Axial Commons
Hebrew / Jewish
The noise of the thunder maketh the earth to tremble: so doth the northern storm and the whirlwind: as birds flying he scattereth the snow, and the falling down thereof is as the lighting of grasshoppers:
the eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the heart is astonished at the raining of it.
The hoarfrost also as salt he poureth on the earth, and being congealed, it becometh sharp peaks.
When the cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed into ice, it abideth upon every gathering together of water, and clotheth the water as with a breastplate.
It devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and consumeth the grass as fire.
A present remedy of all is a mist coming speedily: a dew coming after heat refresheth.
By his counsel he appeaseth the deep, and planteth islands therein.
They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof; and when we hear it with our ears, we marvel thereat.
For therein be strange and wondrous works, variety of all kinds of beasts, the race of whales.
By him the end of them hath prosperous success, and by his word all things consist.
We may speak much, and yet come short; wherefore in sum, he is all.
How shall we be able to magnify him? for he is great above all his works.
The Lord is terrible and very great, and marvellous is his power.
When ye glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as ye can; for even yet will he far exceed: and when ye exalt him, put forth all your strength, and be not weary; for ye can never go far enough.
Who hath seen him, that he might tell us? and who can magnify him as he is?
There are yet hid greater things than these be, for we have seen but a few of his works.
For the Lord hath made all things; and to the godly hath he given wisdom.
Let us now praise famous men, and our fathers that begat us.
The Lord hath wrought great glory by them through his great power from the beginning.
Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms, men renowned for their power, giving counsel by their understanding, and declaring prophecies:
leaders of the people by their counsels, and by their knowledge of learning meet for the people, wise and eloquent in their instruction:
such as found out musical tunes, and recited verses in writing:
rich men furnished with ability, living peaceably in their habitations:
all these were honoured in their generations, and were the glory of their times.
There be of them that have left a name behind them, that their praises might be reported.
And some there be, which have no memorial; who are perished, as though they had never been; and are become as though they had never been born; and their children after them.
But these were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten.
With their seed shall continually remain a good inheritance, and their children are within the covenant.
Their seed standeth fast, and their children for their sakes.
Their seed shall remain for ever, and their glory shall not be blotted out.
Their bodies are buried in peace; but their name liveth for evermore.
The people will tell of their wisdom, and the congregation will shew forth their praise.
Enoch pleased the Lord, and was translated, being an example of repentance to all generations.
Noah was found perfect and righteous; in the time of wrath he was taken in exchange [for the world;] therefore was he left as a remnant unto the earth, when the flood came.
An everlasting covenant was made with him, that all flesh shall perish no more by the flood.
Abraham was a great father of many people: in glory was there none like unto him;
who kept the law of the most High, and was in covenant with him: he established the covenant in his flesh; and when he was proved, he was found faithful.
Therefore he assured him by an oath, that he would bless the nations in his seed, and that he would multiply him as the dust of the earth, and exalt his seed as the stars, and cause them to inherit from sea to sea, and from the river unto the utmost part of the land.
With Isaac did he establish likewise, for Abraham his father's sake, the blessing of all men, and the covenant,
and made it rest upon the head of Jacob. He acknowledged him in his blessing, and gave him an heritage, and divided his portions; among the twelve tribes did he part them.
And he brought out of him a merciful man, which found favour in the sight of all flesh; even Moses, beloved of God and men, whose memorial is blessed.
He made him like to the glorious saints, and magnified him, so that his enemies stood in fear of him.
By his words he caused the wonders to cease, and he made him glorious in the sight of kings, and gave him a commandment for his people, and shewed him part of his glory.
He sanctified him [in] his faithfulness and meekness, and chose him out of all men.
He made him to hear his voice, and brought him into the dark cloud, and gave him commandments before his face, even the law of life and knowledge, that he might teach Jacob his covenants, and Israel his judgments.
He exalted Aaron, an holy man like unto him, even his brother, of the tribe of Levi.
An everlasting covenant he made with him, and gave him the priesthood among the people; he beautified him with comely ornaments, and clothed him with a robe of glory.
He put upon him perfect glory; and strengthened him with rich garments, with breeches, with a long robe, and the ephod.
And he compassed him with pomegranates and with many golden bells round about, that as he went there might be a sound, and a noise made that might be heard in the temple for a memorial to the children of his people;
with a holy garment, with gold, and blue silk, and purple, the work of the embroiderer, with a breastplate of judgment, with the revealers of truth;
with twisted scarlet, the work of the cunning workman, with precious stones graven like seals, and set in gold, the work of the jeweller, with a writing engraved for a memorial, after the number of the tribes of Israel.
He set a crown of gold upon the mitre, wherein was engraven Holiness, an ornament of honour, a costly work, the desires of the eyes, goodly and beautiful.
Before him there were none such, neither did ever any stranger put them on, but only his children and his children's children perpetually.
Their sacrifices shall be wholly consumed every day twice continually.
Moses consecrated him, and anointed him with holy oil; this was appointed unto him by an everlasting covenant, and to his seed, so long as the heavens should remain, that they should minister unto him, and execute the office of the priesthood, and bless the people in his name.
He chose him out of all men living to offer sacrifices to the Lord, incense, and a sweet savour, for a memorial, to make reconciliation for his people.
He gave unto him his commandments, and authority in the statutes of judgments, that he should teach Jacob the testimonies, and inform Israel in his laws.
Strangers conspired together against him, and maligned him in the wilderness, even the men that were of Dathan's and Abiron's side, and the congregation of Core, with fury and wrath.
This the Lord saw, and it displeased him, and in his wrathful indignation were they consumed: he did wonders upon them, to consume them with the fiery flame.
But he made Aaron more honourable, and gave him an heritage, and divided unto him the firstfruits of the increase; especially he prepared bread in abundance:
for they eat of the sacrifices of the Lord, which he gave unto him and his seed.
Howbeit in the land of the people he had no inheritance, neither had he any portion among the people: for the Lord himself is his portion and inheritance.
The third in glory is Phinees the son of Eleazar, because he had zeal in the fear of the Lord, and stood up with good courage of heart when the people were turned back, and made reconciliation for Israel.
Therefore was there a covenant of peace made with him, that he should be the chief of the sanctuary and of his people, and that he and his posterity should have the dignity of the priesthood for ever:
according to the covenant made with David son of Jesse, of the tribe of Juda, that the inheritance of the king should be to his posterity alone: so the inheritance of Aaron should also be unto his seed.
God give you wisdom in your heart to judge his people in righteousness, that their good things be not abolished, and that their glory may endure for ever.
Jesus the son of Nave was valiant in the wars, and was the successor of Moses in prophecies, who according to his name was made great for the saving of the elect of God, and taking vengeance of the enemies that rose up against them, that he might set Israel in their inheritance.
How great glory gat he, when he did lift up his hands, and stretched out his sword against the cities!
Who before him has so stood? for the Lord himself brought his enemies over to him.
Did not the sun go back by his means? and was not one day as long as two?
He called upon the most high Lord, when the enemies pressed upon him on every side; and the great Lord heard him.
And with hailstones of mighty power he made the battle to fall violently upon the nations, and by their falling he destroyed them that resisted, that the nations might know all their strength, because he fought in the sight of the Lord, and he followed the Mighty One.
In the time of Moses also he did a work of mercy, he and Caleb the son of Jephunne, in that they withstood the enemy, and withheld the people from sin, and appeased the wicked murmuring.
And of six hundred thousand people on foot, they two alone were preserved to bring them into the heritage, even unto the land that floweth with milk and honey.
The Lord gave strength also unto Caleb, which remained with him unto his old age: so that he entered upon the high places of the land, and his seed obtained it for an heritage:
that all the children of Israel might see that it is good to follow the Lord.
And concerning the judges, every one by name, whose heart went not a whoring, nor departed from the Lord, let their memory be blessed.
Let their bones flourish out of their place, and let the name of them that were honoured be continued upon their children.
Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, beloved of his Lord, established a kingdom, and anointed princes over his people.
By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation, and the Lord had respect unto Jacob.
By his faithfulness he was found a true prophet, and by his word he was known to be faithful in vision.
He called upon the mighty Lord, when his enemies pressed upon him on every side, when he offered the sucking lamb.
And the Lord thundered from heaven, and with a great noise made his voice to be heard.
And he destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians, and all the princes of the Philistines.
And before his long sleep he made protestation in the sight of the Lord and his anointed, I have not taken any man's goods, so much as a shoe: and no man did accuse him.
And after his death he prophesied, and shewed the king his end, and lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy, to blot out the wickedness of the people.
And after him rose up Nathan to prophesy in the time of David.
As is the fat taken away from the peace offering, so was David chosen out of the children of Israel.
He played with lions as with kids, and with bears as with lambs.
Slew he not a giant, when he was yet but young? and did he not take away reproach from the people, when he lifted up his hand with the stone in the sling, and beat down the boasting of Goliath?
for he called upon the most high Lord; and he gave him strength in his right hand to slay that mighty warrior, and set up the horn of his people.
So the people honoured him with ten thousands, and praised him in the blessings of the Lord in that he gave him a crown of glory.
For he destroyed the enemies on every side, and brought to nought the Philistines his adversaries, and brake their horn in sunder unto this day.
In all his works he praised the Holy One most high with words of glory; with his whole heart he sang songs, and loved him that made him.
He set singers also before the altar, that by their voices they might make sweet melody, and daily sing praises in their songs.
He beautified their feasts, and set in order the solemn times until the end, that they might praise his holy name, and that the temple might sound from morning.
The Lord took away his sins, and exalted his horn for ever: he gave him a covenant of kings, and a throne of glory in Israel.
After him rose up a wise son, and for his sake he dwelt at large.
Solomon reigned in a peaceable time, and was honoured; for God made all quiet round about him, that he might build an house in his name, and prepare his sanctuary for ever.
How wise wast thou in thy youth, and, as a flood, filled with understanding!