [forgive all] iniquity and sin and shrive all [guilt] and treason.1 And verily, Yough the roots of the mountains [have blazed] and Yough the fire [has devoured] to nethermost hell,2 yet, whensoever You have wrought Your judgments them have You ever [redeemed] that were fa[ithful to You], that they might serve You in constancy and that their seed might be ever in Your presence;3 and You have ever confirmed unto them Thine o[ath]
15 [to pass over all transg]ression4 and to cast away all their iniquities,5 and to give them for their inheritance every mortal glory and abundance of days.
So, for mine own pare, by virtue of the spirits6 which You have set within me, I will give free rein to my tongue to tell forth Your bounteous acts and Your forbearance towards me and the deeds of Your strong right hand, and to [confess] my former transgressions and to make prayer and supplication7 before You concerning mine [evil] deeds and the waywardness of [my heare.] For I have been wallowing in filth, and [turned] from communion with You, and I have not att[ach]ed myself [unto Your congregation.]
20 You-with You lies bounty, and of Your nature it is ever to dower blessing.8 [Proffer,] then, Your bounty and redeem [my soul,] and let the wicked be brought to an end!
[For spiritual strength]
Moreover, I have come to understand that You have ever directed the course of such as You have chosen, bestowing insight upon him to spare him from sliming against You, repaying unto him all his affliction of heare in Your chaveisements and Your [trials].
You have delivered Your servant from sinning against You and from stumbling in doing Your will. Strengthen, then, the stand of this Your servant against all spirits of perverseness, that he walk in all the ways which You lovest, reject all that You hatest, and do what is good in Your sight. Yea, [ ] within me, for of flesh is the spirit of Your servant.
.
[For inner enlightenment]
[I am come also to know]
25 You have ever wafted Your holy spirit on him who is Your servant, i[llumi]ning for him the [dark places] of his heare [with light like the sun.] But I-behold, I look to all covenants made by man, [and all are nothing worth;]9 [while they that seek after Your truth] do surely find it, [for on them Your light] shineth; and they that love it [are illumined] [and walk in the glow of] Your light for ever,10 and You raisest [their heares] out of the dark[ness]. Let, then, Your light [shine ever on Your servant] for with You is light everlasting.
[For divine protection]
[I am come also to know] that once You did [ ] and open the ear of one who was but dust [that He might hear Your teaching] [and deliver Your chosen people] [from folly] and delusion
xviii,5 and from the uncleanness which [ And You did [ ] Your [], and [the hands] of Your servant were steadied by Your tr[uth,] and have remained so for ever, that he might announce Your wondrous tidings and reveal them to all who would hear. [You did strengthen him] by Your strong right hand to lead [ ] and You did [ ] [him] by Your mighty strength, [that he might achieve renown] for Your name and triumph in giory.11 Withdraw not now Your hand [from Your people,] that now too there might be among* them men** that hold firm to Your covenant,
10 that stand [blameless] before You!
[For power of speech]
Moreover, in the mouth of Your servant You did open, as it were, a fount and duly set*** on his tongue [the words of Your Law,] that through the understanding which You givest to him he might proclaim them to human mold, and serve as the interpreter of these things to dust like myself. That fount did You open also that he might reprove what is molded of clay concerning its way
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*Heb. "1nto'.
** Heb. sg., viz. 'a man' that holds firm, etc.
*** Or, 'engrave' [despite the mixed metaphor!].
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and that which is born of woman concerning its guiltiness, every man according to his deeds.
[Thanksgiving for divine grace]
But lo, that fount serves also as a wellspring of Your truth for every man whose spirit You have stayed by Thine own strength, that he [may walk] in Your truth, a herald of Your good tidings,12 bringing cheer to the humble through Thine abundant compassion,
15 sat[ing] from that fount them that are [wounded] in spirit, bringing to them that mourn everlasting joy.18
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[Were it not for Your grace,] I could not have seen this thing. [For how can] I look on [Your glory] except You open mine eyes? How hear [the words of Your truth] [except You unstop mine ears?]
20 Behold, my heare was amazed that thus the Word was revealed to one with ears unattuned, and that a [wayward] heare [was suffered to grasp these things.] But now have I come to know that for Yourself, 0 my God, have You done these things. For what is mortal flesh [that You shouldst so exalt it] and work such wonders with it?
Howbeit, You wast minded* to consummate all things and ordain them unto Your glory, [and have therefore called into being] a host endowed with knowledge to tell forth Your mighty acts unto mortal flesh, and Your sure ordinances to that which is born [of woman.] And You have brought [Thine elect] into covenant with You and opened their heare of dust that, through Your compassionate Presence, they may be guarded from [ ]
25 [and escape] the traps of judgment.
So, for mine own pare, molded [of clay] that I am, with an heare of stone,14 lo, of what worth am I, that I should attain unto this? Yet, behold, You have set [Your word] in this ear of dust, and graven upon this heare eternal verities;* * and You have brought to an end [all of my frowardness,] to bring me into covenant with You, that I may stand [before You] evermore unshaken*** in the glow of the Perfect Light,15 till the end of time, where [no] darkness is for ever,
30 and where all is peace unbounded until the end of time.
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* Heb. 'it was in Your Yought'.
** Heb. 'realities'.
***Heb. 'in an eternal station'.
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FRAGMENTS
1
[The ho]ly [angels]1 which are in heaven---[even they do not know Your gr]eat name, for it is a mystery;2 neither can they ever [recount all] Your [wonders]8 nor Claim knowledge4 of all [Your secrets]. [How much less, then, can one who is destined to re]vert to the dust whence he came?5
5 Rebellious that I was, wallowing [in filth],6 [tainited with the guilt of wickedness,7 I had been [living, as it were], through more than one Day of Wrath,8 [fearful how I could with]stand the blows that were raining upon me,9 how I might be protected [from the punishing stroke]. Yet, [through that inner discernment which You have vouchsafed to us, we of this brotherhood] have been [made awa]re of these things: that there [always] is hope for a man10 [who turns back from sin that You wilt cleanse him] of taint. Wherefore, 0 my God, mere creature of clay Yough I be,11 now have I placed my reliance [on Your mercy and faithfulness],
10 knowing full well that [what comes from Your mouth] is truth,12 [that Your word is never re]voked.13 So, throughout the time that is yet allotted to me14 I shall hold firm [to Your judgments], and I shall maintain my stance in the station wherein You dost set me; for [You, a God of mercy, dealest mercifully with all] men and You dost provide for them a way of return.
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* * *
2
* * *
[None is there in Your heavens neither upon] Thine earth, none among angels or m[en can] render You [fitting] praise or tell forth all of Your glory. How much less, then, can I who was taken from dust?
5 Howbeit, 0 my God, 'tis but to attest Your glory that You have made all of these. Wherefore, in accordance with Thine abundant mercy,1 grant that the sense for right doing which issues from You may serve ever as a safeguard [to Your servant] to deliver him from doom,2 and that, at his every step, there may be men about him to interpret to him what he should know8 and, [in all of his ways,] men to impress upon him the lessons of truth.~ For, [do whatever he may,] how else can man achieve aught, who is but dust, in whose ineffectual hands lies nothing but ashes? Yet lo, [on such a creature of] clay [have You shed Your grace, giving him Your] command[ments in] Your good will. You have shaped that clay on the wheel5 and passed it through Your test, that it may find its way into Your lot;8 and when cracks appear in it, You mendest them.7
10 Yea, over mere dust have You wafted Your [holy] spirit, [and have so molded that] clay that [it can have converse with] angels and be in communion with beings celestial. [Mere flesh have You lit with a light] perpetual, that there be no reversion to darkness, for [ ], and a light have You revealed that it never can be turned back.
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You have wafted Your hofly spirit o'er these humble servants of Thine],8 clearing away all guilt9 [and purifying them], that, along with Thine [heavenly] host, they too [may minis]ter to You, and, stayed upon Your truth,
15 walk [upon level ground and str]ay [not] from Your presence. These men have You singled out, [0 my God,] [to bear witness] to Your glory, and through that sense for rightdoing [which You have vouchsafed to them You have delivered them from sin and purged away from them alll the frowardness of their tainted mold.
.
* * *
3
* * *
[Unto the children of light] a way has indeed been opened [that they may walk upon] peaceful paths1 and show how miraculously2 [God rescues human] flesh [from thralldom to sin]. My own feet had been [falling] into all manner of hidden traps3 which Sin~ had been laying, and into all manner of nets which it had been spreading.5
5 [How, Yought I,] will I [ever] preserve [this] fabric of dust from crumbling, this waxen mold [from dissolving]? Mere heap of ash that I am, how will I [ever] withstand the stormy blast?6 Howbeit, God has been keeping it for His mysterious ends; because He has been aware [of how frail it is, He has not suffered it [?]] to be wholly destroyed.7 Yough men keep laying [for it] traps never so many, and [tightening all about it] the toils of frowardness,8 yet win all guileful bent be brought to an end,
10 [and all wickedness] come to naught and every deceitful intent9 and all the works of guile cease to exist.
I am but a creature [of clay, a fabric of dust;] and what strength does such possess? Thine, 0 God of [all knowledge]10 is [the power and the might];11 You it is did make all things, and but for You [can naught exist]. [Yet, creature] of dust Yough I be, by virtue of the spirit which You have set within me, I have now come to know that [You wilt yet call to account all guil]ty [men]12 that flock unto18 frowardness and guile, and the wellspring of sin will be dammed.14 [For] that which is wrought in uncleanness can bring naught else but disease,15 condign plague10 and decay. Thine, [0 my God,] is a blazing wrath and a ven[geful] passion.17
* * *
4
* * *
[The sons of Your covenant are come to know that always, at every moment, continually, ev]ening and morning, [You dost vouchsafe unto them the blessing of salvation] and [healjing [from all the afflic]tions of men and pa[ins of humankind].
5 Wherefore they stand as sentinels, [posted] upon their watch,1 [knowing that] You wilt exorcize every noisome devil2 and [every evil spirit]. Moreover, You have unstopped mine ear [and made me aware] that through such spirits as these* [men who have bound themselves to] [human] [pledge] and pact have [ofttirnes] been seduced and will [someday] come before You to face Your charge. Wherefore, I for my pare have been living in terror of Your judgment
10 [for who can prove innocent be]fore You, and who can gain acquittal when Your sentence is passed?3 To what will man amount when You arraignest him, and to what he that turns back to his dust [ ] ?
Howbeit, 0 my God, You have opened mine heare to the insight which comes from You, and unstopped mine ear [to Your teaching], that, alYough my mind be unquiet4 [on account of hidden wrongdoings], and alYough my heare has been melting like wax5 because of transgression and sin which I have kept [concealed],6 I am come to rely upon Your goodness.
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* Heb. 'through them'.
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15 Blessed be You, You God of [all] knowledge,7 Who have [so] ordained, and vouchsafed, for Thine own sake, that this fortune should fall upon Your servant. For now that I am come to [this] knowledge, so long as I have being I will put my hopes in Your [mercy]. Confirm, then, [Your word] unto Your [ser]vant Forsake us not in [these] times [of triai,8 that so we may bear witness always to Your grace] and Your glory and [Your] go[odness].
.
* * *
5
* * *
With a wondrous shew of [Your power You wilt visit upon them Your] righteous [judg]ment,1 [sundering and] severing them for ever from standing among [Your] sa[ints]2 [and from all] communion with Your Holy Beings.8 The spirits of wickedness4 wilt You ba<ni>sh from the ear[th],5
5 [and they that incite to] evil shall exist no more. You wilt appoint a place of un[rest6 he which shall be brought to their ruin, f;r all] spirits of frowardness,7 doomed] to [perpetual] mourning nd everlasting grief.8 When wickedness reaches its height in a climax of mighty uphea[val],9 t here shall come upon them anguish absolute.10 Howbeit, that all may take knowledge of Your glory and s[ee] how soothfast is Your judgment,11 [You wilt also shew forth] in the sight of all You have made how wondrous Your mercies can be.12 You have opened human ears13 [and impareed unto them the designs of] Your heare,14 and have given to [mortal] minds the means to understand that a time is yet to come when 'witness will be borne'.15 [Here] on earth wilt You enter suit16 with them that dwell thereon,17 and [You wilt] also [wreak vengeance on the children of] darkness,18 vindica[ting the ri]ghteous and cond[emning the wicked],19 and suffering not [the children of light]20 to be sundered [from bl]essing [evermore].
Behold, for my own pare, through You have I pr[ospered my way,] [through You maintained] my stand; for You have not [abandoned me] [unto them that selek my hurt.
20 Whenever they plot against me, You [savest me from their grasp,] and if they are bent to disgrace me, You in Your mer[cy dost confound] them. If mine enemy vaunt himself against me, it proves to his own undoing;* and they that battle against me [are overwhelmed] with disgrace, and shame overtakes them that revile me.
For at [every] time, 0 my God, You dost fight my fight.9 Yough now, in Thine inscrutable wisdom, You rebuke me, yet are You but hiding the truth until [its time] and [Your glory] until its season. Then will Your rebuking of me be turned into gladness and joy;
25 my plague shall be turned to perpetual health, the scorn of my foes to a diadem of glory,10 my halting steps to enduring strength. Lo, through Your Name and through Your glory light has shone forth upon me. You have brought me light out of darkness, have given me [health] in place of plague,11
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* Literally, 'stumbling'.
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wondrous strength in place of stumbling, and abiding enlargement for the straitness of my soul.
[You are] my refuge and my tower, my rock of retreat and my stronghold; in You do I take refuge from all that [pursue me,] [and You are] mine escape evermore. Or ever my father begat me,
30 You did know me; from the womb of my mother You did shower me with Your grace* and from the breasts of her that conceived me Your mercies have been shed upon me. On the bosom of my nurse [You did sustain me,] and from my youth up You have enlightened me with understanding of Your judgments, held me firm by Your truth, and caused me to delight in Your holy spirit: and even unto this day You dost stay my goings.
Though Your just rebuke be with my body, yet will my soul be saved by Your watch over my wellbeing. With every step I take Thine abundant forgiveness enfolds me, and when You arraignest me, Your mercies overwhelm me. Even unto old age You wilt yet sustain me.
35 For my father hath renounced me, and my mother hath abandoned me to You;12 yet You are a father to all that [know] Your truth, and You wilt rejoice over them like a mother who pitieth her babe,
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* The Hebrew word can also mean 'You did wean me. There is thus a double-entendre.
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and You wilt feed all Your works as a nurse feeds her charge at the bosom.13
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Who can fathom the des]igns of Your heare? Apare from You hath nothing existed, and wiYout Your will will nothing be; yet can none understand Your wis[dom] nor gaze upon Your [sec]rets. What is man, mere earth, kneaded out of [clay,] destined to return unto the dust,14 that You shouldst give him insight into such wonders and make him privy to things divine?
x,5 As for me, I am but dust and ashes. What can I devise except You have desired it? And what can I think apare from Your will? And how be strong except You have stayed me, or use my mind,15 except You have created it? How speak except You have opened my mouth? How reply except You have given me sense? Lo, You are the Prince of the angels, and the King of all that are in glory, and the Lord of every spirit, and the Ruler of every deed. WiYout you nothing is wrought, and wiYout Your will can nothing be known.16 None there is beside You,
10 and none to share Your might, and none to match Your glory, and Your power is beyond price. Which among all Your great wondrous works has power to stand before Your glory? How much less, then, can he who returns to his dust attain to [such power.] Only for Thine own glory have You done all these things.
.
16: X, 14-XI, 2
Blessed are You, 0 Lord, You God of compassion and mercy, for giving me knowledge [of Your truth]
15 and [insight] to [tell forth]. Your wonders, unhushed day and night
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Because I have come to rely on that truth of Thine, [I will put my trust] in Your mercy, [my hope] in Your great goodness [and in Thine abundant] compassion.
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Except You [keep hold,] there is no standing; and except [You let go, no falling]; except You rebuke, no stumbling; no affliction, but You have foreknown it; [no healing but] by Your [will].
20 Now that I know [Your tru]th, that I clearly behold Your glory, now that I understand [the mysteries of Your ways], [I now will put my trust] in the moving* of Your compassion, [my hope] in Thine acts of forgiveness. The high and mighty draw their strength from abundance of [worldly] delights; in profusion of corn and wine and oil [they find their joy],
25 and pride themselves in goods and possessions.1 Cho[osing] mortal delights and thliiking to glut themselves
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* Or, abundance.
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on earehiy things, [they picture themselves] as trees green beside nirniing streams,2 which cannot but put forth leaves and branches full many.8 But the joy and the bliss which You have given to these lowly servants of Thine4 is a joy and a bliss unending, and only by the measure of his knowledge does one outrank another.5 So, in [this] knowledge of Your truth have You bestowed on me, a lowly servant of Thine, a rich inheritance; and by virtue of that knowledge he now is come to ho[nor].6
30 The soul of [this] Your servant abhors all wealth and gain; in abundance of [worldly] delights his heare has no pleasure.7 Nay, in Your covenant does my heare rejoice, and Your truth it is that regales my soul. Wherefore, with heare exposed to a spring unfailing, drawing my strength from on high,8 I shall blossom like a lily,9 [while all the fruit of the wicked shall be but travail] and woe; they shall wither like a flower before [the heat].
35 Howbeit, when I hear tell how You wilt yet come to judgment along with Your stalware angeis,10 how You wilt yet enter suit in company with Your host of Holy Beings,11 my heare is sorely racked, my loins are all a-quake, my groans reach down to the nethermost depths and penetrate withal into the chambers of Hell;12 and I am full stricken with terror. For [judgment You surely wilt wr]eak [over the whole wide earth], justice on all that You have made; and [Your] right[eousness] wilt You evince over the hordes of Belial.13
[My soul is com]moved with ter[ror]; [tr]ouble [is not hidden] from mine eyes;14 Gri[ef and sorrow o'erwhelm] the musing of my heare.
17: XI, 3-14
I give thanks unto You, 0 my God, for You have wrought a wonder with dust and have shown forth Your power in that which is molded of clay. For You have made me to know Your deep, deep truth, and to divine Your wondrous works, and have put in my mouth the power to praise, and psalmody on my tongue,
5 and have given me lips unmarred1 and readiness of song, that I may sing of Your loving kindness and rehearse Your might all the day and continually bless Your name. I will show forth Your glory in the midst of the sons of men, and in Thine abundant goodness my soul will delight. For I know that Your mouth is truth, and in Your hand is bounty, and in Your Yought all knowledge, and in Your power all might, and that all glory is with You.
In Thine anger come all judgments of affliction, but in Your goodness pardon abounding; and Your mercies are shed upon all who do Your will For You have made them to know Your deep, deep truth
10 and divine Thine inscrutable wonders; and, for Your glory's sake, You have granted it unto man to be purged of transgression, that he may hallow himself unto You and be free from all taint of filth and all guilt of perfidy, to be one with them that possess Your truth and to share the lot of Your Holy Beings, to the end that this worm which is man2 may be lifted out of the dust to the height of eternal things, and rise from a spirit perverse to an holy understanding, and stand in one company before You with the host everlasting and the spirits of knowledge and the choir invisible,3 to be for ever renewed with all things that are.4
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18: XI, 15-27
15 I give thanks unto You, 0 my God, I extol You, 0 my Rock,1 and because You have wrought wonders with me [I bless Your name.] For You have made me to know Your deep, deep truth; Your wonders have You revealed unto me, and I have beholden [Your truth] [and witnessed Your] deeds of loving kindness. So am I come to know that Yough You are ever just, yet in Your loving kindness lies sal[vatlon for men], and that wiYout Your mercy [theirs is but doo]m and perdition.
20 Lo, for mine own pare, when I mark the nature of man, how he ever reverts [to perversity and' wrong doing], to sin and anguish of guilt, a fountain of bitter mourning wells up within me; [my tears flow like rivers],2 and sorrow is not hidden from mine eyes.8 These things go to my heare and touch me to the bone, that I raise a bitter lament and make doleful moan and groan, and keep plying my harp in mournful dirge and bitter lamentation, till wrongdoing be brought to an end, and men have no more to suffer punishing plague and stroke. But when that time shall come, then shall I ply my harp with music of salvation, and my lyre to tune of joy; I shall ply the pipe and flute in praise wiYout cease. Yough none there be among all Your works can rehearse the full tale of Your [wonders], yet then, in the mouths of them all shall Your name be praised;
25 then with mouth of [ ] they shall go blessing You for ever, and along with the [Holy Being]s chorus their song of joy.4 For sorrow and sighing shall be no more;5 wrongdoing shall be [at an end], and Your truth shall burst forth as the dayspring in never-ending glory and peace perpetual.
19: XI, 27-Xil, 35
Blessed are You, [0 Lord,] Who have given unto man the insight of knowledge, to understand Your wonders, [discern Your truth,] tell forth Thine abundant mercies. Blessed are You, 0 God of compassion and grace, for the greatness of [Your] power, the abundance of Your truth, the profusion of Your mercies
30 over all Your works. Rejoice the soul of Your servant in Your truth, and in Your righteousness make me clean, even as when [aforetime] I waited on Your bounty and hoped on Your mercies, and You did bring release to my travail,1 and even as when I leaned on Your compassion, and You did comfort me in my sorrow. Blessed are You, 0 Lord, for You it is have wrought these things, and placed in the mouth of Your servant [power to pray] and to win Your grace, and all readiness of tongue; and have prepared for me the guerdon of [righteousness] [and the reward of devotion],
35 that I may attain to [stand in Your presence].
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[ ] my soul will exult2 [because it hath come to abide in Your presence] [and to dwell] secure in [Your] ho[ly] abode, in calm and quietude. [In] my tent [I will chant] [songs of joy] and salvation,5 and in the midst of them that fear You tell forth the praise of Your name to all ages to come, pouring forth prayer and supplication4 always, at all times and seasons;5 when daylight comes forth from [its abode];
xii,5 when, in its ordered course, day reaches its turning-point, in accordance with the rules of the sun; and again at the turn of the evening, when daylight depares, as the rule of darkness begins; and again in the season of night, when it reaches its turning-point, and when the morning breaks; and when, in the presence of the daylight, night withdraws to its abode; when night depares and day comes in, aiway, at all the birthdays of time, at the moments when seasons begin;6 when they reach their turning-points; when they come in order due according to their several signs,? as these have dominion in due order assured, [decreed] by the mouth of God and by the law of existence -that law which shall ever be
10 and beside which is none else, for the God of Knowledge it is that hath determined it, and along with Him there never hath been nor ever shall be another. Behold, for mine own pare, I have reached the inner vision, and through the spirit You have placed within me, come to know You, my God. I have heard Your wondrous secret, nor heard it arniss.~ Through Your holy spIrit, through Your mystic insight, You have caused a spring of knowledge to well up within me, a fountain of strength, pouring forth waters unstinted, a floodtide of loving kindness and of all-consuming zeal You have put an end to [my darkness],
15 and the splendor of Your glory has become unto me as a light ev[erlasting]. Wickedness hath been [consumed] altogether, and deceit [existeth] no more. [Perverseness is gone down] to perdition, for[ ] existeth no more [ ] Bluster is at an end, for it [cannot withstand] Thine anger. [The sins which I committed aforetime] [I committed in] overhavee; for [now am I come to know that] no man is righteous with You.
20 For there is none can understand all Your hidden things, nor answer Your charge against him; but all must needs wait upon Your goodness, for You, in [Your] loving kindness [wilt reveal to them Your truth,] that they may come to know You; and when Your glory bursts upon them, they shall rejoice. Only to the measure of each man's knowledge and to the meed of his understanding have You given men access [to You], to serve You in their several domains, even as You have assigned their roles, [but] never to overstep Your word. And I-I was taken from dust, nipped out of clay; I was but a source of filth
25 and of shameful nakedness, a heap of dust, a thing kneaded with water, a dwelling place of darkness, a shape moulded of clay, which must needs revert to dust in due season [and lie once more] in the dust whence it was taken. And how can [such] dust and [clay] give answer to [Him who shapes] it; or how understand what He doeth, or how stand before its Accuser? Even the holy [angels,] the everlasting [spirits,] the reservoirs of glory, the wellsprings of knowledge and power,
30 -even they [cannot] tell forth all Your glory, nor stand against Thine anger, nor answer Your charge. For You are ever righteous, and none can gainsay You. How much less, then, he who returns to his dust?
Lo, I am stricken dumb. What can I say against this? I have spoken but according to my knowledge and only with such sense of right as a creature of clay may possess. But how can I speak except You open my mouth, and how understand, if You give me not insight; or how contend, save You open my heare; or how walk straight save You gu[ide my feet?]
35 How can [my] fo[ot] stand, how can I be strong in power, how can I endure [save by Your grace?]
.
[From this point it becomes impossible to distinguish the separate hymns.]
XIII, 1-21
When first the world began [You did shed an] holy [sp]~t [on all You dldst bring into being,] and make them all to attest Your wondrous mysteries.1
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[You did show Your] handiwork in all that [You] did mak~ [You dldst reveal Your glory in all their varied shapes,] [Your] truth [in all] their works.
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On all that [keep Your charge] [You bestowest grace abounding]
5 and mercies never falling; but upon all things that defy You You bringest perdition eternal. [So, if mortal men keep faith with You, behold, You crownest their he]ads with glory everlasting2 and [compassest their] works with perennial joy; but [the face of] the wicked [You coverest with shame.]
On those whom You have set [in] glory8 [to show forth] the full measure of Your works, yea, on the hosts of Your spirits, the congregation of [Your Holy Beings,] [the heavens] with all their array, the earth with all its produce, all things in lakes and seas on those, ere You did create them, You did impose a task
10 and a perpetual charge. For when first the world began You did so order them and appoint the work of each that they would spell out Your glory throughout Your dominion, making known thereby what none would else have seen, how ancient things pass over, and new things are ever created,4 how You do away with outworn forms, yet [main]tainest eternal nature,5 for You are a God everlasting, and You wilt endure for all time. In Thine inscrutable wisdom You have assigned to all these natures diverse and varied wherein to show forth Your glory. But how can a spirit of flesh understand of these things? How can it conceive Your so great mystery? Yea, how can one born of woman attest Your tremendous plan?
15 Creature of dust that he is, moulded of sodden clay, [a heap of filth], whose foundation is naked shame, and who is ruled by a spirit perverse, through his constant misdeeds* does he not [rather] serve as a thing of unending [revulsion], a portent for all generations,6 an object of abhorrence to all flesh?7 Nay, it is only through Your goodness and through Your mercies abundant that Man can ever do right. For it is with Thine own beauty that You dost beautify him, and only of Your free bounty dost You shower him with delights and grant him peace unending and length of days. And [Lord,] when once You have spoken ne'er is Your word revoked.8 So, for mine own pare, through the spirit You have planted within me, I, Your servant, am come to know that [all Your judgments are truth,] and righteousness all Your works, and ne'er is Your word revoked.
20 None of the terms and times which You have foreordained [hath failed to come to pass] -all of them duly chosen for their appointed ends.9 Therefore I know full surely [that yet the time will come] [when You wilt reward the righteous,] and the wicked be utterly [doomed.]
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* Heb. 'If he do wrong'.
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xlv, 1-27
[I give thanks unto You, 0 Lord, for You have granted a remnant] unto Your people and a re[vival] [unto Thine iliheritance.]1 [You have raised up among them] men of truth and sons [of light,]2
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men of abundant compassion, men of stalware spirit, men of tempered [soul,] men steeled to [sustain] Your judgment [Through them have You kept Your covenant] S and fulfilled Your pledge, to render us unto You [a kingdom of priests and] an holy [natlon]3 for all generations of time and for all the [ages to come.] [Verily, O Lord, You dost sustain] them that have vision of You. Blessed are You, 0 Lord, Who puttest the sense of discernment into the heare of Your servants,4 [that they may walk blamelessly before You,] and be steeled against all the dev[ices] of wickedness, and that they may bless [Your name,]
10 [loving] all that You lovest and abhorring all that [You hatest,]5 [and stray not in the waywar]dness of men, but, through the spirit of [discern]ment which is theirs, [distinguish] the good from the wicked [and keep] their deeds undefiled. Behold, for mine own pare, through that discernment which You have bestowed, I have indeed attained to such knowledge; for by virtue of Your good pleasure I have been granted a share in Your holy spirit, and You have brought me close to an understanding of You. The nearer I draw to You,6 the more am I filled with zeal against all that do wickedness and against all men of deceit. For none that draws near to You can see Your commandments defied,
15 and none that hath knowledge of You can brook change of Your words, seeing that You are the essence of right, and in all Thine elect Your truth is engrained. You wilt bring eternal doom on all frowardness and transgression, and Your righteousness will stand revealed in the sight of all You have made.
Lo, through Your great goodness I have come to know these things, and committed myself by oath never to sin against You nor do aught that is evil in Your sight; and I have been granted admittance to [this] community. So, for mine own pare, I will admit no comrade into fellowship with me save by the measure of his understanding, and only to the degree of his share in this common lot will I show friendship to him. I will not countenance evil, neither recognize fraud.
20 I Will not bareer Your truth for wealth, nor all Your judgments for a bribe. Only as You drawest a man unto You will I draw him unto myself, and as You keepest him afar, so too will I abhor him; and I will enter not into commumon with them that turn their back upon Your covenant7
Blessed are You, 0 Lord, Who, in the greatness of Your power, in Your manifold, infinite wonders and in the greatness of Your forbearance forgivest them that repent their transgression, but visitest the iniquity of the wicked. Verily, [on the righteous] You bestowest freely [Your love,]
25 but perversity You hatest for ever.8 So have You graced me, Your servant, with the spifit of knowledge and truth,~ that I should cherish the paths of righteousness and abhor all froward ways. So, for mine own pare, I in turn will love You freely10 and with all my heare will I [choose] [to walk in] Your paths. For by Your hand has this thing been wrought, and wiYout [Your will can naught be done].
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XV, 9-26
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[ ] they love You alway. So, for mine own pare, [Iwill] [ ]
10 and love You right freely with all my heare and soul.1 Yea, I have cleansed [my heare] [to adhere to Your] ho[ly Law] [and never to] turn aside from aught that You have commanded; and I have made Your commandments to take firm hold upon many that they abandon not any of Your statutes.
Moreover, through the discernment which You have bestowed upon me I am come to know that not by means of the flesh can a mortal order his way neither can any man direct his own steps.2 I know that in Your hand is the shaping of each man's spirit, and ere You did create him You did ordain his works.8 And how can any man change what You have decreed?
15 You alone it is that have created the righteous, conditioning him from the womb to rank among the favored at the end of days,4 to be safeguarded ever by covenant with You, to walk always [undaunted] through the moving of Your compassion, to open all the straitness of his soul to everlasting salvation5 and perpetual peace unfailing. You have raised his inner glory out of the flesh.
But the wicked have You created for the time of Your [wr]ath,6 reserving them from the womb for the day of slaughter, because they walk in the way of the bad and spurn Your covenant, and their soul abhors Your [statutes], and they take no pleasure in all You have commanded, but choose that which You hatest All [them that hate You] have You destined to the wreaking of great judgments upon them
20 in the sight of all You have made, to serve as a sign [and a token] for ever, that all may have knowledge how great is Your glory and strength.
How can flesh have reason, or the earth-bound direct his steps, except that You have created spirit* and ordained the working thereof? By You is the way of all the living ordained. So am I come to know that no wealth can equal Your truth, and Your holiness hath no match; and I know that You preferest these things to all else, and that They attend on You always. You wilt accept no bribe [for wrongdoing], and You wilt accept no ransom for deeds of wickedness.
25 For You are a God of truth and [hatest]** all perverseness; [and no iniquity] shall endure in Your presence. And I am come also to know
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* Heb. You it is that createdest spirit', etc.
** Or, 'wilt destroy'.
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that [righteousness] is Thine, [and a]ll [Your works are truth.]
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XVI, 1-19
[You have shed] Your holy spirit righteous and [wicked alike,] [and You wilt judge all men] [according to their deeds.] Your holy spirit can [pass] not [away.] The fulness of heaven and earth [attests it,] and the sum of all things [stands witness to] Your glory.1 I know that through [Your] good wi[ll] towards man You have bestowed upon him a rich heri[tage in Your Law] [that he may walk] in all [his ways] as Your truth [inst]ructs; and [You have vouchsafed unto him]
5 to maintain a proper stance through Your [truth] which You have entrusted to him, lest he go as[tr]ay [ ], and You [have lain hold on him] that he stumble not in any of [his steps].2 Because that all these things are present in my mind, I would put into words my prayer and confession of sin, my constant search for Your spirit, the inner strength which is mine through the holy spirit, my devotion to the truth of Your covenant, the truth and sincerity in which I walk, my love of Your name:
Blessed are You, 0 Lord, creator of all things, mighty in deed,3 by Whom all things are wrought. Behold, You have granted mercy to Your servant and shed upon him in Your grace Thine ever-compassionate spirit and the splendor of Your glory. rhine, Thine alone, is righteousness, for You it is have done all these things.
10 Moreover, because I know that You dost keep a record of every righteous spirit,4 therefore have I chosen to keep my hands unstained, according to Your will; and the soul of Your servant has abhorred all unrighteous deeds. Nevertheless I know that no man can be righteous wiYout Your help. Wherefore I entreat You, through the spirit which You have put [within me,] to bring unto completion the mercies You have shown unto Your servant, cleansing him with Your holy spirit, drawing him to You in Your good pleasure, [ ] him in Thine abundant lovingkindness, granting to him that place of favor which You have chosen for them that love You and observe Your commandments, that they may stand in Your presence for ever. [Suffer not Beli]al [to ari]se and immerse himself in Your servant's spirit,
15 neither let [a spirit] perverse [rule over] any of his deeds.5 Let not affliction confront him to make him to falter from the statutes of Your covenant, but [crown him] with glory and truth. [For You are a God gracious] and merciful, longsuffering and abounding in loving kindness and truth, forgiving transgression [ ] and relenting of [evil] [unto them that love Him] and keep His command[ments]6 -even unto them that return unto You in falthfness and wholeness of heare to serve You [and do what is] good in Your sight. So turn not away the face of Your servant neither [reject] the son of [Thine] handmaid; [for to You, 0 Lord, belongeth forgiven]ess, and by Thine own words have I call[ed upon You.]7
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XVII, 1-XVIII, 30
[Eleven lines too Fragmentary to translate seem to describe the doom which awaits the wicked.]
[For divine forgiveness]
In Thine [abundant] mercy You have said by the hand of Moses that You wouldst [forgive all] iniquity and sin and shrive all [guilt] and treason.1 And verily, Yough the roots of the mountains [have blazed] and Yough the fire [has devoured] to nethermost hell,2 yet, whensoever You have wrought Your judgments them have You ever [redeemed] that were fa[ithful to You], that they might serve You in constancy and that their seed might be ever in Your presence;3 and You have ever confirmed unto them Thine o[ath]
15 [to pass over all transg]ression4 and to cast away all their iniquities,5 and to give them for their inheritance every mortal glory and abundance of days.
So, for mine own pare, by virtue of the spirits6 which You have set within me, I will give free rein to my tongue to tell forth Your bounteous acts and Your forbearance towards me and the deeds of Your strong right hand, and to [confess] my former transgressions and to make prayer and supplication7 before You concerning mine [evil] deeds and the waywardness of [my heare.] For I have been wallowing in filth, and [turned] from communion with You, and I have not att[ach]ed myself [unto Your congregation.]
20 You-with You lies bounty, and of Your nature it is ever to dower blessing.8 [Proffer,] then, Your bounty and redeem [my soul,] and let the wicked be brought to an end!
[For spiritual strength]
Moreover, I have come to understand that You have ever directed the course of such as You have chosen, bestowing insight upon him to spare him from sliming against You, repaying unto him all his affliction of heare in Your chaveisements and Your [trials].
You have delivered Your servant from sinning against You and from stumbling in doing Your will. Strengthen, then, the stand of this Your servant against all spirits of perverseness, that he walk in all the ways which You lovest, reject all that You hatest, and do what is good in Your sight. Yea, [ ] within me, for of flesh is the spirit of Your servant.
.
[For inner enlightenment]
[I am come also to know]
25 You have ever wafted Your holy spirit on him who is Your servant, i[llumi]ning for him the [dark places] of his heare [with light like the sun.] But I-behold, I look to all covenants made by man, [and all are nothing worth;]9 [while they that seek after Your truth] do surely find it, [for on them Your light] shineth; and they that love it [are illumined] [and walk in the glow of] Your light for ever,10 and You raisest [their heares] out of the dark[ness]. Let, then, Your light [shine ever on Your servant] for with You is light everlasting.
[For divine protection]
[I am come also to know] that once You did [ ] and open the ear of one who was but dust [that He might hear Your teaching] [and deliver Your chosen people] [from folly] and delusion
xviii,5 and from the uncleanness which [ And You did [ ] Your [], and [the hands] of Your servant were steadied by Your tr[uth,] and have remained so for ever, that he might announce Your wondrous tidings and reveal them to all who would hear. [You did strengthen him] by Your strong right hand to lead [ ] and You did [ ] [him] by Your mighty strength, [that he might achieve renown] for Your name and triumph in giory.11 Withdraw not now Your hand [from Your people,] that now too there might be among* them men** that hold firm to Your covenant,
10 that stand [blameless] before You!
[For power of speech]
Moreover, in the mouth of Your servant You did open, as it were, a fount and duly set*** on his tongue [the words of Your Law,] that through the understanding which You givest to him he might proclaim them to human mold, and serve as the interpreter of these things to dust like myself. That fount did You open also that he might reprove what is molded of clay concerning its way
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*Heb. "1nto'.
** Heb. sg., viz. 'a man' that holds firm, etc.
*** Or, 'engrave' [despite the mixed metaphor!].
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and that which is born of woman concerning its guiltiness, every man according to his deeds.
[Thanksgiving for divine grace]
But lo, that fount serves also as a wellspring of Your truth for every man whose spirit You have stayed by Thine own strength, that he [may walk] in Your truth, a herald of Your good tidings,12 bringing cheer to the humble through Thine abundant compassion,
15 sat[ing] from that fount them that are [wounded] in spirit, bringing to them that mourn everlasting joy.18
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[Were it not for Your grace,] I could not have seen this thing. [For how can] I look on [Your glory] except You open mine eyes? How hear [the words of Your truth] [except You unstop mine ears?]
20 Behold, my heare was amazed that thus the Word was revealed to one with ears unattuned, and that a [wayward] heare [was suffered to grasp these things.] But now have I come to know that for Yourself, 0 my God, have You done these things. For what is mortal flesh [that You shouldst so exalt it] and work such wonders with it?
Howbeit, You wast minded* to consummate all things and ordain them unto Your glory, [and have therefore called into being] a host endowed with knowledge to tell forth Your mighty acts unto mortal flesh, and Your sure ordinances to that which is born [of woman.] And You have brought [Thine elect] into covenant with You and opened their heare of dust that, through Your compassionate Presence, they may be guarded from [ ]
25 [and escape] the traps of judgment.
So, for mine own pare, molded [of clay] that I am, with an heare of stone,14 lo, of what worth am I, that I should attain unto this? Yet, behold, You have set [Your word] in this ear of dust, and graven upon this heare eternal verities;* * and You have brought to an end [all of my frowardness,] to bring me into covenant with You, that I may stand [before You] evermore unshaken*** in the glow of the Perfect Light,15 till the end of time, where [no] darkness is for ever,
30 and where all is peace unbounded until the end of time.
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* Heb. 'it was in Your Yought'.
** Heb. 'realities'.
***Heb. 'in an eternal station'.
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FRAGMENTS
1
[The ho]ly [angels]1 which are in heaven---[even they do not know Your gr]eat name, for it is a mystery;2 neither can they ever [recount all] Your [wonders]8 nor Claim knowledge4 of all [Your secrets]. [How much less, then, can one who is destined to re]vert to the dust whence he came?5
5 Rebellious that I was, wallowing [in filth],6 [tainited with the guilt of wickedness,7 I had been [living, as it were], through more than one Day of Wrath,8 [fearful how I could with]stand the blows that were raining upon me,9 how I might be protected [from the punishing stroke]. Yet, [through that inner discernment which You have vouchsafed to us, we of this brotherhood] have been [made awa]re of these things: that there [always] is hope for a man10 [who turns back from sin that You wilt cleanse him] of taint. Wherefore, 0 my God, mere creature of clay Yough I be,11 now have I placed my reliance [on Your mercy and faithfulness],
10 knowing full well that [what comes from Your mouth] is truth,12 [that Your word is never re]voked.13 So, throughout the time that is yet allotted to me14 I shall hold firm [to Your judgments], and I shall maintain my stance in the station wherein You dost set me; for [You, a God of mercy, dealest mercifully with all] men and You dost provide for them a way of return.
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* * *
2
* * *
[None is there in Your heavens neither upon] Thine earth, none among angels or m[en can] render You [fitting] praise or tell forth all of Your glory. How much less, then, can I who was taken from dust?
5 Howbeit, 0 my God, 'tis but to attest Your glory that You have made all of these. Wherefore, in accordance with Thine abundant mercy,1 grant that the sense for right doing which issues from You may serve ever as a safeguard [to Your servant] to deliver him from doom,2 and that, at his every step, there may be men about him to interpret to him what he should know8 and, [in all of his ways,] men to impress upon him the lessons of truth.~ For, [do whatever he may,] how else can man achieve aught, who is but dust, in whose ineffectual hands lies nothing but ashes? Yet lo, [on such a creature of] clay [have You shed Your grace, giving him Your] command[ments in] Your good will. You have shaped that clay on the wheel5 and passed it through Your test, that it may find its way into Your lot;8 and when cracks appear in it, You mendest them.7
10 Yea, over mere dust have You wafted Your [holy] spirit, [and have so molded that] clay that [it can have converse with] angels and be in communion with beings celestial. [Mere flesh have You lit with a light] perpetual, that there be no reversion to darkness, for [ ], and a light have You revealed that it never can be turned back.
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You have wafted Your hofly spirit o'er these humble servants of Thine],8 clearing away all guilt9 [and purifying them], that, along with Thine [heavenly] host, they too [may minis]ter to You, and, stayed upon Your truth,
15 walk [upon level ground and str]ay [not] from Your presence. These men have You singled out, [0 my God,] [to bear witness] to Your glory, and through that sense for rightdoing [which You have vouchsafed to them You have delivered them from sin and purged away from them alll the frowardness of their tainted mold.
.
* * *
3
* * *
[Unto the children of light] a way has indeed been opened [that they may walk upon] peaceful paths1 and show how miraculously2 [God rescues human] flesh [from thralldom to sin]. My own feet had been [falling] into all manner of hidden traps3 which Sin~ had been laying, and into all manner of nets which it had been spreading.5
5 [How, Yought I,] will I [ever] preserve [this] fabric of dust from crumbling, this waxen mold [from dissolving]? Mere heap of ash that I am, how will I [ever] withstand the stormy blast?6 Howbeit, God has been keeping it for His mysterious ends; because He has been aware [of how frail it is, He has not suffered it [?]] to be wholly destroyed.7 Yough men keep laying [for it] traps never so many, and [tightening all about it] the toils of frowardness,8 yet win all guileful bent be brought to an end,
10 [and all wickedness] come to naught and every deceitful intent9 and all the works of guile cease to exist.
I am but a creature [of clay, a fabric of dust;] and what strength does such possess? Thine, 0 God of [all knowledge]10 is [the power and the might];11 You it is did make all things, and but for You [can naught exist]. [Yet, creature] of dust Yough I be, by virtue of the spirit which You have set within me, I have now come to know that [You wilt yet call to account all guil]ty [men]12 that flock unto18 frowardness and guile, and the wellspring of sin will be dammed.14 [For] that which is wrought in uncleanness can bring naught else but disease,15 condign plague10 and decay. Thine, [0 my God,] is a blazing wrath and a ven[geful] passion.17
* * *
4
* * *
[The sons of Your covenant are come to know that always, at every moment, continually, ev]ening and morning, [You dost vouchsafe unto them the blessing of salvation] and [healjing [from all the afflic]tions of men and pa[ins of humankind].
5 Wherefore they stand as sentinels, [posted] upon their watch,1 [knowing that] You wilt exorcize every noisome devil2 and [every evil spirit]. Moreover, You have unstopped mine ear [and made me aware] that through such spirits as these* [men who have bound themselves to] [human] [pledge] and pact have [ofttirnes] been seduced and will [someday] come before You to face Your charge. Wherefore, I for my pare have been living in terror of Your judgment
10 [for who can prove innocent be]fore You, and who can gain acquittal when Your sentence is passed?3 To what will man amount when You arraignest him, and to what he that turns back to his dust [ ] ?
Howbeit, 0 my God, You have opened mine heare to the insight which comes from You, and unstopped mine ear [to Your teaching], that, alYough my mind be unquiet4 [on account of hidden wrongdoings], and alYough my heare has been melting like wax5 because of transgression and sin which I have kept [concealed],6 I am come to rely upon Your goodness.
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* Heb. 'through them'.
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15 Blessed be You, You God of [all] knowledge,7 Who have [so] ordained, and vouchsafed, for Thine own sake, that this fortune should fall upon Your servant. For now that I am come to [this] knowledge, so long as I have being I will put my hopes in Your [mercy]. Confirm, then, [Your word] unto Your [ser]vant Forsake us not in [these] times [of triai,8 that so we may bear witness always to Your grace] and Your glory and [Your] go[odness].
.
* * *
5
* * *
With a wondrous shew of [Your power You wilt visit upon them Your] righteous [judg]ment,1 [sundering and] severing them for ever from standing among [Your] sa[ints]2 [and from all] communion with Your Holy Beings.8 The spirits of wickedness4 wilt You ba<ni>sh from the ear[th],5
5 [and they that incite to] evil shall exist no more. You wilt appoint a place of un[rest6 he which shall be brought to their ruin, f;r all] spirits of frowardness,7 doomed] to [perpetual] mourning nd everlasting grief.8 When wickedness reaches its height in a climax of mighty uphea[val],9 t here shall come upon them anguish absolute.10 Howbeit, that all may take knowledge of Your glory and s[ee] how soothfast is Your judgment,11 [You wilt also shew forth] in the sight of all You have made how wondrous Your mercies can be.12 You have opened human ears13 [and impareed unto them the designs of] Your heare,14 and have given to [mortal] minds the means to understand that a time is yet to come when 'witness will be borne'.15 [Here] on earth wilt You enter suit16 with them that dwell thereon,17 and [You wilt] also [wreak vengeance on the children of] darkness,18 vindica[ting the ri]ghteous and cond[emning the wicked],19 and suffering not [the children of light]20 to be sundered [from bl]essing [evermore].
POEMS FROM A QUMRAN HYMNAL
Sing unto the Lord a new song
I
DAVID (PSALM 151)
A Hallelujah; ascribed to David, the son of Jesse
v.1 Smaller was I than my brothers and the youngest of my father's sons. So he set me as herdsman of his sheep and ruler over his kids.
v.2 My hands fashioned a Panpipe, and my fingers a lyre that I might pay honor to the Lord.*
v.3 I kept saying within myself: 'The mountains cannot tell Him what indeed they witness, neither can the hills. The leaves of the trees have no speech for my words,5 nor the sheep for my acts.
v.4 Nay, who is there that can tell, who is there that hath speech and can relate what it is that I am doing?" Yet, He Who is the Lord of All Things saw it indeed; He Who is the God of All Things-He heard and Himself gave ear.
v.5 So He sent His prophet to anoint me, even Samuel to bring me to greatness. My brothers went out to meet him, handsome and comely withal,
v.6 tall of stature, with splendid locks; but them the LORD* God did not choose.
v.7 I it was He sent for and fetched from behind the sheep, and He had me anointed with holy oil, and made me the leader12 of His people and the ruler of the Children of His covenant.
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* Written in archaic script (Possibly YHWH).
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It may be of interest here to reprint a curious and for-gotten version of Psalm 151 quoted in Holland's Psalmista (1848) as the work of a certain 'R.B.', said to be Richard Braithwait, whose versified rendering of I Samuel, ch. 17, in no less than sixty four-line stanzas, appeared in London in 1628. Holland says that the Psalm is included in Arabi; Anglc-Saxon, and Greek liturgies and was recognized as canonical by Athanasius. Actually, what is presented is, at best, an abbreviation of 'R.B.'s' version, and it has been suggested that it may in fact have been composed by William Tennant, who held the Chair of Hebrew at St. Andrew's University, Scotland, in the middle of the nineteenth century; see Notes and Queries, VI, v (1882), p.357.
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1. Among my brethren I was least, And of my father's stock I was the youngest in his house-The shepherd of his flock.
2. Rare instruments of music oft My hands, well-practiced, made; And on the sacred psaltery My skilful fingers played.
3. But who of me shall speak to God, and tell him of my care? The Lord himself, lo, even now, Doth hearken to my prayer.
4. He sent his messenger and took Me from the shepherd's toil; And on my head-sweet unction!-pour'd His own anointing oil.
5. My brethren, beautiful and tall, Held theirs a happy lot; But in them and their comeliness The Lord delighted not.
6. To meet the boasting alien chief I went forth on their part; He cursed me by his idols and Despised me from his heart.
7. But having slain, I with his sword Cut off his head at once. And took away the foul reproach Of Israel's daunted sons.
Sing unto the Lord a new song
I
DAVID (PSALM 151)
A Hallelujah; ascribed to David, the son of Jesse
v.1 Smaller was I than my brothers and the youngest of my father's sons. So he set me as herdsman of his sheep and ruler over his kids.
v.2 My hands fashioned a Panpipe, and my fingers a lyre that I might pay honor to the Lord.*
v.3 I kept saying within myself: 'The mountains cannot tell Him what indeed they witness, neither can the hills. The leaves of the trees have no speech for my words,5 nor the sheep for my acts.
v.4 Nay, who is there that can tell, who is there that hath speech and can relate what it is that I am doing?" Yet, He Who is the Lord of All Things saw it indeed; He Who is the God of All Things-He heard and Himself gave ear.
v.5 So He sent His prophet to anoint me, even Samuel to bring me to greatness. My brothers went out to meet him, handsome and comely withal,
v.6 tall of stature, with splendid locks; but them the LORD* God did not choose.
v.7 I it was He sent for and fetched from behind the sheep, and He had me anointed with holy oil, and made me the leader12 of His people and the ruler of the Children of His covenant.
------------------------------------
* Written in archaic script (Possibly YHWH).
------------------------------------
It may be of interest here to reprint a curious and for-gotten version of Psalm 151 quoted in Holland's Psalmista (1848) as the work of a certain 'R.B.', said to be Richard Braithwait, whose versified rendering of I Samuel, ch. 17, in no less than sixty four-line stanzas, appeared in London in 1628. Holland says that the Psalm is included in Arabi; Anglc-Saxon, and Greek liturgies and was recognized as canonical by Athanasius. Actually, what is presented is, at best, an abbreviation of 'R.B.'s' version, and it has been suggested that it may in fact have been composed by William Tennant, who held the Chair of Hebrew at St. Andrew's University, Scotland, in the middle of the nineteenth century; see Notes and Queries, VI, v (1882), p.357.
------------------------------------
1. Among my brethren I was least, And of my father's stock I was the youngest in his house-The shepherd of his flock.
2. Rare instruments of music oft My hands, well-practiced, made; And on the sacred psaltery My skilful fingers played.
3. But who of me shall speak to God, and tell him of my care? The Lord himself, lo, even now, Doth hearken to my prayer.
4. He sent his messenger and took Me from the shepherd's toil; And on my head-sweet unction!-pour'd His own anointing oil.
5. My brethren, beautiful and tall, Held theirs a happy lot; But in them and their comeliness The Lord delighted not.
6. To meet the boasting alien chief I went forth on their part; He cursed me by his idols and Despised me from his heart.
7. But having slain, I with his sword Cut off his head at once. And took away the foul reproach Of Israel's daunted sons.
II
INVITATION TO GRACE AFTER MEALS
1 [Loudly acclaim the majesty of God; where many are foregathered Let His majesty resound!
2 Amid the throng1 of the upright proclaim how majestic He is,2 and along with the faithful tell stories of His greatness!3
3 [Join company]4 with the good and the blameless in confessing the majesty transcendent;5
4 unite8 in making known His saving power, nor be laggard in showing to the mindless His might and majesty!
5 For it is that the glory of the LORD* may be made known that wisdom has been given,
6 and that the richness7 of His works may be told has it been imparted to man,
7 to the end that the witless may have knowledge of His power, and the mindless a sense of His greatness-
8 men who keep far from her doors, remote from all access to her.
9Although the Most High, forsooth, is Jacob's special Lord,8 yet does His majesty reach out over all that He has made,
10 and a mortal who avows it9 is no less pleasing to Him than one who brings offerings of grain,
11 or presents to Him he-goats and bullocks, or fills the altar with ashes of burnt-offerings never so many10-yea, than fragrant incense proffered by righteous men.
12 Wisdom's voice rings out from behind the doors of the righteous; wherever the godly foregather (is heard) her song.
13 Whenso they eat and are filled,11 the word is of her; when they drink in fellowship together,
14 their talk is of the Torah of the Most High; the aim of their discourse is to further the knowledge of His power.
15 (But oh, how far from the wicked is any word of her; how far from all the proud any wish to have knowledge of her!)
16 Behold, the eye12 of the LORD looks with compassion on the good,
17 and great is His tenderness to them that avow His majesty; He will save them from the time of trouble.18
18 [Bless ye] the LORD* Who redeems the humble from the grasp of the proud, [and deli]vers [the blameless] [from the hand of the wicked;]
19 [Who will yet raise Ja]cob [to honor],14 and [from Israel] govern [the world];15
20 [Who will spread His tent in Zion and be present in Jerusalem for ever!]18
-------------------------
* Written in Archaic script (possibly the sacred name YHWH).
INVITATION TO GRACE AFTER MEALS
1 [Loudly acclaim the majesty of God; where many are foregathered Let His majesty resound!
2 Amid the throng1 of the upright proclaim how majestic He is,2 and along with the faithful tell stories of His greatness!3
3 [Join company]4 with the good and the blameless in confessing the majesty transcendent;5
4 unite8 in making known His saving power, nor be laggard in showing to the mindless His might and majesty!
5 For it is that the glory of the LORD* may be made known that wisdom has been given,
6 and that the richness7 of His works may be told has it been imparted to man,
7 to the end that the witless may have knowledge of His power, and the mindless a sense of His greatness-
8 men who keep far from her doors, remote from all access to her.
9Although the Most High, forsooth, is Jacob's special Lord,8 yet does His majesty reach out over all that He has made,
10 and a mortal who avows it9 is no less pleasing to Him than one who brings offerings of grain,
11 or presents to Him he-goats and bullocks, or fills the altar with ashes of burnt-offerings never so many10-yea, than fragrant incense proffered by righteous men.
12 Wisdom's voice rings out from behind the doors of the righteous; wherever the godly foregather (is heard) her song.
13 Whenso they eat and are filled,11 the word is of her; when they drink in fellowship together,
14 their talk is of the Torah of the Most High; the aim of their discourse is to further the knowledge of His power.
15 (But oh, how far from the wicked is any word of her; how far from all the proud any wish to have knowledge of her!)
16 Behold, the eye12 of the LORD looks with compassion on the good,
17 and great is His tenderness to them that avow His majesty; He will save them from the time of trouble.18
18 [Bless ye] the LORD* Who redeems the humble from the grasp of the proud, [and deli]vers [the blameless] [from the hand of the wicked;]
19 [Who will yet raise Ja]cob [to honor],14 and [from Israel] govern [the world];15
20 [Who will spread His tent in Zion and be present in Jerusalem for ever!]18
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* Written in Archaic script (possibly the sacred name YHWH).
III
PLEA FOR GRACE*
LORD** I have called on Thee; pay heed unto me.1 I have (duly) spread forth my palms toward Thy holy abode.2 Bend Thou, (then,) Thine ear and grant me what I ask,4 nor withhold from me what I seek.
5 Build up my soul, and cast it not down, neither be it left naked5 in face of the wicked Let the evil that I have earned6 be turned away7 from me, 0 Thou Who judgest right truly.8 Sentence me not, 0 LORD** according to my sin, for there is no man living can be justified in Thy presence.9
Cause me, 0 LORD** to understand what Thou teachest;***10 school me in Thy rules,11 that men far and wide may hear tell of how Thou actest, and peoples acknowledge how illustrious is Thy glory.12
10 Remember me; do not forget me, neither involve me in things too hard for me. The sins of my youth put far from me, and let not my transgressions be remembered against me.18
Cleanse me, 0 LORD** of noisome plague,14 and let it never return15 unto me. Let its root wither from me,18 and its l[ea]ves blossom not upon me.
15 Mighty17 art Thou, 0 LORD** wherefore by Thine own power fulfill what I ask; (for) unto whom (else) can I cry that He might grant it to me, and what pow[er] more (than Thine) do mere mortals possess?19
From Thee comes my confidence, 0 LORD** Whenso I have called upon the LORD** He (alway) has answered me20 [and mended] my broken heart; whenso I have slumbered or [sliept or dreamed, [(alway) Have I awoken;§21 whenso my heart has been smitten,22 ~ Thou hast (ever) upheld me,23 and I have had cause to cry out!] "'Tis Thou, LORD** [hast rescued me!]"24
20 [So, at this present time, I shall yet behold the hopes of the wicked confounded;****25 but no such confounding will be mine because it is in Thee that I have taken refuge.]20 [Ransom Israel, 0 LORD** to whom Thou art pledged,28 even the house of Jacob whom Thou hast chosen.]
---------------------------------
* In the Hebrew, this poem is an alphabetical acrostic.
** Written in archaic script (YHWH?)
*** Heb. 'Thy Torah'.
§ Passages in smaller type are supplied from the Syriac version.
**** Heb., simply, 'I shall yet behold their disappointment'.
PLEA FOR GRACE*
LORD** I have called on Thee; pay heed unto me.1 I have (duly) spread forth my palms toward Thy holy abode.2 Bend Thou, (then,) Thine ear and grant me what I ask,4 nor withhold from me what I seek.
5 Build up my soul, and cast it not down, neither be it left naked5 in face of the wicked Let the evil that I have earned6 be turned away7 from me, 0 Thou Who judgest right truly.8 Sentence me not, 0 LORD** according to my sin, for there is no man living can be justified in Thy presence.9
Cause me, 0 LORD** to understand what Thou teachest;***10 school me in Thy rules,11 that men far and wide may hear tell of how Thou actest, and peoples acknowledge how illustrious is Thy glory.12
10 Remember me; do not forget me, neither involve me in things too hard for me. The sins of my youth put far from me, and let not my transgressions be remembered against me.18
Cleanse me, 0 LORD** of noisome plague,14 and let it never return15 unto me. Let its root wither from me,18 and its l[ea]ves blossom not upon me.
15 Mighty17 art Thou, 0 LORD** wherefore by Thine own power fulfill what I ask; (for) unto whom (else) can I cry that He might grant it to me, and what pow[er] more (than Thine) do mere mortals possess?19
From Thee comes my confidence, 0 LORD** Whenso I have called upon the LORD** He (alway) has answered me20 [and mended] my broken heart; whenso I have slumbered or [sliept or dreamed, [(alway) Have I awoken;§21 whenso my heart has been smitten,22 ~ Thou hast (ever) upheld me,23 and I have had cause to cry out!] "'Tis Thou, LORD** [hast rescued me!]"24
20 [So, at this present time, I shall yet behold the hopes of the wicked confounded;****25 but no such confounding will be mine because it is in Thee that I have taken refuge.]20 [Ransom Israel, 0 LORD** to whom Thou art pledged,28 even the house of Jacob whom Thou hast chosen.]
---------------------------------
* In the Hebrew, this poem is an alphabetical acrostic.
** Written in archaic script (YHWH?)
*** Heb. 'Thy Torah'.
§ Passages in smaller type are supplied from the Syriac version.
**** Heb., simply, 'I shall yet behold their disappointment'.
IV
SUPPLICATION
<Poor am I and weak,>* for the worm cannot confess Thee, nor the maggot rehearse Thy loving kindness; the living alone can do so, the living alone.1 Whenever Thou showest men Thy kindness, what time their foot has slipped, they needs must confess Thee (and own) that in Thy hand it is that the souls of all living lie, and that Thou it is hast given breath to all flesh.2
5 Deal with us, then, 0 LORD** after the manner of Thy goodness, Thine abundant compassion and Thy justice.8 The LORD** hath (alway) heard the voice of them that love His name,4 and ne'er hath He abandoned His lovingkindness5 toward them.
'Blessed is the LORD** Who dealeth bountifuily.6 Who crowneth with loyal love and compassion them that are loyal to Him."7 (So) hath mine own soul come to acclaim Thy name in a roar of praise,
.
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* Supplied from another fragmentary copy.
** Written in archaic script (YHWH)
------------------------
.
confessing Thy loyal love in joyous song, telling forth the tale of Thy constancy.8 (Endless, indeed, is the praise that is due unto Thee!)
10 1 too had been marked for death on account of my sins, my wrongdoings had sold me to Sheol;*9 but Thou, in accord with Thine abundant compassion, Thou, in accord with Thy bounteous ways, didst rescue me, 0 LORD.
I too have loved Thy name, sought shelter in Thy shade;10 in calling to mind Thy power my heart finds strength,11 and upon Thy loyal love have I come to lean. Wherefore forgive Thou my sin, 0 LORD and purge me of my wrongdoing.13 Vouchsafe Thou unto me a spirit of constancy and knowledge (of Thy truth)14Let me not stumble in waywardness.15
15 Suffer no devil16 nor spirit unclean17 to bear sway over me; let not pain or evil bent gain mastery over my body. For Thou, 0 LORD it is from Whom comes (all) my worth,18 and on Thee have I alway pinned my hopes.19 Let my brethren and father's house who now are desolate
.
---------------------------
* That is, the netherworld.
--------------------------
.
rejoice along with me in the dowering of Thy grace. Let me find in Thee an [everl]asting joy.
SUPPLICATION
<Poor am I and weak,>* for the worm cannot confess Thee, nor the maggot rehearse Thy loving kindness; the living alone can do so, the living alone.1 Whenever Thou showest men Thy kindness, what time their foot has slipped, they needs must confess Thee (and own) that in Thy hand it is that the souls of all living lie, and that Thou it is hast given breath to all flesh.2
5 Deal with us, then, 0 LORD** after the manner of Thy goodness, Thine abundant compassion and Thy justice.8 The LORD** hath (alway) heard the voice of them that love His name,4 and ne'er hath He abandoned His lovingkindness5 toward them.
'Blessed is the LORD** Who dealeth bountifuily.6 Who crowneth with loyal love and compassion them that are loyal to Him."7 (So) hath mine own soul come to acclaim Thy name in a roar of praise,
.
------------------------
* Supplied from another fragmentary copy.
** Written in archaic script (YHWH)
------------------------
.
confessing Thy loyal love in joyous song, telling forth the tale of Thy constancy.8 (Endless, indeed, is the praise that is due unto Thee!)
10 1 too had been marked for death on account of my sins, my wrongdoings had sold me to Sheol;*9 but Thou, in accord with Thine abundant compassion, Thou, in accord with Thy bounteous ways, didst rescue me, 0 LORD.
I too have loved Thy name, sought shelter in Thy shade;10 in calling to mind Thy power my heart finds strength,11 and upon Thy loyal love have I come to lean. Wherefore forgive Thou my sin, 0 LORD and purge me of my wrongdoing.13 Vouchsafe Thou unto me a spirit of constancy and knowledge (of Thy truth)14Let me not stumble in waywardness.15
15 Suffer no devil16 nor spirit unclean17 to bear sway over me; let not pain or evil bent gain mastery over my body. For Thou, 0 LORD it is from Whom comes (all) my worth,18 and on Thee have I alway pinned my hopes.19 Let my brethren and father's house who now are desolate
.
---------------------------
* That is, the netherworld.
--------------------------
.
rejoice along with me in the dowering of Thy grace. Let me find in Thee an [everl]asting joy.
V
THE CITY OF GOD
I will call down a blessing, 0 Zion, on the memory of thee;1 with all my might have I loved thee:2 'Blessed for evermore be the memory of thee!'8
Great has been thy hope, 0 Zion, thy quiet, longing hope4 that salvation would come to thee;5 that men would be dwelling in thee till the end of time;6 that successions7 of godly men would be there for thine ornament; that men who now are yearning for the day of thy salvation, who find joy in thy manifold glory, would yet drink in that glory of thine like mother's milk,8 and stroll through thy beautiful squares to the jingling of bells;9 that thou wouldst yet conjure up the godly devotion of thy prophets and find thy pride in the things wrought by thy saints-in the purging of all violence from within thee, with (all) falsehood and frowardness cut off; that thy children would make merry in thy midst, and thy friends who have allied themselves with thee.10
(How have they been hoping for thy salvation,11 and mourning over thee!)12
This hope of thine, 0 Zion, shall prove not a hope forlorn,13 nor shall this yearning of thine become a forgotten thing. Who ever perished, being righteous,14 or whom in his frowardness has God ever allowed to go free? Nay, there is never a man that is not brought to trial for the way he has trod, and none but receives his deserts for the deeds he has done. Nevertheless, 0 Zion, no foe ever compassed thee15 but was (in the end) cut down, and none has nursed hate for thee but was put to rout!16
A scent17 unto the nostrils is the fame of thee, 0 Zion, (diffused)18 over all the world! Over and over again will I call down a blessing upon the memory of thee: with all my heart19 invoke (this) benediction upon thee:
'Mayest thou yet attain the triumph of righteousness world without end,20 and receive the blessings shed on men marked out for honor!21 Reap thou the harvest22 of that vision23 that once was spoken of thee, and may there ensue for thee what the prophets dreamed!'24
Grow high and wide, 0 Zion! Praise the Most High, thy Redeemer! When thou art brought to honor my soul will rejoice.25
THE CITY OF GOD
I will call down a blessing, 0 Zion, on the memory of thee;1 with all my might have I loved thee:2 'Blessed for evermore be the memory of thee!'8
Great has been thy hope, 0 Zion, thy quiet, longing hope4 that salvation would come to thee;5 that men would be dwelling in thee till the end of time;6 that successions7 of godly men would be there for thine ornament; that men who now are yearning for the day of thy salvation, who find joy in thy manifold glory, would yet drink in that glory of thine like mother's milk,8 and stroll through thy beautiful squares to the jingling of bells;9 that thou wouldst yet conjure up the godly devotion of thy prophets and find thy pride in the things wrought by thy saints-in the purging of all violence from within thee, with (all) falsehood and frowardness cut off; that thy children would make merry in thy midst, and thy friends who have allied themselves with thee.10
(How have they been hoping for thy salvation,11 and mourning over thee!)12
This hope of thine, 0 Zion, shall prove not a hope forlorn,13 nor shall this yearning of thine become a forgotten thing. Who ever perished, being righteous,14 or whom in his frowardness has God ever allowed to go free? Nay, there is never a man that is not brought to trial for the way he has trod, and none but receives his deserts for the deeds he has done. Nevertheless, 0 Zion, no foe ever compassed thee15 but was (in the end) cut down, and none has nursed hate for thee but was put to rout!16
A scent17 unto the nostrils is the fame of thee, 0 Zion, (diffused)18 over all the world! Over and over again will I call down a blessing upon the memory of thee: with all my heart19 invoke (this) benediction upon thee:
'Mayest thou yet attain the triumph of righteousness world without end,20 and receive the blessings shed on men marked out for honor!21 Reap thou the harvest22 of that vision23 that once was spoken of thee, and may there ensue for thee what the prophets dreamed!'24
Grow high and wide, 0 Zion! Praise the Most High, thy Redeemer! When thou art brought to honor my soul will rejoice.25
VI
MORNING HYMN
Great and holy is the LORD the holiest of the holy for all time.2 Before Him goes a splendor;3 behind Him a surge of many waters.'
Loving kindness and Truth are round about His presence;5 Justice and Right are the mainstay of His throne;6 Who has parted light from darkness7 and, through His discerning wisdom,8 turned the glimmer of dawn into bright day.9 (When first all His angels saw it, they sang for joy,10 for what He was showing them was a thing they had known not erst);11 Who crowns the hillsides with produce12 choice food for all the living.
Blessed be He13 Who by His power made the earth, by His wisdom founded the world, by His understanding spread out the skies; Who (first) brought forth [the wind] out of His promptu[aries],14 made [lightning's for the ralin,15 and lifted the mist[s from the] hori[zon].16
MORNING HYMN
Great and holy is the LORD the holiest of the holy for all time.2 Before Him goes a splendor;3 behind Him a surge of many waters.'
Loving kindness and Truth are round about His presence;5 Justice and Right are the mainstay of His throne;6 Who has parted light from darkness7 and, through His discerning wisdom,8 turned the glimmer of dawn into bright day.9 (When first all His angels saw it, they sang for joy,10 for what He was showing them was a thing they had known not erst);11 Who crowns the hillsides with produce12 choice food for all the living.
Blessed be He13 Who by His power made the earth, by His wisdom founded the world, by His understanding spread out the skies; Who (first) brought forth [the wind] out of His promptu[aries],14 made [lightning's for the ralin,15 and lifted the mist[s from the] hori[zon].16
LAMENT FOR ZION
I,i
[God warned us that He would pu]nish all our iniquities, but because [we] did not listen to [the war]ningl that all these things would befall us, now is there naught we can do.2 By the evil of [our deeds3 we have cancelled) His covenant (with us) .4
Woe unto us!
5 [Our temple] has gone up in flames;5 the [shrine] which was our pride8 has been turned into [rubble]; no more is there within it the sweet savor of sacrifices.
[Men have come trampling] in [their sandals]7 the courts of our sanctuary.
[All the sacred] ve[ssels] have been [carried away] (?).8
Jerusalem, which was once a [joyous] city, is made over to wild beasts,9 with no one to [rescue her].10 [Deserted] are her squares,
10 her mansions all [abandoned], [her highways] desolate, with never a pilgrim upon them.11
All the cities of [Judah have been laid waste;12 the land of) our heritage has become like a wilderness, an un[inhabited] tract.18 No sound of merriment is heard anymore within it, [No one] seeks [our welfare,14 nor is there] any man [who has carried the lo]ad of our pain;15 and (all the while) our foes [have been lolling at ease].16
15 Our transgressions [are past all counting], and our sins [have denounced us).17
I,ii
Woe unto us!
God's anger flared [against us],18 and we shared the defilement of the dead,19 Is[rael became) like a wife grown loathsome, [Our mothers showed no pity] for their babes; Our womenfolk were turned into harpies,20
5 [shorn of all the charm of] their youth.21 Our sons were undone;22 [numbed] by winter's cold, our daughters, instead of dwelling [secure] in [their fathers'] homes, [hugged] the dunghills23 with wizened hands; when they begged for water, no one pou[red it for them]. They that were worth their weight in gold
10 [were deemed but] worthiess [shards],24 reared though they were in purple,25 decked in fine gold, garbed in [linen] and lawn, man[tied] in blue and brocade.26 The (once) tender maidens of Zion [became ….. ].
* * *
II
[Ah, how she sits] alone, [the city once full of people!]27
5 Once the princess of all nati[ons],28 now is she desolate, like a woman abandoned! all her daughters too like a woman abandoned, like a woman cast down and cast off.29
Her mansions all and [her] wal[ls], (empty of all life,) are become like a barren wife,80 and all [her] roads like one left destitute.31
Her…….are like a woman in bitter grief,82 and all her daughters like those who mourn their mates; …...her [matrons] are like (mothers) bereaved of an only child.33
Bitterly Jeru[salem] weeps, [and her tears run] down her cheeks;84 on account of her sons [ ]
10 she [has been wa]il[ing] and moaning.85
I,i
[God warned us that He would pu]nish all our iniquities, but because [we] did not listen to [the war]ningl that all these things would befall us, now is there naught we can do.2 By the evil of [our deeds3 we have cancelled) His covenant (with us) .4
Woe unto us!
5 [Our temple] has gone up in flames;5 the [shrine] which was our pride8 has been turned into [rubble]; no more is there within it the sweet savor of sacrifices.
[Men have come trampling] in [their sandals]7 the courts of our sanctuary.
[All the sacred] ve[ssels] have been [carried away] (?).8
Jerusalem, which was once a [joyous] city, is made over to wild beasts,9 with no one to [rescue her].10 [Deserted] are her squares,
10 her mansions all [abandoned], [her highways] desolate, with never a pilgrim upon them.11
All the cities of [Judah have been laid waste;12 the land of) our heritage has become like a wilderness, an un[inhabited] tract.18 No sound of merriment is heard anymore within it, [No one] seeks [our welfare,14 nor is there] any man [who has carried the lo]ad of our pain;15 and (all the while) our foes [have been lolling at ease].16
15 Our transgressions [are past all counting], and our sins [have denounced us).17
I,ii
Woe unto us!
God's anger flared [against us],18 and we shared the defilement of the dead,19 Is[rael became) like a wife grown loathsome, [Our mothers showed no pity] for their babes; Our womenfolk were turned into harpies,20
5 [shorn of all the charm of] their youth.21 Our sons were undone;22 [numbed] by winter's cold, our daughters, instead of dwelling [secure] in [their fathers'] homes, [hugged] the dunghills23 with wizened hands; when they begged for water, no one pou[red it for them]. They that were worth their weight in gold
10 [were deemed but] worthiess [shards],24 reared though they were in purple,25 decked in fine gold, garbed in [linen] and lawn, man[tied] in blue and brocade.26 The (once) tender maidens of Zion [became ….. ].
* * *
II
[Ah, how she sits] alone, [the city once full of people!]27
5 Once the princess of all nati[ons],28 now is she desolate, like a woman abandoned! all her daughters too like a woman abandoned, like a woman cast down and cast off.29
Her mansions all and [her] wal[ls], (empty of all life,) are become like a barren wife,80 and all [her] roads like one left destitute.31
Her…….are like a woman in bitter grief,82 and all her daughters like those who mourn their mates; …...her [matrons] are like (mothers) bereaved of an only child.33
Bitterly Jeru[salem] weeps, [and her tears run] down her cheeks;84 on account of her sons [ ]
10 she [has been wa]il[ing] and moaning.85
HYMNS OF TRIUMPH
I
Let the [righteous] hail the LORD in wild acclalm,1 for He is (even now) on His way to pass judgment on all deeds, to wipe out the wicked from the earth,2 that the froward exist no more.
The skies will [drop] their dew,3 and blight shall come no more within their borders,4
The soil will yield its tilth in due season,5 and its produce shall not be lacking. Fruit trees will [burgeon and blossom], and springs will not fail.
5 The poor will have to eat,8 and they that fear the LORD will be sated.
II
Let heaven and earth unite in a chorus of pralse!1 Let all the stars of evening break out in hymns!2 Be right joyful, 0 Judah, right merry and gay! Make thy pilgrimages; pay (in a purified Temple) the offerings thou hast vowed, for Belial shall no more be in thy midst!3
Victory and triumph shall be thine; for lo, thine enemies shall perish, and all evildoers be scattered;4
5 but Thou, 0 LORD, art eternal and Thine is a glory which endureth world without end.5
Hallelujah.
I
Let the [righteous] hail the LORD in wild acclalm,1 for He is (even now) on His way to pass judgment on all deeds, to wipe out the wicked from the earth,2 that the froward exist no more.
The skies will [drop] their dew,3 and blight shall come no more within their borders,4
The soil will yield its tilth in due season,5 and its produce shall not be lacking. Fruit trees will [burgeon and blossom], and springs will not fail.
5 The poor will have to eat,8 and they that fear the LORD will be sated.
II
Let heaven and earth unite in a chorus of pralse!1 Let all the stars of evening break out in hymns!2 Be right joyful, 0 Judah, right merry and gay! Make thy pilgrimages; pay (in a purified Temple) the offerings thou hast vowed, for Belial shall no more be in thy midst!3
Victory and triumph shall be thine; for lo, thine enemies shall perish, and all evildoers be scattered;4
5 but Thou, 0 LORD, art eternal and Thine is a glory which endureth world without end.5
Hallelujah.
PRAYER FOR INTERCESSION
II
LORD, we beseech Thee, do as Thou art, in accordance with the greatness of Thy power,2 Thou Who (of old) didst forgive our fathers, what time they rebelled against Thy word.3 Though Thou wast angry with them, to destroy them,4 yet, through Thy love of them and for Thy Covenant's sake, Thou didst spare them, in that Moses won clearance of their sin.
So now, we beseech Thee, to the end that Thy great power may be known, and the abundance of Thy mercies also, unto all generations for ever, let Thine anger and Thy wrath be turned away from Thy people Israel, and, besides their sins, remind Thyself also of Thy peculiar favors8 which Thou hast (alway) wrought for us in the sight of the nations, because Thou hast claimed us as Thine own.7
[Vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to tu]rn us again unto Thee with all our heart and soul,8 and so to plant Thy teaching* in our hearts9 that we depart not from it to right or left, Thou having cured us of madness and blindness and bewilderment of heart.10
.
-------------------------
*Heb. Torah.
-------------------------
.
Behold, when (of old) we were sold by our wrong doings,11 even amid our transgressions didst Thou call us12 and didst rescue us from (further) sinning against Thee. (Moreover, Thou didst vouchsafe unto us to know the mysteries of Thy Tru]th13 and to understand the evidences (of Thee), in that Thou didst [gre]at………………………………………….....................
.
III
Behold, all the nations were deemed as naught before Thee, as emptiness and nothingness in Thy presence,14 but us-since we owned ourselves Thine alone,15 and since Thou hadst created us unto Thy glory16-us didst Thou treat as Thy children17 in the sight of the nations, calling Israel, 'My son, My firstborn'.18 And though Thou didst chastise us, as a man might chastise his son,19 yet didst Thou grant us increase throughout the years of our generations. Thou didst not [abandon us neither suffer] hunger or thirst, plague or sword (to consume us] but didst ever fulfill Thy Covenant (with us).
(So too,) because Thou hadst chosen us for Thine own2O [out of all the peoples of] the earth, therefore although, when Thine anger was kindled, Thou didst pour on us Thy wrath and Thy fiery rage, and cause to cleave unto us21 [all] Thy [plagues and str]okes which Moses had prescribed22 and (likewise) Thy servants the prophets whom Thou didst send to (procla]im unto us the evil which was to befall us in latter times23
--when [our priests (?)] and kings [brake faith with Thee] by taking to wife the daughters of [the heathen],24 thereby [ ] and acting corrupfly25-[yet didst Thou not abjure] Thy Covenant, neither [reject us, to wipe out] the seed of Israel
(Nay,) Thou dost ever deal justly with them that cl[ing unto Thee],26 and dost[ ]
(So too,) because Thou didst love Israel above all peoples, and didst choose the tribe of Judali, [Thou didst set] Thy dwelling [in Zion], [and] a resting-place [for Thy glory] in Jerusa[lem],27 [the city which Thou hadst chos]en out of all the earth, that Thy [name] 'night abide§ there for ever; and Thou didst also fulfill Thy covenant with David that he should be shepherd, leader o'er Thy people,28 and that (his offspring) should sit alway in Thy presence on the throne of Israel.29 And all the nations beheld Thy glory, ensconced as Thou wast in holiness amid Thy people Israel, <and they made obeisance to Thee> and to Thy great name, and brought their tribute of silver and gold and precious stones
together with all the choice things of their lands, to do honor unto Thy people, and unto Zion, Thy holy city, and unto Thy glorious House.80 Nor was adversary there nor misfortune,31
.
--------------------------
§ Heb. 'be'.
--------------------------
but only peace and blessing; men ate and filled themselves and waxed fat82 [ ]
V
(So too,) though they had forsaken that fount of living waters83 [which Thou hadst opened for them for] their [hall]owing, and though they practiced idolatry84 in their land, and their soil was destroyed by their foemen, when, in Thy fiery passion, Thy fury and hot anger [were poured] out, so that it was turned to a wasteland, where no man came nor went,85 yet, despite all of this, Thou didst not reject the seed of Jacob, neither contemn Israel, to make an end of them,86 and abjure Thy Covenant with them. Nay, Thou alone art a living God; and there is none beside Thee. Therefore, remembering the Covenant
by which Thou hadst brought us forth in the sight of the nations,37 Thou didst not then abandon us among those nations, but in all [the] lands whither Thou didst thrust them38 Thou didst still show kindness to Thy people Israel, that they might be minded to return unto Thee and to hearken to Thy voice,39 even to all which Thou hadst commanded through Thy servant Moses, For Thou didst shed Thy holy spirit40 upon us, (so) bringing to us Thy blessings, that we might take thought on Thee when trouble befell us, and murmur our prayers (to Thee) whenso Thy chastisement pressed sore.41 (And troubles indeed have we encountered, [pla]gued and tortured by the fury of oppressors!)42
Moreover, although we, for our part, 'drove God hard with our wrongdoings, and, with our sins, laid hard service on our Rock',45 yet, when Thou didst lay service upon us, Thou didst so for our advantage, guiding <us> in the way we should walk.44 [And] though we paid no heed to [Thy word],
[yet didst Thou ]
VI
and, ever true to Thyself, * * [Thou didst ca]st away from us all our transgressions,45 and purge us of our sin.
It is Thou, 0 LORD, (not us), that hast dealt rightly,46 for all these things hast Thou done.47
[Howbeit, now, this day, when our hearts are bowed down,48 have we not paid the price of our own and our fathers' wrongdoing -the price of our perfidy and of our contrariness?49 For we have not spurned Thy trials, neither have our souls demurred # 50 against Thy strokes, abjuring our Covenant with Thee through all the distress of our souls. (Thou Who hast sent our enemies against us hast Thyself also given us courage!)
Therefore, we beseech Thee, 0 LORD, to the end that we may bear the tale of Thy power to all generations for ever, even as throughout all time Thou hast wrought peculiar favors, so now let Thine anger and Thy wrath be turned away from us,
.
----------------------------
** Heb. 'for Thy sake'.
# Heb. 'felt revulsion'.
----------------------------
and look Thou on our woe and our trouble and our stress,51 and grant unto Thy people Isra[el in all] the lands, near and far,52 whither [Thou hast thrust them],
yea, unto everyone that is inscribed in the Book of Life, 53 that they may succeed in serving Thee and giving thanks # to [Thy holy name]. [Deliver them also] from all their needs54 [ ]. [But bring Thou Thy retribution on dissemblers(?)] who are causing [Thy people(?)] to stumble55 [ ]
[Blessed be He who ], Who hath delivered us from all distress.
AMEN, [AMEN]
# Or, 'praise'.
II
LORD, we beseech Thee, do as Thou art, in accordance with the greatness of Thy power,2 Thou Who (of old) didst forgive our fathers, what time they rebelled against Thy word.3 Though Thou wast angry with them, to destroy them,4 yet, through Thy love of them and for Thy Covenant's sake, Thou didst spare them, in that Moses won clearance of their sin.
So now, we beseech Thee, to the end that Thy great power may be known, and the abundance of Thy mercies also, unto all generations for ever, let Thine anger and Thy wrath be turned away from Thy people Israel, and, besides their sins, remind Thyself also of Thy peculiar favors8 which Thou hast (alway) wrought for us in the sight of the nations, because Thou hast claimed us as Thine own.7
[Vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to tu]rn us again unto Thee with all our heart and soul,8 and so to plant Thy teaching* in our hearts9 that we depart not from it to right or left, Thou having cured us of madness and blindness and bewilderment of heart.10
.
-------------------------
*Heb. Torah.
-------------------------
.
Behold, when (of old) we were sold by our wrong doings,11 even amid our transgressions didst Thou call us12 and didst rescue us from (further) sinning against Thee. (Moreover, Thou didst vouchsafe unto us to know the mysteries of Thy Tru]th13 and to understand the evidences (of Thee), in that Thou didst [gre]at………………………………………….....................
.
III
Behold, all the nations were deemed as naught before Thee, as emptiness and nothingness in Thy presence,14 but us-since we owned ourselves Thine alone,15 and since Thou hadst created us unto Thy glory16-us didst Thou treat as Thy children17 in the sight of the nations, calling Israel, 'My son, My firstborn'.18 And though Thou didst chastise us, as a man might chastise his son,19 yet didst Thou grant us increase throughout the years of our generations. Thou didst not [abandon us neither suffer] hunger or thirst, plague or sword (to consume us] but didst ever fulfill Thy Covenant (with us).
(So too,) because Thou hadst chosen us for Thine own2O [out of all the peoples of] the earth, therefore although, when Thine anger was kindled, Thou didst pour on us Thy wrath and Thy fiery rage, and cause to cleave unto us21 [all] Thy [plagues and str]okes which Moses had prescribed22 and (likewise) Thy servants the prophets whom Thou didst send to (procla]im unto us the evil which was to befall us in latter times23
--when [our priests (?)] and kings [brake faith with Thee] by taking to wife the daughters of [the heathen],24 thereby [ ] and acting corrupfly25-[yet didst Thou not abjure] Thy Covenant, neither [reject us, to wipe out] the seed of Israel
(Nay,) Thou dost ever deal justly with them that cl[ing unto Thee],26 and dost[ ]
(So too,) because Thou didst love Israel above all peoples, and didst choose the tribe of Judali, [Thou didst set] Thy dwelling [in Zion], [and] a resting-place [for Thy glory] in Jerusa[lem],27 [the city which Thou hadst chos]en out of all the earth, that Thy [name] 'night abide§ there for ever; and Thou didst also fulfill Thy covenant with David that he should be shepherd, leader o'er Thy people,28 and that (his offspring) should sit alway in Thy presence on the throne of Israel.29 And all the nations beheld Thy glory, ensconced as Thou wast in holiness amid Thy people Israel, <and they made obeisance to Thee> and to Thy great name, and brought their tribute of silver and gold and precious stones
together with all the choice things of their lands, to do honor unto Thy people, and unto Zion, Thy holy city, and unto Thy glorious House.80 Nor was adversary there nor misfortune,31
.
--------------------------
§ Heb. 'be'.
--------------------------
but only peace and blessing; men ate and filled themselves and waxed fat82 [ ]
V
(So too,) though they had forsaken that fount of living waters83 [which Thou hadst opened for them for] their [hall]owing, and though they practiced idolatry84 in their land, and their soil was destroyed by their foemen, when, in Thy fiery passion, Thy fury and hot anger [were poured] out, so that it was turned to a wasteland, where no man came nor went,85 yet, despite all of this, Thou didst not reject the seed of Jacob, neither contemn Israel, to make an end of them,86 and abjure Thy Covenant with them. Nay, Thou alone art a living God; and there is none beside Thee. Therefore, remembering the Covenant
by which Thou hadst brought us forth in the sight of the nations,37 Thou didst not then abandon us among those nations, but in all [the] lands whither Thou didst thrust them38 Thou didst still show kindness to Thy people Israel, that they might be minded to return unto Thee and to hearken to Thy voice,39 even to all which Thou hadst commanded through Thy servant Moses, For Thou didst shed Thy holy spirit40 upon us, (so) bringing to us Thy blessings, that we might take thought on Thee when trouble befell us, and murmur our prayers (to Thee) whenso Thy chastisement pressed sore.41 (And troubles indeed have we encountered, [pla]gued and tortured by the fury of oppressors!)42
Moreover, although we, for our part, 'drove God hard with our wrongdoings, and, with our sins, laid hard service on our Rock',45 yet, when Thou didst lay service upon us, Thou didst so for our advantage, guiding <us> in the way we should walk.44 [And] though we paid no heed to [Thy word],
[yet didst Thou ]
VI
and, ever true to Thyself, * * [Thou didst ca]st away from us all our transgressions,45 and purge us of our sin.
It is Thou, 0 LORD, (not us), that hast dealt rightly,46 for all these things hast Thou done.47
[Howbeit, now, this day, when our hearts are bowed down,48 have we not paid the price of our own and our fathers' wrongdoing -the price of our perfidy and of our contrariness?49 For we have not spurned Thy trials, neither have our souls demurred # 50 against Thy strokes, abjuring our Covenant with Thee through all the distress of our souls. (Thou Who hast sent our enemies against us hast Thyself also given us courage!)
Therefore, we beseech Thee, 0 LORD, to the end that we may bear the tale of Thy power to all generations for ever, even as throughout all time Thou hast wrought peculiar favors, so now let Thine anger and Thy wrath be turned away from us,
.
----------------------------
** Heb. 'for Thy sake'.
# Heb. 'felt revulsion'.
----------------------------
and look Thou on our woe and our trouble and our stress,51 and grant unto Thy people Isra[el in all] the lands, near and far,52 whither [Thou hast thrust them],
yea, unto everyone that is inscribed in the Book of Life, 53 that they may succeed in serving Thee and giving thanks # to [Thy holy name]. [Deliver them also] from all their needs54 [ ]. [But bring Thou Thy retribution on dissemblers(?)] who are causing [Thy people(?)] to stumble55 [ ]
[Blessed be He who ], Who hath delivered us from all distress.
AMEN, [AMEN]
# Or, 'praise'.
THE LITANY OF THE ANGELS
A
…. the angels that minister to the Presence of God1s Glory1 in that compartment of heaven2 where abide [the beings who possess (true)] knowledge.3 They fall4 before the [cherubim and intone their blessings.5 While they are soaring aloft,6 there sounds a murmur of angel voices [ ],7 and the lifting of their wings is accompanied by a clamor of joyous song. It is the murmur of angels blessing the Chariot-like Throne8 above the firmament of the cherubim,9 while they themselves, from be-low the place where the Glory dwells, go acclaiming in joyous song the [splendor of that radiant expanse (Whenever the wheels (of that Chariot) are in motion,10 angels of sanctificafion11 dart to and fro12 all around it, between its glorious wheels. Like fiery apparitions are they,18 spirits most holy, looking like streams of fire, in the likeness of burnished metal14 or of lustrous ware; clothed in garments opalescent, a riot of wondrous hues, a diffusion(?)15 of brightness; live angelic spirits,16constantly coming and going beside the glorious wonderful Chariot.17 Amid all the noise of their progress sounds also that murmured intonation of blessings, and whenever they come round, they shout their holy hallelujahs.) When (the angels) soar aloft, they soar in wondrous wise; and when they alight,18 they stay standing.19
A
…. the angels that minister to the Presence of God1s Glory1 in that compartment of heaven2 where abide [the beings who possess (true)] knowledge.3 They fall4 before the [cherubim and intone their blessings.5 While they are soaring aloft,6 there sounds a murmur of angel voices [ ],7 and the lifting of their wings is accompanied by a clamor of joyous song. It is the murmur of angels blessing the Chariot-like Throne8 above the firmament of the cherubim,9 while they themselves, from be-low the place where the Glory dwells, go acclaiming in joyous song the [splendor of that radiant expanse (Whenever the wheels (of that Chariot) are in motion,10 angels of sanctificafion11 dart to and fro12 all around it, between its glorious wheels. Like fiery apparitions are they,18 spirits most holy, looking like streams of fire, in the likeness of burnished metal14 or of lustrous ware; clothed in garments opalescent, a riot of wondrous hues, a diffusion(?)15 of brightness; live angelic spirits,16constantly coming and going beside the glorious wonderful Chariot.17 Amid all the noise of their progress sounds also that murmured intonation of blessings, and whenever they come round, they shout their holy hallelujahs.) When (the angels) soar aloft, they soar in wondrous wise; and when they alight,18 they stay standing.19
Then the sound of the paean is hushed, and the murmur of angelic benedictions pervades all the camps20 of those godly beings. Anon, from the midst of their every contingent,21 they [give forth] a sound of praise, as, in [holy] wor(ship), each of their several ranks22 breaks forth into joyous song, one after another, in their several stations.23
B
4
Next, with seven words1 of nobility2 the fourth of the arch-princes3 blesses4 in the name of His5 kingly nobility all who have walked uprightly; and with seven words of [ ] he blesses all who have laid foundations for [nobility]; and with seven words of vindication6 he blesses all those godly beings who have upreared the structure of true knowledge;7 that they may be blessed with His glorious mercy.
.
5
Next, with seven words of sublime truth the fifth of the arch-princes blesses in the name of His mystical powers8 all who have [led lives of] purity; and with seven words of [ ] he blesses all who have been eager to do His will; and with seven words of majesty he blesses all who have acknowledged His majesty;9 that they may be blessed with [ ] majesty.
.
6
Next, with seven words of His mystical prowess the sixth of the arch-princes blesses in the name of angelic prowess10 all who have shown prowess of mind;11 and with seven mystical words he blesses all whose way has been blameless;12 that they may take their stand beside the beings eternal;13 and (again) with seven mystical words he blesses all who have waited on Him;14 that they may obtain in return15 the mercy of His tender love.
7
(Finally,) with seven words of His mystical holiness the seventh of the arch-princes blesses in the name of His holiness all the saintly beings among those who have laid foundations for (true) knowledge; and with seven mystical words he blesses all who have avouched the sublimity of His judgments;16 that they may be blessed with stout shields; and with seven words of [ ]17 he blesses all who have enlisted in the cause of righteousness,18 who have sung continually the praises of His glorious kingdom;19 that they may be blessed with peace.20
THEREUPON all the arch-princes (in concert) [acclaim the praise of] the God of the angels, and all the [
4
Next, with seven words1 of nobility2 the fourth of the arch-princes3 blesses4 in the name of His5 kingly nobility all who have walked uprightly; and with seven words of [ ] he blesses all who have laid foundations for [nobility]; and with seven words of vindication6 he blesses all those godly beings who have upreared the structure of true knowledge;7 that they may be blessed with His glorious mercy.
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5
Next, with seven words of sublime truth the fifth of the arch-princes blesses in the name of His mystical powers8 all who have [led lives of] purity; and with seven words of [ ] he blesses all who have been eager to do His will; and with seven words of majesty he blesses all who have acknowledged His majesty;9 that they may be blessed with [ ] majesty.
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Next, with seven words of His mystical prowess the sixth of the arch-princes blesses in the name of angelic prowess10 all who have shown prowess of mind;11 and with seven mystical words he blesses all whose way has been blameless;12 that they may take their stand beside the beings eternal;13 and (again) with seven mystical words he blesses all who have waited on Him;14 that they may obtain in return15 the mercy of His tender love.
7
(Finally,) with seven words of His mystical holiness the seventh of the arch-princes blesses in the name of His holiness all the saintly beings among those who have laid foundations for (true) knowledge; and with seven mystical words he blesses all who have avouched the sublimity of His judgments;16 that they may be blessed with stout shields; and with seven words of [ ]17 he blesses all who have enlisted in the cause of righteousness,18 who have sung continually the praises of His glorious kingdom;19 that they may be blessed with peace.20
THEREUPON all the arch-princes (in concert) [acclaim the praise of] the God of the angels, and all the [
Celebration of God 1 Great is the chief Power who abides forever!
Let us put on fear [dahaltah = "worship"] of him before we speak of him!
The secret is not hidden from him and everything is within his power.
He knows what was and what (is) now and what will take place.
He stands to strengthen himself, he who is not in need of anything.
He learns all secrets without learning;
and he is not discovered, but he does what he requires.
(There is) no king and no ruler who can withstand him.
YHWH, he (is) God and there is none beside him!
Great is he who is not large and all greatness belongs to him!
He taught Moses the secrets in the bush (Exod 3:2f),
which revealed his greatness and his glory!
And the angel first confronted him and spoke with him
about what was and what will take place. --- Marqah, Memar 1.1
Exaltation of Moses 9 And should we search for the Truth and learn Wisdom no apostasy will be found in us; except any time we run to the guidance of the wicked.
Let's attend to the Truth and trust in YHWH, our Lord and our Maker;
and also in Moses, our Prophet and Redeemer!
Except for Moses the world would not have been created and none of these wonders would have been revealed. 12 Lifted up is Moses, the great Prophet,
whom his Lord clothed with his name [cf. Exod 7:1]!
He dwelt in hidden things and was surrounded with Light.
The Truth was revealed to him and he gave him the writing of his own hand.
He gave him to drink from ten precious springs, seven above and three below.
Deity drew for him the waters of Life [mayah chayyah]
which watered his heart, until it produced that which gives life.
Prophecy drew for him the waters of Life which purified his soul,
until it made every soul great.
Truth drew for him the waters of Life which made his spirit great,
until it was able to illumine.
And the four Names [of God]* drew for him the waters of life,
so that he might be lifted up and glorified in every place. --- Marqah, Memar 2.9, 12 * The four Names: Elah [God] (Exod 7:1); Ehyeh asher ehyeh [I am who I am] (Exod 3:14), Anaki [I am] (Exod 3:15), and YHWH (Exod 6:3).
Waters of Life 1 In the depths of an abundant spring is the life of the world.
Let us rise with understanding to drink from its waters!
We thirst for the waters of life.
There are great rivers here before us.
Blessed be God who brought into being (all) kinds of creatures
for the sake of Adam.
Worthy is the form which is in the Image of God!
The form of the heart is not the form of the appearance! --- Marqah, Memar 2.1
Well of Living Water 3 There is a Well of living water
dug by a Prophet whose like has not arisen since Adam
and the water which is in it is from the mouth of God.
Let us eat from the fruit that is in this garden
and let us drink from the waters that are in this well.
There is no need for us to see it in a place we cannot get to.
"It is not in heaven" and it is not in crossing the sea (Deut 30:12-13).
"In the mouth and in the heart" it is done (Deut 30:14).
And woe to us! For we do not do it; it is far from us.
We do not learn it though we came down from heaven!
It was given to us and we believed in it.
It was with them; it was within the Light.
And the glory was around, for it was the word of God.
His hand wrote and the Prophet received it with signs from on high.
And YHWH came down and dwelt with him. --- Marqah, Memar 6.3
The Prophet & the Restorer 7 Let us stand where we are and listen to the Truth,
for our Lord and Master is merciful to us...
Let us follow after the great Prophet Moses, who leads us well,
for he was sent to us by our Lord.
Where is there a prophet life Moses?
He was a good father to all Israel, bringing them up and looking after them,
appeasing God with his fast and healing them with his prayer...
He was a good physician, healing and giving compensation...
His words are from the words of his Lord:
Believe in him! You will be safe from all wrath;
on the day of vengeance you will be at rest...
He who believes in him believes in his Lord!
Woe to us if we do not remember that!
Let us believe in YHWH and in Moses his servant!... 12 A Restorer [Taheb] will come in peace;
he will rule the places of the perfect and reveal the Truth.
Heed and hear! Stand in Truth! Clear your arguments!
"For YHWH will judge his people" (Deut 32:36a):
The "people" of YHWH is Jacob, the branches and the chief root,
and the branches from fathers to sons;
from Noah, the root, even to the Restorer, the branch...
The word of Truth will penetrate and illumine the world,
in which he will come to dwell.
How great is the hour when one comes to hear the voice of God
walking throughout the world;
and all creatures shall be in order and bow their heads;
their hearts will shiver and their eyes droop
and their limbs shake from fear on the day of Judgment.
And the mouth of Deity will speak:
-- "Now see that I, I am he [ani ani hu]!" (Deut 32:39a)
Those who rest and know this will then be saved.
-- "See, I have taught you rules and judgments" (Deut 4:5).
-- "Only be on your guard" (Deut 4:9)!
I, I (am) he who stands above creation and above Mount Sinai!
I, I (am) he who is and there is none beside me!
I, I (am) he who is without time and without place!
I, I (am) he who who is the life of the world [chayyei 'olam]!
I, I (am) he who suspended and split by my power!
I, I (am) he who planted the Garden and uprooted Sodom!
I, I (am) he who uprooted and stripped away!
I, I (am) he to whom all belongs and to whom (all) return!
I, I (am) he who puts all the living to death and makes all the dead live!
I, I (am) he who encircles my foes with vengeance!
And now it is good for us to rely on the Truth
and to tremble because of his might!
Perhaps we will find the way of prosperity! --- Marqah, Memar 4.7, 12
Jacob's Ladder 3 Wisdom is a light burning in the heart;
and any heart that does not have Wisdom as its comrade is like the blind groping in the dark.
For Wisdom is the Ladder [sollam] erected from the heart to heaven;
if the heart is guarded it sees every wonder for what it is.
The heart of Jacob was full of the Spirit of Wisdom [ruach hakamah].
There was revealed to him every good;
for the wisdom which was in it was the Wisdom of Truth [qashat]. --- Marqah, Memar 6.3
Let us put on fear [dahaltah = "worship"] of him before we speak of him!
The secret is not hidden from him and everything is within his power.
He knows what was and what (is) now and what will take place.
He stands to strengthen himself, he who is not in need of anything.
He learns all secrets without learning;
and he is not discovered, but he does what he requires.
(There is) no king and no ruler who can withstand him.
YHWH, he (is) God and there is none beside him!
Great is he who is not large and all greatness belongs to him!
He taught Moses the secrets in the bush (Exod 3:2f),
which revealed his greatness and his glory!
And the angel first confronted him and spoke with him
about what was and what will take place. --- Marqah, Memar 1.1
Exaltation of Moses 9 And should we search for the Truth and learn Wisdom no apostasy will be found in us; except any time we run to the guidance of the wicked.
Let's attend to the Truth and trust in YHWH, our Lord and our Maker;
and also in Moses, our Prophet and Redeemer!
Except for Moses the world would not have been created and none of these wonders would have been revealed. 12 Lifted up is Moses, the great Prophet,
whom his Lord clothed with his name [cf. Exod 7:1]!
He dwelt in hidden things and was surrounded with Light.
The Truth was revealed to him and he gave him the writing of his own hand.
He gave him to drink from ten precious springs, seven above and three below.
Deity drew for him the waters of Life [mayah chayyah]
which watered his heart, until it produced that which gives life.
Prophecy drew for him the waters of Life which purified his soul,
until it made every soul great.
Truth drew for him the waters of Life which made his spirit great,
until it was able to illumine.
And the four Names [of God]* drew for him the waters of life,
so that he might be lifted up and glorified in every place. --- Marqah, Memar 2.9, 12 * The four Names: Elah [God] (Exod 7:1); Ehyeh asher ehyeh [I am who I am] (Exod 3:14), Anaki [I am] (Exod 3:15), and YHWH (Exod 6:3).
Waters of Life 1 In the depths of an abundant spring is the life of the world.
Let us rise with understanding to drink from its waters!
We thirst for the waters of life.
There are great rivers here before us.
Blessed be God who brought into being (all) kinds of creatures
for the sake of Adam.
Worthy is the form which is in the Image of God!
The form of the heart is not the form of the appearance! --- Marqah, Memar 2.1
Well of Living Water 3 There is a Well of living water
dug by a Prophet whose like has not arisen since Adam
and the water which is in it is from the mouth of God.
Let us eat from the fruit that is in this garden
and let us drink from the waters that are in this well.
There is no need for us to see it in a place we cannot get to.
"It is not in heaven" and it is not in crossing the sea (Deut 30:12-13).
"In the mouth and in the heart" it is done (Deut 30:14).
And woe to us! For we do not do it; it is far from us.
We do not learn it though we came down from heaven!
It was given to us and we believed in it.
It was with them; it was within the Light.
And the glory was around, for it was the word of God.
His hand wrote and the Prophet received it with signs from on high.
And YHWH came down and dwelt with him. --- Marqah, Memar 6.3
The Prophet & the Restorer 7 Let us stand where we are and listen to the Truth,
for our Lord and Master is merciful to us...
Let us follow after the great Prophet Moses, who leads us well,
for he was sent to us by our Lord.
Where is there a prophet life Moses?
He was a good father to all Israel, bringing them up and looking after them,
appeasing God with his fast and healing them with his prayer...
He was a good physician, healing and giving compensation...
His words are from the words of his Lord:
Believe in him! You will be safe from all wrath;
on the day of vengeance you will be at rest...
He who believes in him believes in his Lord!
Woe to us if we do not remember that!
Let us believe in YHWH and in Moses his servant!... 12 A Restorer [Taheb] will come in peace;
he will rule the places of the perfect and reveal the Truth.
Heed and hear! Stand in Truth! Clear your arguments!
"For YHWH will judge his people" (Deut 32:36a):
The "people" of YHWH is Jacob, the branches and the chief root,
and the branches from fathers to sons;
from Noah, the root, even to the Restorer, the branch...
The word of Truth will penetrate and illumine the world,
in which he will come to dwell.
How great is the hour when one comes to hear the voice of God
walking throughout the world;
and all creatures shall be in order and bow their heads;
their hearts will shiver and their eyes droop
and their limbs shake from fear on the day of Judgment.
And the mouth of Deity will speak:
-- "Now see that I, I am he [ani ani hu]!" (Deut 32:39a)
Those who rest and know this will then be saved.
-- "See, I have taught you rules and judgments" (Deut 4:5).
-- "Only be on your guard" (Deut 4:9)!
I, I (am) he who stands above creation and above Mount Sinai!
I, I (am) he who is and there is none beside me!
I, I (am) he who is without time and without place!
I, I (am) he who who is the life of the world [chayyei 'olam]!
I, I (am) he who suspended and split by my power!
I, I (am) he who planted the Garden and uprooted Sodom!
I, I (am) he who uprooted and stripped away!
I, I (am) he to whom all belongs and to whom (all) return!
I, I (am) he who puts all the living to death and makes all the dead live!
I, I (am) he who encircles my foes with vengeance!
And now it is good for us to rely on the Truth
and to tremble because of his might!
Perhaps we will find the way of prosperity! --- Marqah, Memar 4.7, 12
Jacob's Ladder 3 Wisdom is a light burning in the heart;
and any heart that does not have Wisdom as its comrade is like the blind groping in the dark.
For Wisdom is the Ladder [sollam] erected from the heart to heaven;
if the heart is guarded it sees every wonder for what it is.
The heart of Jacob was full of the Spirit of Wisdom [ruach hakamah].
There was revealed to him every good;
for the wisdom which was in it was the Wisdom of Truth [qashat]. --- Marqah, Memar 6.3
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