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In the morning they are like grass, which reneweth its ver

dure;

In the morning it flourisheth, and becometh verdant,

In the evening it is cut down and withereth.
For we are consumed by thine anger,

And by thy wrath are we destroyed.

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee,

Our secret transgressions in the light of thy countenance. For all our days are passed away in thy wrath ;

Our years disappear like a thought.

As to the days of our years, in them are seventy years;
And if by reason of strength there be eighty years,
Yet is their pride wearisome labour and sorrow;

For it passeth hastily, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the power of thine anger?

And who, with becoming reverence, acknowledgeth thy wrath? *

So teach us to number our days,

That we may be guided by the heart of wisdom.

Return, O Lord! how long?

And have compassion on thy servants.

Satisfy us early with thy mercy,

And we will be glad and rejoice in thee.

Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast afflict

ed us,

The years in which we have experienced adversity.

Let thy work appear unto thy servants,

And thy glory unto their children.

And let the mercy of the Lord our God be upon us ;

And the work of our hands, establish it for us,

Yea, the work of our hands establish thou it.

PRAISE TO JEHOVAH.

PSALM XCVI.†

O sing unto Jehovah a new song!

Sing to Jehovah, all the earth!

Sing to Jehovah, bless his name,

Publish joyfully his salvation from day to day,
Declare his glory among the heathen,

His wonders among the people.

For Jehovah is great, and greatly to be praised:

He is to be revered above all gods.

For all the gods of the nations are idels ;

But Jehovah created the heavens.

* A possible rendering of this line is the following. Even like thy greatness, so is thy wrath.

See and compare I. Chronicles, chapter xvi. verses 8-36.

Glory and majesty are before him,
Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Give to Jehovah glory and strength;
Give unto Jehovah the glory of his name;
Bring an offering and come into his courts.
O worship Jehovah in the beauty of holiness;
Fear before his presence all the earth!
Say among the heathen, Jehovah reigneth!

The world also is established; it shall not be moved.
He shall judge the people in righteousness.

Let the heavens rejoice and let the earth be glad ;
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof.

Let the field be joyful and all that is therein;—
Then shall all the trees of the forest rejoice!
In the presence of Jehovah, for he cometh,
For he cometh to judge the earth.

He shall judge the world with righteousness,
And the people with his truth.

GOD MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS.

PSALM CIII.

BLESS Jehovah, O my soul!

And all that is within me bless his holy name.

Bless Jehovah, O my soul!

And forget not any of his benefits.

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;

Who healeth all thy diseases;

Who redeemeth thy life from destruction;

Who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies
Who satisfieth thy mouth with good;

Thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Jehovah executeth righteousness,
And justice for all that are oppressed.
He made known his ways unto Moses,

His wonderful works to the children of Israel.

Jehovah is compassionate and gracious,

Slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.

He will not always chide;

Nor will he keep his anger forever.

He hath not dealt with us according to our sins,

Nor hath he requited us according to our transgressions.

For as the heaven is high above the earth,

So prevalent is his mercy towards those who revere him.

As far as the east is from the west,

So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

Like as a father pitieth his children,

So Jehovah pitieth those who revere him.

For he knoweth our frame,

He remembereth that we are dust.
As for man, his days are as grass;

Like a flower of the field, so he flourisheth:
For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;
And its place shall know it no more.

But the mercy of Jehovah is from everlasting,
And to everlasting upon those who revere him,
And his righteousness to the children of children.
To such as keep his covenant,

And to those who remember his commandments, to do them.
Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens,

And his dominion ruleth over all.

Bless Jehovah, ye his angels!

Mighty in strength, executing his commands,
Hearkening to the voice of his word.

Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts,

Ye servants of his, that execute his pleasure.
Bless Jehovah, all his works,

In all places of his dominion.

Bless Jehovah, O my soul!

CREATION SUSTAINED BY THE MERCY OF GOD.

PSALM CIV.

BLESS Jehovah, O my soul!

O Jehovah, my God, thou art exalted exceedingly!
Thou puttest on glory and majesty,

Covering thyself with light, as with a garment.
Who spreadeth out the heavens like a tent;

Who layeth the beains of his chambers on the waters ;

Who maketh the clouds his chariots;

Who walketh on the wings of the wind;
Who maketh the winds his messengers;

His servants, a consuming fire.

He established the earth on its foundations;

It shall not be removed forever and ever.

Thou didst cover it with the floods as with a garment;
The waters arose upon the mountains.

From thy rebuke they fled,

From the roar of thy thunder they hasted away;

The mountains rise up ;-they flow down into the valleys,

To the place which thou hast appointed for them.

Thou hast established a limit, which they shall not overflow. They shall not again return to cover the earth.

He setteth loose the springs in brooks,―

They flow among the mountains.

They give drink to all beasts of the field,-
The wild asses quench their thirst.

Near them the fowls of heaven inhabit,—

They sing from among the branches.

He watereth the hills from his chambers,
The earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
He causeth grass to spring up for the cattle,
And herbs for the service of man,

That he may bring forth food from the earth.
And wine which gladdeneth the heart of man,
And oil to make his countenance to shine,
And bread which increaseth the strength of man.
The trees of Jehovah are full of sap,

The cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted;
There the singing birds make their nests.-
The stork, the fir-trees are her habitation.
The high hills for the wild goats,

And the rocks are a refuge for the conies.
He appointeth the moon for seasons,

The sun knoweth his going down.

Thou makest darkness, and it is night,

In which all the beasts of the forest move forth.

The young lions roar for prey,

And to demand from God their food.

The sun ariseth, they withdraw,

And lie down for repose in their dwellings.

Man goeth forth to his work,

And to his labour until evening.

How manifold are thy works, O Jehovah!

In wisdom hast thou made them all.

The earth is full of thy riches,

So is this great and wide spreading sea.

There are moving creatures innumerable,

Living creatures, small and great.

There go the ships;

'There that leviathan, which thou hast made to sport therein.

These wait all upon thee,

To give them their food in its season.

Thou givest it unto them, and they gather it;

Thou openest wide thine hand,-they are satisfied with good.

Thou hidest thy face,-they are terrified;

Thou takest back their life,-they die,

And to their dust do they return.

Thou sendest forth thy spirit,—they are created;

And thou renewest the face of the earth.

The glory of Jehovah shall endure forever!

Jehovah shall rejoice in his works.
He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth,
He toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

I will sing to Jehovah as long as I live,

I will sing praises to my God, while I have my being.
My meditation of him shall be sweet;
I will be joyful in Jehovah.

Let sinners be destroyed from the earth,
And the wicked cease from existence.
Bless Jehovah, O my soul !

Praise ye Jehovah !

THE EXCELLENT GOODNESS OF JEHOVAH.

PSALM CXLVII.

PRAISE ye Jehovah !

For it is good to celebrate our God,
For praise is pleasant and becoming.
Jehovah rebuildeth Jerusalem,

And assembleth the banished ones of Israel.
He healeth the broken in heart,

And he bindeth up their wounds.

He counteth the number of the stars,
He giveth their names to them all!
Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
To his wisdom there is no limit.

Jehovah lifteth up the lowly,

He humbleth the wicked to the ground.
Sing to Jehovah with thanksgiving,
Sing praise to our God upon the harp.
He covereth the heavens with clouds,
He prepareth rain for the earth,

He maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
He giveth to the beast his food,

And to the young ravens which cry.

He delighteth not in the strength of the horse,

He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

Jehovah is well pleased with those who revere him,
With those who wait for his mercy.

Praise Jehovah, O Jerusalem!

Praise thy God, O Zion!

For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates;
He hath blessed thy children in the midst of thee.

He maketh peace in thy borders,

And satisfieth thee with the finest of wheat.

He sendeth out his word through the earth;

His command runneth with swiftness.

He giveth forth snow like wool;

He scattereih the hoar frost like ashes;
He casteth forth his ice like morsels;

Who can stand before his cold!

He sendeth out his word and melteth them,

He maketh his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

He publisheth his word unto Jacob,

His statutes and his laws unto Israel.

He hath not dealt so with any nation,

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