World English Bible

1 Every friend will say, I also am his friend:

But there is a friend, which is only a friend in name.

2 Is there not a grief in it even to death,

When a companion and friend is turned to enmity?

3 O wicked imagination, whence came you rolling in

To cover the dry land with deceitfulness?

4 There is a companion, which rejoices in the gladness of a friend,

But in time of affliction will be against him.

5 There is a companion, which for the belly’s sake labores with his friend,

In the face of battle will take up the buckler.

6 Forget not a friend in your soul;

And be not unmindful of him in your riches.

7 Every counsellor extols counsel;

But there is that counsels for himself.

8 Let your soul beware of a counsellor,

And know you before what is his interest

(For he will take counsel for himself);

Lest he cast the lot upon you,

9 And say to you, Your way is good:

And he will stand over against you, to see what shall befall you.

10 Take not counsel with one that looks askance at you;

And hide your counsel from such as are jealous of you.

11 Take not counselwith a woman about her rival;

Neither with a coward about war;

Nor with a merchant about exchange;

Nor with a buyer about selling;

Nor with an envious man about thankfulness;

Nor with an unmerciful man about kindliness;

Nor with a sluggard about any kind of work;

Nor with a hireling in your house about finishinghis work;

Nor with an idle servant about much business:

Give not heed to these in any matter of counsel.

12 But rather be continually with a godly man,

Whom you shall have known to be a keeper of the commandments,

Who in his soul is as your own soul,

And who will grieve with you, if you shall miscarry.

13 And make the counsel of your heart to stand;

For there is none more faithful to you than it.

14 For a man’s soul is sometime wont to bring him tidings,

More than seven watchmen that sit on high on a watch-tower.

15 And above all this entreat the Most High,

That he may direct your way in truth.

16 Let reason be the beginning of every work,

And let counsel go before every action.

17 As a token of the changing of the heart,

18 four manner of things do rise up,

Good and evil, life and death;

And that which rules over them continually is the tongue.

19 There is one that is shrewdandthe instructor of many,

And yet is unprofitable to his own soul.

20 There isonethat is subtil in words, and is hated;

He shall be destitute of all food:

21 For grace was not given him from the Lord;

Because he is deprived of all wisdom.

22 There is one that is wise to his own soul;

And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy in the mouth.

23 A wise man will instruct his own people;

And the fruits of his understanding are trustworthy.

24 A wise man shall be filled with blessing;

And all they that see him shall call him happy.

25 The life of man is counted by days;

And the days of Israel are innumerable.

26 The wise man shall inherit confidence among his people,

And his name shall live for ever.

27 My son, prove your soul in your life,

And see what is evil for it, and give not that to it.

28 For all things are not profitable for all men,

Neither has every soul pleasure in every thing.

29 Be not insatiable in any luxury,

And be not greedy on the things that you eatest.

30 For in multitude of meats there shall be disease,

And surfeiting shall come near to colic.

31 Because of surfeiting have many perished;

But he that takes heed shall prolong his life.

1 Honor a physician according to your needof himwith the honors due to him:

For verily the Lord has created him.

2 For from the Most High comes healing;

And from the king he shall receive a gift.

3 The skill of the physician shall lift up his head;

And in the sight of great men he shall be admired.

4 The Lord created medicines out of the earth;

And a prudent man will have no disgust at them.

5 Was not water made sweet with wood,

That the virtue thereof might be known?

6 And he gave men skill,

Thatthey might be glorified in his marvelous works.

7 With them does he heala man,

And takes away his pain.

8 With these will the apothecary make a confection;

And his works shall not be brought to an end;

And from him is peace upon the face of the earth.

9 My son, in your sickness be not negligent;

But pray to the Lord, and he shall heal you.

10 Put away wrong doing, and order your hands aright,

And cleanse your heart from all manner of sin.

11 Give a sweet savor, and a memorial of fine flour;

And make fat your offering, as one that is not.

12 Then give place to the physician, for verily the Lord has created him;

And let him not go from you, for you have need of him.

13 There is a time when in their very hands is the issue for good.

14 For they also shall beseech the Lord,

That he may prosper them ingivingrelief and in healing for the maintenance of life.

15 He that sins before his Maker,

Let him fall into the hands of the physician.

16 My son, let your tears fall over the dead,

And as one that suffers grievously begin lamentation;

And wind up his body according to his due,

And neglect not his burial.

17 Make bitter weeping, and make passionate wailing,

And let your mourning be according to his desert,

For one day or two, lest you be evil spoken of:

And so be comforted for your sorrow.

18 For of sorrow comes death,

And sorrow of heart will bow down the strength.

19 In calamity sorrow also remains:

And the poor man’s life isgrievous to the heart.

20 Give not your heart to sorrow:

Put it away, remembering the last end:

21 Forget it not, for there is no returning again:

Him you shall not profit, and you will hurt yourself.

22 Remember the sentence upon him; for so also shall your be;

Yesterday for me, and today for you.

23 When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest;

And be comforted for him, when his spirit departs from him.

24 The wisdom of the scribe comes by opportunity of leisure;

Andhe that has little business shall become wise.

25 How shall he become wise that holds the plow,

That glories in the shaft of the goad,

That drives oxen, and is occupied in their labors,

And whose discourse is of the stock of bulls?

26 He will set his heart upon turning his furrows;

And his wakefulness is to give his heifers their fodder.

27 So is every artificer and workmaster,

That passes his time by night as by day;

They that cut gravings of signets,

And his diligence is to make great variety;

He will set his heart to preserve likeness in his portraiture,

And will be wakeful to finish his work.

28 So is the smith sitting by the anvil,

And considering the unwrought iron:

The vapor of the fire will waste his flesh;

And in the heat of the furnace will he wrestlewith his work:

The noise of the hammer willbe ever in his ear,

And his eyes are upon the pattern of the vessel;

He will set his heart upon perfecting his works,

And And he will be wakeful to adorn them perfectly.

29 So is the potter sitting at his work,

And turning the wheel about with his feet,

Who is always anxiously set at his work,

And all his handywork is by number;

30 He will fashion the clay with his arm,

And will bend its strength in front of his feet;

He will apply his heart to finish the glazing;

And he will be wakeful to make clean the furnace.

31 All these put their trust in their hands;

And each becomes wise in his own work.

32 Without these shall not a city be inhabited,

And men shall not sojourn nor walk up and downtherein.

33 They shall not be sought for in the council of the people,

And in the assembly they shall not mount on high;

They shall not sit on the seat of the judge,

And they shall not understand the covenant of judgement:

Neither shall they declare instruction and judgement;

And where parables are they shall not be found.

34 But they will maintain the fabric of theworld;

And in the handywork of their craft is their prayer.

1 Not so he that has applied his soul,

And meditateth in the law of the Most High;

He will seek out the wisdom of all the ancients,

And will be occupied in prophecies.

2 He will keep the discourse of the men of renown,

And will enter in amidst the subtilties of parables.

3 He will seek out the hidden meaning of proverbs,

And be conversant in the dark sayings of parables.

4 He will serve among great men,

And appear before him that rules:

He will travel through the land of strange nations;

For he has tried good things and evil among men.

5 He will apply his heart to resort early to the Lord that made him,

And will make supplication before the Most High,

And will open his mouth in prayer,

And will make supplication for his sins.

6 If the great Lord will,

He shall be filled with the spirit of understanding:

He shall pour forth the words of his wisdom,

And in prayer give thanks to the Lord.

7 He shall direct his counsel and knowledge,

And in his secrets shall he meditate.

8 He shall show forth the instruction which he has been taught,

And shall glory in the law of the covenant of the Lord.

9 Many shall commend his understanding;

And so long as the world endures, it shall not be blotted out:

His memorial shall not depart,

And his name shall live from generation to generation.

10 Nations shall declare his wisdom,

And the congregation shall tell out his praise.

11 If he continue, he shall leave a greater name than a thousand:

And if hedie, he adds thereto.

12 Yet more will I utter, which I have thought upon;

And I am filled as the moon at the full.

13 Hearken to me, you⌃ holy children,

And bud forth as a rose growing by a brook of water:

14 And give you⌃ a sweet savor as frankencense,

And put forth flowers as a lily,

Spread abroad a sweet smell, and sing a song of praise;

Bless you⌃ the Lord for all his works.

15 Magnify his name,

And give utterance to his praise

With the songs of your lips, and with harps;

And thus shall you⌃ say when you⌃ utterhis praise:

16 All the works of the Lord are exceeding good,

And every command shall beaccomplishedin his season.

17 None can say, What is this? wherefore is that?

For in his season they shall all be sought out.

At his word the waters stood as a heap,

And the receptacles of waters at the word of his mouth.

18 At his command is all his good pleasuredone;

And there is none that shall hinder his salvation.

19 The works of all flesh are before him;

And it is not possible to be hid from his eyes.

20 He sees from everlasting to everlasting;

And there is nothing wonderful before him.

21 None can say, What is this? wherefore is that?

For all things are created for their uses.

22 His blessing covered the dry land as a river,

And saturated it as a flood.

23 As he has turned the waters into saltness;

So shall the heathen inherit his wrath.

24 His ways are plain to the holy;

So are they stumbling blocks to the wicked.

25 Good things are created from the beginning for the good;

So are evil things for sinners.

26 The chief of all things necessary for the life of man

Are water, and fire, and iron, and salt,

And flour of wheat, and honey, and milk,

The blood of the grape, and oil, and clothing.

27 All these things are for good to the godly;

So to the sinners they shall be turned into evil.

28 There be winds that are created for vengeance,

And in their fury lay on their scourges heavily;

In the time of consummation they pour out their strength,

And shall appease the wrath of him that made them.

29 Fire, and hail, and famine, and death,

All these are created for vengeance;

30 Teeth of wild beasts, and scorpions and adders,

And a sword punishing the ungodly to destruction.

31 They shall rejoice in his commandment,

And shall be made ready upon earth, when need is;

And in their seasons they shall not transgresshisword.

32 Therefore from the beginning I was resolved,

And I thoughtthis,and left it in writing;

33 All the works of the Lord are good:

And he will supply every need in its season.

34 And none can say, This is worse than that:

For they shall all be well approved in their season.

35 And now with all your heart and mouth sing you⌃ praises,

And bless the name of the Lord.

1 Great travail is created for every man,

And a heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam,

From the day of their coming forth from their mother’s womb,

Until the day for their burial in the mother of all things.

2 The expectation of things to come, and the day of death,

Troubletheir thoughts, andcausefear of heart;

3 From him that sits on a throne of glory,

Even to him that is humbled in earth and ashes;

4 From him that wears purple and a crown,

Even to him that is clothed with a hempen frock.

5 There iswrath, and jealousy, and trouble, and disquiet,

And fear of death, and anger, and strife;

And in the time of rest upon his bed

His night sleep does change his knowledge.

6 A little or nothing is his resting,

And afterward in his sleep, as in a day of keeping watch,

He is troubled in the vision of his heart,

As one that has escaped from the front of battle.

7 In the very time of his deliverance he awakens,

And marvels that the fear is nothing.

8 It is thuswith all flesh, from man to beast,

And upon sinners sevenfold more.

9 Death, and bloodshed, and strife, and sword,

Calamities, famine, tribulation, and the scourge;

10 All these things were created for the wicked,

And because of them came the flood.

11 All things that are of the earth turn to the earth again:

Andall things that areof the waters return into the sea.

12 All bribery and injustice shall be blotted out;

And good faith shall stand for ever.

13 The goods of the unjust shall be dried up like a river,

And like a great thunder in rain shall go off in noise.

14 In opening his handsa manshall be made glad:

So shall transgressors utterly fail.

15 The children of the ungodly shall not put forth many branches;

Andare asunclean roots upon a sheer rock.

16 The sedgethat growsupon every water and bank of a river

Shall be plucked up before all grass.

17 Bounty is as a gardenof blessings,

And almsgiving endures for ever.

18 The life of one that labores, and is contented, shall be made sweet;

And he that finds a treasure is above both.

19 Children and the building of a city establish aman’sname;

And a blameless wife is counted above both.

20 Wine and music rejoice the heart;

And the love of wisdom is above both.

21 The pipe and the lute make pleasant melody;

And a pleasant tongue is above both.

22 Your eye shall desire grace and beauty;

And above both the green blade of corn.

23 A friend and a companion never meet amiss;

And a wife with her husband is above both.

24 Brethren and succour are for a time of affliction;

And almsgiving is a deliverer above both.

25 Gold and silver will make the foot stand sure;

And counsel is esteemed above them both.

26 Riches and strength will lift up the heart;

And the fear of the Lord is above both:

There is nothing lacking in the fear of the Lord,

And there is no need to seek help therein.

27 The fear of the Lord is as a garden of blessing,

And coversa man above all glory.

28 My son, lead not a beggar’s life;

Better it is to die than to beg.

29 A man that looks to the table of another,

His life is not to be counted for a life;

He will pollute his soul with another man’s meats:

But a man wise and well-instructed will beware thereof.

30 In the mouth of the shameless begging will be sweet;

And in his belly a fire shall be kindled.

1 O death, how bitter is the remembrance of you to a man that is at peace in his possessions,

To the man that has nothing to distract him, and has prosperity in all things,

And that still has strength to receive meat!

2 O death, acceptable is your sentence to a man that is needy, and that fails in strength,

That is in extreme old age, and is distracted about all things,

And is perverse, and has lost patience!

3 Fear not the sentence of death;

Remember them that have been before you, and that come after:

This is the sentence from the Lord over all flesh.

4 And why do you refuse, when it is the good pleasure of the Most High?

Whether it be ten, or a hundred, or a thousand years,

There is no inquisition of life inthe grave.

5 The children of sinners are abominable children,

And they frequent the dwellings of the ungodly.

6 The inheritance of sinners’ children shall perish,

And with their posterity shall be a perpetual reproach.

7 Children will complain of an ungodly father,

Because they shall be reproached for his sake.

8 Woe to you, ungodly men,

Which have forsaken the law of the Most High God!

9 If you⌃ be born, you⌃ shall be born to a curse;

If you⌃ die, a curse shall be your portion.

10 All things that are of the earth shall go back to the earth:

So the ungodly shall go from a curse to perdition.

11 The mourning of men is about their bodies:

But the name of sinners being evil shall be blotted out.

12 Have regard to your name;

For it continueth with you longer than a thousand great treasures of gold.

13 A good life has its number of days;

And a good name continueth for ever.

14 My children, keep instruction in peace:

But wisdom that is hid, and a treasure that is not seen,

What profit is in them both?

15 Better is a man that hides his foolishness

Than a man that hides his wisdom.

16 Wherefore show reverence to my word:

For it is not good to retain every kind of shame;

And not all things are approved by all in good faith.

17 Be ashamed of whoredom before father and mother:

And of a lie before a prince and a mighty man;

18 Of an offence before a judge and ruler;

Of iniquity before the congregation and the people;

Of unjust dealing before a partner and friend;

19 And of theft in regard of the place where you sojourn,

And in regard of the truth of God and his covenant;

And of leaning with your elbow at meat;

And of scurrility in the matter of giving and taking;

20 And of silence before them that salute you;

And of looking upon a woman that is a harlot;

21 And of turning awayyour face from a kinsman;

Of taking away a portion or a gift;

And of gazing upon a woman that has a husband;

22 Of being over busy with his maid; and come not near her bed;

Of upbraiding speeches before friends;

And after you have given, upbraid not;

23 Of repeating and speaking what you have heard;

And of revealing of secrets.

24 So shall you be truly shamefast,

And find favor in the sight of every man.

1 Of these things be not ashamed,

And accept no man’s person to sinthereby:

2 Of the law of the Most High, and his covenant;

And of judgement to do justice to the ungodly;

3 Of reckoning with a partner and with travellers;

And of a gift from the heritage of friends;

4 Of exactness of balance and weights;

And of getting much or little;

5 Of indifferent selling of merchants;

And of much correction of children;

And of making the side of an evil servant to bleed.

6 Sure keeping is good, where an evil wife is;

And where many hands are, shut you close.

7 Whatsoever you handest over, let it be by number and weight;

And in giving and receiving let all be in writing.

8 Be not ashamedto instruct the unwise and foolish,

And one of extreme old age that contends with those that are young;

And so shall you be well instructed indeed,

And approved in the sight of every man living.

9 A daughter is a secret cause of wakefulness to a father;

And the care for her puts away sleep;

In her youth, lest she pass the flower of her age;

And when she is married, lest she should be hated:

10 In her virginity, lest she should be defiled

And be with child in her father’s house;

And when she has a husband, lest she should transgress;

And when she is married, lest she should be barren.

11 Keep a strict watch over a headstrong daughter,

Lest she make youa laughing stock to your enemies,

A byword in the city andnotorious among the people,

And shame you before the multitude.

12 Look not upon every body in regard of beauty,

And sit not in the midst of women;

13 For from garments comes a moth,

And from a woman a woman’s wickedness.

14 Better is the wickedness of a man than a pleasant-dealing woman,

And a woman which puts you to shameful reproach.

15 I will make mention now of the works of the Lord,

And will declare the things that I have seen:

In the words of the Lord are his works.

16 The sun that gives light looks upon all things;

And the work of the Lord is full of his glory.

17 The Lord has not given power to the saints to declare all his marvelous works;

Which the Almighty Lord firmly settled,

That whatever is might be established in his glory.

18 He searcheth out the deep, and the heart,

And he has understanding of their cunning devices:

For the Most High knows all knowledge,

And he looks into thesigns of the world,

19 Declaring the things that are past, and the things that shall be,

And revealing the traces of hidden things.

20 No thought escapes him;

There is not a word hid from him.

21 The mighty works of his wisdom he has ordered,

Who is from everlasting to everlasting:

Nothing has been added to them, nor diminished from them;

And he had no need of any counsellor.

22 How desirable are all his works!

One may beholdthiseven to a spark.

23 All these things live and remain for ever in all manner of uses,

And they are all obedient.

24 All things are double one against another:

And he has made nothing imperfect.

25 One thing establishes the good things of another:

And who shall be filled with beholding his glory?

1 The pride of the height is the firmamentin its clearness,

The appearance of heaven, in the spectacle of its glory.

2 The sun when he appears, bringing tidings as he goes forth,

Is a marvelous instrument, the work of the Most High:

3 At his noon he dries up the country,

And who shall stand against his burning heat?

4 A man blowing a furnace is in works of heat,

Butthe sun three times more, burning up the mountains:

Breathing out fiery vapours,

And sending forth bright beams, he dims the eyes.

5 Great is the Lord that made him;

And at his word he hastens his course.

6 The moon also is in all things for her season,

For a declaration of times, and a sign of the world.

7 From the moon is the sign of the feast day;

A light that waneth when she is come to the full.

8 The month is called after her name,

Increasing wonderfully in her changing;

An instrument of the hosts on high,

Shining forth in the firmament of heaven;

9 The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars,

An ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.

10 At the word of the Holy One they will stand indue order,

And they will not faint in their watches.

11 Look upon the rainbow, and praise him that made it;

Exceeding beautiful in the brightness thereof.

12 It encircles the heaven round about with a circle of glory;

The hands of the Most High have stretched it.

13 By his commandment he makes the snow to fall apace,

And sends swiftly the lightnings of his judgement.

14 By reason thereof the treasure-houses are opened;

And clouds fly forth as fowls.

15 By his mighty power he makes strong the clouds,

And the hailstones are broken small:

16 And at his appearing the mountains will be shaken,

And at his will the south wind will blow.

17 The voice of his thunder makes the earth to travail;

So does the northern storm and the whirlwind:

As birds flying down he sprinkleth the snow;

And as the lighting of the locust is the falling down thereof:

18 The eye will marvel at the beauty of its whiteness,

And the heart will be astonished at the raining of it.

19 The hoar frost also he pours on the earth as salt;

And when it is congealed, it isaspoints of thorns.

20 The cold north wind shall blow,

And the ice shall be congealed on the water:

It shall lodge upon every gathering together of water,

And the water shall put on as it were a breastplate.

21 It shall devour the mountains, and burn up the wilderness,

And consume the green herb as fire.

22 A mist coming speedily is the healing of all things;

A dew coming after heat shall bring cheerfulness.

23 By his counsel he has stilled the deep,

Andplanted islands therein.

24 They that sail on the sea tell of the danger thereof;

And when we hear it with our ears, we marvel.

25 Therein be also those strange and wondrous works,

Variety of all that has life, therace of sea-monsters.

26 By reason of him his end has success,

And by his word all things consist.

27 We may say many things, yet shall we not attain;

And the sum of our words is, He is all.

28 How shall we have strength to glorify him?

For he is himself the great one above all his works.

29 The Lord is terrible and exceeding great;

And marvelous is his power.

30 When you⌃ glorify the Lord, exalt him as much as you⌃ can;

For even yet will he exceed:

And when you⌃ exalt him, put forth your full strength:

Be not weary; for you⌃ will never attain.

31 Who has seen him, that he may declare him?

And who shall magnify him as he is?

32 Many things are hidden greater than these;

For we have seen but a few of his works.

33 For the Lord made all things;

And to the godly gave he wisdom.

1 Let us now praise famous men,

And our fathers that became the father of us.

2 The Lordmanifestedin themgreat glory,

Evenhis mighty power from the beginning.

3 Such as did bear rule in their kingdoms,

And were men renowned for their power,

Giving counsel by their understanding,

Such as have brought tidings in prophecies:

4 Leaders of the people by their counsels,

And by their understandingmen oflearning for the people;

Wiseweretheir words in their instruction:

5 Such as sought out musical tunes,

And set forth verses in writing:

6 Rich men furnished with ability,

Living peaceably in their habitations:

7 All these were honored in their generations,

And were a glory in their days.

8 There be of them, that have left a name behind them,

To declare their praises.

9 And some there be, which have no memorial;

Who are perished as though they had not been,

And are become as though they had not been born;

And their children after them.

10 But these were men of mercy,

Whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten.

11 With their seed shall remain continually a good inheritance;

Their childrenarewithin the covenants.

12 Their seed stands fast,

And their children for their sakes.

13 Their seed shall remain for ever,

And their glory shall not be blotted out.

14 Their bodies were buried in peace,

And their name lives to all generations.

15 Peoples will declare their wisdom,

And the congregation tells out their praise.

16 Enoch pleased the Lord, and was translated,

Beingan example of repentance to all generations.

17 Noah was found perfectandrighteous;

In the season of wrath he was taken in exchangefor the world;

Therefore was there left a remnant to the earth,

When the flood came.

18 Everlasting covenants were made with him,

That all flesh should no more be blotted out by a flood.

19 Abraham was a great father of a multitude of nations;

And there was none found like him in glory;

20 Who kept the law of the Most High,

And was taken into covenant with him:

In his flesh he established the covenant;

And when he was proved, he was found faithful.

21 Therefore he assured him by an oath,

That the nations should be blessed in his seed;

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 to the utmost part of the earth.

22 In Isaac also did he establish likewise, for Abraham his father’s sake,

The blessing of all men, and the covenant:

23 And he made it rest upon the head of Jacob;

He acknowledged him in his blessings,

And gave to him by inheritance,

And divided his portions;

Among twelve tribes did he part them.

1 And he brought out of him a man of mercy,

Which found favor in the sight of all flesh;

A man beloved of God and men, even Moses,

Whose memorial is blessed.

2 He made him like to the glory of the saints,

And magnified him in the fears of his enemies.

3 By his words he caused the wonders to cease;

He glorified him in the sight of kings;

He gave him commandment for his people,

And showed him part of his glory.

4 He sanctified him in his faithfulness and meekness;

He chose him out of all flesh.

5 He made him to hear his voice,

And led him into the thick darkness,

And gave him commandments face to face,

Even the law of life and knowledge,

That he might teach Jacob the covenant,

And Israel his judgments.

6 He exalted Aaron, a holy man like to him,

Even his brother, of the tribe of Levi.

7 He established for him an everlasting covenant,

And gave him the priesthood of the people;

Hebeautified him with comely ornaments,

And girded him about with a robe of glory.

8 He clothed him with the perfection of exultation;

And strengthened him with apparel ofhonor,

The linen breeches, the long robe, and the ephod.

9 And he compassed him with pomegranates of gold,

Andwith many bells round about,

To send forth a sound as he went,

To make a sound that might be heard in the temple,

For a memorial to the children of his people;

10 With a holy garment, with gold and blue and purple, the work of the embroiderer,

With an oracle of judgement,evenwith the Urim and Thummim;

11 With twisted scarlet, the work of the craftsman;

With precious stones graven like a signet, in a setting of gold, the work of the jeweller,

For a memorial engraved in writing, after the number of the tribes of Israel;

12 With a crown of gold upon the mitre,having graven on it, as on a signet, HOLINESS,

An ornament of honor, a work of might,

The desires of the eyes, goodly and beautiful.

13 Before him there never have been any such;

No stranger put them on, but his sons only, and his offspring perpertually.

14 His sacrifices shall be wholly consumed

Every day twice continually.

15 Mosesconsecrated him,

And anointed him with holy oil:

It was to him for an everlasting covenant,

And to his seed, all the days of heaven,

To minister to him, and to execute also the priest’s office,

And bless his people in his name.

16 He chose him out of all living

To offer sacrifice to the Lord,

Incense, and a sweet savor, for a memorial,

To make reconciliation for your people.

17 He gave to him in his commandments,

Yes,authority in the covenants of judgements,

To teach Jacob the testimonies,

And to enlighten Israel in his law.

18 Strangers gathered themselves together against him,

And envied him in the wilderness,

EvenDathan and Abiram with their company,

And the congregation of Korah, with wrath and anger.

19 The Lord saw it, and it displeased him;

And in the wrath of his anger they were destroyed:

He did wonders upon them,

To consume them with flaming fire.

20 And he added glory to Aaron,

And gave him a heritage:

He divided to him the first fruits of the increase;

Andfirst did he prepare bread in abundance:

21 For they shall eat the sacrifices of the Lord,

Which he gave to him and to his seed.

22 Howbeit in the land of the people he shall have no inheritance,

And he has no portion among the people:

For he himself is your portionandinheritance.

23 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar is the third in glory,

In that he was zealous in the fear of the Lord,

And stood fast in the good forwardness of his soul when the people turned away,

And he made reconciliation for Israel.

24 Therefore was there a covenant of peace established for him,

That he should beleader of thesaints and of his people;

That he and his seed

Should have the dignity of the priesthood for ever.

25 Alsohe madea covenant with David the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah;

The inheritance of the king is his alone from son to son;

So the inheritance of Aaron is also to his seed.

26 Godgive you wisdom in your heart

To judge his people in righteousness,

That their good things be not abolished,

Andthattheir gloryendurefor all their generations.

1 Joshua the son ofNun was valiant in war,

And was the successor of Moses in prophecies:

Who according to his name was made great

For the saving ofGod’s elect,

To take vengeance of the enemies that rose up against them,

That he might give Israel their inheritance.

2 How was he glorified in the lifting up his hands,

And in stretching out his sword against the cities!

3 Who before him so stood fast?

For the Lord himself brought his enemies to him.

4 Did not the sun go back by his hand?

And did not one day become as two?

5 He called upon the Most HighandMighty One,

When his foes pressed him round about;

And the great Lord heard him.

6 With hailstones of mighty power

He caused war to break violently upon the nation,

Andin the going down he destroyed them that resisted;

That the nations might know hisarmor,

How that he fought in the sight of the Lord;

For he followed after the Mighty One.

7 Also in the time of Moses he did a work of mercy,

He and Caleb the son of Jephunneh,

In that they withstood the adversary,

Hindered the people from sin,

And stilled the murmuring of wickedness.

8 And of six hundred thousand people on foot, they two alone were preserved

To bring them into the heritage,

Even into a land flowing with milk and honey.

9 Also the Lord gave strength to Caleb,

And it remained with him to his old age;

So that he entered upon the height of the land,

And his seed obtained it for a heritage:

10 That all the children of Israel might see

That it is good to walk after the Lord.

11 Also the judges, every one by his name,

All whose hearts went not a whoring,

And who turned not away from the Lord,

May their memorial be blessed.

12 May their bones flourish again out of their place,

And may the name of them that have been honored be renewed upon their children.

13 Samuel, the prophet of the Lord, beloved of his Lord,

Established a kingdom, and anointed princes over his people.

14 By the law of the Lord he judged the congregation,

And the Lord visited Jacob.

15 By his faithfulness he was proved to be a prophet,

And by his words he was known to be faithful in vision.

16 Also when his enemies pressed him round about

He called upon the Lord, the Mighty One,

With the offering of the sucking lamb.

17 And the Lord thundered from heaven,

And with a mighty sound made his voice to be heard.

18 And he utterly destroyed the rulers of the Tyrians,

And all the princes of the Philistines.

19 Also before the time of hislong sleep

He made protestations in the sight of the lord andhisanointed,

I have not taken any man’s goods, so much as a shoe:

And no man did accuse him.

20 And after he fell asleep he prophesied,

And showed the king his end,

And lifted up his voice from the earth in prophecy,

To blot out the wickedness of the people.